To Embrace Change - You Need Constancy

When I saw Jen's email a few minutes ago, it caught me by surprise.
What a coincidence!
I told myself.

Very surprising, since a few weeks back,
I was toying on the idea whether
the ONLY Thing Constant in this world is (in fact) Change.

I am sure you are all familiar with this statement.
But whether or not Change is the only thing constant left me thinking.

Is it true?
Is change the only thing constant?

Perhaps the reason for this is the strong influence of the Catholic Faith on me.

As a Catholic, we all know that GOD is absolute - something that is really constant.
Something that does not change. Something who is always there.

With this stream of thought, this shows that Change is NOT the only thing that is Constant -
since GOD is Constant and GOD is not change.

So how can you reconcile the thought of change being the only thing constant and GOD being absolute is constant?

Either 1 is wrong, or both of them are wrong.
if the established truth is the 2nd statement, perhaps the 1st statement is false.
Or maybe we are not getting things clearer yet.

maybe there are 2 constants, change and GOD.
but wont it be a contradiction?
since God is not change?
or perhaps we need to introduce concepts such as FORM and ESSENCE to reconcile this seemingly contradictory statements?

I don't have the intention of resolving this intellectual dilemma now.
Nor discuss the ideas on FORM and ESSENCE.
I'm still looking forward on that "Eureka" moment!

But simply reflecting on Bo's article - and integrating this on the thoughts above.

Maybe change is not really constant.
Maybe the thought of change as something permanent is illusory
Maybe change is just on the surface that tests our inner constancy which challenges us to show our Inner Image.

But what might be that Inner Constancy?

Maybe that inner constancy is Love.
Maybe that inner constancy is God.

The only Absolute thing that allows us to freely embrace Change that enables us to show our Innermost Image.

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This article first appeared in the SFC-Yahoogroups Forum as a respond to Bo's Article on "Do You Embrace Change". I highly recommend reading his article! Very insightful!
Here: http://bosanchez.ph/do-you-embrace-change/

Yours,
JC

Ps. For insights on discernment, visit this site. Very Helpful!
http://ipsciences.edu/pages/what-makes-us-unique/our-students/greg-bottaro.php

Ps2: For an insightful Filipino graduate (first religious in fact) of IPS, visit this site.
http://ipsciences.edu/pages/alumni/our-alumni/fr.-jaime-noel-deslate.php



" To Love Oneself, One's Family, One's Community ....
To Serve Them With One's Whole Heart Selflessly"
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J O N C O R O N E L
HP: +65. 8 1 2 7. 1 3 3 6

I would love to know what you think, feel free to send me your thoughts in my email at : jonathancoronel@gmail.com

You may also visit my BLOG Site at:
http://www.SirCoro.blogspot.com

May You Find Holiness in Your Work! ;-)

LOVE in the season of LENT

You might find the title odd.

Love during Lent?

What?!!!

Don't get me wrong brother.

But if it's February or December, Yes I can understand.

But during Lent?

No Way!

You just won't “naturally” feel it.

Unlike in February, when you see flowers, heart-shaped chocolates everywhere, love-letters, and of course couples proudly displaying their affection to one another, you can easily “feel” that “love” is “really” in the air.

But during Lent?

No Gifts around. No carols. No joyous melodies. No bonding. No reunion. No Noche Buena (festive dinner). No, nothing!

In fact, the opposite is more true. Instead of carols and joyous melodies – you hear slow hymns, “pasyon” (Passion) songs. Instead of family reunion and bonding times – you get a period of solitude – a period of “SELFness” - a period of “being alone” away from others.

You get a picture of a dry, boring, mechanistic devotional event – reading a repetitive pattern of prayers written in that tiny booklet. Kneeling afterwards at some pre-determined intervals before starting another prayer in the next station.

Very mechanical – repetitive – boring – restricting – and at some point, even dry.

Something that you are not used to – something that is out of touch of your everyday “reality”

So tell me, where is Love in this?

LOVE is just not like this!

Or is it?

Whenever I hear stories of couples publicly announcing their being together, I find Great Joy!

Who won't after all? After guy “courts” girl. After girl makes her patweetum (act don't want) first – moves – to create that sense of mystery. After girl feeling that spark-just-won't-get-out-of-your-system moment after your coffee-date. After feeling that sense of uncontrollability, even if you try to control it or at least pretend that you tried to – but you just can't. After that “pa-bibo” (“star” complex) moves just to win her heart.

After all this “tension” - At (long) last the WAIT is finally over!

They are now officially together!

Kilig, diba? (Heart-tingling, isn't it?)

This is LOVE!

Or is it?

Whenever the topic of LOVE is mentioned, I always recall what Fr. Angel (Luciano) said during his talk in our CLP in Sts Peter and Paul around 2 yrs ago.

Rephrasing his words, he told “That the Highest Form of Love is best summarized in one of the Crucified Jesus' 7 Last Words”:

“FATHER, FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING”

Maybe, this is what TRUE LOVE really is.

Maybe, it REALLY is!

No fancy Hollywood. No disillusionment.

LOVE that is based on the simple Act of Forgiving and Understanding.

LOVE that is just beyond Emotion, but is a rather Powerful VERB that COMMITS you to hone your SKILLS that enables you to Continuously Create that Craft into Perfection!

Maybe that's the reason why it should be repetitive and mechanical.

Maybe that's the reason why it tends to be dry and boring sometimes.

We tend to lose track.

Tending to focus more into the functional aspect of what we do.

And in the process Forgetting our TRUE Direction.

And at times even complaining that our FREEDOM is being restricted.

Not knowing that it is ONLY through this that we can enjoy TRUE FREEDOM.

Because it is only in following the Right Rules that we can TRULY build something.

There is no Freedom in Chaos. It is simply an Illusion!

Just like an ART, before it becomes a MASTERPIECE, we need to follow some basic artist skills, plus patience, discipline and commitment.

And we tend to screw up at first. But who cares? Learn our mistakes, correct it and try again - but this time, following carefully the right rules.

And in following correctly the right rules, we will eventually enjoy TRUE FREEDOM – Freedom in Becoming who we Really Are!

May This Season of Lent Guide You in Your Search for True Love!

Yours in Christ,

JC

LOVE LETTER

Evelyn,

Uy, tgl n ntng di ngkusap. Ano n b nngyari s yo? Tumatawag ako sa yo nung isang araw, di mo sinasagot ang fone. Anu ka ba? Kung sa tingin mo, nbawasan ang pgtingn ko s yo, Nagkakamali ka. Kahet ganun ang nangyari sa atin, ito pkatatandaan mo - Mahal na Mahal pa rin kita!

Alam ko, masakit yung gnwa mo sa kin. Pero kahet na ganun, dahil mahal na mahal kita, iniintindi kita. To tell you honestly, I cried when I learned about it. Natawa nga ako sa sarili ko eh, bat ba ako naiyak? Para akong sira no? ;-) Pero siguro, kaya siguro ganun, may ibig sabihin yun. Ganun kalaki ang pagmamahal ko sa yo. Medyo weird ang feeling eh, pero ganun eh. True love ata ito! Di lang naman kse tayo dapat padadala sa emosyon naten, dba? Imbes nga na magalit na lang ako bigla sa iyo, inisip ko na lang - Bat kaya nagawa mo sa akin yun? Inisip ko, ako ba ang nagkamali? Nagkulang ba ako? May nasabe ba akong di maganda? Or may hindi ba akong nasabe na dapat kong sabihin sa yo? Kilala kse kita – alam ko pag naglalambing ka, gusto mo na icompliment kita. But anyway, masakit man. I really didn't expect that you will do that to me. It comes as a surprise. Pero kahet na ganun – Pinapatawad pa rin kita.

Isa lang naman ang hiling ko sa yo eh. Mahalin mo lang ako – ng totoo.

At sana, wag mo na ulit gagawin yun.

Nagmamahal,

Jesse

ps. Punta ako Novena mamaya,

May confession dun.

Tara usap tayo.

The LOVELETTER above is a rephrasing of the PALM SUNDAY REFLECTION GUIDE of the Priest who celebrated MASS @ the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd last Saturday. He summarized the significance of this Holy Week into 4 statements. Rephrasing, He said, “Dear Friends, in this Holy week I wont give you a SERMON. Instead, I would give you 4 points to REFLECT ON. That is -

1. Jesus Loves You

2. Jesus Forgives You

3. Love HIM and

4. Sin no more

   May this Holy Week help us feel how much we are Truly LOVED by Christ.

Have a meaningful Holy Week,

JC

TRANSLATION (well at least, almost ;-))

Xia Wa,

Hey ya! Why u nvr return my call ah? Try call u but never picked up, leh. Why like that, ah? Been long time never see one, some more we never talk one. If you think, my love for you has changed oredi. No lah! Still the same one. Remember! coz, I luv u, ok?

But you know, what u did to me – pain pain me v much. But even like that, dun worry lah, cause my love for you so big. Try to understand u some mo. But I cry cry leh when I learned that. But just dont mind it lah. At times I jst laughed at myself, cause dunno why I cried. Me like siao siao, right? But I think, this is true love one! Instead of me just be angry at you, I jst asked myself “Why like that?” Did I do wrong at you? Am I the one to blame one? Or I say something wrong? Or I did forget something? - I know - cause you at times, u wan me tell u good things to make u feel good, ya? I know you lah! But even though it pained very hard, I forgive you, ok?

Jst want you to love me, ok?

And never do that again, ya?

Xoxo,

Ye Su

Note: Xia Wa and Ye Su are the Chinese Names for Eve and Jesus, respectively