Patag at Tuwid

Malimit kapag may darating sa bahay, naghahanda tayo ng maigi lalu na kapag someone special ang bisita o isang taong matagal ng inaasam n...

Malimit kapag may darating sa bahay, naghahanda tayo ng maigi lalu na kapag someone special ang bisita o isang taong matagal ng inaasam na makita. I grew up with my granparents so sa tuwing malapit ng sumapit ang Pasko, sabik na sabik ako na dumating ung araw that my mom and dad would come home for Christmas. My dad was an OFW so nagpapakabait ako so that I would have more chocolates and have a lot of pasalubong. My mom naman was just in Manila but then its just twice a year that we see each other. Kaya I remember na pag dumarating ang December, i would help in cleaning the house, prepare their bedroom, and make myself loveable to them. Nagpapakabait si spoiled brat.

Perhaps you too have had occassions wherein you had to prepare for someone dear to you, maybe for a son or daughter na nasa abroad din na matagal ng di umuuwi, and you are excited to see him or her.  Or you yourself may be somewhere far away from home and you have a planned trip to see your parents or relatives and you are preparing for it, trying to imagine how you would be able to hug your loved ones and share your stories to them. Maybe some of you are expecting a celebration or an anniversary that entails a big preparation. Some may be expecting romance or an upcoming wedding or a proposal. Maraming paghahanda ang gagawin. At ginagawa natin itong mga paghahanda na ito para sa mga taong mahal natin.

One thing that made me curios today while I'm writing this blog, and while reflecting on the readings this Sunday is the preparation that is being suggested by the readings and the Psalm. "Take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever." Well, that part was fine and understandable. Of course dapat lang naman na maging masaya tayo sa kanyang pagdating. Because this means that we are being led in "...joy by the light of his glory, with his mercy and justice..." "The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy."  And it suggests to us then that this 2nd Sunday of Advent is telling us that in order for us to be prepared in celebrating Christmas or in letting Christ be born in our hearts, we have to BE HAPPY.

BE HAPPY INSIDE AND OUT. Papano ka naman magiging masaya if you're mourning and in misery. Papano ka naman magiging masaya kung may lamang lungkot ang iyong mga mata, kung ang iyong puso ay hindi masaya, kung pusong bato ka? We have to take that off of us. But the thing that made me curious is that, in order for us to be happy, we have to make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. It resounds the words of Baruch sa unang pagbasa: "God has commanded that every lofty mountain be made low, and that the age-old depths and gorges be filled to level ground."

Well, sino nga naman gustong hingalin umakyat ng pagkataas na bundok, kung hindi ka mountaineer, di ka magiging masaya. Sino nga naman gustong manatiling manirahan sa mababang kalupaan na laging binabaha. Masaya ka ba pag may baha at sa bubong nyo ka na lang titira dahil lubog sa baha dahil ang kalupaan ng barangay nyo ay mababa, below sea level? Sino ba naman ang mag eenjoy at masaya kung puro suka ang inabot ng katabi mo, o ikaw mismo dahil sa daan na walang katapusan na liko sa kanan, liko sa kaliwa? Hindi ba't MAS MASAYA TAYO PAG TUWID ANG DAAN AT PATAG ANG LUPA?

Papano nga ba gawing patag ang buhay natin at tahakin ang tuwid na daan? Walang ibang sagot, gaya nung nakaraang linggo: WE NEED TO HAVE A CHANGE OF HEART. Change of Heart = Patag na Lupa. We have to change our hearts and LEVEL DOWN TO THE GROUND OUR VERY HIGH PRIDE AND UNREALISTIC AMBITIONS IN LIFE. Our high pride hinders us to reach to our neighbor. Our high ambitions sometimes nakakasakit ng mga mahal natin sa buhay. If we learn to lower down our pride, we can make others happy, we can make ourselves be happy, we will be happy. If we put our feet to the ground, level our stand, we will be happy. Yes, I know it's painful and difficult. But in the end its worth it. You will be happy. We have to change our hearts and HEAL THE DEEP WOUNDS AND PAINFUL EXPERIENCES we have had in our lives. Or else malulunod ka sa sarili mong luha. You'll be drowned by sadness, by fear to love, by the the decision of not wanting to give a second, a third, a fourth, a x times chance to forgive and to love. The grace of God is always there pero the openness to it always depends on us. And its only you who can decide to be happy and make others happy.

WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR WAYS. Change of ways = Tuwid na Daan. We have to change our ways FROM CROOKED TO STRAIGHT. If you happen to have a life na puro na lang liko dito, liko doon brought about by wrong decisions here and wrong decisions there. At hinahayaan mo lang na magpatuloy na baluktot ang daang tinatahak mo. Pero pwede ba, for once and for all, huwag ka na magpaka tanga please. Kaya mo naman magbago diba. Subukan mo lang. And don't give up if you fail sa una, sa ikalawa, sa ikatlo, sa ika x times na pagsubok. IT'S TIME TO CHANGE. IT'S TIME TO BE HAPPY. Let yourself be led by God. Ok. It's also time to make others happy not the way you want them to be, but the way they wanted themselves to be happy. Yung daan na ba na gusto mo yun din ba ang gusto ng anak mo? Ang gusto ng partner mo? Ang gusto ng mahal mo? Ang gusto ng kakilala o kaibigan mo? Ang gusto ng pamilya mo? Sabi mo mahal mo sila. E di simulan mo na ngayon magbago.

Ikaw kapatid, kaibigan, kapamilya, kapuso, masaya ka man o hindi sa mundong ito, ngayong magpapasako, bat di mo kaya subukan ibaba at pantayin yang kilay mo paminsan. Ba't di mo kaya subukan na punuan yang mga lambak ng iyong mga kaibigan, yung mga lambak ng iyong mga mahal sa buhay kaysa lalu lang itong hukayin at palalimin. Bakit di na lang kaya natin punuan ang pagmamahal na kulang sa kanila para naman maging masaya ang buhay nila at ikaw na rin ay sumaya. Anu kaya kung ngayong magpapasko you try make their rough paths smoother and or accompany them sa tamang daan, walk together for a better life in the Lord. Ok na siguro kung sabihin mo sa kanya na "alam mo maganda ka" "alam mo tama yang ginagawa mo" "alam mo... may talent ka" "alam mo... I admire you" "alam mo mahal ka ng mga magulang mo, di mo lang makita" etc, etc, etc. Even a single word of affirmation or encouragement can make miracles. Let us be "John" in our world today. And with this, we would be prepared to let Christ come and live in our hearts.

Ngayong magpapasko, anu kaya kung subukan nating huwag mang lamang ng iba o isipin na sana makalamang ka sa iyong kapwa? Anu kaya kung subukan natin na pantay ang pagturing sa bawat miembro ng pamilya, sa bawat mag-aaral bobo man o matalino pa sila? Anu kaya kung ngayong magpapasko e subukan nating isipin nating tao din kagaya natin ang mga palaboy laboy sa kalye at lansangan, ang mga pulubi na lagi na lang iniinda dahil sabi mo sindicato at magnanakaw yan sila? Anu kaya kung pantay ang pagtingin natin sa kaliwa at sa pamahalaan? Anu kaya kung pantay ang serbisyo ng mga professional sa mayaman at sa mahirap? Anu kaya kung patikimin mo din ng pagkain na karaniwang handa mo sa Pasko, ang mga taong walang pera para makakain ng kinakain mo tuwing noche buena? Anu kaya ...

Panahon na para patagin ang mabulubundukin mong buhay at umahon sa lambak na iyong kinamunuhian. Panahon na para ituwid ang mga sangasangang daan upang maging masaya ka at maging handa at maluwag sa puso ang pagtangap kay Kristo sa iyong buhay.

Like Paul in the second reading, my prayer for you my friends this Sunday is that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.