psalm 136: enduring forever - 19th week friday

Today, we reflect on Psalm 136.  In the psalm we hear the words his mercy endures forever, his love endures forever.  This is the problem when the Hebrew word encompasses so many meanings – love, mercy, kindness, faithfulness, loyalty, steadfast love.  What is common, however, in the many translations is that, this kind of loving, this kind of kindness is "faithful and steadfast." Thus, correctly translated it should have been "your faithful love endures forever" which could not be admitted in English because the sentence becomes redundant.  Daw pareho lang nga ginsaway ang mga pari nga naga-swimming dira sa Vianney nga kontani indi sila mag-night swimming kon gab-i.  Ngaa may night swimming kon aga haw?  Ngaa may faithful love that does not endure forever?  And yet that is the phrase repeated like a broken record in Psalm 136.  God's love is a committed love.

Amo na ang difficulty naton sa aton ohana, kay ang aton iya love indi committed love, indi steadfast and faithful love. Diri kita naga-gamo.  Naga-love each other kita kon sadya, love kita kon hapos, love kita kon wala demand.  Pero kon naga-amat-amat budlay nga budlay dira man nagabug-at ang isa kag isa.  Mabatyagan na na naton subong, indi bala?  Bisan ang grade 11 nga excited pa anay, bored na.  Ang ginsugoran nga sadya indi na masyado kasadya.  Here faithfulness is tested and as it is tested it is made to grow. 

Are we faithful as God is faithful?  Tandaan mo ang test sang pagkapari is not – is he popular with the people, does he give good homilies, does he have good pastoral programs.  Dala man ina.  Pero the most important question is – is he a faithful priest?

Remember Mother Teresa?  The Lord calls us not to be successful but to be faithful.  And faithful means enduring forever.