Christ will come again ...accountability - 15th week Tuesday 2013

The second part of the 7^th article of the faith states that Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead.  In our gospel today the Lord speaks of the day of judgment.  He speaks of the consequences of our decisions in the future, in the day of judgment.  How he is received now, how we respond to his invitation and call, how we respond to his commandments will have consequences in the future, in the day of judgment.  Very simply put there is accountability in everything that we do in our lives.  Accountability.

In the vicinity of where I live and work as a priest is a notorious place for drugs.  Drug addiction is rampant in that place, so they say.  And many times while I walk around our place I would hear music, loud music coming from that place and many times I get amused because the music played is a popular one sung by Freddie Aguilar many, many years ago – Anak . . . nong isilang ka sa mundong ito laking tuwa ng magulang mo, at ang una mong nilapitan ang yung inang lumuluha, anak bat ka nagkaganyan and the song will end, pagsisisi ang sa isip mo nalaman mo ikay nagkamali.  I think that is one favourite song of theirs  because it will be repeated many times during the day.  Sometimes I would ask myself ngaa ginapatukar niya ini – ano ni sia nagapabati-bati?  Or … this idea is weird but I would like you to consider it … basi, basi need ta gid man siguro nga sawayon kita, ugaling ang tanan sa sina nga lugar daw nahadlok na magsaway, and that song is a form of saway intended to remind them that what one is doing is wrong and can have dire consequences.  Of course wala man nila ginapati ang mensahe sang kanta, pero I think listening to it makes one feel good, you feel important tungod kay may nagsaway sa imo – ti amo lang na galing si Freddie Aguilar ang nagsaway sa ila.

Whether we like it or not, whether we acknowledge it or not, we know for a fact as human beings that someway, somehow, whatever our beliefs are, we will be held accountable for what we do, and what we fail to do.  We Christians believe in the day of judgment.

In the past we have this beautiful but scary song in Latin which is sung during the funeral mass.  The title is Dies Irae, dies illa O adlaw sang kaakig, yadto nga adlaw, nga gintagna ni David kag ni Sibelo, yadtong adlaw nga ang kalibutan mangin abo.  It was a scary song sung in the funeral kag gani ginpa-untat ini sang simbahan. But that song tells of judgment – it tells us of accountability.

Built in within us is a better manugsaway.  It is called conscience.  It is important to form a proper conscience – somebody nga makasaway sa imo bisan wala pa may nakakita sa imo.  I think this is what is most needed in our life as Christians – yes there is accountability because there is the final judgment when Christ will return in glory, but remember we have our conscience with us every time and it will help us to be accountable even in the things that we do in secret.  We are a people who will be held accountable and therefore it is important to be transparent and truthful at all times.