The WORD in other words (2009) by Fr Florante Camacho SVD — Tagbilaran City
Thursday After Ash Wednesday
In the Judeo-Christian tradition, every person has the freedom of choice. It is up to the person to keep God’s commandment or not, to have life or death, blessing or curse. It is the person’s choice to give his life for His sake and live, or be selfish and lose it.
During this season of Lent, we are asked to pause and clarify for ourselves the motives why we have remained Catholic till now. As someone wisely observed, an unreflected life is not worth living.
As a priest for the past forty-three years years. I had my share of hearing confessions. Too often I hear penitents rattle off a list of sins which they had memorized. I suspect that these persons were taught by catechist years ago. The catechists gave them a list of sins which they read at the confessional box. To this they, they simply repeat the same scene. Do you belong to this group of Catholics? How true, indeed was the observation at the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines when the delegates said that most Filipino Catholics are heavily sacramentalize and not evangelized.
When we choose to remain Catholic, let this be a personal choice of our response to God who loved us first. He loved us unconditionally until death on the cross. He gave us the Sacrament to help us remain faithful in loving Him in return.
Yes, let us consciously choose life and blessing, not curse and death. Let us come to know the person of Jesus Christ who was sent by the Father. His life should motivate us to live like Him. When we do so, physical pains and eventual death will not deter us from life with Him now and hereafter.
