Flash of the Eyebrows

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

29 August 2021 

 

First Reading: DT 4:1-2, 6-8

Responsorial Psalm: PS 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5

Second Reading: JAS 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27

Gospel: MK 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

 

Reflection

By: Gary Tulabut

 

Before I became active in my charismatic community, I was a smoker. In fact, even while I was already serving, I just couldn't stop that bad habit.

There's no question it is bad for me. And I knew I couldn't continue to be like that forever. I wanted to stop. But whenever I crave, I just thought it was a lost case. I still prayed that God would help me though. Sometimes I was able to lower the number of sticks I burn per day. But that's the best I could do...for fifteen years!

I went back to Pampanga after my employer of eleven years in Cavite closed its operations in the Philippines. My family who are in Pampanga then, didn't know anything about my vice, still I was able to hide it from them.

On the other hand, there was I, serving at the Feast, our prayer meeting. I was the social media manager of The Feast in Pampanga then. Whenever I had the opportunity, whether through social media in person, I would invite my friends or acquaintances to attend the Feast. I did this even in my classes when I switched career from the corporate to the academe. I would always tell stories to my students about the Feast. And my laptop wallpaper, which I flash through the projector in every class, was always an invitation to attend the Feast.

One time, I had the urge for a smoke. Because smoking is prohibited inside the campus, I went outside into what I thought was a safe hiding place--a parking garage for rent.

After a few puffs, I saw in about three meters in front of me one of my students who gave me an eyebrow flash (kindat sa kilay).

That signal was God's answer to me to quit smoking. There was so much judgment I read from that simple gesture. What I read from the eyes of that student was "Look at this hypocrite talking about the Feast every time, yet here we are both destroying the earth, destroying our lungs, as well as those people around us."

This is the third time today (as of this writing) thay I encountered the word "hypocrite". It was asked in one Bible study and in a caring group where I also shared my smoking story.

Hypocrisy is also the theme in this Sunday's Gospel, but I was struck more by this verse in the second reading which says, "Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves." I was not a mere hearer, I was a speaker, a spreader of the Word and I did not delude my students. But the problem is I was a mere speaker, I was not a doer. I didn't walk the talk.

Going back to that eyebrow flash that saved me. You probably heard a number of stories about how hard quitting is. Well, because of that incident at the parking garage, I was able to quit without any difficulty, no withdrawal, no cravings, none at all.

God answers prayers in His own mysterious ways and His own perfect time. What I prayed for fiteen years, including five years in service, He answered in a blink of an eye, or make that in a flash of eyebrows.

Prayer

 

We are sorry Lord if many times we do not walk out talk. We ask Your forgiveness, Your help, and Your mercy to lead us back to the right track whenever we go astray. Amen.