Are you busy?

THE STORY is told that when you-know-who was the mayor of you-know-where, he was asked by a TV reporter, "Sir, are you busy?" The mayor got angry and said: "Hey, I'm not bise, ha. I'm mayor, and don't you forget it!"

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In Today's Gospel (Lk. 10, 38-42), Jesus reminds us through Martha and Mary that we should work not only FOR Him but also WITH Him. He wants not only our hands, but our hearts as well. Mission is not only in doing, but also in just simply being. If you are getting to be so busy and have no more time to be with the Lord in prayer, something is wrong somewhere. Are you very, very busy? Maybe you have fallen to a heresy and to a fantasy that you are indispensable.

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Martha was busy, and Mary was according to our standards, lazy. And yet Jesus chided Martha who was "troubled at many things" and sided with Mary "who has chosen the better part." Unfair? All is fair in love, for there is love not only in doing, but also in being. Work and prayer are like the wings that make birds fly. Are you overacting and "underpraying"?

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In God's heart, the good and the good-for-nothing are equally loved. That's because God is not a user. The world says, "Hey, you are useful and productive, you're okay!" But what if you will no longer be of any use and have become a liability, like when you grow old or sick? Will you not anymore be okay? Herein lies the depth of God's love: a person's worth is not only in what he does, but also even if he does not. Do you see others and yourself in terms of utility? Can you accept a God who loves you and me even if we do not do, achieve, perform, or function?

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Somebody said that at the end of our lives, none of us will regret that we did not work enough or that we spent less time with our work. We will surely regret that we did not spend more time with the more basic things in life like family, friends, health, nature, people and prayer. In the end, may we not end up saying "Lord, too late have I known thee..."

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Time spent with yourself, with people and with your God is not "wasted" time. When was the last time you took a walk and just enjoyed the earth? When was the last time you played with children, or just simply relaxed? When was the last time you knelt down before God, and just thanked Him that you are still alive? When was the last you "wasted" time on matters which this fast world considers as of no consequence and of no importance?

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More and more, I look forward to my daily walks when I can be alone, and just be. Such moments are not only physically beneficial, but very refreshing for the soul as well. Walk the earth and experience peace. Run the earth and experience stress. Take time to commune with nature and with God. Be good to yourself. Find time, and make time to "waste" time with yourself and with your God.

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My father was a very busy man, but he always found time for prayer and quiet. His day started with a dawn rosary with Mama and a Mass. I believe that what helped him keep his sanity and integrity in a place like the Bureau of Customs were those short moments of quiet prayer in the course of his work. On top of his desk was the prayer: "Lord, be with me today: guide me in all my decisions and actions. Amen." May we all find time to stop, pause and pray, and become aware of the presence of God in our busy day-to-day lives.

This reminds me of a story of a family in a hotel room getting ready for a party. The TV was on, the children were running around, the wife was on the phone and the husband was frantic looking for his wrist watch. Soon the whole family was turning the whole place upside down looking for the wrist watch. The father shouted, "Let's all stop and be quiet!" In the silence that ensued, they finally heard the ticking of the wrist watch. They heard the ticking just because they stopped and quieted down.

We don't have to wait for the Father to "shout" by means of sickness, misfortunes and death before we listen and really listen to the ticking of our hearts within. If today you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

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We take time today to acknowledge the many silent heroes in our midst, especially the sick and the elderly, who may no longer be useful in the eyes of the world, but are so precious in God's heart! It is they who know the very essence of God's love.

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The power of prayer is at work again. We, as a people and as a nation, have begged for the life of Angelo de la Cruz who was threatened with beheading in Iraq. De la Cruz's only fault was being poor, which compelled him to go to another country to find work. As we pray for De la Cruz, we pray for all overseas Filipino workers who are braving deprivation and even persecution out there. May the time come when no Filipino will HAVE to go abroad just to find work.

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, thank you for loving me even when I'm busy, even when I'm "lazy." Amen.