Moments (2) : Motherly reminders

(Bro Rowin, re-post ko rin lang...)

Moments
By Fr. Jerry Orbos
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:10:00 08/16/2008

A DAUGHTER ONCE RELATED: "MY MOTHER is such an alarmist. I cough, and she thinks I have bronchitis. I have a headache, and she's sure I have a brain tumor. I say a little lie, and she thinks I will become a politician!"

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In today's Gospel (Mt. 15, 21-28) we hear of the Canaanite woman who pleaded with Jesus to cure her daughter who was possessed by a demon. What mother indeed would not be alarmed? What mother would not do anything just to help her suffering daughter? Jesus saw a mother's crying heart and great faith, so against tradition, against His disciples' advise to get rid of her, Jesus gave in to her request. How often have we turned down people? How often have we closed our eyes and our hands to people around us? How often have we rationalized or procrastinated our giving and loving?

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A lot of things have been said about mothers and about the heart of mothers. Perhaps we can add more by saying that one gauge of knowing the success or the goodness of a child is whether he/she has made her mother happy. If you still have your mother around, why don't you ask her? If your mother has gone ahead to eternity, why also don't you ask her in prayer if she is happy with what you are and what you have become? May we not make our mothers, living or dead, unhappy because of the "demons" in us.

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Mothers are "remind-ers." They remind us of what is truthful, good and valuable. They remind us of love—that we are lovable—and of our mission to love. Mama has always told us that more than the success of each one of us her children, her greatest joy would be for all of us to be reunited in heaven someday. That is why, she always reminded us to stick to values and principles, service, goodness and godliness.

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Here is a story about mothers as "remind-ers": A baby mosquito asked permission from its mother to watch a concert. After some thought, the mother said: "OK child, you may go, but be very careful, especially when they begin to applaud and clap their hands." A simple story, with a simple message, and a timely reminder for those who get so caught up in the applause of this world: The very hands that clap for you could be the very hands that can smite you.

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I received many "motherly reminders" this week during my annual retreat at the SVD (Society of the Divine Word) Retreat House in Baguio City. It was good to be reminded by Mother Nature herself about the beauty of God's creation and our responsibility for its preservation. How wonderful it was, too, to be reminded by Mother Nature of the value of rest, silence and sleep. How refreshing it was to be embraced, welcomed and nourished by Mother Nature who has been with us all along but who, if neglected, won't be with us for long. The retreat as a whole was also a motherly reminder from the SVD to whom I belong, as part of our celebrations for 100 years of SVD presence in the Philippines. Through a series of retreats conducted by Fr. Herbert Scholz, SVD, we are coming together to remember, rejoice and renew. Yes, we remember in gratitude, rejoice in humility, and renew in our commitment to be witnesses of the Word to the World.

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Some people, by their very lives and by their very person, are living reminders of God's presence in our midst. Listening to Father Scholz again, who was my formator and mentor in the seminary, was not only an enlightening but a heartwarming experience as well. His well thought-out and much prayed-over ideas were simple yet profound, and one knew they came from the heart of someone who listened to God on bended knees in prayer. His talks on mission, commitment, service, sacrifice, prayer, dialogue, simplicity, patience and perseverance were all loud and clear, because he himself walks his talks.

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Father Scholz from Westphalia, Germany spent about 30 years of his life as a missionary in the Philippines. Prior to his ordination in 1965, he studied at the Divine Word Seminary, Tagaytay. He not only speaks fluent Tagalog, but is also very Filipino at heart. He has many good qualities, but what stands out for me is his love for his own mother. And his devotion to the Blessed Mother. That's where all the gentleness, humility and joy are coming from. Yes, it pays to listen to our mothers.

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Are we listening to our motherland? Are we attentive to the cries of our people? A lot of things are happening around us these days that could break our motherland's heart and, God forbid, would break our very Mother Church's heart, just because of the greed of a few of her sons and daughters who are demons and brats. To them, we have these two motherly reminders: "When you choose the lowly path, there's no place to fall"; "when ambition ends, happiness begins."

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Mother Church has not been wanting in giving reminders to our motherland, in good times and in bad, popular or not. But especially these days, our Mother Church really listens to what is happening to our people and to our land. That's a motherly reminder from one mother to another. As they say, when the child is afraid, he/she runs to his/her mother. But when the child is in danger, it is the mother who runs to the child.

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, help me to listen and not to belittle motherly reminders. Amen.