Mat and John Conversations
Book: “On the Meaning of Life.” © 2010 Jaime Hinojos
Part I : Why we don't talk about these things?
Mathew and John decided to get together to drink some tee and to talk about anything that would come to mind. Thus Matthew started the conversation:
M: Why many people don’t talk about things we don’t want to talk about?
J: What are those things we don’t want talk about Matthew?
M: The soul, the spirit, life before life, life after life, etc.
J: Some people might just consider useless, or futile to talk about those things.
M: Umm, looks like most people are content with the flow of their lives, but in reality they might not, who knows?
J: well, Mat, as you suggest, the coin of daily living has two faces: One is what we ordinarily see, and the other what we ordinarily don’t want to see or let others see. For example, let me ask you: When was the last time you visited a hospital?
M: Wait a minute! I don’t like hospitals. I hate them. In fact, I try to stay away from hospitals.
J: I see. You have strong feelings about hospitals. I wonder where are those strong feelings of yours are coming from. Perhaps those feelings are a clue on the things we do not want to talk about. Don’t you think it will be kind of interesting to unmask those and similar feelings?
M: Well John, I feel so about hospitals for what is in them: Ill people contaminated with all sorts of strange illnesses and infections, people about to die, and or people who were admitted because they suffered a terrible accident. In addition to people crying, depressed, desperate, anguished, smelly, etc… To me, it is just unbearable and depressing. Precisely, it all shows some aspects of the human condition.
J: We do need to talk about these things in order to talk about the things you pointed out people don’t want to talk about anymore.
M: Well, to me it’s just scary. I wish we didn’t have die. Why did God make us mortal?
J: Wait a minute friend. We have so many subjects. Why don’t we chose one, and perhaps we could ask our friends in the social networks like facebook, twitter, and bloggers, etc. to join the conversation. Although, I sense many of them will not be interested in discussing these subjects on the ultimate questions of human existence, here in the cloud. But who knows. Let us try anyhow. And yeah, granted, all things are related. So, when we talk about hospitals, jails, orphanages, hospices, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and about what goes in those buildings, it all has to do with our fragile, passing, and precarious human condition.
M: I see now. It looks like we don’t want talking about our whole human reality. But rather, we concentrate on the things we feel comfortable with. The uncomfortable, we just avoid them. And yet, they happen to us, they affect us, they occur to us.
J: Well Mat, why bother to think or talk about illnesses, decay, or death if those things will just come to us uninvited… Why not to keep our selves under the influence of our own illusions, drinking, and diverting.
M: But those things are good!
J: Indeed, they are. We all need recreation. We could not live without it. And we also need to enjoy what we do; but, they are the one side of the coin see and we talk about all the time…
This conversation is getting hot !!!
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Blessings to All,
Padre Jaime Hinojos
Author of these dialogues
Good post, Padre Jaime. My experience is that most people shy away from discussing topics that they feel uncomfortable about or do not know much about. My belief is that this is one of the purposes that God came to us in the flesh for a short time for. To challenge us, to deepen our faith, to call us out from the same ol' same ol' rut that we choose to stick ourselves into.
ReplyDeleteWe can't really grow in a personal relationship with Christ Jesus when we choose to remain in our own comfort zones. We must get out and feel pain as well as joy, discomfort as well as comfort, trouble as well as peace....for when we do that, I believe we only then are surrendering unconditionally to His will and drawing closer to what how He wants us to be act according to His good will and purpose.
The alternative is to show up for church every Sunday, recite a few memorized prayers and go back out into the secular world without the Armor of God.
We're all sinners saved by grace and we make mistakes each and every day - I drive the bus on that- but that does not mean we cannot crawl up into the lap of Jesus and develop a personal relationship with Him.
For whatever reason, Jesus is somewhat like a lottery ticket. Many people only play when the jackpot is a gazillion dollars, as if when it is a 'paltry' $1 million, it's chicken feed and we couldn't use it.
We pray to Jesus when we are in trouble or when a loved one is sick or when we don't have the finances to keep the utilities from being shut off.
But what about when times are good? Are we thanking Him and giving Him praise for the smallest of things that we sometimes take for granted, like having bread to make a sandwich with or when our car starts in the morning?
His Love Letter that He left for us has many instructions in it- to include a road map to His Mansion of Many Rooms. But if we continue to leave it on the mantle- unread for the most part- with our Sacramental records neatly placed in certain pages, I just don't know how we expect to find our way through the Narrow Gate to the New Jerusalem- or how to overcome fears and anxieties that you listed in the conversation between John and Matthew.
May God continue to bless us with sound leaders like you, Padre Jaime....
Thank you for joining the conversation, and for your insights. It is so wonderful when people let their ideas, beliefs, concepts, and feelings be expressed. That is another thing a lot of good people don't do, that is to let their wonderful insights be seen by others. What a shame, because a good thought kept hidden enlightens no one. It is like a talent not being used to the serve others; which is why the people have talents in the first place. I am not saying every one should write here, but how many great, and wonderful insights remain unexpressed or hidden in the mind of great people who have them, and yet don't share them...
ReplyDeleteHello Fr. Jaime, what a great blog! I like what swvic had to say. Makes alot of sense and makes me feel better about life in general. I'm one of those that is very hard on myself for any mistake and it keeps me from living a fulfilled life.
ReplyDeleteAlso, on the other hand, when i am passionate about a belief, it is very hard for me to keep it to myself, such as abortion. I know that is a loaded subject, but i feel so strongly that there are truths that need to be known, truths that shed light on the reality, and I don't mean to be judgmental and try very hard not to sound condemning, but i just want people to be aware of the reality and of God's love. I feel that if someone speaks out, then people at least hear, the seed is planted, and hopefully grows from there.
But I also feel, how dare I assume that it's my responsibility to evangalize to the world about this evil. I feel great and hopeful when I express myself, and then doubt and fear that I am doing more harm than good. I feel that I'm just a clanging bell. That i need to DO not SAY. And maybe sometimes I am a bit reckless with what i say, but i feel that my heart is in the right place.
I would love any words of wisdom you might have on that Fr. Jaime, or swvic.
Thanks!!
Laura
Dear Laura,
ReplyDeletePerhaps you could consider offering a few hours of volunteer service at one of those peaceful organizations that devote their time, talent and treasure to assist women who might not know that the best alternative, other than committing an abortion, is to let the child live. By the way, and providentially, there will be a Pro-Life Mass at Saint Gabriel Church on Saturday, December 11, at 6:00pm followed by the testimonials of some women who considered aborting their children, but they had "this angelical intervention" -of those people, I am suggesting you could help by volunteering some of your time, talent, and treasure- and saved the baby... One day, I encouraged a desperate young woman who was considering killing her child baby to let the baby live. And so, I set this young lady in contact with a group called "Guadalupe Partners" and they talked to her. Later on, we Baptized the child at Saint Gabriel Church. This "survival" child and his mother will be one of the mothers who will tell their testimony.
Please, plan to attend this event. We do it in the context of the celebration of our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness and Defender of the Unborn and most vulnerable.
...May God bless you.
Padre Jaime
I will most certainly attend the Mass. Thank you! God bless you!
ReplyDelete