The WORD in other words (2021) by Fr. Bar Fabella, SVD (St. Joseph Parish, Bongabong, Or. Mindoro)
Monday 23rd Week in Ordinary Time
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
I attended a talk about school management out of compliance. Since I hadn’t heard of the speaker before, I thought this was an opportunity to take a nap during the session.
However, just as I was about to start taking one of those “stolen naps,” he started on his main topic! A good well-versed speaker, he turned out to be. He immediately got everybody’s attention – maybe not because of the new ideas that he shared, but because of how he applied those ideas to life. Those practical examples based on real-life applications glued us to our seats, listening in awe. His sincerity, honesty, and down-to-earth attitude to life made his presentation so impressive, inspirational, and not purely academic. I found myself excitedly wanting to apply his thoughts, ideas, and reflections, most notably his practical examples, in my parish as its pastor. I enjoyed the talk so much that I could have stayed there the whole day just listening – never mind if I missed my siesta that day.
When Jesus spoke, people of good intentions were immediately impressed. Unlike the Pharisees, He spoke with conviction; thus, He spoke convincingly. The reason is that He Himself practiced what He was preaching. He spoke of compassion and lived it no matter what other people said. He was not only a Teacher but also a Master. He was the kind who was willing to bow Himself down low by washing His disciples’ feet during the Last Supper because He also wanted his followers – we included – to do the same.
