RWS 276 March 9, 2008, 5th Sunday in Lent

Gospel: John 11: 1-45

25 Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me,

even if he dies, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me

will never die. Do you believe this?"

Suffer with Jesus

By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD

In ministering to some faithful who grieve at the loss of a loved one, I find it very difficult to find the consoling words and assurances to ease their grief. It would seem that human words could only slightly and momentarily give respite to the sorrow-laden hearts of the bereaved; even material tokens of condolences could not sufficiently assure them of “life after death”. Everything that the departed has gained by working all his life could not prevent him from death or keep him alive for ever. The money and all other material wealth and possessions he might have amassed could not bargain for him a true and happy life after death. At death, the poor worker or the millionaire businessman could only rely on Someone greater than them for true life.

Jesus, who claims that He is the resurrection and the life, is the only joy and consolation of both the departed and the bereaved. Faith and acceptance of Him and His words are the “only means to earn a living”—one which is far superior to that which we find in this worldly existence—for everyone. Such means, could be earned also through one’s work and working.

It is “living and believing in Jesus” that any worker could transform his work, whether it is merely a simple job or a multi-million dollar worth of work or business, into a means to live for ever. The pains and sufferings that any work brings to the worker, when borne with love for Jesus and faith in His redemptive suffering and death on the Cross would assure the worker of happiness for ever. Working with Jesus is the best way to prepare for the certain coming of death. Then, there would no longer be inconsolable grief and sadness over the loss of a beloved here on earth.

God and paper clips

By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

When readers email to us how this column touches them, all I can utter is “Thank You, Lord!” because many times, human as I am, I wonder how relevant can my words be in the workplace where people’s concern is primarily to survive. Like now, for example, I try to reflect upon the verse Bishop Cantillas has chosen, and grope for ways I can coherently connect a mystery and the material world without sounding like a sidewalk theologian. Pray tell, what sense can talk about the resurrection and never-ending life make to you who are half-buried in workaday concerns to feed your family? Whether you are an assembly line worker, a stock broker or anything else in between, for most of the day you would be virtually drowning in sounds or noise and activity—abstract ideas would be furthest from your mind when you are under pressure to earn your keep.

The connection lies in what you will answer to Jesus’ question: “Do you believe this?” Belief is at the root of everything you do—and that includes what you do in the workplace, of course. What you believe in dictates your moves and decisions. If you believe it’s wrong to steal from your company, then you will not filch even paper clips. If you believe it’s okay to cheat on your spouse you will not stop flirting with your officemate until it leads to an affair. If you believe there is life after death you will take care that everything you do be above reproach because even long after you’re dead your beliefs will live on in your children, grandchildren and generations after them.

Simply put, you can only believe in God, or in everything else that is not God. If you do not want to be among the “living dead”, you’d know what to believe.

RWS 275 March 2, 2008, 4th Sunday in Lent

Gospel: Jn. 9: 1-41

Jesus said...”4 We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day.

Night is coming when no one can work…”

Sense of Urgency

By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD

As a newly ordained priest, I was then reminded many times that in order to celebrate Mass more meaningfully, I should do so as if it were my last. I found out that such piece of advice was indeed very useful in doing well not only my “job” to say Mass, but also in accomplishing to the best of my ability other works I have to do. The thought of having only one last thing to do before “kicking the bucket” would give me the sense of urgency and importance in the “last act” to be done and the sense of pride that I would be able to say in the end, “I did my best”. This experience I believe would be similarly shared by many and it is worth reflecting on.

Even Jesus Himself felt a sense of urgency and importance in His mission when He said, “we have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day…” These words would show us two lessons: one, avoid procrastination in our works and two, consider or believe that the work at hand is a mission Our Father wills us to do.

The worker who habitually puts off what he can do at the present moment would certainly fail the expectations of his employer and would also fall short in his sense of self-fulfillment since the great human talents and potentials within him would somehow crave for a correspondingly great accomplishment for them to “feel satisfied”. Moreover, every worker could take pride in the thought that his work is a very important mission to accomplish in life, one which is given by no one less than the Almighty God. A simple task or act of duty of the present moment therefore, done with love and obedience to the Father’s will, would then become a great source for the worker’s sense of self-fulfillment and his eternal satisfaction.

RWS 274 February 24, 2008, 3rd Sunday in Lent

Gospel: Jn. 4: 5-42

13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; 14 but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst…”

Life-giving work

By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD

Water and work are common and basic elements in everyone’s day to day life. Even if, like many ordinary things and events in life which go unnoticed or taken for granted, water and work could bring home in each one of us great realizations which in turn could give greater sense and meaning of our earthly existence. In fact, Jesus makes us reflect on the “water” that He gives which would quench all our thirsts as He conversed with a woman fetching water to drink. We need water in order to live as we need to work in order to sustain our life. And as Jesus reveals to us an “eternal life-giving water” I think He could provide us also with an “eternal life-giving work”.

The worker however must first of all understand that his work does not have only an earthly value—money with which he could buy most if not all things he needs to live—but also a meaning and value beyond his earthly existence. The human worker is not merely a beast of burden or a machine for production. He is essentially a moral and a spiritual being in flesh and blood. While his physical body is engaged in work, the moral and spiritual elements within him are fundamentally involved as well; in fact, the latter gives life to the movements or motions of the former. The emotions, memory, imagination, thoughts, moral judgments, and spiritual experiences come into play very significantly as the worker moves about in his tasks.

The worker then must nourish his spirit and consequently his work with the life-giving water which Jesus gives. He does so by uniting his thoughts and feelings with those of Jesus whether at home or at work, finding satisfaction in Jesus’ words and loving presence which is real and true every time and everywhere in our day to day life.

Why die young?

By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

It’s so unfair that work gets blamed for so many of man’s maladies these days. At a recent wake, guests were discussing why people seem to be dying younger, and of illnesses that simply appear and knock you down from nowhere. All this time everybody sees you’re so fit—the next week you’re in the ICU, days later they’re viewing your remains.

The man we were mourning had it worse, but his case seems all too common nowadays: this supposedly healthy man, age 45, was just partying (read drinking) on Feb 16; on Feb 17, he said he did not feel well and observed that he had slight difficulty in breathing. He thought it was just hangover so he didn’t go to work and instead went to sleep early. That’s it—he didn’t wake up anymore. “Atake siguro,” guessed his sister, because the wife said he had never been ill. “He was a workaholic,” she said. “Must be work-related stress,” said his children, now with careers of their own.

In our own careers, what keeps us going? The desire to acquire more, for a comfortable life? The need to achieve and be recognized? That is the “water” we “drink” that sustains us in our drive to “succeed”. When this “water” serves only ourselves and those we choose to love, it makes us forever “thirsty”, grasping and greedy, always wanting more, more, more. That produces stress. To quench our self-destructive thirst, Jesus offers a different kind of “water”—one that springs from love of God, self, and neighbor. Abiding in Him our perspective changes—we can now see the futility of acquisition and ambition, we no longer “thirst”. We can now see that work was never meant to kill us—it is a gift to enable us to express our creativity and love. As Jesus leads us to the truth of God dwelling within us, he “moderates our greed” and gives us new life. End of “work-related stress”.

RWS 273 February 17, 2008, 2nd Sunday in Lent

Gospel: Mt. 17: 1-9

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and do not be afraid."

Work—Jesus’ touch

By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD

There are some people who are known to have a “golden touch”—turning any kind of work or business they put their hands on into a financial success. Some others are said to have a “green thumb”, seemingly luckier with plants and trees than others are. Still others are enviable with what wonders they could bring with the touch of their hands. Yet, I think that no one could match what Jesus’ touch could do. The Gospels record some of the marvels of the touch the Son of God does—from raising the dead to life, opening the ears of the deaf, making the mute speak and many others to just simply removing fears from those afraid or assuring those feeling insecure.

The good news is: that those who believe in Him and are united with Him shares the same powerful touch. From the time of his Apostles until now, some Christians continue to work miracles through their powerful touch in Jesus’ name. Some of these wonder workers gain great media publicity while many others who are in the small towns and barrios are known only by those who experience directly or vicariously the awesome effects of their touch. But, I think that there are still a lot of unknown and unrecognized people are also performing wonders which may not be perceived as such but are nevertheless veritable miracles; they are the simple ordinary workers dirtying their hands on their routine tasks in perhaps some insignificant corner of the workplace.

These workers through their hard work feed their families, pay hospital bills for them, save their children from ignorance by paying for their education, etc…With their lively faith and real love for Jesus and those they work for, they could turn every single task they put their hands on into great rewards also for their eternal life.

Freedom from fear

By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

No workplace, however principled its people are, can ever be free of corruption. At one time or another it will be tinted by dishonesty, bribery, fraud, vice, because human beings are susceptible to temptation, and the workplace, being our “money bag”, offers many tempting occasions to make a quick buck. Let’s say you accidentally discover a scam involving your boss, another supervisor, his boss, the latter’s compadre in another office, his secretary, and at least two of your peers—and your conscience won’t let you sleep because the situation is seriously harming the company. Will you expose it?

Several factors come into play when discerning whether or not to expose evil. Will exposing it cause you to lose your job or turn you into a hero or a clown? Will it really clean the workplace for good or will it hardly make a dent in the collective conscience? How will it affect the other workers who are unaware such anomalies existed? What will happen now to your friendship with the culprits you will name? Are you willing to go to court if need be? What good will it do you and your family anyway? Since the anomalous situation involves your boss and other higher-ups, you would naturally be afraid to open your mouth.

You would be mistaken to think you’re the only one afraid. The guilty ones would be cowering in greater fear than yours, anticipating a fate worse than death: being uncovered in the public eye. They would be trembling in dread to see their reputation sullied, their ignominy outliving them for generations. Their tragedy should teach you that the only thing that lifts you above fear is the touch of Jesus, and Jesus is not only inside the church but is also in the workplace. Responding to His touch you would be strengthened against temptation and would always will to do right. Doing right keeps your conscience clean—and that frees you from fear.

RWS 272 for February 10,2008, 1st Sunday of Lent, Migrants Sunday

Gospel: Mt. 4: 1-12

3 The tempter approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread."

Migration—a temptation

Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD

As I reflect on Jesus fighting away the temptation to turn the stones into loaves of bread, I think of the millions of Filipino migrant workers who could not resist the temptation of earning more “bread” or money abroad, leaving their families behind which, while enjoying perhaps more food and other things that money can buy, may also be suffering from psychological, emotional, social or even moral disorders. The lure of better pay abroad and the growing hunger for more things which are already beyond the sufficient satisfaction of legitimate human needs could have driven many to find work overseas even at the expense of family dysfunction, emotional problems of children deprive of the desired parental love and care, and other so-called “social costs”.

Even if we try to justify the reality of the considerable number of our Overseas Filipino Workers by considering them as the “modern heroes” of our society because their remittances help our economy to stay afloat; or that some of them are missionaries of their faith by living courageously and enthusiastically the expressions of their faith through exemplary performance of their work or lively religious celebrations, the negative side of migration continues to haunt us and to demand some solutions.

Many would say that sufficient economic development and greater access to more gainful employment in our country could help our people to stay home and hopefully enjoy life in one’s homeland. But, I think that the ultimate response to the dark and painful side of migration and even that of excessive work for money is our complete faith and trust as loving children in God, our loving Father.

Behind temptations

By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

How many careers have been damaged, hearts broken, hopes dashed, reputations ruined and lives wrecked by a moment of stupidity—yielding to temptation? Enlisted as “project director” in the municipal government, Amylou reports to work only to collect her paycheck—her father is the mayor. Challenged by his peers’ to “prove his manhood”, family man Jimboy starts an affair with the office flirt Claudine. Purchasing officer Donnie pads up the price of computers his office is buying, sure of his kickback since he has the backing of the Chief Accountant.

Fast forward a couple of years: Amylou’s father lost in the elections. Having been scratched off the ghost payroll, she has since moved on to much bigger crimes to support her lifestyle—now she’s hounded by a string of estafa cases against her. Jimboy is in deep trouble as Claudine is now pregnant and grabbing attention and support otherwise reserved for his wife and two children. Donnie’s hocus pocus with the Chief Accountant was exposed by their “connections” in the computer firm; both were fired and the company posted a warning ad in the dailies that it wouldn’t honor transactions with them.

What do these three have in common? They all succumbed to temptation thinking they could get away with it. We wonder if they have ever heard of the temptation of Jesus. Taking this gospel story to heart one cannot but see the truth: behind every temptation is the devil, sweet talking us into accepting a "better life" when what he really wants is to destroy us by severing the connection between God and us, His children.