One thing, everything there is in the now of time
Everyone desires to live a life at its best. How we define “best” has something to do with what we have in our hearts and to seek every possibility to fulfill it. Just as what we desire and how we seek to fulfill them is marked both by our uniqueness and character.
In this land of the living that we all share, we dare to care and to get connected with others. We are made for one another as the Gospel invites us, to be akin to its message of love and of service. For indeed, we are made for a purpose and a mission to fulfill, as people of God, created and sent for His dream for all humanity.
For us, religious life revolves around the practice to which formative years have taught us: how to be present, to listen and live as witnesses of His love to many. Ours is not the best, but a chosen vocation to live with joy and generosity amidst all that came and yet to come in life. Giving up for a greater goal, a life of surrender to God despite our limits, to be of service to our brothers and sisters. Not unless, this concept of such lifestyle already thwarts by its practice or may sound just as absurd to some. Yet, religious life remains, a life of obedience and poverty which seemingly is out of fashion in today´s society.
However, our total dependence is not wi-fi connection, apps, or in any modern gadgets or anything that brings delight in being updated. Our connection and source of power is beyond drone magnitudes and precision, simply, it remains the humblest and oldest model as it was in Abraham’s time. The call to follow His Word, that is, the Word made flesh, is the very source of life and hope for us all. It may be unheard by human auditory capacity at the beginning, yet, we plunge and resolve to live by our trust in His promise made more than two thousand years ago; that, He is and will be with us till the end of time. This overrules every virtual effect for it is bestowed and gratuitously endowed by His grace in every human heart! By this, we are challenged in this modern and highly technical society. How can we go about or make a step forward?
The challenge of listening leads us to let it go, becoming His own voice and a testimony of His will in our world today. This may sound not that easy though it might seem just one thing to do: to learn from Him as Mary in Her lifetime did. Everything about her Son takes precedence over her own choice. Mary’s example is as human as our very own. Hence, what makes us able to obey is because she exemplified it in human standards with obedience to His will. That for her, was everything… in her lifetime. She was generous because she cares not just her own well-being but of what God asked of her: that Her Son’s becoming a man is for our salvation. Isn’t it super interesting in itself?
Mc 10, 21 invites us to see that we lack one thing… “go and sell what you have and give to the poor”. Come to think of it, pause a while, go deeper… It is Lent, a timely invitation to spare some moments, recover our essentials; His presence in our human existence. Take a journey within, surely it will take a lifetime of joy with Him that amid the hardships, confusions, pride and isolations; we will never feel alone. Choose Him to be the reason for our waking up and live with this hope. In fact, it is a free choice, and the price tag depends on your investments to this trust fund, whose ownership belongs to the Maker of the sands in every shore.
Nini Rebollos
Dominican Missionary