Simple vs. Easy

The seminarians had suggested that we celebrate the Memoria of St. John Mary Vianney (Jean Marie, if one is inclined to use the French spelling). Taking up the suggestion of Serra Club, we joined them in preparing for this Memoria by doing the “potato fast” at dinner for the nine days leading up to the Memoria; in other words, a novena. There is a prayer and meditation before we embark on eating our one potato. One could say that this was a simple novena to make because it was so straightforward: pray, then eat. However, I would not like to venture to call this easy.

We often use the two words “simple” and “easy” interchangeably. Perhaps there are many simple things that are easy as well but the two words are not synonyms. To say that something is simple merely tells us that it is “not complex” or “not complicated”. We might even say that something simple had few parts. Something being “easy” has to do with the skill of a person. Whether something is simple or difficult depends on the competence of the person. We tend to be able to something “easy” after a few tries, if not in one. Let's take a look at an example. The process of threading a needle is simple. One just has to put one end of the thread through the eye of the needle. Yet, if I had bad eyesight, which I do now that I am entering middle age, I may not be able to do it in one try. If I was nervous and my hands were shaky, it would definitely not be “easy” for me to do it.

We could say that following the will of God is simple. We just need to do what He desires of us. Yet we are not really competent to do just that because of sin in our lives. Sin affects our ability to listen carefully to what God says. Sin affects our response as well. This is not to say that we are all doomed. As St. Paul said in Rom 7:25, Jesus Christ has saved us. We are able to follow the law of love despite still being affected by the law of sin. So let us not be too hasty to say we are not able to follow God’s will because through Christ, we have been given a simple way. Let us not be too arrogant to say that we are perfectly able to follow Him because despite being simple, it is not easy at all, considering that we are not yet perfect. When can we be perfect? When we concretely encounter Christ at our earthly death or His second coming. St. John suggests this in the third chapter of his first epistle. Let's spend some time reading I John 3.

My Nephew and the Segway

We were at Sentosa and my nephew wanted to ride on the Segway. His father, older brother and I joined him. It is quite easy to manoeuvre the Segway. My nephew took to it like fish to water. He was able to use it in less than one minute. I, on the other hand, had to take a while. The instructor guided me and I got to hang of it a few minutes later. I thought that the route we took to ride the Segway was rather short. It was quite a interesting trail to one who was a first timer. There were several hairpin turns and it was not all on level ground. I was glad I did not ‘chicken-out’. I would have missed an interesting experience and would have one skill less. (Alright, riding a Segway is neither an important skill nor a difficult one.)

I took some time in prayer and found that our life is something like that is it not? We learn new things and try to get a hang of the different things that life throws at us. Sometimes, we are afraid and shy away from difficulties. When we do this we will pass up new opportunities, new skills and new experiences. The Lord also avails to us different occasions to receive His grace. If we fear and avoid these occasions, we must not blame the Lord if we do not obtain the graces. If we reflect honestly, we will see that there are many times when we miss opportunities for grace due to our choices rather than God’s will.

A Merry Lent?

I believe that the whole idea that we should not have enjoyment in Lent is somewhat strange. Lent is a time when we prepare ourselves for Easter. It is true that we have to do penance and pray. We fast, pray and give alms (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18; Ash Wednesday's Gospel). Can we not enjoy prayer? Can not prayer give us joy?

Lent is not a time to deprive ourselves of joy so that Easter would be a joy-filled celebration. Far from it! Lent is a time of grace.

As I was typing this, I typed a ‘v’ instead of a ‘c’ and got the word grave instead of grace. It's just one letter away (in two ways – difference of one letter, and on the computer keyboard) for one to become another. It is also just a slight shift in attitudes to change Lent from graced to grave.

God's grace ultimately gives us His joy. God's grace is one that gives hope. What we should not do is to confuse joy with frivolity. I see fasting not as depriving me of food but as presenting me an opportunity to meditate and pray. It is a biological fact that after eating, blood flow in the alimentary canal increases as digestion and absorption of food occurs. This is why we tend to be sleepy after a meal. When I decide to fast, I can spend the time that was going to be spent eating with God. At the same time, because there is no increased blood flow to the gut, I should be more alert and can focus on the prayer. Of course one may say that the hunger could be a distraction. This is true if one has been fasting for quite a while. If we have had enough to eat for breakfast, we shouldn't be feeling weak during lunch. We may feel the urge to eat (in other words, hunger) but we should not be suffering from extreme effects. The traditional Catholic way of fasting was to take one main meal and two small meals or collations. Although encouraged to go beyond this, Catholics should not end up physically harming their bodies. The idea of excess can go both ways, and both can be spiritually harmful.

Being solemn should not be mistaken for being gloomy. There are two meanings for solemn: ‘not cheerful, not smiling’ and ‘deeply sincere’. I suggest that a solemn Lent describes a Lent filled with sincerity. The focus in Lent should not be one that simply leads to not cheerful.We should be sincere in seeking the grace God offers us in Lent and we would be filled with joy. A sincere Lent is one that is enjoyable.

Priesthood is a Vocation

The seminary began its academic year on 12th January this year. In one of his addresses, Father Rector, (Rev. Fr. William Goh) reminded us that the word “vocation” comes from the Latin vocare, which means “to call”. When someone comes to me and says that he is interested in becoming a priest, one of the most important questions I ask is, “How do you know?” It might seem like a callous way of reacting to someone who has come forward to offer himself to the Lord. However, the one thing that we need to know regarding someone who wants to be a priest is to discern ‘the call’.

Every person who hears a call needs to discern what that call is. However, the call of God is only one part of the equation. How one responds to the call is also important. It is not as simple as just saying, “Yes!” It includes the question of God’s will and our own will. The kind of priest one will become depends on how we respond.

I was troubled by what Jesus said, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Mt 22:14) However, since becoming a seminary formator and being involved in promotion of priestly vocations, I am beginning to understand what Jesus might mean. A priest is not only called, he has to be chosen. There must be criteria for choosing from those who are called. The latest instruction from the Congregation of Catholic Education gives us the guidelines for using psychology to screen candidates for the priesthood. The psychological screening is just one of the many means that are used for the “choosing”. The combination of different screening processes helps formators and the bishop (or religious superior) to “choose” the right candidate. The results of all the screenings are confidential. In many cases, it is prudent to keep these results from the candidates.

As a result, many get angry for difficult decisions that have to be made. Seminary formators are often chided for dropping a “good” candidate when priestly ordinations are few. Confidentiality prevents these formators for justifying their decision. Of course the formators give counsel to the bishop, and if the bishop cannot trust the formators, it is his responsiblity to replace them.

Coming back to what I was saying above, if God calls a man to the priesthood and he treats it as a career, can he be a good priest? Of course, sinful as we are, we can still change. Trusting in the Holy Spirit, formators search and discern for ways to help the man to purify his intentions. In the end, if the Holy Spirit shows the formators that the man who is called is not really interested in responding in the right way, should he be “chosen” ore “elected” to the priesthood? How should the formators interpret what is shown by the Spirit? I believe the answer is obvious.