Allucutio, 12 June 2015
Spiritual reading: Matthew 5: 13-16
Jesus said to His disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
But to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
It is set on a lampstand,
Where it gives light must shine before others,
That they may see your good deeds
And glorify Your heavenly Father.”
Dear brothers and sister, in the previous session Gerald reminded us about God, our source of light. This suddenly reminds me about Fr. Chris’ homily in Wednesday mass. He asked whether you could buy iphone without battery. Of course you can’t, even if you manage to buy it you can’t use it without battery. The homily helps me to reflect on the life of a legionary. A legionary is a useful and powerful ‘device’ but without the ‘battery’ it will be useless. So what is the battery?
The battery is our relationship with God. We can’t do anything outside of Him. So if a legionary wants to bring God’s light to the world, he/she must first enjoy the light and the Source. This relationship or encounter with God can be achieved by prayer life. Honestly, I am a weak person. Sometimes, I was lazy to pray. I prefer to play, study, or do other things. Of course those activities are good but when these activities take away our prayer time then it would be pitiful. I am amazed with our bishop. Every day he wakes up at 4.30 am to pray and have meditation until 6.00 am. In the afternoon, he also has middle prayer and examen. In the evening, he does the Vespers and also have community Holy Hour twice a week. Frankly speaking, I feel that his lifestyle is too holy for me. But what I can learn from him is the dedication to pray. Actually when we pray, we don’t lose time but we have opportunities to talk with God, examine our conscience, or enjoy His presence.
Next, our life is like a mirror. It is supposed to reflect the glory of God. But as we know, we are sinful. If the mirror is dirty, it can’t reflect light so the mirror should be constantly cleansed from dirt or other contaminants. This can be achieved by the frequent reception of the Sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation.
Lastly, St. Augustine said that he who prays well lives well; he who lives well dies well; and to he who dies well all is well. So your prayer life will determine your spiritual life. But don’t worry, our Mother will always sit besides us to pray with us and for us.