REFLECTION FOR THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT BEYOND INTERESTING By: Bobby Quitain As a kid, I have a long and colorful history when it comes to taking care of pets. My first pet, a turtle, was lost (or should I say, misplaced). Then my dog starved. My fish drowned (is that really possible?). Even my pet spider walked away (or crawled away) from me. You see, I have this nasty habit of losing interest over my pets as time goes by. Pretty soon, I fail to feed them. Before you know it, I stop playing with them. In a few days, I start ignoring them. Good news: God isnt like me. God never loses interest in us. From the day we were conceived to the day we breathe our last, God consistently cares for us. He feeds us, clothes us, listens to us and spends time with us day in and day out. On the other hand, it is us who lose interest in God. In my ministry, the stories are countless of men and women who were educated in Catholic schools, whose faith used to be so alive, but somewhere along the way have grown cold towards their faith. God became distant, or worse, non-existent in their lives. They drifted away, lost in a sea of more imminent yet less essential earthly concerns. They have lost interest in God. God was relegated to Sundays, if at all. Worse, God was thought of as a mere fairy tale, for those who still believed in happy endings. Somehow, a tough and cutthroat corporate market, or a broken marriage, or failed dreams can easily do that. Earthly valleys could rob you of your view of the majestic peak of the mountain of faith. You become callous, skeptical and cold towards life. And God is the last thing you want to be involved with. And then the phone call comes. An invitation to attend a retreat or a recollection. Or perhaps a friend shares his inspiring faith journey over a cup of coffee one break time in the office. Or perhaps an old friend, a devout Christian, comes to comfort you at your most desperate moment and somehow lights a spark in your dormant faith. So you accede... And your life was never the same again. This happened to me. This happened to countless others I know. And I know that this could happen to you too. This Advent Season, say yes to that invitation to attend that recollection or retreat. Go to that Bible Study. Take the Holy Eucharist more seriously. Open that old and worn-out Bible on your shelf and read (really read!). You will be surprised to know, my friend. That despite your many failures, wrong decisions, unfulfilled dreams and once in a while bad behavior, God has never lost interest in you. In scriptures, it says, I have loved you with an everlasting love (John 31:3). Everlasting. Endless. Timeless. For Him, you are more than simply interesting. You are outrageously loved forever. P.S. This Saturday, December 13, 5:30PM at LayForce Chapel in San Carlos Seminary, Guadalupe, EDSA, the Pathways Ministry is sponsoring an open recollection for hearts that are thirsting to encounter God powerfully this Advent Season. Try it out! Invite others too! Inspiration is free of charge!
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 04:44:15 +0000
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