AN AUDIENCE WITH GOD

“AN AUDIENCE WITH GOD”.   This is the thought that filled my mind while I was serving at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass this morning of Tuesday, October 18, 2011. 

          I have read and heard so many viewpoints about the Holy Mass and have actually developed a great appreciation for it.  Hence, I have been a Daily Mass Go-er  for quite a number of years.   This new viewpoint, however, has filled me with awe during the sacred celebration.

           An AUDIENCE WITH GOD is, indeed, a very great privilege simply because it is an audience with the SUPREME BEING – THE CREATOR OF THE WHOLE UNIVERSE.  Hence, an Audience with God is beyond compare to an audience with any human being in this  world, no matter how prestigious may be his or her position.

 

          Looking at the number of those who were participating in the celebration, I asked myself the question:  “Why are there so few attending this Audience with God?”

          Searching for the answer to this question, I remembered an anecdote of two laborers who were doing a menial job.  When someone asked them what they were doing, one of them replied: “I am carrying this brick from this place to that place.”  The other one answered: “ I am building a Cathedral.”  The first one was just doing his work listlessly, while the second one was enjoying his work with a smile on his face.  So, I asked myself: What made the difference?   To my mind, the difference lies in one’s VISION.  The first one, I may say, had a myopic vision – seeing only the work of carrying the bricks.  The second one, on the other hand, has a grandiose vision – seeing a Great Cathedral in the making.

          The way we see things – OUR VISION – is, to my mind, of great importance in the way we act.   In other words: ACTION DEPENDS ON VISION.

          During the celebration of that HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS,  I envisioned the PRESENCE of GOD,  manifested by the LOVING SACRIFICE of the LORD JESUS CHRIST on the CROSS.  The Priest Celebrant stood there as the VISIBLE SIGN of GOD’S REALITY.  All the other participants in the celebration were there exhibiting in one way or the other their FAITH in God’s almighty power.  It was, indeed, an ACTUAL LIVING AUDIENCE WITH GOD.  GOD was there and the people were blessed by HIS LOVING PRESENCE.

          I believe that what I experienced was a GREAT GRACE from GOD.   After so many years of participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,  it is a grace that I am becoming more and more aware of how LOVING GOD IS -  making Himself present in a very special way in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Eucharistic Celebration, in order to enable us to have an AUDIENCE WITH GOD.

By: Buddy Caguragan 

Oct. 18, 2011

LOVE OF GOD AND NEIGHBOR

LOVE of GOD and LOVE of NEIGHBOR are the two greatest commandments that contain in a nutshell the Ten Commandments of God.  In Matthew 22: 36-40, when a lawyer asked Jesus “which is the greatest commandment in the Law” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it, Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets”.

          Meditating on the statement of our Lord Jesus Christ, the following questions came to my mind:

      1. Can a person love God without loving his neighbor?

                2. Can he love his neighbor without loving God?

          To answer these questions, I consulted the Catechism for Filipino Catholics (CFC) and found out that there are, indeed, some misconceptions or erroneous ideas about love of God and love of neighbor.

1.    First is, “Piety without Service”.

Many “pious” Christian Filipinos act as if their Church-going devotional piety takes care of loving both God and neighbor.  They don’t understand that their piety is authentically Christian only when it is united with loving service of others.

2.    Second is, “Service without Piety”.

A second type of rationalizing is becoming more common: “I love God by loving my neighbor.”  Therefore, no more need for prayer or going to Church.”  The ground, however, for our love for one another must be God.

3.    Third is, “seeing love of another as opposed to love of God”.  But all our true, authentic love is inspired by God.  God is never in competition with another  for our love.

4.    Another error is, “loving another only as a means for loving God.”  Since God directly loves and has intrinsically blessed each and every person, no human person can ever be “used” as a “means” for anything, even for loving God.  We can never make another person merely a stepping stone for our drawing closer to God.  Rather it is precisely in loving recognition of the intrinsic value of other persons that our love shares in God’s own love for them.  Thus, it is within a genuine, radical, unconditional love of persons who are loved for and in themselves, that true Christian love of God is exercised.

The CFC states that “There is  an  inner  connection  between   loving

 God and loving one’s neighbor. For without this dynamic unity, neither God and loving one’s neighbor can be truly Christian, that is, Christ-like.  “The commandment we have from him is this: whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:21)

By: Buddy Cagurangan

October 9, 2011

The Invisibility of God

               The Invisibility of God is the mystery that my mind has been grappling with in the past few days. Why is God invisible?  Would not everyone in this world bow or bend his knee if he sees the Greatness of the Supreme Being in this world?  We are told, of course, that God is a Spirit that is beyond man’s human capacity to grasp.

               In my attempt to try to understand God’s invisibility, the phenomenon of electricity gave me some points of comparison.  Electricity is defined in the dictionary as “a fundamental property of matter, associated with atomic particles whose movements, free or controlled, lead to the development of fields of force and the generation of kinetic or potential energy.”   It is invisible to the human eye.  It is, however, a powerful energy that has been harnessed by men to make this world a better place to live in.  Thomas Edison, for instance, invented the incandescent lamp in 1879, using the power of electricity.

               This characteristic of electricity as being invisible and yet a reality that has a tremendous power to provide energy is to me a phenomenon that can somehow allow us to get a glimpse of God’s invisibility.  In the Book of Exodus it is written that when Moses asked God to show him His face, God replied: “You cannot see My face, for no man can see My face and live!” (Exodus 33:20).  To me this means that God is so great a reality that no finite being can have the capacity to see Him in all His glory, He being an Infinite Being.  Nevertheless, His reality is something that  He  manifests in many different ways. 

               The Mystery of Christ’s Incarnation is actually the greatest manifestation of God’s reality for we read in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”  And in John 1:14 we read: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  Hence, through this Mystery of INCARNATION, God made Himself visible in the form of a MAN – JESUS CHRIST.

               Today, more than two thousand years have already elapsed, yet the world is still divided about the Divinity of  Christ.  About one third of the world’s population believe in Christ as God’s only begotten Son, and are called Christians.  The rest, however, still doubt and even make a mockery of Christ.  It was due to this unbelief that the Jewish authority then put Christ to death through crucifixion. For them,  Christ’s death on the Cross was proof that He was not God. For us, Christians, however, Christ’s Crucifixion became the Great Event that proved His Divinity, because on the third day after His crucifixion, HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD.  The RESURRECTION of CHRIST, is for us the Foundation of our Faith in Him.  Hence, it is considered the Greatest Celebration in our Liturgy. 

               Historically, God made Himself visible in this world thru His Son, Jesus Christ, who lived in the form of a Man for 33 years in the land of Israel.  When He rose from the dead,  the same Christ became invisible again, but  He said  “I will be with you till the end of the age” (Matt.28:20).   Since He is invisible, how can I get in touch with Him?  For me, the answer to this question is PRAYER.

               Prayer may be likened to the switch which we put on when we want to use the electric current.  In like manner we get connected to God through the Mystical Body of Christ when we pray.  Prayer can be done together with others or by oneself alone.  Praying  with others is known as Public Prayer, while praying alone is  Private Prayer.  While the Church invites everyone to join in her Official Prayer, which is called the Liturgy,  particularly in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we are, however, also advised to pray privately as we read in Matt. 6:6: “…when you pray, go into your inner room,..pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”  St. Paul also advises us “to pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:18)   

               God’s reality is a certainty.  Even the so-called atheists cannot but admit that there must be a Supreme Being who created this world.  How He manifests Himself in this world, however,  is a question of Faith because of His invisibility. In one way or another people from all walks of life have tried to get in touch with Him.  Thus we have different kinds of Religion, each one having its own way of reaching out to God.  We, Christians, who believe in JESUS CHRIST as the only begotten Son of God, who became Man to SET US FREE FROM SIN AND BE THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, have our special way of getting in touch with God – and that is through PRAYER IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, for He said: “I AM THE WAY, AND THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE; NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER, BUT THROUGH ME.” (John 14:6) 

               For me, therefore, PRAYER through JESUS CHRIST is my way of getting in touch with GOD who is INVISIBLE.

by: Buddy Cagurangan

October 2, 2011

BE GOD-ORIENTED

            “BE GOD-ORIENTED AND NOT SELF-CENTERED”.   This thought has been running in my mind and has led me to believe that it is God’s way of telling me that despite the feelings of weakness that I am sometimes experiencing, I should go on doing what has been entrusted to me as one of the servant-leaders in my community.

          Now and then, I have been considering the option of retiring from rendering services to the Church as a Lay Minister, particularly as an Extraordinary Minister of  Communion (EMC).  This thought comes especially when I experience the unpredictable attacks of “osteo-artritis” on my left knee which then could hardly sustain the weight of my body.   I fear that in case I am attacked while I am giving Holy Communion, I may not be able to safely hold  the ciborium that contains the Sacred Hosts. 

In today’s (September 11, 2011) Second Reading at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, however, St. Paul reminds me of the Lordship of Jesus in the following words:

“Brothers and Sisters: None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.  For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.  For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.”

          St. Paul’s statements made me reflect that my life should be fully oriented towards whatever God wants me to do.  And, in doing God’s Will I should depend not on what I feel capable of doing physically or mentally, but rather entrust everything on the GRACE that God gives to enable me to do His Will.

          This  September, God-Willing, I will be reaching the age of 83.  As St. Paul says: “If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord”.  Hence, for as long as God gives me more time to live here on earth, I should continue to serve Him in whatever tasks that will be entrusted to me, relying not on my strength and capabilities, but solely on the graces that come from the Divine Giver.  In other words, I should  always be  GOD-ORIENTED.

by: Buddy Cagurangan

September 25, 2011

GOD’S PRESENCE

             “I AM ONE OF GOD’S PRESENCE IN THIS WORLD”.  This thought came to me when I attended a funeral Mass for the repose of the soul of Kuya Jay-R Quimado, a PREX (Parish Renewal Experience) Graduate.

            At first I was reluctant to attend the funeral due to the time involved and the lined up activities I had to accomplish.  However, I had a feeling of awareness of God’s Will for me to be an instrument in showing His love to Jay-R, his family, relatives and friends who were grieving deeply especially as Jay-R was just 27 years old.

            This made me reflect further on how God makes Himself present in this world. I recalled that recently I wrote an article “Enjoy Your Life” wherein I acknowledged what spiritual writers say that God’s methods are people and events.  I realized the truth of that statement as I experienced in my daily life God’s love through the people I am living with in the present.  This time, however, I focused on the fact that God is using me as His instrument to manifest His love through my presence.  I realized I am very much a Channel of God’s love.  I felt this as I felt the deep appreciation and gratitude expressed especially by Jay-R’s sister “Ate” Abie and her mother.  It dawned on me that this is precisely what St. Francis of Assissi wanted to convey in the Prayer he composed which runs thus:

            Make me a channel of your peace,

            Where there is hatred let me bring your love;

            Where there is injury your pardon, Lord,

            Where there is doubt true faith in you.

            Make me a channel of your peace,

            Where there is despair in life let me bring your hope,

            Where there is darkness only light;

            And where there is sadness ever joy.

            Refrain: O Master, grant that I may never seek

                           So much to be consoled, as to console,

                          To be understood, as to understand,

                          To be loved as to love with all my soul.

            Make me a channel of your peace,

            It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

            In giving to all men that we receive; and

            In dying that we are born to eternal life.

            I now realize as I conclude that, indeed, I am one of God’s methods in making Himself present in this world.  Hence, I humbly pray that God will continue to enlighten me on how I should conduct myself so as to manifest His loving presence in whatever situation I find myself.  I more fully acknowledge the wisdom of getting involved as much as possible in projects or activities in my community which would redound to God’s Glory.

by: Buddy Cagurangan

September 11, 2011

WHERE IS HEAVEN?

“HEAVEN IS ALREADY HERE”. These were the words of Most Rev. Sergio L. Utleg in a homily he delivered during a Eucharistic Celebration at the Metropolitan Cathedral after his installation as the new Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao on August 12, 2011.

This made me ponder on what heaven really means. As has often been said, “meaning is in people”. Hence, ‘heaven’ can have different meanings as people have different viewpoints. Truth, they say, is the whole of reality, and only God knows the whole of reality. Whatever we, human beings, know is just a ‘point of view’.

In the Catechism For Filipinos, we read: “Filipinos usually speak of heaven as if it were a ‘place’, but only because, since we live in time and space, we imagine everything as a place. Actually, heaven means the state of ‘being with the Lord’ (cf. 1Thes. 4:17 living in Him in whom the blessed find the perfection of their identity and the perfect consummation of their earthly lives. We often call this state of seeing God “face to face” (cf. 1 Cor. 13:12) the “beatific vision” because it causes unspeakable joy and happiness in communion with all the saints.”

From the foregoing, I now consider heaven as ‘where God is’. To my mind, this presence of God is manifested in His Holy Will. Being the Supreme Being in this world, He certainly wants everything to be done according to His Will.

Christ Himself taught us to pray: “Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” He further stated during His agony in the garden of Gethsemane: “Not My Will but Your Will be done.” Therefore, of paramount importance to God is His Holy Will.

On the whole, for me then, the essence of heaven is “BEING WITH GOD”. I can think of no other better way to be with God than to earnestly strive to DO HIS HOLY WILL. I believe that when I, in all sincerity, place myself in God’s hands, depend on His indispensable grace and do all I can to carry out whatever He wants me to do under the concrete circumstances of my life, God is pleased with me and gives me joy. This to me is HEAVEN – simply DOING THE WILL OF GOD.

by: Buddy Cagurangan
September 4, 2011

HASTE MAKES WASTE

“HASTE MAKES WASTE”. This for me is wise saying.

Almost everyday we hear of car accidents. In most cases the cause is ‘over-speeding’.
In every car accident, damage is done not only to vehicles or properties but especially to the people who are injured or even lose their lives. And then much time is spent to investigate the accident and attend to its consequences. This, indeed, is a great loss in time, treasure and human life – a waste due to haste.

Personally, I started driving way back in 1956. From then on I continued driving up to 2006, or a period of fifty (50) years to several places in Luzon. I thank and praise God that I have never featured in a car accident where people get hurt or properties are damaged. I attribute this to my so-called philosophy in driving – “Enjoy driving, relax, drive with a regular speed of 60 to 80 kilometers per hour, be very cautious in overtaking, and be a defensive driver.”
This saying may also apply to eating, drinking and praying.

In several articles that I have read, I have come across the advise to ‘eat slowly’. This is done by chewing well the food before swallowing it. In drinking, it is also advised to just ‘sip’ the water instead of gulping it.

In praying, we read in 1 Thess. 5:17: ‘pray without ceasing’ For me, this means not to hurry in praying, but to take time in putting mind and heart in the presence of God, Who is within me, and enjoy the grace of being able to converse with Him, the Supreme Being in this world.

In Sacred Scriptures we read the following passages:

“There is an appointed time for everything” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

“He who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 28:20)

“An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning will not be blessed” (Proverbs 20:21)

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There is, indeed, wisdom in taking time to enjoy the activities of daily living and not to hurry in doing them, for “HASTE MAKES WASTE”.

by: Buddy Cagurangan
August 28, 2011

ENJOY YOUR LIFE

“ENJOY YOUR LIFE”. This is the thought that has been running in my mind for the past few days. Hence, I asked myself the question – How am I to enjoy life?

In answer to the said question, I was confronted by two other questions, namely:

1. WHO IS THE SOURCE OF TRUE JOY?
2. HOW IS TRUE JOY GIVEN?

To the first question, I readily answer “GOD”. God created man, and therefore, only God can truly satisfy and make man happy.

To the second question, I have learned from spiritual writers that “GOD’S METHODS ARE PEOPLE AND EVENTS”. To me this means that God acts through people and events to manifest His love and care for us.

Upon further reflection, I see the significance of Christ’s command: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you”. (John 13:34). Love is something that can be given only by people, because it is only people who are bestowed with the gift of freedom which enables them to make a decision; for Love, in the last analysis, is a Decision.

Looking at my own life, the people who in one way or another filled my heart with joy were my parents, my brothers and sisters, relatives and friends. Right now I am experiencing great joy in my own home, where true love is manifested by my wife, Ofel, my mother-in-law, Roberta, and my sisters-in-law, Lou, Evie and Cherry. Likewise, my children and grandchildren, though all are miles away, fill me with joy as we have regular contact thru texting, email and facebook. Great joy also fills my heart as I encounter friends, relatives and acquaintances in the community with whom I have some personal relationships.

Events are also occasions where God manifests His loving concern for us. Celebrations to highlight significant events or commemorate birthdays, anniversaries, feasts, and the like are, indeed, occasions where people come together and give joy to each other with their presence.
TO ENJOY LIFE, therefore, I only have to be open and gratefully acknowledge God’s manifestation of His love through people and events, and respond with all the love I can give; for verily LOVE CAN BE REPAID BY LOVE ALONE.

by: Buddy Cagurangan
August 28, 2011

FAITH – A PARTICIPATION IN GOD’S POWER

“FAITH IS A PARTICIPATION IN GOD’S POWER”. These words, coming from Rev. Fr. Macario Malano, Parochial Vicar of the St. Peter’s Parish, Tuguegarao City, struck me as a new way of looking at faith. Father Mac, as we fondly call him, said those words when he delivered a homily on the Gospel of Matthew 15:21-28, which tells of the story of a Canaanite woman whom Jesus praised for her great faith.

It is narrated in the said Gospel that when Jesus answered: “It is not right to throw the children’s bread to the dogs”, the woman replied: “It is true, Sir, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said: “ Woman, great is your faith! So be it as you want.”

I used to think of faith only as an assurance and a conviction; for in the Letter to the Hebrews, 11:1, we read: “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” The words, however, of Father Mac corroborated what Jesus Christ said in Matthew 21:21-22, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith, and do not doubt, you shall not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea, it shall happen’. And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” One, therefore, who has true faith, participates in the Power of God, Who can do all things, for with Him nothing is impossible.

From the foregoing then, my belief in “Divine Healing” is reinforced. We hear of people who have administered this power and have obtained the cure of many sick people, like Sister Bridgit McKenna, Rev. Fr. Leonardo Polinar, Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi, and several others. I, myself, have witnessed the healing of some people who asked to be prayed over by me and my companions in the Charismatic Renewal Movement.

One such case which I consider an answer to a prayer for healing is the case of a lady, who suffered severe burns on her two legs caused by an accident from a liquefied gas. For six months she was treated at the Cagayan Provincial Hospital, which was situated then in Tuguegarao. When I visited her, I was informed that the doctors had already given up hope for the healing of the ulcers that covered her two legs and so, she was advised to go home. Visiting her in their home I asked her if she believes in the power of prayer. Nodding with her head, we prayed together for healing. Upon returning the following day, she told me that the pain that she had been feeling had subsided. Taking this as a sign that our prayers were being heard, we again prayed together and I told her to continue praying. A month after this, when I went to visit her, I saw her two legs completely healed. She told me that after I left, a woman went to her and advised her to wash her legs with water that has been boiled with guava leaves. This healed all her ulcers.

God, in His infinite goodness, really shares with us His Divine Power when with true faith in Him we pray for something which is in accordance with His Holy Will. With this faith we participate in His power.

by: Buddy Caguragan
August 21, 2011

FORGIVENESS - A TWO-WAY ACTION

FORGIVENESS IS A TWO-WAY ACTION. This is how I see the lesson that our Lord Jesus Christ wants to convey in the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, which was the Gospel reading in Matthew 18:21-35, last Thursday, August 11, 2011,

In the act of forgiveness there are two persons involved. The one who seeks forgiveness on one hand and the one to give forgiveness on the other hand. The first move comes from the one who wants to be forgiven. He acknowledges whatever failures or wrongdoing he has committed, is sorry for it and humbly asks for pardon. The one offended opens his mind and heart, welcomes the contrition and extends his forgiveness.

In the parable, the unmerciful servant was forgiven by God because he begged to be forgiven. When, however, a fellow servant, asked him for mercy and pardon, he denied the request and did not extend his forgiveness.

This two-way transaction is clearly seen in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The penitent who goes to Confession, usually starts by saying: “Father, forgive me for I have sinned.” After telling what sins he has committed, he says: “Father, I am sorry for all these sins, and I ask for pardon.” The priest, then, after giving some advice and penance gives the absolution saying: “I, in the name of Christ, now forgive you.”

Forgiveness, therefore, can be given if the one who committed something wrong first acknowledges the wrong he has done, is sorry for it, and asks for forgiveness. Then the victim, moved by compassion, responds with the act of forgiveness.

The act of forgiveness is not easy. As they say: “To err is human, to forgive is divine.” Thus, one needs the grace from God to enable him to forgive. Inevitably, it is necessary that the offended party prays for God’s help, so that he will be empowered to forgive.

In my own life, I have been hurt by several people, most of whom are close to me. Each time this happened, I prayed for them and asked for the grace to be able to forgive. I actually lift up to God not only the person but my own hurts so as to unburden myself. I leave all these to God Who knows what is best for all. In my memory, there were two who humbly acknowledged the wrong they have done and made efforts to repair the action. The others, however, seem not to be aware of the hurts they have caused but I still pray for them. By God’s grace, I am prepared to extend my forgiveness if they come to ask for it.

by: Buddy Cagurangan
August 14, 2011