Category: Spirituality

“Never permit your soul to be sad and live in bitterness of spirit or scrupulous fear, since He who loved it and died to give it life is so good, so sweet, so amiable.” -St. Francis de Sales

I’m currently listening to The Bible in a Year podcast (with Fr. Mike Schmitz), and I can’t help but be reminded of the many ways we can be afraid of God, especially in the Old Testament. It’s in the Old Testament where we hear about plagues and wars and punishments for people’s sins. It’s in the Old Testament where we can feel as though God is always angry with His people.

It’s sometimes hard to reconcile this with the message of mercy and forgiveness that we see in the New Testament. And sometimes many of us can even wonder whether God has changed. Did He? Was He more forgiving when He finally revealed Himself to Jesus?

But Scripture itself tells us that God does not change and that He is the same now as He had always been. If therefore, we note any change in Him, it may be a change in our perspective. It may be that we have not known Him that well to tell who He truly is.

“For I, the Lord, do not change…” — Malachi 3:6, NABRE

In one of his YouTube videos, Fr. Mike Schmitz compares this to the way we may see our parents. As a child, you may think your parents are very strict with you. There are so many rules and so many restrictions. You are warned not to do this or that. There may also be very clear punishments as a consequence of your disobedience.

As you grow up, however, you hear less and less from them. You no longer need to be reminded each time because they know that you have matured enough to differentiate between right and wrong. All the while, you realize that your parents have been loving and protective of you, they’re still the same.

During ancient times, God had to appear very strict to His people to teach them clearly about His righteousness. After all, the Israelites were surrounded by foreign cultures that practiced various kinds of abominations. God had to give them His Law to let them know what is right. They also had to know the consequences they would suffer when they depart from His Law.

God’s commandments had to be given first before God’s mercy is fully revealed. People must know what justice is so that they can truly appreciate what mercy and forgiveness means.

God is Love. But love is not the same as tolerance. Love does not tolerate evil because love upholds what is good.

Yet even then, God has shown His compassion in various ways. We may have failed to notice it, but if we read the Bible more in the spirit of prayer and humility, we’d discover that even then, God is merciful, patient and forgiving.

“Yet even now,” says the LORD, “turn to me with all your heart,
and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”
Tear your heart, and not your garments,
and turn to the LORD, your God;
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness,
and relents from sending calamity.
— Joel 2:12–13, WEBBE

The same God who called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt is the same God revealed to us through Jesus Christ, the One who died on the cross for our sins, the One who says:

“Come to me, all you who labour and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30, WEBBE)

“Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished and deprived of our freedom? . . .

No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation. And so, today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ — and you will find true life. Amen.”

? Pope Benedict XVI

I’ve often wondered what makes evil so attractive to people. Why is it that when someone spreads a false message that lures men to eventual ruin, many quickly believe it rather than detest it?

Perhaps it’s because evil is able to disguise itself, it takes some bit of beauty and truth to hide that little seed of evil within. And people take it not thinking of the evil but allowing themselves to be seduced with the outward appearance of goodness.

We want to believe we’re choosing what’s good even if we are actually taking the wrong path.

We tend to forget that little evil, thinking it would go away and that it wouldn’t cause us or others much harm. What we fail to consider is that evil grows. From that little seed of darkness, great evil grows and consumes everything along the way.

It is hard to preach what’s good because people tend to veer away from difficult things. We don’t want to be told we’re doing something wrong. We don’t want to be restricted.

Evil is seductive because it comes with the voice of a friend who pretends to be on our side. It gives us permission to do what we want. It makes us believe we’re being brave and strong when we’re actually afraid of looking at our weaknesses. It makes us think we’re the ones helping others to see the light when we’re being used as vessels that spread a lie.

“Now I know the full power of evil. It makes ugliness seem beautiful and goodness seem ugly and weak.” — August Strindberg, The Dance of Death

Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden,
but not the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it. You shall not touch it, lest you die.’”

The serpent said to the woman, “You won’t really die, for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

— Genesis 3:1–5 (WEB)

Have you ever felt as though you were in a long distance relationship with God? I did. For quite some time, I never thought I was. But just recently, while I was reading “The Practice of the Presence of God” by Brother Lawrence, I’ve realized the kind of relationship I’ve had all along.

What’s a long distance relationship? It’s the kind when you and your loved one are separated by distance such that you have very less time together. If you could spend time together somewhat, it’s on very rare occasions. Most of the time, you communicate through letters, emails or phone calls. You may also use social media a lot.

With my relationship with God, I couldn’t say that I never talk to Him, because I did. But those times were not as often as I should have.

For instance, I do pray in the morning and at night. I also pray the rosary in the afternoon. Once in a while, I read the Bible or some religious books. I also remember Him whenever I listen to inspirational or religious songs, not to mention love songs that also remind me of Him.

That’s just like having a relationship with someone from a distance. Someone you just talk to over set periods of time. Someone you write to. Someone you remember now and then. But for most of the day, you’re not with that person. You are not in his presence.

Compare this kind of relationship with someone who spends most of the day with you. While you may not be together all the time, you spend more moments together. You’re together as you watch your favorite shows. You enjoy each other’s company while you eat your meals. You may even clean the house together or do some chores while in each other’s presence.

Do you also have a long distance relationship with God? What are the ways you can find so you can stay in His Presence all the time?

“You see God created you and I
to be happy in this life
and the next… He cares for you.
He watches your every move.
There’s no one that loves you
can do that.”
– Mother Angelica

“There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God. Those only can comprehend it who practise and experience it; yet I do not advise you to do it from that motive. It is not pleasure which we ought to seek in this exercise; but let us do it from a principle of love, and because God would have us.”– Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

Have you ever had a phone conversation with someone you hardly realized you were speaking for hours? Have you ever spent a day with a dear friend feeling at the end of it that the time you spent together was too short?

If we can have such thoughts and feelings with other people, could it be that we could also feel something similar when we are in God’s presence?

And if we could practice sensing the presence of God each day, wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to talk with Him during the day?

We can talk with Him in the morning as we prepare ourselves for the day’s tasks. We can talk with Him as we go about our duties. We can talk with Him when we’re having our meals. We can talk with Him before we go to sleep.

He is our dear Friend, the One who loves us and watches over us. May we find the time today to have these sweet conversations with Him as we bask in the light of His Presence.

“Wherever I go, God is with me in my poor heart. That’s the little house where I dwell; it’s my heaven here on earth. I live with God; and despite being on walks, we converse with each other without anyone being able to surprise us or interrupt us. If you knew Him enough, you would love Him. If you were with Him for one hour, you’d know just what heaven on earth is.” -St. Teresa of the Andes (letter 40)

“It is not necessary for being with God to be always at church. We may make an oratory of our heart wherein to retire from time to time to converse with Him in meekness, humility, and love. Every one is capable of such familiar conversation with God, some more, some less. He knows what we can do. Let us begin, then. Perhaps He expects but one generous resolution on our part.”– Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God