Ave Maria:-)
Suffering visits us in many ways: and don't just think of financial troubles, break-ups, death of loved ones..or severe illness... sometimes we must bear with brothers and sisters who are DISABLED.
Lest you think I am referring to amputees , the blind or those bound to their sick-beds..no... these have , for lack of a better term - the 'official' right to moan and groan and cry their hearts out.
those I refer to are the brothers and sisters in a time warp... EMOTIONALLY, SPIRITUALLY ,MENTALLY DISABLED...their soul, mind, body psyche contained / trapped in a certain time/situation of their life..whence they suffered so much rejection, humiliation, abandonment, persecution... you get the idea.This caused severe damage ..and served as their basis ON HOW TO VIEW AND ATTACK LIFE .
Perhaps this started way back in conception.. while in their mother's womb, the mother has tried all ingenious means to abort the baby, BUT BABY CLINGS FOR DEAR LIFE AND MAKES IT... a priest and a psychologist once commented that some with severe suicidal tendencies in their adult years can trace this tendency all the way to the time Mommie Dearest tried vainly to kick baby out of her tummy. So you are aghast at individuals who for all intents and purposes seem to have everything going on alright for them -- yet persist in unexplainable drunken or drug binges and then not caring at all if they drive into a wall or fall dead on the pavement - in Tagalog we have an apt description for these poor souls..elders say "SINUSUNDO NIYA SI KAMATAYAN" He/she is fetching Death ( well, becoz at the rate they are going they could die violently anytime... a senseless death, a wasted life).
More on Disabled Friends...
We have our share of friends and family -- or hey it could be us
...aminin, aminin... Mr./Ms. Disbled who complains of family members or whoever is their current or permanent enemy , relating to our bleeding ears for the nth time their woes, troubles and how everything is absolutely wrong with their life... how their percieved enemy is the devil in disguise..worst of all.. how God is oblivious to the whole situation. ( amazingly.. our disabled friend never thinks she/he did anything wrong..no sirreee -- it has to be the other person utterly at fault)... If you propose the It Takes TWO To Tango theory, FORGET IT... he/she will have none of it. -- and you ... poor you... you are pushed against the wall especially when you're caught in the middle of perhaps a household chore, or about to leave for an appointment.. or blissfully relaxed and totally unprepared for ANGST TIME. Yet , who knows if the Lord has precisely allowed it to happen..that we be jolted out of our reverie and complacence... the better to test and develop our patience..
and... yes---> hopefully... to grow a more loving heart.
You mumble to yourself: "Jesus , this is alright if it's like on a quarterly basis ... but this person has been going on like this..ranting raving mad for like
since Conan the Barbarian's time
..and it is now the Age of Transformers... and still he/she will not stop... Lord, I'm afraid the other person won't be the one turning loca-loca...becoz I'll be the One Fully-Loca if this attack on my sensibilities does not stop...Helppp!" 
since Conan the Barbarian's time..and it is now the Age of Transformers... and still he/she will not stop... Lord, I'm afraid the other person won't be the one turning loca-loca...becoz I'll be the One Fully-Loca if this attack on my sensibilities does not stop...Helppp!" BUT strangely ... we are able to hold our anger, because we realize how terribly hurt and emotionally disabled the other person is...Christ bestows His peace and wisdom to us... since we cannot offer an immediate solution to their woes..our best effort is in listening and to listen with kindness.Oh God come to our assistance indeed.
Lastly as we cannot enumerated one by one all items for consideration... we have the many characters in our blessed life who have taken an imaginary credit card to test our heart and mind.a Credit Card with no limit it seems!
Meaning... kahit ilang beses kang saktan..it is the most natural thing for them to do
..with you
as the most natural, top priority beneficiary of their vicious attacks.
Someone will say : So why suffer all these abuse?Fight back! Better yet.. leave him/her/them.
If it (the sufferings), comes from the people we love .. or care for, the Lord gives us a long rope...and even if we suffer at the hands of those we don't care for, absolute hideous people.. yet when we suffer for the cause of Christ... still... we are given the grace to bear suffering.
Fr. Red once termed this as not suffering passively... but suffering for a cause... to win souls for Christ and His Kingdom.
so we grit our teeth, hold onto our hearts for fear it could crumble to pieces from the sheer weight of pain and inner turmoil --- and we stand our ground especially when it is the salvation of loved ones at stake.In our weakness, Christ's grace is at its strongest ... thank you St. Paul for this reminder.
We are not the one destined to save them..only CHRIST can save a sinner.. but our sufferings offered for their sake can help obtain the grace of conversion..the grace of enlightenment.One blessed day..the fog in their clouded mind clears..and they finally understand the purpose of earthly life. It could take a year..10 yrs...3 decades... oops we might even have crossed-over to the next life..and still in heaven we continue to pray for their salvation..but we doggedly pursue it..becoz divine love urges us on.
As I end this piece... conversations with dear friends/family/peers come to mind:
Ms. X : I don't know why he keeps doing this to me...I have done all I can for the sake of the family and the children but... but it seems all my efforts are wasted.what a brute/ingrate he is.
BBBB : My family is so dysfunctional... each one absorbed in his/her own selfish interest... nobody cares... why should I be the only one caring..why should I be the one bending and showing kindness when they are not appreciative at all.I can still recall how they treated me in the past... yet now, I am the one extending kindness and still they DON'T SEE IT. ( dear, acts of kindness lose their power when you keep pointing the finger at them.)
KKK: My children donot respect me..they yell at the slightest correction.. they hate discipline.. they will not join family prayer time... they are so disobedient...etc..etc...
To kindred souls.... love is never logical..nor can it be measured.
Love goes beyond our human boundaries.. and it is unmistakeable love when we offer forgiveness as many times as there are dawns and sunsets. We look for a reason why we must forgive the unforgiveable.. we long for an answer to our complaint why we must be so singled out for this particular trial ... there is only ONE REASON... GOD HIMSELF HAS GIVEN HIS VERY LIFE TO SAVE US FROM OUR DISABILITY. If we find ourself capable of giving love, we have only Jesus to thank for...because by our vain self, we'd long be out of business.
Jesus lived, suffered, died and rose from the dead so that we could be healed from this disability to love and to do good unconditionally.
You and me---No longer Disabled but ENABLED, EMPOWERED BY CHRIST'S LOVE FOR US.
Beware then of the disability that paralyzes us not only up to our bones but up to our very spirit.
May Jesus Saviour and Lord... reveal Himself to us ..help us understand and humbly yield to the power of His love and forgiveness. Heal us Oh Lord.
....................................................te mye
Lastly as we cannot enumerated one by one all items for consideration... we have the many characters in our blessed life who have taken an imaginary credit card to test our heart and mind.a Credit Card with no limit it seems!
Meaning... kahit ilang beses kang saktan..it is the most natural thing for them to do
..with you as the most natural, top priority beneficiary of their vicious attacks.Someone will say : So why suffer all these abuse?Fight back! Better yet.. leave him/her/them.
If it (the sufferings), comes from the people we love .. or care for, the Lord gives us a long rope...and even if we suffer at the hands of those we don't care for, absolute hideous people.. yet when we suffer for the cause of Christ... still... we are given the grace to bear suffering.
Fr. Red once termed this as not suffering passively... but suffering for a cause... to win souls for Christ and His Kingdom.
so we grit our teeth, hold onto our hearts for fear it could crumble to pieces from the sheer weight of pain and inner turmoil --- and we stand our ground especially when it is the salvation of loved ones at stake.In our weakness, Christ's grace is at its strongest ... thank you St. Paul for this reminder.
We are not the one destined to save them..only CHRIST can save a sinner.. but our sufferings offered for their sake can help obtain the grace of conversion..the grace of enlightenment.One blessed day..the fog in their clouded mind clears..and they finally understand the purpose of earthly life. It could take a year..10 yrs...3 decades... oops we might even have crossed-over to the next life..and still in heaven we continue to pray for their salvation..but we doggedly pursue it..becoz divine love urges us on.
As I end this piece... conversations with dear friends/family/peers come to mind:
Ms. X : I don't know why he keeps doing this to me...I have done all I can for the sake of the family and the children but... but it seems all my efforts are wasted.what a brute/ingrate he is.
BBBB : My family is so dysfunctional... each one absorbed in his/her own selfish interest... nobody cares... why should I be the only one caring..why should I be the one bending and showing kindness when they are not appreciative at all.I can still recall how they treated me in the past... yet now, I am the one extending kindness and still they DON'T SEE IT. ( dear, acts of kindness lose their power when you keep pointing the finger at them.)
KKK: My children donot respect me..they yell at the slightest correction.. they hate discipline.. they will not join family prayer time... they are so disobedient...etc..etc...
To kindred souls.... love is never logical..nor can it be measured.
Love goes beyond our human boundaries.. and it is unmistakeable love when we offer forgiveness as many times as there are dawns and sunsets. We look for a reason why we must forgive the unforgiveable.. we long for an answer to our complaint why we must be so singled out for this particular trial ... there is only ONE REASON... GOD HIMSELF HAS GIVEN HIS VERY LIFE TO SAVE US FROM OUR DISABILITY. If we find ourself capable of giving love, we have only Jesus to thank for...because by our vain self, we'd long be out of business.
Jesus lived, suffered, died and rose from the dead so that we could be healed from this disability to love and to do good unconditionally.
You and me---No longer Disabled but ENABLED, EMPOWERED BY CHRIST'S LOVE FOR US.
Beware then of the disability that paralyzes us not only up to our bones but up to our very spirit.
May Jesus Saviour and Lord... reveal Himself to us ..help us understand and humbly yield to the power of His love and forgiveness. Heal us Oh Lord.
....................................................te mye
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