We all, I believe, can agree that our daily life is blessed with many experiences. Each experience, good or bad, happy or sad, would solicit from our heart some emotions or decisions to be expressed.
In spiritual life, any action of the heart or of the human will is something that matters attention. First of all, any exercise of the human will is in the realm of morality, and whatever is morally good or evil, affects the spiritual life of the person. Jesus Christ, being true God and true Man, has a heart, which these two natures subsist, thus, our Lord has a human will and divine will. His heart is capable of human and divine emotions, capable of human and divine feelings or passions. In themselves, emotions are not sinful, even human passions in themselves are not sinful. Only when they modify a sinful act or goes with a sinful motive that these actions of the human will becomes malicious or morally evil. Thus, from how our Lord Jesus used His human heart or human will, we can also learn lessons, so that we can cultivate the actions of our hearts to let them be always God-oriented and God-centered.
In the gospels, among many things we can learn from the actions of the Lord, there are two that I would like us to reflect upon. First, the idea of hesitation or hesitancy: This is a very human reaction of the heart in front of a perceived risk or difficult task. Let us remember that event in the agony of Jesus in Gethsemane. He said: “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will” (Mk 14:36). Reflecting on these words, Jesus showed His very human nature. It is very human to hesitate, to feel weak foreseeing the great sacrifice involve in the cup of suffering that He was sent to drink. This is a relevant lesson for us all! He experienced hesitation and the feeling of weakness, so that, when our turn comes to pass through such moments of being asked to make sacrifices or to make life changing decisions, and we entertain to back off, we may remember His experience and follow His example to trust the divine will of our Father God. He hesitated, so that He can save our hesitations. He hesitated so that, He can lift up our weakness to become courage at the very moment of such experience. That is why, He said, “but not what I will but what you will.” Can you remember the times you hesitated to do something good; and ultimately decided not to do it? Or have decided to pursue doing the good to be done? What are the good actions or decisions that you usually have some hesitations? Many times, it is not easy to forgive, or to be understanding, or to be generous to share what we have, or to give time to prayer. Oftentimes, we hesitate to forgive or be patient or be generous or to pray for reasons or justifications that are actually self-centered. If we ever encounter again a chance to do good or an opportunity to love God better through loving a brother or sister, may we never hesitate! Let us be courageous and confident, that we are about to do is following what Christ did! If we can imitate our Lord, then, we have acted and lived as truly as we should be!
Second, the idea of being fed up or frustrated or saddened or upset: Remember these occasions: Jesus to cure a possessed boy – “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me (Mat 17:17).” Then, Jesus looking upon Jerusalem: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing (Mat 23:37).” And Jesus with Philip: Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (Jn 14:9). These passages show the humanity of Jesus, like the having shown hesitation. It is not sinful to feel fed up, frustrated, or upset, this is very human, but to be eaten up with this emotion or passion can lead to bad actions. But Jesus, though true human, He is also true God, He knows that God’s compassion is more powerful that being fed up or frustrated of our human hardheadedness or stone-heartedness. Yes, He felt frustrated of the lack of faith of those who follow Him even those closest to Him or those whom He was even being sent for, like the Jews as the chosen people of God. This is also our lesson: We may encounter frustrations or begin fed up or being upset about many things or about our friend who does reciprocate our goodness. Jesus shows us to not dwell on the emotion of being fed up or frustrated, but look at the situation from the point of view of God, that is, every challenging situation is an opportunity to do a greater good, it is a God-given chance to practice becoming a hero, a champion, for Him in the drama of life. In spiritual life, we should cultivate this divine attitude to look at the bigger picture of things or to choose always the higher ground. There is always something good that can come out from our challenging moments; when we act as we are ought to act! Let us learn the lesson that we may be fed up, but we should not give up! We may be frustrated, but never surrender!
Jesus Christ is our model of living a life that pleases our heavenly Father. Jesus’ life is animated by the Holy Spirit, so also our lives by virtue of our Baptism and Confirmation, we are temples of the Holy Spirit, and thus, by His sanctifying power we can be saints, we can do great things, we can truly be transformed! Let us not take for granted these simple or ordinary feelings or actions to hesitate or feel frustrated. Whenever we will encounter such situations, let us remember how our Lord acted and reacted! Know that every situation, every moment, is a chance to be like Him, to be “alter Christus,” another Christ! Amen.