40 Days of Lent: Day 13
25 Mar 2023 | Office for Mission and Identity (OMI)
40 Days of Lent: Day 13
Sometimes, we may ask: what is the meaning of all these? What is the sense of all my striving? What is the purpose of my life? Maybe some moments will see these questions making our heart feel heavy. Perhaps they can move us to be hopeful. Or there can be times when they are left unanswered.
In the English language, the words life and love have the same number of letters and have the same first and last letters. One possible connotation we can give to these is that life and love are closely linked to one another. There can’t be, should not be, any life without love. And love can, and should be, lived out. At the same time, if we recognize that our source is God and that inevitably, our laboring in this world becomes worthy because of the salvation offered by Christ, our beginning and end are certain. Perhaps the middle part, the journey, is what we need to decide on, what we can design, and what we have to define.
These days of Lent, may we find ourself defining this middle, our journey, the life we have been given with love. This must lead to a realization of what has been done for us and what we do. What acts of love have you received? What acts of love have you done? What acts of love can you choose? As we ponder on these questions, may we remember that any love we have been given and any love we can do are always because we have been loved first, and will always be loved greatest, by our Lord.
40 Araw ng Kuwaresma: Ika-13 Araw
Minsan tinatanong natin: ano ang katuturan ng aking pag-iral? Ano ang kabuluhan ng mga pagsisikap ko? Ano ang saysay nitong buhay? May mga pagkakataong bumibigat ang kalooban dahil sa mga ganitong katanungan. Maaari ring nakadarama tayo ng pag-asa. At may panahon ding tila lutang tayo at naiiwanang walang tugon.
Sa wikang Ingles, ang mga salitang buhay (life) at pag-ibig (love) ay may parehong bilang ng mga titik at parehong una at huling titik. Posible nating tingnan ito na magkalapit ang buhay at pag-ibig. Hindi maaari, hindi dapat, magkaroon ng buhay na walang pag-ibig. At maaari, nararapat, na isabuhay ang pag-ibig. Kasabay nito, kung kinikilala natin ang Diyos bilang ating bukal at na nabibigyang-halaga ng kaligtasang handog ni Kristo ang ating pagsisikap dito sa mundo, tiyak ang ating simula at wakas. Marahil ang gitnang bahagi, ang paglalakbay, ang kailangan nating pagpasyahan, ang maaaring planuhin, at ang kailangang tukuyin.
Ngayong Kuwaresma, nawa mahanap ang sarili na itinatakda itong gitna, ang paglalakbay, ang buhay na ipinagkaloob ng pag-ibig. Mapagtanto sana ang mga ginagawa para sa atin at ang mga isinasagawa natin. Anong mga pagkilos ng pag-ibig ang natanggap mo? Anong mga pagkilos ng pag-ibig ang isinasabuhay mo? Anong mga pagkilos ng pag-ibig ang maaari mong piliin? Sa pagninilay natin sa mga tanong na ito, nawa maalala natin na anumang pag-ibig ang ipinakita sa atin at isinasakatuparan natin ay dahil sa nauna tayong inibig, at laging iibigin sa pinakadakilang paraan, ng ating Panginoon.
#ateneoishome #aihfortydaysoflent #aihday13oflent
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