reaching the plateau - 1st week tuesday lent 2015

A portion of the book of the prophet Isaiah was written at a time when Israel was already in exile in Babylon.  They have been living in a foreign land far from their homes and fields.  They were enslaved and many times they had to suffer harsh realities of life living under the watchful eyes of their captors.  They had lost their freedom.  In fact all memories of home and freedom were by now already distant memories. 

They have heard of the prophet Isaiah before and the other prophets promising them something, propping them up so that they won’t wallow in hopelessness.  It was important that they do not lose hope.  So the prophets were telling them – a time will come when the shoot of Jesse shall bud forth, a time will come says the Lord when the lion and the calf will live together, a time will come when you will finally return home.  It was important that they would keep on looking forward to something better, to keep hoping, to keep on striving and not just allow themselves to fall into the routine of life in exile.  But again it was taking too long.  Wala man sa gihapon may natabo.  Thus our first reading today – the prophet assuring them yet again that they should not give up because like rain God’s word, God’s promises will bring about the good they were intended to make, it will not come back void, it will bear fruit. 

When things take too long to be fulfilled this is what happens, we reach a plateau - natak-an na kita – there is no more urge to struggle further, there is no more excitement in moving forward, in striving harder, and then we begin to settle into the routine – day in, day out – content with who we are, content with what is.  Kamusta ka na? Ari, amo man gihapon, just the same.  No more spiritual energy, no more excitement.  Like Israel in exile we have reached that point wherein we are already accustomed to that kind of life and there is no point in struggling further anymore.  Nakasaho na kita dira.  We have lost our first love as St. Paul would say – the enthusiasm is no longer there.

Nakasaho na man lang kita nga magsimba, hasta lang kita dira and we cannot anymore imagine ourselves that we can become a force of good in our communities.  There is no more urge to do more or to level-up. 

But this can be worst kay may iban pa gid iya nga nakasaho na man lang sa sala, when living in sin becomes a normal routine.  One does not anymore notice that this is sin, that we are harming other people, that we doing injustice to other people or that we are harming our environment. One does not feel dread anymore.

Today when we pray the Our Father let us be conscious of the petition may your kingdom come.  Make us realize Lord that every time we struggle to become better, every time we struggle to better our surroundings, our workplaces, our family, we are responding to that invitation may your kingdom come.  Indi pag-itugot nga makasaho na lang kami magkabuhi sa sala.  May your kingdom come.