By Fr. Bel R. San Luis, SVD
DID you know that Jesus mentioned "television" in the gospel? After the Transfiguration at Mt. Tabor, he said: "Te-le-vision to no one." Read Mark 9:9.
Joking aside, the gospel this 18th Sunday relates not about television but the vision of Jesus’ transfiguration on Mount Tabor (cf. Mk 9:2-10).
The transfiguration in which the Lord’s appearance was transformed into a glorious form was to be a spiritual booster after Jesus told them that he was going to suffer terribly and die in Jerusalem.
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This brings us to the reality of faith. The nature of faith is such that no matter how faithfully we live Christ’s teachings, there will be times when our faith will be shaken. It will seem to flicker and threaten to be extinguished.
I’m reminded of a British lady personnel named Joan with whom I used to talk when I studied at the University of Leicester in England. One time Joan told me, "I used to believe there’s Someone up there, but now I find it hard to believe after what I’ve gone through."
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"When I was 28 years old, my husband died in a car accident; within that year, five of my relatives including my father and grandfather died.
"I thought it was the end. Just when I was recovering from the harrowing experiences, my father-in-law died. Last year my new husband who’s a truck driver (I held my breath thinking he would die again) bumped an old man who died on the spot." I breathed a sigh of relief."
In groping for some explanation, I said, "Well, we have to keep on trusting even if we can’t understand God’s ways. That’s what faith is all about."
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Indeed, faith has peak and low moments. It too has mountaintop moments as well as valley moments.
To use another analogy, our faith is like the sun. Sometimes it is bright and clear in the sky. At other times we can’t see it due to the thick layer of clouds. It seems to have vanished from the sky, say, with the sudden death of a loved one or a severe financial crisis or successive adversities, as in the case of Joan.
We know from experience, however, that the sun is always somewhere in the sky. It’s just that we can’t see it all the time.
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When low points in our faith come — and surely they will — we should not be overly disturbed or crushed by them. Of course, human as we are, we will feel down. But what’s more important is to rise from our discouragement, pick ourselves up and move on.
Such was the faith of Abraham. His faith flickered when God was asking him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. It pained Abraham’s heart.
But Abraham trusted God. For this God didn’t let him down. He blessed him for beyond his wildest dreams.
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When we are in the dark valley, when we don’t see the sun because it’s covered by dark clouds, we should recall the words of Peter: "It may now be necessary for you to be sad for a while because of the many kinds of trials you suffer. Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine.
"Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and so your faith which is much more precious than gold, must be tested, so that it may endure."
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THE LIGHTER SIDE. A patient, who was being wheeled into the operating room, pleaded with the young doctor: "Doc, ple…please be gentle with me; this…this is my first time to be operated on!"
The surgeon glanced at her and blurted out: "Do…don’t worry, madam, this…this is also my first time to do an operation!" (Dunno if the patient survived!).
Lesson: Entrusting ourselves in the hands of even an inexperienced surgeon is faith. Spiritual faith is trusting in Jesus who said, "Don’t worry. Have faith in me — no matter what happens."
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TV MASSES — the "The Healing Eucharist" produced by the SVD Mission Communications Foundation, Inc. is aired every Sunday at 7-8 a.m. on ABSCBN, Channel 2. Sponsor for this Sunday: Mater Dei ME Community. Celebrant: Fr. Bel SAN LUIS, SVD
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Its sister, the FAMILY TV MASS, is aired every Sunday on IBC 13 at 9-10 a.m. Sponsor: DIVINE MERCY National Shrine, Marilao, Bulacan. Celebrant: Fr. Vic ROBLES.
For inquiries, call tel. 7265002 or 723-3343. E-mail: tvmass--_mcfi@yahoo.com.
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