Every one of us has a mindset to strive hard to get what we want in life. We have different dreams and wants in life. We have different experiences. Our lives as individuals differ from each other. These unavoidable differences and ambitions can lead to problems, especially in our relationships. We always tend to treat others as competitors and rivals in this arena which we call life. Thus, there are times when we get offended by others and, of course, sometimes we can also be the offender or abuser.
These things are facts in our lives, and we cannot live without them, even if we always try to avoid these obstacles to better relationships with other people around us. We are all convinced that this is true to every human being… yes, to you and me and all of us!
As I have observed, people nowadays find it hard to ask for forgiveness from the person he has offended. We always presume that we can be forgiven by the offended party because of the truth that we are just human, and our nature is to commit mistakes. Or we have gotten so at ease with our mistakes because it has become our habit. Or we have really lost that sense of sin that is why we always think that what we do every day is acceptable.
The world today is quite different from what it was decades ago. Now we are at a loss of what or who is right or wrong. When I was young, I experienced being punished by my parents and even seminary formators because of my wrongdoings. I got hurt but the act of hurting me is also an act of loving so I will be a better person one day. Hurting is healing and it is an act of true love. What we see now is quite different because a parent can no longer punish his or her children because they will only have to call Bantay Bata 163 then the parent can go to jail without much ado. The teacher at school can never touch nor insult any of her pupils for he or she can face the same fate as the parent.
I am glad to be born earlier than this generation. I know that it was not a perfect time to be born but what I know is that I learned the basics of what one must learn and live by. I still know how to say sorry if I know I made a mistake. I still know how to respect others and wish them all the best. I still know how to say thank you to people who has done good to me or had given me something that I need. These are the basic education that one must learn. But have we truly learned and understood the importance of those principles?
All these things pertain to the way we relate with one another. We know when we are good and when we are bad. I can only hope that we are still convinced that what we need to do is to strive how to become a better person for each other.
When it comes to our relationship with God, it is a different story. God is a perfect God, and we are an imperfect human being. God is not capable of doing wrong and we perennially commit the same mistakes. If we can rationalize our hesitation to ask for forgiveness from other people, how I wish that we will not hesitate to tell God that we are sorry for all our mistakes.
“I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.”
I wonder why is it that we always find it hard to tell God that we are sorry. Sometimes we are even proud of our mistakes. A person told me he is sorry for not recognizing me as a priest during a gathering and he told me: “Sorry father, I did not know that you are a priest because I seldom go to church to attend the mass, and he laughed!” Of course, his friends laughed with him.
The world is turning its point of view and the ones responsible for this change is only us. What is sinful and immoral then is now accepted. The sin of Adam and Eve can no longer be considered as sin in this generation for even our children start by being so disobedient and disrespectful towards their parents… and we will just laugh it away. Once a child started blabbing out words, and finally the child blurted out what is foul, people around the child will even clap their hands because the child now learned how to speak… to speak a foul word that the child have heard from the people around him, mostly their parents. Who is to blame for things such as these? Well, you can enumerate other related events in the life of a person but there is only one to blame… me, you, and them.
Sorry, my Lord, I had been an unworthy servant. Please give me more time and strength to do your will and to get rid of all my imperfections.