Love conquers hate: Reflection on the movie The Railway Man

A month ago, I watched the movie, "The Railway Man".  I thought it was a movie about trains and railways but then it turned out to be a World War II story of the POWs (prisoners of war). In this blog, I will not be telling you the plot and the details as I have indicated a link so you can further read about the story itself. What I will be sharing here in my blog is how the movie affected and made me appreciate life even more.

The most striking part of the movie was when Lomax, the main character, even in his anger and rage, did not hurt or kill his previous tormentor, Japanese translator Nagase when the two finally met.  You will see in the movie how the transition and change of hearts happened.  I could see how time and conversion of one's heart made a difference.  At the end, they became good friends and treat each other as brothers.  

It just goes to show that even in the most difficult times in our lives, the only thing we can do is to accept things and to forgive those who hurt us and not become consumed by hate and revenge.  I always believe that there are many instances in our lives when we question why things happen this or that way, yet what else can we do? I have always believed in the saying, "Nothing happens by accident for behind everything there is a reason though we may not know at once".  Moreover, in the movie, it was showed how love indeed conquers everything.  The love of the wife of Eric Lomax, Patti, also helped in the healing of his past.  I also learned that it is important to communicate though it may hurt digging one's past experiences because it will be like opening wounds that already became scars.  Trust, faith, and acceptance are the key to building solid relationships. 

Hope you will be more inspired after watching this movie. Enjoy!

Gospel for June 27, 2015 (Saturday)

Mt 8:5-17

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appeal to him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully."  He said to him, "I will come and cure him".

The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, only say the word and my servant will be healed.  For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me.  And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another,  'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.  I say to you, many will come from east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven, but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

And Jesus said to the centurion,  "You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you."  And at that very hour (his) servant was healed.

The Word in other words

A centurion is a Roman military official with around 100 men under his command.  With this position, he receives a high compensation enabling him to afford a better life.  This life would mean having slaves at home who, like the soldiers under him, are always ready to obey his commands.

This centurion knows then the power of his words.  At work and at home, all his words instantly take effect and are obeyed by his people.  In his own realm, the centurion feels that he is powerful.

The fact that the centurion approaches Jesus to heal his servant manifests his belief that Jesus is also powerful in His own realm,  And if he can effect power with his words, why not also Jesus?  Thus, with faith, he says to Jesus:  "Only say the word and my servant will be healed."

We can draw two thoughts from the above statements.  First, a person of prayer and deep faith, the centurion is convinced that Jesus, if he wills it, has the power to heal his servant.  In our own little way, we pray privately.  But how deep is the faith that motivates or moves us to pray?

The second thought that has to do with the content of the prayer of the centurion.  He is praying for his servant.  Yes, we pray and we bring our petitions to God, but are they usually petitions for our own personal concerns and for our loved ones?  How often do we pray for the people who serve us: our maids, cooks, laundry people, gardeners, etc?  How often do we pray for the needs and concerns of people who do not belong to our family and loved ones?

          - Fr. Jerome S. Montesclaros, SVD (USC, Cebu City)

Gospel for June 26, 2015 (Friday)

Mt 8:1-4

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.  And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean".

He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I will do it.  Be made clean."  His leprosy was cleansed immediately.

Then Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them".

The Word in other words

For many years, from elementary school to college, I suffered skin asthma, a disease triggered by eating seafood, chicken, and so on.  My feet was so much affected that at times, I was forced to wear slippers in school.  Eventually, it became a source of laughter ans ridicule among my classmates and friends.  Several times I was hurt by the way I became a center of jokes.  For more than twenty years my sickness became part of my prayer life.  I always prayed for God to cure me someday.

My parents did their best to find a cure to my condition.  We went as far as Cebu, Bohol's island neighbor, just to look for a doctor specializing in skin diseases.  Our relatives and friends suggested a lot of clinics and hospitals.  Alas!  Even the most popular dermatologist could not prescribe a medicine that might liberate me from my skin asthma.  And so I accepted my fate and moved on with the reality of living with skin asthma forever.

When I was a postulant, I was surprised to realize that skin diseases could be considered as a reaction to certain needs such as belongingness, intimacy, and affection.  As a son of OFW parents we were either away from home or so much engaged in work , I eagerly sought for the satisfaction of these psycho-emotional needs.  Deep inside me, I was desperate for God's healing.  I could emphatize well with the leper in today's gospel- his feeling of being ostracized and bullied, his continuous search for the best doctor in town, and his longing for Jesus to liberate him from the evil of leprosy.

The leper's cry is also my cry.  As a wounded people, it is our cry too,  Today, thousands of 'lepers' in our midst await to be healed and freed from all sorts of sicknesses and maladies.  Imagine those people who flock to healing masses and fellowships.  Yet let us not despair, for the Lord shall one day descend from the mountain, and we, 'lepers' of all sorts, shall approach, do him homage and be made clean- not only physically but holistically, not only at that moment but forever.  It will be an experience of healing grace from the Divine Healer.

                         -Fr. Kevin James Pizarras, SVD (DWST, Tagaytay City)

Gospel for June 25, 2015 ( Thursday)

Mt 7:21-29

Jesus said to his disciples, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.  Many will day to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord. did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then will declare to them solemnly, ' I never knew you.  Depart from me, you evildoers.'

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.  But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.  And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.  And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

The Word in other Words

A story is told of a very hungry hyena.  While hunting for food, he came to a thicket where he saw two goats at the far end of two different paths,  With his mouth watering in anticipation, he took the right path with his right leg and the left path with his left leg.  As the two paths veered father apart, he tried to follow them both at once.  Finally, he split into two.  Hence, the African proverb: Two roads overcame the hyena.

Today's gospel reminds us of the folly of splitting ourselves- calling to Jesus, "Lord, Lord', yet not doing the will of the Father.  For many of us, consistency in words and deeds is a huge mountain to climb.

A case in point: our country the Philippines.  The irony is that it is oftentimes ruled by corrupt politicians and government officials who mostly are Catholics.  We wonder: Are they corrupt because they are Catholics, or are they Catholics because they are corrupt?  The two seem to have causative relationship.  Yet, even if we succeed in arguing that being a Catholic has nothing to do with being corrupt or vice versa, it would not stop us from questioning how Catholic politicians and government officials could have no social conscience so as to steal from the people the have pledged to serve?

Selfishness is our greatest enemy.  Our inability to concretize our faith and live it out in every aspect of our life is, in many ways, triggered by self-seeking ambitions.  Even our acts of worship are oftentimes motivated by our demands that God would grant our request for material blessings.  "Lord, I pray that I'll get salary increment this year, so that I will still have my car.  Without it, how could I continue attending Mass on Sunday?" said the proud owner of an SUV`.

We all have a long way to go towards fulfilling our Christian calling.  The spiritual imprint we received during baptism is just the beginning of an arduous journey that is meant to change our lives as well as inspire others to do the same.  Our words and deeds often lack coherence, and our 'Lord, Lord' utterances are not always predicated on doing God's will.

                                 - Fr. Narciso Cellan, SVD (Kenya)

Gospel for June 24, 2015 (Wednesday) Birth of St. John the Baptist

Lk 1:57-66.80

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son.  Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.  When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zachariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, "No.  He will be called John".

But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name".  So they made signs, asking the father what he wished him to be called.  He asked for tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed.  Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing to God.  Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea.  All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be?"  For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.  The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

The Word in other words

With the exception of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist is the only saint whose birthday we celebrate.  The importance of John's nativity gave a signal to the coming of the Messiah, Our Lord Jesus Christ.  John the Baptist was considered to be the last prophet before the coming of the Song of God.  His birth came under "mysterious" circumstance- barren wife gave birth to a child in her old age.  Neighbors asked, " What, then, will this child be?" They asked this question because it was clear that God was with him.

John the Baptist, whose name means "God is gracious", consecrated his life to the Lord and became the precursor of the Messiah.  He was the voice crying out in the wilderness, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand".  He prepared the way for the Lord, and like the other prophets he was given the opportunity to offer his ultimate act of obedience to the will of the Father by shedding his blood.

God chose John to prepare the way for the coming of the Savior and arrange everything for him.  His parents waited for his coming and they were filled with joy upon seeing him.  He grew in righteousness "until the day of his manifestation to the people of Israel."

Like John, our existence in this world might be short but it will not be futile if we do the will of God, if we do what is supposed to be God's plan for us.  Our mission is to be a witness to what is right and true, to bring joy to the world by living out the gospel values.  John did not wish to become powerful; humbling himself before the Lord, he declared,  "He must increase, I must decrease".

To live is not to possess power, glory, and riches, but to live the life in joyful humility, simplicity, righteousness, and love.

Gospel for June 23, 2015 (Tuesday)

Mt 7:6-14

Jesus said to his disciples, "Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.

"Do to others what you would have them do to you.  This is the law and the prophets.

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.  How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.  And those who find it are few".

The Word in other words

Pedot was a farmer, and so was his older brother Sidro who was married and had two children.  They lived in the same area not too far from each other.  Pedot always felt sorry for his brother because he had more mouths to feed and care for, and so needed money and help more than he,  During harvest time, he would therefore secretly bring half a bag of rice to his brother at night and put it under his house.  Sidro, on the other hand, felt sorry for his younger brother who was living alone without any help in his farm, no wife to cook for him and o loving arms to welcome him when coming back from the farm.  So, Sidro would once in a while bring a half a bag of rice and secretly deposit  it under Pedot's house at night.  Then, one evening, the brothers met each other on the path, each carrying half a bag of rice.  Each uttered and "Ow!" now fully understanding where the occasional and mysterious gift of half a bag of rice was coming from.  They smiled at each other, and embraced each other, and then exchanged bags.

In the gospel today, Jesus mentioned the Golden Rule,  " Do unto others what you want others do unto you."  This rule is found in all religions and tribal law expressed in different ways.  However, it has been pointed out that the Christian expression is positive, whereas in other religions, the expression starts with a  "don't" and is therefore negative.

Our common belief is that we are surrounded by a kind of goodness.  Just take a look at the services around us daily where we get food, transport, clothing, etc.  People of good will are found everywhere.  In a way we are dependent on them for our daily life.  We often take for granted that, with his statement, Jesus is affirming something that we already know in the deepest part of our being--- that our hearts are in touch with the ONE who created us.

                       - Fr. Carlos Lariosa, SVD (Radio Veritas Asia, QC)

Gospel for June 22, 2015 (Monday)

Mt 7:1-5

Jesus said to his disciples, "Stop judging, that you may not be judged.  For as you judge, so you will be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.  Why do you notice the splinter in you brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye?  You hypocrite,  remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye."

The Word in other words

A 1994 classic film, "Forrest Gump", depicts the story of a naive and dim-witted man, who is able to unknowingly influence the historical events of the United States in the late 20th century.  As a child Forrest wears leg braces and other children bully him for it.  He is often insulted for being dumb.  Fortunately he is athletically adroit, which enables him to become successful in college and the military, and eventually become popular in public.  Despite his low IQ, he has an endearing character which is seen in his devotion to his duties and loved ones.  The unconventional life of Forrest Gump calls to mid the adage:"Do not judge a book by its cover".

Judging people according to their outward appearance seems however natural and prevalent. External display tells us whether somebody is dangerous or friendly, suspicious or trustworthy.  The Germans say, "Kleidung macht den Menschen" (Clothes define the person).  What we wear reveals something essential about status of a person.  We also think that it tells us about the economic and educational status of a person.  This shallow thinking may lead us to overestimate the face may also be more intelligent, richer, and happier than the relatively uglier ones.  That is why advertising agencies and cosmetic companies profit immensely from this prevailing human trait of superficiality.

Jesus admonishes us not to judge others rashly, according to their appearance or according to our moods and preconceptions.  It is better to know the people before judging them.  The imperfections of others, which we immediately discover, often disguise our own imperfections, which we seldom notice.  We need to be aware that we don't always make the right decisions and that we often do the wrong things.  Our lives are far from perfect, so we cannot expect moral perfection from others.  We may disagree on disputable matters, but we should allow people to form their own convictions.  When we search within our own hearts, we will find plenty of reasons to keep us humble before the Lord without being occupied with other people.

                              - Fr. Simon Boiser, SVD (Hamburg, Germany)