God’s hidden treasure..., revealed!

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–Sis. Annie Dancel

Original Text (Tagalog Version)

Ang Pagmumuni-muni ay isang mapagmahal na titig sa pamamagitan ng mga mata ng pananampalataya sa misteryo ng Diyos na ipinahayag kay Cristo Jesus. Upang sabihin na nangyari ito sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya ay nangangahulugang ang pagpapalitan ng mga sulyap sa pagitan ng mga tao at ng Diyos ay pansamantala at hindi perpekto, ngunit isang tunay na pag-asa sa kung ano ang ihahayag sa atin sa kaluwalhatian. Tulad ng pagtingin sa isang madilim na klase o nakakakuha ng isang salamin sa isang salamin, ang ganitong uri ng panalangin ay nagbibigay ng isang paunang kaalaman ng karunungan na nais ng Diyos na ibahagi sa atin sa langit.

Ang lagging sinasambit ng pari sa Misa “Sumainyo ang Panginoon” ang katotohanan ay maaaring tila hindi gaanong nakakaaliw sa atin. Halimbawa, maaari nating ALAM na ang Diyos ay sumasa atin at mahal tayo, ngunit maaaring hindi natin maramdaman iyon o maranasan iyon sa isang pagkakataon o sa iba pa. Maaari nating ALAM na ang Diyos ay may kontrol sa ating buhay, ngunit maaari nating pakiramdam sa ating buhay na wala Siya saan man matatagpuan. Ang maliwanag na pagkakasalungatan sa pagitan ng alam natin at kung ano ang nararamdaman o karanasan natin ay maaaring maging mahirap na makipagkasundo sa loob. Ngunit isang biyaya na maranasan ang maliwanag na pagkakasalungatan. Ito ay isang biyaya sapagkat kapag hindi natin naramdaman ang pagkakaroon ng Diyos o, kahit na mas masahol pa, kung sa tingin natin ay tinanggihan tayo ng Diyos, bibigyan tayo, sa sandaling iyon, isang hindi kapani-paniwalang pagkakataon para sa kabanalan. Bakit? Dahil ang pananampalataya ay hindi tungkol sa pakiramdam, ito ay tungkol sa pag-alam. Ito ay tungkol sa pag-alam ng katotohanan sa lahat ng mga bagay, paniniwala sa katotohanan na at pamumuhay alinsunod sa katotohanan sa kabila ng kung ano ang maaari nating maramdaman o maranasan sa kalooban. Bagaman mahirap itong maunawaan, ito ay isang katotohanan na dapat nating paniwalaan at yakapin kung nais nating lumago sa pagiging perpekto at kabanalan.

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Prayer: Lord, I offer You, this day, that which I feel and experience in my life. Help me to rely upon You and all that You have spoken as my guide. Help me to allow Your truth to enter into my life and redeem me. Lord, help me to humble myself before Your Divine Mercy. In that humility, help me to see not only my sin, but also the grace and Mercy You bestow so as to enter into the glorious life of grace You call me to live. May I obey Your perfect commands of love and so be filled with Your Mercy. This is I ask in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the unity of the Holy Spirit one God forever. Amen.

Translated Version

Meditation is a devotion to gaze through the eyes of faith in the mystery of God revealed in Christ Jesus. To say that faith which is exchanged between the glance of a person and God is temporary and not perfect, but the reality of this process brings hope which is about to be revealed to us in glory. It is like looking in the dark or getting a reflection in a mirror, a kind of prayer providing the knowledge of wisdom that God wants to share with us in heaven.

The priests always say in the Holy Mass “The Lord be with you,”—these words may seem meaningless to us. For example, do we KNOW that God is with us and loves us, but we cannot perceive it or experience it at a time yet? Do we KNOW that God has control over our lives, but we may feel in our lives that He is nowhere to be found or somewhat far away? The apparent contradiction between our knowledge and what we feel or experience can be difficult to be reconciled within. But grace is to be experienced with this apparent contradiction. It is a blessing because even if we don’t feel the presence of God, or even much worse, if to think we are denied by God, it is the moment of incredible opportunity for holiness. Why? Because faith is not about feelings, it is about the “knowing” relationally. It is about the knowing of truth in all of these things, belief in the fact that living according to the truth in spite of how we feel or experience. Although it is difficult to understand, it is a fact that we should believe and embrace it if you want to grow in perfection and holiness.

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PRAYER: Lord, I offer You, this day, that which I feel and experience in my life. Help me to rely upon You and all that You have spoken as my guide. Help me to allow Your truth to enter into my life and redeem me. Lord, help me to humble myself before Your Divine Mercy. In that humility, help me to see not only my sin, but also the grace and Mercy You bestow so as to enter into the glorious life of grace You call me to live . May I obey Your perfect commands of love and so be filled with Your Mercy. This is I ask in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the unity of the Holy Spirit one God forever. Amen.