Kakampi Mo Ang Batas
By Atty. Batas Mauricio
“…My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?…” –Psalm 22:1
Among believers, what is the true meaning of Holy Week? Is it because the annual event allows us time to bond with loved ones? Is it celebrated to enable us to visit places we’ve been longing to go? Or is Holy Week important to us because it offers an opportunity to ponder the mystery of why our God and savior, who is powerful and omniscient, agreed to come down to earth, in the form of flesh and blood, and accept penalties for sins committed by man.
At this point in history, for all who believe in God, it is clear many still fail to grasp the fact that it was God, Himself, who came down from heaven. Many still so not understand that God did this because He intended to snatch the sinners from the fires of hell; believing, if He did not come to earth, sins committed by man meant their final destiny would be hell.
God’s love has a condition
When God created heaven and earth, He also created man. Despite the creation being imperfect and naturally sinful, according to God, man sinned on his own volition by going against the commandments. It was man’s transgressions that laid the groundwork for their final destiny, at the end of time, to be fire and worms of eternity.
The only thing going for man was God’s love. It is because of God’s love that He came down from heaven and granted salvation, despite the many sins committed. However, God did impose a condition for men to receive salvation: There is a need for man to accept, receive, and believe, that God, Himself, came down to earth from heaven; that God did this in the form of man; that God has a name, and it is “Jesus.”
The mystery of God’s kingdom is hidden from many
In order for man to have an understanding of why God came down to earth, he must ask God to remove his blindness and deafness to spiritual matters.
It is these impediments that were given man by God. God blinded and removed the sense of hearing because of their hard-headedness and inclination towards sin. Consequently, man must ask God to remove these hindrances in order to empower him to understand the parables used to explain the mystery of the Kingdom of God.
During Holy Week, it would be more important for believers to splurge on reading the Bible, enhancing comprehension of readings, and prayer. It would be a much more enriching practice than those not found in the Bible, like endless processions, the visitation of edifices, resort vacations, and the like.
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If anyone would like to ask me questions about the burning issues of the day, what we have discussed here, or to consult on a problem, please call 0917-984-2468, email at batasmauricio@yahoo.com, or post your concerns at facebook.com/attybatas. Promise, I will answer right away. Thank God in the Name of Jesus, Amen!/WDJ