There was a priest coming from Manila and wanted to go to Cotabato City, arrived at the Davao Ecoland Bus terminal from the airport. He had no knowledge on how to go to Cotabato City. “Excuse me,” he said to the bus dispatcher. “I am a priest and I do not know the way to Cotabato City. Can you show me the bus to go there?” He inquired.
“Ahh, look for a bus whose signboard is Cotabato City, ride on that bus and you will be brought to Cotabato safely,” said the dispatcher.
“Oh, thank you,” said the priest. “Because of your goodness, I will show you and teach you the way to heaven,” said the priest again.
The dispatcher was laughing. “Father, you don’t know the way to Cotabato City, how much more the way to heaven?”
Well, it’s just a story but it has a connection with today’s gospel especially on the lesson about trust.
I have one thing to share with you regarding our gospel today which is part of the Last Supper Discourse of Jesus, and that is, trust in Him. Jesus said to His disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God, have faith also in me,” (v.1).
These words of Jesus are the most consoling, reassuring and trusting in the whole Bible. However, for most of us, they appear to be unrealistic. How can Jesus tell us not to be troubled, in fact, we are faced with different troubles and dangers.
For example, in the international level, our security is threatened by war: nation against nation, race against race, principles against principles like what happen to Israel and Palestine now. Our planet earth is threatened by global warming. This global warming gives us devastating effects: it will increase the global surface temperature by at least.5 degrees Centigrade by the year 2050; it will affect weather conditions around the world; summer will be warmer as we are experiencing now to our great discomfort. Hurricanes and typhoons will be stronger, fiercer and more destructive. In the past decade or so, typhoons have lashed our country with greater fury, killing thousands of people. In 1984, the typhoon Nitang left 1,000 people dead; Undang, 500 people were dead. In 1987, the typhoon Sisang again 650 people were dead and in 1995, Rosing typhoon left at least 700 people dead.
This global warming also reduces agricultural productivity because of droughts or massive flooding. It will threaten marine ecosystem and fisheries. It will make the region drier; water will become scarcer and irrigation will become more difficult; ice caps will melt and raise sea levels and flood the area near the sea.
On the national level, our peace is threatened by increasing violence and crimes, kidnappings, civil war between rebels and government troops, anomalies in public offices and even in private offices, church is included, and others.
On personal level, we have troubles with our work in offices, with our co-workers, troubles with our family, our marriage, parents with their children and many more. Even in the church, we have troubles too. We have also troubles with our fellow human being. We blame others. But blaming others resulted into resentment, criticism, guilt and fear. I believe that everyone, myself included, is one hundred percent (100%) responsible for everything in our lives, the best and the worst. So, if we are 100% responsible for everything in our lives, then, there is no one to blame, but ourselves. What is the result if we have these four negative attitudes in our lives? According to a book that I read, I forgot the title of the book (I’m so sorry for the author, may she forgives me) that: 1. For a long held resentment, it can eat away the body and become the disease we call cancer. 2. Criticism as a permanent habit can often lead to arthritis in the body. 3. Guilt always looks for punishment and punishment creates pain and 4. Fair can create thing like baldness, ulcer and even sore feet.
Doesn’t Jesus realize all these troubles? Jesus does know them. That is why he consoles us because he experienced them too. He said, “Do not let your hearts be troubles. You have faith in God have faith also in me. “ In other words, trust in God at all times and have faith in Him even when worst things may happen to us. Remember this too: “Never trouble troubles, till trouble troubles you.”