42nd Heartbeat

FULFILLING A DESTINY (Post Candle @ 18 Reflection)

September 9, 2009. I was surprised to see people flocking into the entrance doors of Jaro Cathedral in order to attend the 5:30 P.M. Mass in honor of Our Blessed Mother, whose birthday we commemorated. Coincidentally, it was also the 18^th year anniversary of the parish weekly paper, Candle Light. In my reflection, I was actually groping for words especially on how I will be able to connect everything in order to make sense until I came up with one word: DESTINY.

Albert Einstein, one of the famous modern scientists who gave significant contributions in the field of Physics, defined destiny as “everything determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is ascertained for the insect, as well as for the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, would all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper”. It appears that everything is written under the vast constellations of the night sky that we have no other choice but to submit ourselves to where fate will lead us in the offing. Einstein’s definition may sound appealing but I’m afraid if this will be taken seriously, it may create an attitude of passivity because it seems that there is nothing we can do to change our future, or maybe, if we really decide to pursue the things in store for us in all likelihood based on our human instinct, we are not given the optimism to creatively engage in them and be convinced that we personally claim them as our own.I still would like to believe that our destiny is a matter of choice and upon choosing, we will do our very best to attain what we truly deserve.

This understanding of destiny was actually my basis in reflecting upon the very life of Mary. Sacred Scripture does not actually record Mary’s nativity but it is still celebrated because of her significant role in the economy of salvation. It is not the individual greatness of Mary that the Church celebrates, but her part in man’s redemption, a task directly connected to the own coming of Jesus Christ into the world. Lumen Gentium, Vatican’s II’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church supports this declaration by asserting that Mary’s birth lies at the coming together of the two Testaments–bringing to an end the stage of expectation and the promises and inaugurating the new times of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ. Mary, the Daughter of Zion and ideal personification of Israel, is the last and most worthy representative of the People of the Old Covenant but at the same time she is “the hope and the dawn of the whole world.”[i] Given all these affirmations, perhaps I can conclude that Mary was destined to be the Mother of Jesus Christ, the mother of the Redeemer, who in flesh, carried in her womb this promised Messiah, the Emmanuel that signifies “God is definitely with us”. But pondering upon her life, this destiny that she accepted is not something passive, because she worked hard in order that this may reach fulfilment through the Paschal Mystery of her Son- the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the Cross. She actually introduced a paradox which most of us never learn, even in our entire lifetime: that destiny is not just received or accepted but it is also something that we work for; that hope is not just merely an expectation of something out of nothing but an acknowledgement of our present gifts, as we await for the greater gifts that are yet to come. Her coming into the world as well as her motherhood is a fusion of predestination and grace, by which our faith and reason are given this extra-ordinary privilege of unfolding the mystery of the Word made Flesh through the humanity of Jesus Christ.

Last week when we were having breakfast, Fr. Andy shared to us priests that everything that was blessed, inaugurated, and launched during the birthday of Mama Mary became successful and lasting. He actually made mention three important institutions that have been present in our parish for the longest time- The Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Kinder School, the Libreria Candelaria and of course, our Parish Weekly Paper, the Candle Light. Guided by this certainty, the Parish Multi-Purpose Cooperative was also launched on the Nativity of Our Mother with a blessing of the Candle-Making Factory in Buhang, Jaro. With all these important happenings in the life of our parish, I am again reminded of that word “destiny” particularly in the continued existence of Candle Light. I would like to believe that there are things that are destined to last long, confidently surpassing the various challenges of time not only because it is preordained, but because there are really persons who have worked hard for its fulfilment. And this is perhaps the untold secret of Candle Light’s continuing success, a reminiscent of what Saint Ignatius of Loyola taught about Divine Providence which complements the real definition of destiny: “To pray as if everything is dependent on God, and to work as if everything is dependent on us”.

While collating all the articles for the special anniversary edition of Candlelight, I was able to read the two articles submitted by Fr. Andy and I gave myself a deep sigh upon knowing the things the he went through as he, being the second editor, together with his editorial staff endured the birth pains of Candle Light. He admitted that one of the causes for the signature limp and cane when he was in the cathedral was Candlelight.Stress was not the culprit of his arthritis but stress worsened the pain and he thought to himself that was the reason why it dramatically subsided when he was transferred to another parish. He also mentioned that one of the underlying reasons why Fr. Emman, the third editor lost his hair was because of the stress he got from Candle Light. Good thing though, that in my time, before I assumed the responsibility as the tenth Candlelight editor, I already lost all of my hair (because I was doomed to be bald!) and I was confident enough to claim that there was nothing to lose anymore and the only prevailing indications of my stress were my bulging eye bags and my insatiable appetite for food.

But mind you, it was a necessary stress. At the end of the day, after we have submitted the lay-out for printing, after we have seen eager parishioners getting copies of our weekly paper, after we have received feedback from people who have the sincerest desire of supporting us despite our limitations and unworthiness, we realized that service is already our reward, and we believe that this stress is something born out of love and generosity. It is a stress that did not topple us into disillusionment and urged us to give up. It is a stress that actually gave us the willingness and enthusiasm to think, to reflect, to ponder, to pray, to write and to publish over and over again in the past eighteen years.

Hence, in my little and humble column this week, let me take this opportunity to thank each and everyone for your unceasing support to our Parish Weekly Paper. I know that it is not just sheer luck why Candle Light has gone this far. And to quote Manong Rio, the first editor of our Parish Weekly Paper, “Candle Light will never be appreciated apart from what it has been”.

P.S.

Some of these thoughts are excerpts from the homily I delivered during the 5:30 P.M. Mass last Tuesday, September 9, 2009.

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