Road to Fifty Reflections: Day 46

The Big YES

I remember when I was just starting my formation years. We were on a resort outing and I wore a plain white shirt. Since I knew I’d be getting wet from swimming, I wrote a big “YES” right in front, just to camouflage what might show through when it got soaked.

But my formator noticed it and asked, “What’s the big YES for? What are your intentions?”

Back then, I honestly didn’t think much of it. I even felt a bit irritated 🙈🙊... why did everything have to be questioned? It seemed like we were always being asked to examine our motives, our inner reasons for doing even the smallest things. But as the years went by, I finally understood.

It wasn’t about being strict... it was about being REAL. It was about learning to face myself, to check what was inside my heart, not just what others could see.

Fr. Dela Rosa’s homily brought that memory rushing back. He said something about inviting guests to a banquet just to highlight one’s own importance. PrIde, he explained, has the “I” at the center... it’s that "malignant kind of self-love" that blinds us from seeing God’s hand in our life.

Humility, on the other hand, comes from humus (earth). It is staying grounded. It is remembering where we came from and Who we belong to.

One saint who always inspires me is St. Martin de Porres, one of my role models in holy simplicity. He lived his days serving quietly, loving purely, giving fully... never needing to be seen, only to be faithful.

And so I ask myself again, after all these years… What is my big YES for?

If my YES is for me, it fades into pride.

But if my YES is for God, it becomes grace.

And that’s the only YES worth wearing... for life.