he did not because he could not: 14th sunday B 2012

In reading the gospel today, an important question comes to mind.  It may sound funny, a mere cerebral exercise, but nevertheless it is an important question which may help us understand our gospel today.  The question is, what are the things God cannot do?  Have you ever wondered about that?  We have called God all-powerful, we have characterized God as omnipotent, in fact we pray, we come to Carmel to pray because we believe that he can do things, he can do all things for us.  But have we ever asked ourselves the question what are the things God cannot do?

Philosophers have struggled with the question for centuries starting way back during the time of St. Augustine and even beyond.  They have asked questions like:  can God create a rock so huge he could not carry it?  Kon makaobra sia sang daku daku nga bato nga madala niya, puwes indi sia makagagahom kay ang maobra lang niya nga bato amo lang ang iya madala.  Kon maka-obra sia sang bato nga indi niya madala, puwes indi sia makagagahom kay may butang nga indi gani niya madala.  Na-intiendihan nyo?  Here is another.  Can God create a triangle with four sides?  Can God make a mountain without a valley? Can God make 1 + 1 = 3?  Can God open and close the door at the same time - same time, indi one second later ukon .0000001 second later - pero open and close at the same time?  Puede?  Can God tell a lie, makabutig bala ang Dios?

In other words, will you agree with me then that there are things that God cannot do? 

It would seem at the outset that our gospel writer today, Mark, would agree with me: there are things indeed that Jesus cannot do.  In fact Mark said, "Jesus could not do miracles in Nazareth because of the people’s lack of faith." This observation by Mark probably embarrassed Matthew and Luke, and so they changed the statement into, "Jesus did not do miracles in Nazareth."  But Mark was not.  He said, Jesus could not do miracles in Nazareth.  Jesus did not do means he chose not to do.  But Jesus could not do means he is inhibited by something, he became powerless because of something.  He could not is different from he did not.

Kadamo sang mga pangamuyo naton nga sa aton pamatyag wala ginsabat tungod kay ang aton premise is he did not.  Ngaa abi indi naton pag-islan once in a while sang observation ni Mark, "he could not."  It’s not only he did not answer my prayers.  It is also possible that he could not answer our prayers.  Sang nagligad may namangkot sa akon nga nanay, father kon amo wala gintawag sang Dios sa pagkapari ang akon anak.  That question of the mother is founded on the premise he did not.  But isn’t it possible that the question could have been premised too from he could not.  It is not that he did not call.  It is also possible that he could not call, or is it, he could not be heard.

Wala na kami kalan-on, wala na kami bugas, ngaa wala ginapamati-an sang Dios ang akon pangamuyo.  God did not.  But is it also possible that God could not because so many of us are greedy?

For a while think about the many unanswered prayers that we have not jsut individually but as a community.  Nagadiutay na lang ang pari, nagatigulang na ang tanan, gintawag ako ni Msgr. Sozonte indi kay msgr. kundi most senior.  Pati madre nagatigulang naman sila.  Ti nagapangadi man kita para sa bokasyon, ngaa wala may nagapari, wala may naga-madre?  Is it “a God did not,” or is it “a God could not?”

Let us ask ourselves, how many times have we resisted God’s activities in our lives?  In what way have we been inhibiting God to do his work in us and through us?  Or in what ways and with what attitudes are we encouraging God’s grace in our lives and in the lives of others?  In what ways have we been an obstacle, in what ways have we been a catalyst?  Ginpabudlayan mo bala ang pagpanghikot sang grasya sa imo kabuhi kag sa kabuhi sang iban ukon ginpatigayon mo bala agod ang grasya makalab-ot sa iban.  It is not just about “God did not.”  It is also about “God could not.”  St. Augustine said, God created us without us:  but he did not will to save us without us.

I believe this is why we look on Mary.  She provided “the us” that made God will to save us.  And so was Ezekiel in our first reading, speaking to the people in God’s behalf. 

Each of us has a role in this world, a role that would facilitate God’s work, God’s grace, God’s marvelous plan.  God works in us, through us, with us.  We can be a hindrance or a help; we can be an obstacle or an assistance, we can be a deterrent or we can help attract.

So are there things God will not do?  Or are there things God could not do?