ambot, ano sa imo haw?
Jesus said, give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give back to God what is God’s. The real question however is, what is Caesar’s? Then another real question follows, what is God’s? Indeed the reply of Jesus was a clever one, a clever reply to a very tricky question. And the gospel described the reaction of the listeners as one of amazement. They were amazed at his reply. They were amazed at Jesus for evading a tricky question by producing an equally tricky reply. But the question is what did Jesus mean specifically? What is Caesar’s that I should render back to Caesar, and what is God’s that I should render back to God? The problem is Jesus did not go to the specifics, he did not elaborate, and I can only guess.
So what are we to do today in this homily? Although you will like it very much that I end my homily now and get along with the rest of the mass, it would not be good to my reputation by just ending the homily because I cannot think of a better thing to say. So, what are we going to do now? Ambot, ano sa inyo haw? Aber.
Ambot, ano sa inyo haw? Actually this is a good question to ask - admit, or at least pretend that you do not know - ambot; and then ask, ano sa inyo haw? I do this once in a while. Seminarians especially the higher years would be treated with this question when they come to ask me about so many details, expecting me to give so many instructions. And so this question comes very handy, ambot, ano sa imo haw? Father karon sa hapon may football kami ti may housecleaning, ti maano kami? Ambot, ano sa imo haw? Father piesta subong ni St. Francis, plano kami tani nga mabutang sini kag sina? Ambot, ano sa imo haw?
How I wish everything in this world comes with instructions. How I wish there is a manual for everything - a manual for assembling things as well as a manual for assembling life and the things in my life. I hope they could think of something that would help me do things more assuredly and confidently without fear of error. I hope that every event in this world will have a pattern so that we can know the outcome before it happens and therefore anticipate them. How I wish too that raising kids and forming them to maturity will come with directions so that I can definitely know what to do in a particular situation. I hope that God would be a bit more clear when he calls a person to the priesthood so that we won’t be left guessing in the dark and thereby risking too much for the church. But as it is, we are left to admit and ask many times over, ambot, ano sa imo haw?
In the spiritual life this reflex is called discernment. Discernment means the capacity to listen, the capacity of trying to understand God’s will, God’s purpose, God’s directions in my life. It presupposes a familiarity with God, a familiarity with his ways. It presupposes a collective knowledge of God’s ways in the bible, of the ethical standards that we glean from God’s words, and of the teachings of the Catholic Church. Discernment presupposes a desire to do what God wants for me, knowing that what he wants will always lead to the good.
So it is not true that this gospel is simplifying things for us - that we should separate state and church, that my economic and political decisions are distinct from my religious convictions. No, because that would be tantamount to saying that I can cheat and lie, I can corrupt and bribe for as long as I am not caught, I can enslave my workers and do injustice, I can be damn right progressive about my stand on gay marriage and support abortion while remaining a Christian, a Catholic, a Sunday mass-goer and a regular communicant. No, you cannot separate political and economic decisions from your christian convictions, because Jesus demands that we should be examining always, and relentlessly at that, how all of our decisions should be shaped by our faith in God - what we buy, whom we vote, how we treat others, what we do, should be shaped by our faith in God.
So what should we do? Ambot, ano sa imo haw? Discern. Lord, what do you want me to do in this circumstance? Lord, if you are me, what would you do in this particular difficulty?
Little by little, you, as parents, we, as formators should slowly help this young kids grow up. To do so it might be good to slowly initiate them to a world where they can think for themselves and make good decisions. Well there are occasions and questions wherein we will have to make a definite stand, provide a definite answer, unpopular it may be. But there are occasions wherein we can already begin the process of initiating them to the world of adults, to the world of discretion, to the process of discernment, and one way of doing that is to admit that we do not understand and we do not know everything - ambot. And then we could throw back the question at them asking, ano sa imo haw? Ambot, ano sa imo haw? Here we could help them go through the logic of their reasoning, help them sort out things in the lives, help them formulate valid premises, helping them see what is right and wrong in their thinking, and broaden their capability to foresee things by making them consider short term and long term consequences.
Nay, ma college ako sa seminaryo? Ambot, ano sa imo haw? Nay, mabakal ako sapatos? Ambot, ano sa imo haw? Tay, ma pari ako? Ambot, ano sa imo haw? Tay, manobya ako? Ambot...to indi lang anay a.
Hay, if only everything comes with instructions then we would know all the answers, then we would make less mistakes. But as it is we have to learn and therefore to train the reflex of discernment. What does God want me to do in this situation? Learn to think before you act or react. Learn to reflect. Examine you decisions in the light of God’s plan for you. Above all, learn to pray.
So what are we to do today in this homily? Although you will like it very much that I end my homily now and get along with the rest of the mass, it would not be good to my reputation by just ending the homily because I cannot think of a better thing to say. So, what are we going to do now? Ambot, ano sa inyo haw? Aber.
Ambot, ano sa inyo haw? Actually this is a good question to ask - admit, or at least pretend that you do not know - ambot; and then ask, ano sa inyo haw? I do this once in a while. Seminarians especially the higher years would be treated with this question when they come to ask me about so many details, expecting me to give so many instructions. And so this question comes very handy, ambot, ano sa imo haw? Father karon sa hapon may football kami ti may housecleaning, ti maano kami? Ambot, ano sa imo haw? Father piesta subong ni St. Francis, plano kami tani nga mabutang sini kag sina? Ambot, ano sa imo haw?
How I wish everything in this world comes with instructions. How I wish there is a manual for everything - a manual for assembling things as well as a manual for assembling life and the things in my life. I hope they could think of something that would help me do things more assuredly and confidently without fear of error. I hope that every event in this world will have a pattern so that we can know the outcome before it happens and therefore anticipate them. How I wish too that raising kids and forming them to maturity will come with directions so that I can definitely know what to do in a particular situation. I hope that God would be a bit more clear when he calls a person to the priesthood so that we won’t be left guessing in the dark and thereby risking too much for the church. But as it is, we are left to admit and ask many times over, ambot, ano sa imo haw?
In the spiritual life this reflex is called discernment. Discernment means the capacity to listen, the capacity of trying to understand God’s will, God’s purpose, God’s directions in my life. It presupposes a familiarity with God, a familiarity with his ways. It presupposes a collective knowledge of God’s ways in the bible, of the ethical standards that we glean from God’s words, and of the teachings of the Catholic Church. Discernment presupposes a desire to do what God wants for me, knowing that what he wants will always lead to the good.
So it is not true that this gospel is simplifying things for us - that we should separate state and church, that my economic and political decisions are distinct from my religious convictions. No, because that would be tantamount to saying that I can cheat and lie, I can corrupt and bribe for as long as I am not caught, I can enslave my workers and do injustice, I can be damn right progressive about my stand on gay marriage and support abortion while remaining a Christian, a Catholic, a Sunday mass-goer and a regular communicant. No, you cannot separate political and economic decisions from your christian convictions, because Jesus demands that we should be examining always, and relentlessly at that, how all of our decisions should be shaped by our faith in God - what we buy, whom we vote, how we treat others, what we do, should be shaped by our faith in God.
So what should we do? Ambot, ano sa imo haw? Discern. Lord, what do you want me to do in this circumstance? Lord, if you are me, what would you do in this particular difficulty?
Little by little, you, as parents, we, as formators should slowly help this young kids grow up. To do so it might be good to slowly initiate them to a world where they can think for themselves and make good decisions. Well there are occasions and questions wherein we will have to make a definite stand, provide a definite answer, unpopular it may be. But there are occasions wherein we can already begin the process of initiating them to the world of adults, to the world of discretion, to the process of discernment, and one way of doing that is to admit that we do not understand and we do not know everything - ambot. And then we could throw back the question at them asking, ano sa imo haw? Ambot, ano sa imo haw? Here we could help them go through the logic of their reasoning, help them sort out things in the lives, help them formulate valid premises, helping them see what is right and wrong in their thinking, and broaden their capability to foresee things by making them consider short term and long term consequences.
Nay, ma college ako sa seminaryo? Ambot, ano sa imo haw? Nay, mabakal ako sapatos? Ambot, ano sa imo haw? Tay, ma pari ako? Ambot, ano sa imo haw? Tay, manobya ako? Ambot...to indi lang anay a.
Hay, if only everything comes with instructions then we would know all the answers, then we would make less mistakes. But as it is we have to learn and therefore to train the reflex of discernment. What does God want me to do in this situation? Learn to think before you act or react. Learn to reflect. Examine you decisions in the light of God’s plan for you. Above all, learn to pray.
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