Lenten Reflection: Out of Our League
10 Apr 2025 | Office for Mission and Identity (OMI)
Have you ever dreamt of something and realized it was too unrealistic? Have you ever wanted an outcome but then thought, ‘How can that happen? It’s impossible.’? Have you ever longed for or admired someone, even in an unromantic sense, which just made you sad because you can’t even get near enough that person? Perhaps all of us, every now and then, would shoot for the stars…but only to land painfully on the ground because our hope was just simply way out of our league.
It can be quite disheartening and painful to have our wishes and dreams crushed. To be pulled back to reality and made to feel small, inadequate or ambitious can cut deep into our heart and question who we are. And it can be difficult to move on from such an experience because it can seem like we’re just settling for something less since what we truly wanted was unattainable. That is us aiming for what is beyond our grasp. But there was already Someone who, because of having such unbridled love for us, crossed heaven and earth to hold out His hand to us – longing for us that He went as near as He could to us, offering an outcome of salvation we would never have thought of, being who He was beyond what we could ever dream of.
Thankfully, our God, while too powerful beyond our wildest understanding, is compassionate. Thankfully, our God, even as we are fickle and frivolous, is strong and steadfast. Thankfully, our God, despite being way too out of our league, is never out of our reach. Jesus came and we have been shown that there is no distance between us and our Lord for He chose to make our life one with His love. For all our impossible, unrealistic and unattainable dreams, our greatest and deepest desire to have a home, to be embraced tightly and to rest in peaceful joy has been fulfilled on the cross.
Nangarap ka na ba ng isang bagay na hindi makatotohanan? Nagnais ka na ba ng isang kasasapitan ngunit nawari mong, ‘Paano iyon mangyayari? Imposible.’? Nangulila at humanga ka na ba sa isang tao, kahit hindi sa paraang romantiko, at nalungkot ka lamang sapagkat hindi mo naman siya malapitan? Marahil lahat tayo, paminsan-minsan, ay sumusuntok sa buwan…at lumalagapak sa lupa sapagkat napakalayo ng ating hangad.
Nakakawalang-gana at masakit ang mabasag ang ating mga pag-asam at pangarap. Ang mahilang pabalik sa realidad at maramdamang maliit, kulang o malayag masyado tayong maghangad ay maaaring makasugat nang malalim sa ating puso at makagulo sa diwa ng sino tayo. At mahirap ding umusad mula sa ganitong karanasan sapagkat tila tinatanggap na lamang natin ang kulang dahil di natin maabot ang tunay na nais. Ganyan tayo sa paglalayon sa hindi natin abot-kamay. Subalit mayroon nang tumawid sa langit at lupa dahil sa di-mapigilang pag-ibig upang mag-alok ng Kanyang palad – na nangulila para sa atin kung kaya pinili ang ating piling, na naghandog ng kasasapitang kaligtasan na hindi man lamang natin nawari, at naging Siya na lampas sa anumang ating pinangarap.
Salamat at ang ating Diyos, bagaman hindi natin matarok ang pagka-makapangyarihan, ay mapagmalasakit. Salamat at ang ating Diyos ay malakas at matatag kahit pa mababaw at marupok tayo. Salamat sapagkat kahit pa hindi Siya maaaring maabot, ang Diyos na ang lumapit sa atin. Dumating si Hesus at ipinamalas sa atin na walang puwang sa pagitan natin at ng Panginoon sapagkat pinili Niyang maging kaisa ng ating buhay ang Kanyang pagmamahal. Sa lahat ng ating mga pangarap na hindi makatotohanan at hindi maisakatuparan, ang ating pinakadakila at pinakamalalim na hangad para sa isang tahanan, na mayakap nang mahigpit at makanlong sa payapang kagalakan ay naipagkaloob na sa krus.
#ateneoishome #aihlentenreflections
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