what is necessary? 28th week tuesday 2014

The letter to the Galatians reveals the true colors of St. Paul, not just his temper which is too glaring to hide in this particular letter especially, but above all his zeal, his passion, his love for Jesus.  This letter was occasioned by some Christians who insisted on the Galatians that they can only become true Christians if they follow the law of Moses.  This would include being circumcised and following the traditions and rituals followed diligently by the Jews as pointed out and condemned by Jesus in our gospel today.  The point of contention is this – is it necessary or not?  Is it necessary for salvation or not.  Paul is not saying circumcision is bad.  He is merely saying that it is not necessary.  Paul is not saying like Jesus, that following the rituals of the Jews is bad but it is not necessary.  It is not required.  It is not a sine qua non, one which you could not do without.  We were saved by the death of Jesus.  We are not saved by being circumcised or by doing these ritual washings – no.  It was the death of Jesus that saved us and his death alone was sufficient in saving us.  So the issue is stated simply – ano gid bala ang kinahanglan, ano gid bala ang kinahanglanon?  Kon kaisa indi gid man ina kinahanglanon, pero ngaa hagi ta gid ina insister.  Amo man lang ina ang punto ni San Pablo and this is what he refers to as living in freedom as against living under the yoke of slavery.  When you live in Jesus you become a free person not enslaved by anything.

Two years ago I think, dugay naman ini, pero nagkinagamo kamo dira sa likod kay nag-agaway na sing tinapay.  kon maginagaway na gani we are no longer free – we become enslaved to something we want.  But you are a free person – do not obliged yourself to do something nga daw mang-away ka gid nga indi man ina necessary.  Kon may ara ti maayo e, kon wala ti wala e.  I am not enslaved by that – I may have, I may not have – it does not make a difference.  I am free. 

This freedom is called holy indifference, an indifference to things that are not really essential.  Think about this.  Kadamo sa kabuhi ta nga indi gid man kinahglanon and these burden us, these things put a lot of stress in our life.  Bwas piesta ni Sta Teresa de Avila.  And she said something like this, “More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones.”  Mas damo kuno ang hinulsol ta, ang mga regrets ta tungod sang mga pangamuyo nga ginsabat sang sa pangamuyo nga wala ginsabat.  Maayo pa nga wala ginsabat ang akon pangamuyo because there are so many things that enslaved us that even in our prayer we are no longer free, we are no longer indifferent. 

Think about these things in your life.  Kadamo sang away nga indi gid man necessary.  Kadamo sang ginapangayo, kadamo sang ginaluhodluhodan, kadamo sang mga ginahibi-hibi-an nga indi gid man kinahanglanon. St. Paul is really deep, very deep bisan nagapangakig sia he teaches with depth and clarity.  Paul is simply saying focus your eyes on Jesus.  If you have devotions well and good, if you do novenas well and good, manghikap kag manghapulas ka sang mga santos imo na ya basta indi lang higko kamot mo.  But never lose focus on what is essential – Jesus is essential, the Eucharist is essential, loving is essential, serving others is essential, honesty is essential.  Do not lose focus on the things that matter and do not make important what is not important.