I ALWAYS remember what my spiritual mentor, Nim Gonzales, once said: “At times, the unpleasant things that we reject in our lives, such as our struggles, our pains or our crosses, become our cornerstone.”
He made this remark in reference to Jesus’ words that “the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”
Nim also referred to the Parable of the Wheat and Weeds, in which the laborers asked the landowner what he would do with the weeds that grew overnight along with the wheat. The landowner surprised them, when he told them to allow the weeds to grow with the wheat. Again, here, Nim interpreted the parable as accepting obstacles that come our way because, ultimately, they will turn into blessings.
Lately, I realized that this has become true in my past twelve years of pastorate at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. When I reflect back on the challenges and hurts that I encountered and experienced in ministry, ironically, I discovered that what seemed to be “curses” were actually “blessings.”
They’ve made me strong and stalwart in dealing with crises, rejections, and personal attacks. They’ve made me wise in making difficult decisions. And they’ve challenged me to keep believing in myself and moving towards a greater vision of church and ministry.
They were times when I felt like God was putting on a burning flame like an iron with a definite purpose in mind: to turn me into a beautiful piece of work. It was painful and unpleasant, but God has succeeded in his purpose.
During Holy Week, we contemplate on the meaning of the Cross of Jesus in our lives. Undoubtedly, Christ’s cross has become not just a symbol of death but also a symbol of resurrection. Indeed, the Cross of Jesus has become the cornerstone of our Christian life.
Through his Cross, Christ has redeemed us and has promised us new and eternal life. And in it, we are convinced of the truth of the Gospel: it is in dying that we live; it is in giving our lives that we receive.
When we see a friend or a loved one experiencing hardship or disappointment, what we could pray for, is not for God to take away his or her pain, but to use it to turn this person into a more genuine and generous human being — faithful to his or her vocation. We call this tough love, but many times it is the only road to personal transformation.
And so, we should not be afraid of suffering and hardship. We should be thankful that they come to us, to test our faith in God and to keep us strong.
The crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ was not foolishness, nor a defeat — it was wisdom and a triumph because it redeemed humanity and promised New Life in all of us.
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Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas attended St. John Seminary in Camarillo, California and earned his Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. For twenty years, he has been in the parish ministry of large multi-cultural communities. Since 2002, he has been the pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Los Angeles. Please email Fr. Rodel at [email protected].
