Helpful and helpless

I HAVE a text mate by the name of Belen. What makes her special is that she is blind. Her determination is really amazing. Obviously she needs others to read her incoming text messages, but, she insists on composing her outgoing text message.

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The determination of the paralytic and his friends or relatives in today's Gospel (Mk. 2,1-12) is also amazing. They overcame all the obstacles to make sure that their loved one was healed by Jesus, opening the roof of the house where Jesus was healing so that he could heal him. They literally went out of their way to help someone who was helpless. How far would you go out of your way just to help someone in need? How far are you willing to reach out to those in need?

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Many of us in fact, have a heart willing to help. However, our desire to help is often conditional ("I will help if..." or, "I will help, but..."), ("I will help only 3x a day."). And sometimes, our helping is with an agenda ("I will help in order that..."). May we all learn that true help (tulong) is selfless and should be given with only the good of the other in mind.

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What did the friends of the paralytic want to get for him? Healing, of course. But do you notice that is not what Jesus did right away? Instead he said, "Have courage, your sins are forgiven." He looked right into the heart of the man and saw what he really needed but most likely could not express. He must have had sins there nobody knew of, along with a deep longing for forgiveness. I sometimes think that helping him to walk again was the easy part. The paralytic was so overjoyed to be rid of the burden of his sins that he had the desire to get up and walk again. Life was truly worth living once more. Think of that when you complain that God does not give you what you want, and notice instead how he gives you what you truly need.

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When you care for your sick family members, do you ask what they really need or do you impose on them what you think they need?

A fortune is spent on expensive hospital equipment, which sometimes do little to help the patients. But have we called the priest to minister the sacraments to them? In good time, not at the last moment when they can hardly respond anymore! We spend money on them, but how about time? Do we listen to them, pray with them and simply be with them?

Lord, show me what this person really needs and let more not be discouraged if it seems so difficult.

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If you have people in your life who would really go out of their way to help you, then blessed are you. Consider yourself lucky that there are people who have genuine concern, care and love for you. Today, thank God for them, and thank them.

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Have you ever experienced helplessness? We all have experienced helplessness when we were infants, and sooner or later, when we grow old.

It is all right to be helpless. However, there are some people who think they are so big and strong that they refuse to be helped. They think that being helped is a sign of weakness. They think that they should always be in control. They can help, but they are not comfortable with being helped. It is not enough to minister. You too, must allow yourself to be ministered to.

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The song "People" by Barbara Streisand says it all: "People who need people are the luckiest people in the world. We're children, needing other children, yet funny how grown-up pride, hide all the tears inside, acting more like children than children...so first be a person who needs people." Something like that. The message is clear: It's all right to need people. It's all right to be helpless. Welcome to the human race.

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The paralytic was healed because an opening was made in the roof. All that God needs is a little "opening," and he will heal us. Let us never close our doors. Let us not harden our hearts. Grace will operate in our lives, but we must cooperate.

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When you reach out to God in helplessness and in desperation saying, "Lord, help me. I need you. There's no one else to help me but you. I surrender everything to you. Without you I can do nothing. Please Lord!"-then you know what praying is all about.

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Let's continue to pray and work for peace in the world. Prayers can stop the war in Iraq. Nothing is impossible. Pray much. Pray on. Pray helpless.

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The Immaculate Conception School of Theology, the Regional Seminary of Northern Luzon is celebrating the 50th year of its transfer from the poblacion of Vigan to its present location in Barangay Pantay Daya. There was a grand alumni homecoming last Feb. 17-18 attended by many priests and bishops. For some time, the SVDs were part of the seminary formation team. Congratulations to the ICST. May this seminary continue to provide quality and integral formation so that many more good priests and bishops will come forth from its portals.

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A moment with the Lord

Lord, help me to help others. Help me too, to be helpless to others. Amen.