Weekend lover

THE STORY is told that when Joseph of Arimathea, the one who donated the tomb of Jesus, was asked why he gave such a magnificent tomb to someone to be buried in, his reply was: "Okay, He wanted it-but only for the weekend."

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The Gospel today (Jn. 20, 19-30) speaks about the doubt, short-sightedness and even lack of faith pervading among the disciples after Jesus was buried. For them, the road that promised glory had come to an end. Not only that, they were associated with Jesus, and so, their doors were locked, for fear of the Jews.

It was in this atmosphere of gloom and fear that Jesus appeared in their midst, alive as He had promised, and greeted them: "Peace be with you!" It was a greeting of comfort for those who thought they were goners. But more than that, it was a greeting of assurance, understanding and love from Him whom they have abandoned.

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Let us not be quick in chiding Thomas, the doubter. While all the other disciples were already filled with Easter joy after the Lord appeared to them, Thomas, who was not with them, still wanted to see the mark of the nails in Jesus' hands and side. Thomas was being true to himself. He did not want just to get by. He wanted to get real.

How far easier it is to go with the tide and join the crowd. Thomas teaches us that belief is a personal task, a personal decision that each and everyone of us has to personally make even if it involves being persecuted or ostracized. As a text message beautifully put it, "Blessed are they for whom Easter is not a find, but a continuous search; not some fashion, but a real commitment in life."

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The problem with many of us is that Holy Week is just another week that begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday. All the praying, all the sacrifices, all the good works and kindness are buried in the tomb on Good Friday, and what is resurrected on Easter Sunday are the old wicked ways that come back with a vengeance. Instead of joining the crowd that sighs, "Thank God it's all over; back to normal na naman," we at Easter should be saying: "Thank you, God. It's not over. It will never be normal again, because of You and the Resurrection."

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Now, more than ever, "Peace be with you" is God's message to all mankind. When will we ever stop killing each other? The message remains the same: Stop hurting. Start loving.

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Last Monday, April 21, the first caller in my 9 p.m. radio program on ZNN Veritas (846 AM band) was a 10-year-old girl who asked me a question that brought tears to my eyes: "Father, what do I do when my parents fight and quarrel? I am very hurt and confused. I don't know which side to take. Can we not just live in peace?"

As Maria spoke, with the soft voice of a little angel, many listeners were touched and were texting their feelings and prayers for this little girl. Her message was so simple and clear: All we want is peace. Please give peace a chance in our family. Papa and Mama, please grow up!

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As we go through life, may we never forget the child that is within each one of us, so full of simplicity and humility, so full of hope, content with little things and happy in spite of deprivations and difficulties. If only we could all become less serious and more joyful, less selfish and more giving, less angry and more loving, then Easter would not just be a weekend, and we would not just be weekend lovers.

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Easter anything bothering you right now? Remember, in every pain, in every sorrow, in every failure, God Easter!

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I would like to share this e-mail I received with all of you who don't want to be just weekend lovers of the Lord:

Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark...
One: Don't miss the boat.
Two: Remember that we are all in the same boat.
Three: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
Four: Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
Five: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
Six: Build your future on high ground.
Seven: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
Eight: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
Nine: When you're stressed, float a while.
Ten: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Eleven: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

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I'm inviting you to join me in the "Walk with God to Manaoag" on May 3, Saturday. We will begin the walk with a blessing at 6 a.m. at the Urdaneta Church. The walk is about three hours. We will have continuous rosary and confession along the way. The Mass in Manaoag will be at 10 a.m. Whether you want to ask something, or you want to thank God for something, join us in this walk which we have been doing since 1989 every first Saturday of May and October.

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A moment with the Lord:
Lord, help me to be your lifetime and all-the-time-not just your weekend-lover. Amen.