Monday, November 19, 2012

The Wise Shall Shine Brightly

33rd Week of Ordinary Time
Reflections on Daniel 12:1-3/ Hebrews 10:11-14,18 / Mark 13:24-32

The Wise Shall Shine Brightly
by Frank D.B. Savadera, SJ

There is this classic novel authored by Joanne Greenberg entitled  “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden” -- a story of a 16-year-old girl named Deborah who was suffering from a serious mental illness called schizophrenia (i.e., a mental disorder characterized by a breakdown of thought processes.  Common symptoms include auditory hallucinationsparanoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social or occupational dysfunction.  
Apparently, Deborah was a victim of bullying.  She was ostracized in school for being a Jew.  Also as a child, she went through a very painful and traumatizing surgery of sorts which made here go through intense and severe physical and emotional pain. 
In the process, Deborah created for herself an imaginary world called the KINGDOM of YR ... which for her has become an alternate reality so that she can escape the painful realities of the world and her specific context.   
Confined to a mental ward, Deborah was helped by many a sincere doctors who helped her fight the anger and fear that she feels toward the real world.   It was a long, painful and difficult journey for Deborah who would slip in and out of her safe imaginary world.  
To cut the long story short, Deborah eventually recovers and realizes that indeed she belongs to the world of reality.  A big part of her recovery is hinged on an acceptance that life indeed is NOT EASY ... life indeed is NOT FAIR ... that NO ONE PROMISED HER A ROSE GARDEN ... that one simply needs to GO ON LIVING ... and FIGHTING FOR ONE’S OWN LIFE and SPACE and NICHE in the world.  THUS, the title of the book:  “I Never Promised you a Rose Garden,” speaks to us of a world that is not perfect ... but this is our only world.  We will need to live and acknowledge that PAIN and SUFFERING is part of our reality.  We do not retreat to an imaginary world.  Living means developing in us the inner strength to proceed with life ... given not only with all its joys but more so its PAINS and challenges.
Friends, we talk about Deborah and “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden,” precisely because our readings today speak of TROUBLED TIMES ... specifically the END OF TIMES ... that is to come.
MARK:  “... the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”  (... 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds' with great power and glory ...”  "But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.")

DANIEL:  "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.

What is a troubled time for you?  A time when the sun is dark and the moon not reflecting light?  A time when there is horror and disgrace?  How do you deal with such a time?  Perhaps simply we can acknowledge that NO ONE PROMISED US A ROSE GARDEN.  Thus, much like the story of Deborah, we can either confront our difficult situations OR retreat to a fantasy world of sorts.  Amidst all life realities ... its’ either WE SINK or WE SWIM.    WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH ... THE TOUGH GETS GOING!  We all need to be tough!  And we do not serve ourselves well if we seek protection always inside a self-created BUBLE.    

The GOSPEL gives us another important advice:
LEARN FROM THE FIG TREE.  When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.  We acknowledge that most things in the world ... TRULY ... we cannot control.  We can not always ascertain who LIKES ME or DISLIKES ME.  That’s beyond me.  But also ... practically speaking ... there are things that I can control and predict!  Have you tried SMILING to a person you meet?  As you smile, you realize that people can also smile at you.  You spread TSISMIS against another person AND you can end up having five bullets pumped into your head.  What you get in your relationships is as good as what you yourself invests in that same relationship.  We are asked to learn from the fig tree and as St. Francis of Assisi exhorts us:  "Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Today, the Gospel also tells us:  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.  Amidst our struggles to live and confront the realities of the world ... we can not help but PICK UP ALONG THE WAY ... GOD’S IMPORTANT WORD FOR US.    "But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever."

I NEVER PROMISED YOU A ROSE GARDEN: God is asking us perhaps to take a REALITY PILL.  Troubled times will come ... we must pray for the STRENGTH to take the world for what it is. 

LEARN FROM THE FIG TREE.  Acknowledge the things that I can change and accept those that I have no control of. 

In every experience of ours ... GOD SPEAKS.  We pray for WISDOM ... that which allows us to SHINE BRIGHTLY like the stars and LEAD MANY toward the life of truth and justice.