Del Rosario: We are called

(My sharing on the 5th Station of the Way of the Cross)

“Carpe diem!” “Seize the day!” “Dream big!” “Go for gold!” “Aim high!” “Reach for the stars!” “Strive for success!”

I HAVE always been a sucker for motivating, thought-provoking, and encouraging quotations. Therefore, when Father Vic Santos, of Opus Dei said, during his meditation on the 5th station of the Way of the Cross, “Aim for the maximum!” and “Nothing is by chance!” I instinctively wrote them down in bold letters in my small notebook. There were several more quotable quotes he mentioned, and I found myself scribbling as fast as I could.

Reading through my notes, I ponder on what he really meant. How do I relate the two meaningful quotes? The Fifth Station happens sometime after the Fourth when Jesus falls for the first time. Here, Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross. Father Vic briefly explained the background of the setting, and mentioned that Simon was forced or compelled to help Jesus, because the soldiers were afraid that Jesus would be too exhausted to finish carrying the cross all the way to Calvary.

Putting myself in the scene, I thought, maybe Simon on his way home, just happened to pass by. Maybe he was intrigued by the noise and the multitude of people. Maybe he was just curious to see who this Jesus was; who was carrying the cross? I feel certain, he never expected to be in the limelight. What would people say? Will they think he’s a criminal, too? One of Jesus’ followers? What could he do? Could he say no to the soldiers?

It was a crossroad for Simon. He had to choose. To help carry the cross, even if forced, or not.

Have you ever been in any major crossroad in life? Are you facing one now? Choosing between one course and another in college? Choosing between two suitors? Or two prospective girlfriends? Which company to work with? Where to live? Whatever choice we make is a product of our freewill, whether we think we are forced to choose one or the other, for whatever reason.

Father Vic, in his sharing said, “Nothing happens by chance.” But, I thought Simon just happened to pass by? The soldiers could have picked up anyone else in the crowd? I loved the idea that Jesus planned it all for Simon of Cyrene. It wasn’t a chance happening. And the little opening and softening of Simon’s heart, by his hesitant “yes” was enough for Jesus to pour out His graces upon him. According to Father, by the end of the walk beside Jesus, where Simon was probably made very aware of Jesus’ holy presence, Simon had to be forced to leave Jesus’ side. Simon was a changed man.

My dearest fellow pilgrims,

Do you think your reading this article now is a chance happening? A coincidence? Serendipity? If not, do you wonder why? I believe that there is a reason for everything. As I was reading through my notes in preparation to write this article, I found myself asking: Is my writing this article a chance happening? What is God really telling me?

Father Vic said, “Aim for the maximum!” That line struck a chord within me. God has been telling me in so many ways, that we are all called to holiness. We are all called to be saints! Call me foolish. Call me crazy. But, what before seemed so impossible, too lofty, and even arrogant to even think about sounds so possible and even attractive now. After all, with God, anything is possible. We can seize the day, dream big, strive for success, aim high, aim for the maximum ... and become... little saints for the love of God.

How do we do this? Father said that God will not ask us to do big things to become saints. We do not have to carry the heavy cross the way Simon did to help Jesus. Little acts of love, of compassion for the needy, a listening ear, a helping hand, a sincere smile, a gentle word of appreciation or encouragement - will make a big impact on Jesus. Little things done out of love for Christ will accumulate. It will be like helping Him carry the cross. They will be small acts of love towards achieving our aim: the maximum. To be with Jesus. In Heaven. As Saints.

Choosing the opposite does the opposite. Little acts of indifference, of negligence, of insincerity and selfishness will make the cross that Jesus carries even heavier than it already is. All our actions, positive or negative have eternal repercussions. They will either bring us closer to God, or farther away from Him. What do we choose? God does not force heaven nor hell on us. Everyday, by our thoughts, words and deeds, we decide where we will go.

Saint Josemaria Escriva teaches his followers to sanctify their ordinary everyday life. Sanctity is not just for priests, nuns, and other religious people. We are all called to be holy. Called to be saints. And the saints were not perfect, sinless, faultless people. What differentiates them from others is their willingness to allow God to change them. They struggled again and again and again. But they kept on. Aware of their faults, they made amends and begun again.

Father said that some of them may have even died with the same defects. Perfection, after all, is only attained in heaven.

Knowing this now, I ask you to join me in my struggle not to give up on aiming for the maximum. Let us all heed God’s call. Holiness. Let’s all strive to be holy. With our goal of reaching Heaven, our final home. Let us continue to pray and seek God’s help to grant us the grace to turn our backs to sin, the strength to endure all our trials, and the love of God to dwell in our hearts, so that we may not be a burden, but a body of hope and help in carrying the crosses of the people around us.

Jesus said, “If anyone wants to come follow me, he has to pick up his cross daily and follow me.” We all carry our own different crosses. May we be sensitive to each other’s needs, and have the heart of Jesus, to help carry each other’s crosses, lighten one another’s load, and unite them with that of Christ. This must be one way to reach the holiness that God calls each one of us to live.

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