Try to read the title of this article aloud. Did you read it as ‘God is nowhere’ or as ‘God is now here’ ?
At Santuario de San Antonio last February 25, on Serviam’s monthly corporate teaching, Fr. Elso Nalangan began his lecture on New Evangelization by flashing this on-screen, edifying how our mind through our eyes may sometimes read things differently, depending perhaps on our current state of mind or heart or what we have been exposed to through time.
The signs of the times are marked by three things : 1) the New Age of Spirituality; 2) Relativism & Revisionism and ; 3) the Tube.
With things happening as quickly as it starts in the fast-paced life of the new millennium, our senses sometimes cannot keep up. The signs of the times are marked by three things : 1) the New Age of Spirituality; 2) Relativism & Revisionism and 3) the Tube.
The New Age of Spirituality is a hodgepodge of religious denominations’ values, negating one true religion, valuing man as the only ‘truth’ or the real messiah. Relativism and Revisionism is plainly put, subjective morality where our morality is based on our feelings. The Tube as media makes things blurred. There is no longer an absolute truth, no absolute morality, no absolute God.
Do we even wonder now why we may read the above title as ‘God is nowhere’?
New Evangelization is reminiscing that glowing, giddy feeling of first love; of our first real experience with God and how we experienced Him concretely in our lives. We wallow in the cocoon feeling of this love and hope it stays forever. But that is just the start. We have to nurture this experience. It has to evolve beyond needing Him and thanking Him for answered prayers. It is a purposive day by day and conscious decision of the heart, mind and spirit to love Him and serve His people.
We cannot be minimalist Catholics. We must be Heroic Catholics.
by Marga Baula