Pro-God by the Right Reverend Santos Rabang, OSB, STL. Part 1

A Photograph of Abbot Rabang giving his Homily.

Not of this World

           The world as created by God and redeemed by the death of Christ is not meant by “this world.” By the world is meant the worldly or mundane spirit manifested by those who are excessively attached to created realities.

           How is the worldly or mundane spirit manifested and recognized? First, by the false maxims, slogans, and adages which are directly opposed to the teachings of Christ. They exalt pleasures, comforts, riches, fame, might, and violence. The world advises men to enjoy the good life, to make the most of what the world offers, and to find security in worldly values.

Second, the men and women of this world ridicule and persecute those who strive to live honestly, decently, and respectably.

Third, pleasures and diversions like excesses in sex, on the use of drugs, alcohol, and food, are accepted as being in good taste socially. The movies and magazines as means of entertainment know no restrictions. The means of social communication, the social media, and other such media are exploited for selfish purposes and agendas. The abnormal becomes normal for such worldly or mundane people.

Fourth, the scandalous acts and bad example given by those who should be examples of virtues because of their Christian faith, or state in life, or profession, are also manifestations of the worldly or mundane spirit.

The worldly or mundane spirit is accented by three isms: materialism, hedonism, and freedomism as philosophy of life. We are living today in a world marked by them. Let us see the characteristic marks of these isms.

Materialism craves for possessions. Consumerism, productivism, and capitalism are the world’s concomitant isms in its materialistic cravings. A “maka-Diyos” person strives to be a specific sign of separation from, disavowal of, and non-submission to the tyranny of a contemporary world which puts all its trust in money and in material security.

Today’s world in which we live, move, and have our being is marked by hedonism. What are its peculiar marks or characteristics?

· Sexuality is separated from all objective norms of morality.

· Sexuality is treated as a consumer good for enjoyment, diversion, or fun in complicity with the mass media.

· Hedonism justifies a kind of idolatry of the sexual instincts and urges.

In our world today, we are flooded with many notions of freedom. I have coined the word “freedomism.” Freedomism is separated from its relationship to moral norm. “Doming, Doming, mabalin amin.” Freedomism has led to license to do anything and everything.

The backdrop of the “maka-Diyos” value are the worldly or mundane spirit, materialism, hedonism, and freedomism. A “maka-Diyos” educator has to face, struggle against, and transcend them.

Entering Into God’s Life

Moving out of the ambit of the world, a “maka-Diyos” educator strives to enter into God’s inner life. What is God’s inner life or divine life? It is the life of God Himself in the bosom of the Holy Trinity.

The Father is an intellectual generation or knowledge, conceives a most perfect idea of himself. The Father’s most perfect idea of Himself is called the Word or Son. The Son, the Father’s divine Word, is the exact reflection of the Father (his life, beauty, truth, goodness, immensity, eternity, and of all his infinite perfections).

By way of the procession in love, as a fruit of the Father’s and Son’s mutual contemplation, there is established between them a living current of love beyond description, a living torrent of fire called the Holy Spirit.

The life of God is God’s Knowledge of Himself (Son) and God’s love of Himself (Holy Spirit). These two constitute the mystery of God’s inner life.

From the vantage point of God’s inner life – God’s knowledge of himself and God’s love of himself – how can an educator become “maka-Diyos?” He has to align his thinking to God’s thinking. He has to align his loving to God’s loving. In his thoughts, decisions, and choices in life, he has to enter into God’s thoughts, decisions, and choices. In that way, he becomes “maka-Diyos.”

Posted by: Br. Elijah