AUGUST 04, 2015

 

THE GHOSTS IN OURSELVES : THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER

 

It is an inspiration for me to have a devotion for the souls in purgatory. A very rare devotion, indeed. Part of our faith is the communion of Saints. We, the Church militants pray for the Church suffering, and when they become saints, they, the Church triumphant, will intercede for us. In line with this, I want to talk about ghosts. I remembered a Korean movie entitled, "Don't Worry, I'm a Ghost," as if it tells me that I should not fear ghosts. That's why I remebered Casper, the friendly ghost. 

 

If I were one of the disciples that time, I might thought that Jesus was jsut like Casper. Kidding aside, the Gospel which is "The Walking on the Water" is seemingly related to ghost. When Jesus appeared to the disciples while He was walking on the water when they thought that Jesus was a ghost. Among us Filipinos, ghost stories are very common, some us believe, some of us don't believe. Maybe some of us had their own experiences with any ghosts. I never saw any ghost for the past 16 years of my existence. Maybe, I'm only frightening myself. At this point, I thought that I may have some similarities with the disciples.

 

Sometimes, I intend to act when something unusual happens, especially if it is around midnight or dawn. Why am I so afraid of ghosts? Or maybe, I am only making myself feel cowardly on things. Am I my own ghost? Yes, I am. I am my own ghost. There is a famous line in Filipino that goes, "Huwag kang matakot sa patay, mas matakot ka sa buhay." 

 

The Gospel also talks about the doubt, where St. Peter walked in the water, but when he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened and began to sink. He cried out, "Lord, save me," then immediately, Jesus stretched out His hand and saved him and said, "O You of little faith, why did you doubt?" It is a person's nature to be afarid and to doubt. So I asked myself, "Why do I doubt?" "What is it that frightens me?" "Do I still doubt for all the blessings God gives me?"

 

Oftentimes, I am like St. Peter. Upon starting there is firmness, later on doubt will interfere, doubts, tribulations, distractions and other negative words ending in -tion will come to bother me. Upon seeing those negations, I sometimes lose faith and confidence in God. Maybe it is not totally losing faith but lacking of it. You feel like powerless, like the whole heaven is angry to you because of the things that distract you. But that dosen't stop there. We are also like St. Peter, who asked the Lord to save him.

 

It is our own nature that in the midst of all tribulations, we do not forget to pray and ask for the Lord's help. His grace sustains us in our daily needs. I realized that the guidance and grace of God is always in us. It depends on us on how we will use them and become fruitful. After all hardships, difficulties and the like, we intend to overcome those things just like how St. Peter was saved by Jesus. And we turn and end our work, well done.

 

Some thoughts that you might also think and you might also reflect:

 

- Are there really ghosts? Or am I the one who is haunting myself?

- In the midst of all that I attain, do I still doubt on God's countenance on me, to the point that I'd rather doubt first before I thank Him?

 

May we not make anymore our own ghosts and be truly grateful for God's unceasing blessings in us with full trust - no more doubt.