Fr. Ulysses S. Cabayao, SJ
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 15, 2015
ESTRAGON:
…
Do you see anything coming?
VLADIMIR:
(turning his head). What?
ESTRAGON:
(louder). Do you see anything coming?
VLADIMIR:
No.
ESTRAGON:
Nor I.
They resume their watch. Silence.
— Act II, Waiting for Godot
Sometimes, we live our days straight out of Samuel Beckett’s play. A possibility stirs us to excitement, only to be extinguished by reality. Before we know it, we have become numb and dazed. I remember this man whom I saw almost two decades ago in a squalid section of the city. His face bore no expression as he crouched in the corner of that alley where people scurried along to wherever they were going. In contrast to his stationary spot, the world around him looked frantic. I observed him for a while, curious at this oddity. As I started to get antsy, I decided to move on, and I passed in front of him. He never took notice. As I walked away, I glanced back at him to see if he had budged from where he was. He didn’t.
On some days, I often imagine what I can possibly say to that man, or to anyone as glassy. Two Sundays from now is the season of Advent. I don’t know how that makes you feel, but there is certainly a tone of anticipation in today’s readings. This anticipation could be summed up in this phrase: “When the time comes….” Consider some of the ways we can fill in the rest of that phrase.
When the time comes…we will receive what was promised.
When the time comes…they will get what they deserve.
When the time comes…I will see what I’ve been waiting for.
If we play around with the pronouns, we will evoke a lot of meanings. I wanted to point that out because I’m not too sure how anticipation sounds to you. “When the time comes” can give cause to celebrate or it can give you reason to get anxious. I personally have mixed feelings about the readings. But maybe it really intends to elicit that from us. When you are on the brink of an event, what you feel could reveal how you stand in relation to what is going to happen. I find that the most interesting time to ask others about their feelings is before they walk down the aisle, as it were. If we look back on those feelings, they often manifest what we anticipate at the onset of a new chapter in our life. What we anticipate, in turn, manifests how we assess our capacity and our willingness to face what lies ahead of us. This might be a worthwhile question to ask today: What are we anticipating in our life?
Another thing that caught my attention is the recurring word, “distress.” Distress, as used in the first reading, is translated from the Hebrew word, tsarah (צָרָ֔ה) which also refers to an “adversary.” It suggests a sense of something external that impinges on us as an unwelcome encroachment on our personal boundaries and comfort zones. In the Gospel, distress is translated from the Greek word, thlipsis (θλῖψις), which connotes “the challenge of coping with the internal pressure of a tribulation, especially when feeling there is ‘no way of escape’.”[1]
All these can enrich how we can talk about what distresses us. Most often, when we are distraught, in the sense of tsarah, we tend to hang it all on others, on events, on anything who can take the blame. Understanding distress as thlipsis, however, provides a balanced perspective in thinking about distress because it acknowledges both the external triggers and our own internal response. It enables us to see things in perspective and take responsibility for our reactions. This idea might be unpopular for some, since it’s easier to handicap one’s self and wallow in it. That is why thlipsis becomes an even more compelling way of framing distress because in paying attention to the “internal pressure,” it encourages an awareness of one’s self, which includes recognizing our tendency to self-scourge and exaggerate the impact of events. Could thlipsis be evoking the freedom we have in choosing how to face adversity? Could thlipsis be a reminder to live with authenticity?
It is said that times of distress are opportunities for personal growth. But they are also opportunities to grow in faith. The Lord assures us that after the time of distress, the Son of Man will come in power and glory. Until such time, some of us might just prefer to skip the tribulation, and run away with the growth. Both of it comes, however, in a package which you will have to unpack. So, will that be a present worth anticipating?
Dear brothers and sisters, we pray that when it comes we may receive such a gift in faith and in trust. Meanwhile, we resume our watch, in prayerful silence.
[1] http://biblehub.com/greek/2347.htm
We invite single male college students and young professionals to explore Jesuit life and mission.
MEET THE JESUITS: Discernment Seminar on November 15, 2015 (Sunday), 8am-4pm at Loyola House of Studies, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City. Registration is free. For inquiries, text or call 0917-JESUITS (09175378487). PM us on FB and Twitter: Pinoy Jesuits.
This may be where God is calling you, where your heart’s deepest desire lies.