Let me start with a story, there was a Business Analyst in a local Bank whose task is to formulate policies and procedure for alternative banking services, like ATM, Mobile Banking and Internet Banking. In 2001, the Bank changed its whole CA/SA system to a more modern one, and he was tasked to revise the existing policies and procedures to conform with the new ATM system. And, before he can do that, he together with a Team have to perform several tests of the ATM to ensure that all the specifications of the Bank are met. And after doing so, the Business Analyst formulated the policies and procedures. Every policy requires a set of procedures in order to guide the parties involved – which include branch cashiers, tellers, and accountants. Then, he issued the final and approved policies and procedures. After one day, he received a complaint from one of the branch staff, complaining that the set of procedures was too general. He reviewed the one he issued and the previous sets of procedures, and he noticed a big difference. The latter was very specific and his version was too general. For example, the policy on OPENING THE ATM TO RELOAD CASH – the previous set of procedures stated: “Using your index finger push the red button at the left side of the back part of the ATM. Then, insert the ATM key in the keyhole and push it gently in order to open the ATM door.” His procedures stated: “Open the ATM in the presence of the Accountant, and get the three cassettes. Pull the journal tape and close the ATM.” That’s it. He didn’t make a detailed procedures because as a staff in-charge of the ATM, he or she should already know the proper way of opening the ATM based on its manual provided by the manufacturer.
Brothers, sometimes we want very specific and detailed rules in life for our own convenience. Ayaw na nating mag-isip, kailangan lahat nakasulat para di tayo mahirapan in performing our taks. We can see this kind of attitude in the rich young man as mentioned in the Gospel reading last Monday. He observed all the Laws of Moses and the teachings of the prophets, but, to the extent only of his literal understanding of such Laws, walang lalim. He may have overlooked the spiritual greatness of the commandments in relation to his daily life. He should have realized that there is a great deal more to his spiritual life than keeping the Laws of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. Kaya nga, he felt emptiness, may kulang pa. That’s why he asked Jesus what good things he must do in order to attain eternal life.
In our gospel today, Jesus summarizes all the laws of Moses and the teachings of the prophets in just two commandments, in order for us to discover and experience the truth in our own personal experiences. He gave us FREEDOM to choose how we will express and live out these two great commandments. He doesn’t want us to be put in a box of many and very detailed and specific laws that we cannot discover its spiritual relationship in our daily lives. Jesus saw the importance of our PERSONAL ENCOUNTER with God and with our neighbors. He wants free expression of our faith through the FREEDOM he has given us. Through this encounter we learn lessons and we formulate our own procedures in living out his two great commandments. Jesus gave us two great POLICIES, and it’s up for us to formulate our own procedures.
Brothers, what keep us stay here at Our Lady’s Hill is that we believe that this is our expression of following Christ’s two great commandments. We encounter our God more freely and we find peace, happiness and fulfillment here. As we encounter our God here, we learn more how to love our neighbors the way we love ourselves. Our spiritual journey here at Our Lady’s Hill is primarily our ever-deepening expression of our faith and our experience of God in daily life. We learn gradually on how to love God with all our heart, and with all our soul and with all our mind. Jesus allowed us to discover the best ways which we can express this LOVE OF HIM, here at Our Lady’s Hill, and we are moved by his desire and our desire to search out every movement of our heart in order for us to really find and live out the best expression of following his commandments.
As Jesus gave us freedom to choose for the best good in expressing our faith and following his commandments, he also responds to the desire of our hearts by inviting us to look further and strengthened our daily encounter with Him through prayer and actions. Through this, we will be able to discover the true JESUS in us step by step, and we can be more inspired to continue making our own procedures in loving God in our own ways.
As Jesus gave us the freedom to choose for the best good in expressing our love of Him, he also gave the freedom to choose for the best good in expressing our love of our neighbors just like the way we love ourselves. In Matthew 25:37-40, Jesus said that those who had one foot in eternal life were the ones who cared enough to demonstrate their concern to a brother or sister in need. It is easy to give love and show concerns to our neighbors if we have experienced the love of God in us, it’s easy to share when we have something to share. We can only say that our expression of love of God is genuine and authentic when we have shared to our neighbors the love and concern God has given us.
Brothers, the question of the rich young man may also be our question. But, let us be reminded by the implied truth of the Gospel today that there is really a great deal more to our spiritual life than keeping specific and detailed commandments. There is the Encounter of GOD, access to which comes not with what we have done in order to follow the commandments, but the discipleship – that slow and gradual process by which we translate the two great commandments into our lives in thousands of ways. On these two great pillars of love of God and of neighbor everything rests: LAW & Teachings, prophets and the spiritual life.
From My Spiritual Journal
08/19/2004
No comments:
Post a Comment