Whenever my family is out of town on a family holiday or just tagging along for my work-related field trips, it is given that we
will be staying in a hotel. Zek’s face always beam in excitement each time he enters our room, checking out the bathroom for bath-tubs and hot shower amenities, flipping the light
switches to see the room illumination, trying and picking out his bed spot, peeking
through the window view before finally settling down to press-up and down the remote
control of the cable TV looking for his favourite cartoons like he never had
any access to TV (Oh well, he is right. We don not have cable TV installed in our
home as part of our commitment to homeschooling J ).
My wife and I also relaxes a bit inside this
tidily kept room, knowing too well that in a matter of minutes, the whole calm
and clean sight will be anything but calm and tidy. Soon, our dear Aim will start to jump up
and down and across adjacent beds as soon as he realizes how comfy bouncy the
surfaces are. Zek will ask for his favourite food and drinks. Aim will try to
grab these away and starts the spilling and scattering frenzy. Aim will soon get bored
with his jump routine and pushes the furniture in different positions. Shortly, he
will browse through any magazine or reading paraphernalia and toss and leave the pages anywhere. Yes, it will soon cease
to look like a hotel room and more like our very own house. Alas, it’s home
sweet home.
Luckily for some trips, we needed to stay for
more than a night. As a result, we can get another fresh morning chance at cleanliness
and orderliness with just the flip of the magic door hang-out – Make Up My
Room, Please!
Next week, we will celebrate Ash Wednesday, the
traditional Catholic day to herald the start of the 40 days of Lent. It is a
day of fasting and abstinence. It is a day of remembering the belief that “from
ashes we came, to ashes we will return”. It is a day where we are once again
invited to flip over that heart hang-out with the words “Do not disturb” into
the one that welcomes God – “Please, make up my room.” We do know that God,
despite His overwhelming love for us, will never dare impose His mercy and love
on us. He can only lovingly wait at our doorstep. We still hold the key to our life transformation with God as our protagonist.
Be open.
Let Him come inside.
Be forgiven.
Let Him take away the bad stuffs that clutter your
life.
Be refreshed.
Let Him give you a new start.
God bless.
Departing from his prepared statement, the Holy Father spoke
on the reservations one might have to confessing their sins to a priest.
“Someone may say: ‘I confess only to God.’ Yes, you can tell God: ‘Forgive me’,
and say your sins,” he said. “But our sins are also against the brothers,
against the Church, and for this it is necessary to ask forgiveness to the
Church and to the brothers, in the person of the priest.”
Concluding
his catechesis, Pope Francis encouraged those who have not confessed, whether
it be for two weeks or 40 years, to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation as
soon as possible. “Jesus is there, and Jesus is much better than the priests,
and Jesus receives you. He receives you with so much love. Be courageous, and
go forward to Confession,” he said.
“To celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation means to be
wrapped in a warm embrace.”
