When I was growing up as a kid, I had a peculiar habit that might seem trivial to some but felt immensely significant to me. Whenever I walked through hallways with low-hanging concrete beams or under trees with branches dangling enticingly above, I had an irresistible urge to jump and touch them. This habit was more than a mere compulsion or youthful propensity; it was to test my height and see how high I could propel myself into the air. Each successful leap brought a sense of accomplishment, a small but satisfying proof of my physical abilities.

This tendency to jump and reach for anything above me became a daily ritual. It wasn’t just about touching an object; it was about pushing my limits, feeling the thrill of that moment when my fingertips brushed against the rough surface of a beam or the smooth bark of a branch. It was an innocent yet unique way of measuring growth, not just in height but in my capability to achieve something with my effort. Each jump was proof of my youthful energy and boundless enthusiasm.

As the years went by, however, that youthful inclination began to wane. The days of jumping to touch tree branches or hallway beams became less frequent. Growing up brought with it a host of new responsibilities and realities. I realized, much to my chagrin, that I didn’t grow up to be particularly tall, nor did I possess an extraordinary ability to jump high. The enthusiasm that once propelled me into the air slowly gave way to a more grounded perspective on life and my limitations.

In many ways, this pattern mirrors our broader life experiences. We test ourselves in various areas to gauge our performance and capabilities. We push boundaries, take risks, and strive to reach new heights. But often, when we hit a plateau or face the harsh reality of our limitations, we tend to stop trying. We convince ourselves that there’s no point in continuing if we can’t improve further. This mindset, however, is a fallacy that can stifle growth and potential.

We shouldn’t limit ourselves based solely on our performance. Life is not a solitary journey, and our abilities, or the lack thereof, shouldn’t define our worth or potential. This is where resourcefulness, leadership, and teamwork come into play. By recognizing that we don’t have to excel in every area on our own, we can begin to appreciate the value of rallying others around us who possess the skills we lack. This is the essence of leadership – understanding that our strength lies in our ability to unite and collaborate with others.
No person is an island. The most successful endeavors are often the result of collective effort and shared expertise. By learning to associate with others, we can create a network of support where everyone contributes their unique strengths. This symbiotic relationship allows us to share what we have and derive what we don’t from those around us. It’s a beautiful dance of give-and-take that enriches everyone involved.

The true purpose of testing and developing our abilities is not merely to enhance our performance but to use those abilities for the benefit of others. When we focus on personal growth to contribute to a larger cause, we find greater meaning and satisfaction in our achievements. It transforms our efforts from self-centered pursuits into acts of service and collaboration.

Reflecting on my youthful habit of jumping to touch anything above me, I realize it was a metaphor for a deeper truth. While I may no longer leap to touch tree branches or beams, the spirit of that action lives on in my approach to life. It’s a reminder that we should always strive to reach new heights, not just for ourselves but for the collective good. We should jump not just for ourselves but to touch others as well—to touch their hearts, to touch their lives.

WHEN Christ summoned his 12 apostles, sending them out two by two and giving them authority over unclean spirits, he clearly told them also to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts, etc. (cfr. Mk 6,7-13).

The instruction may seem harsh and even inhuman, but for sure Christ had a good reason for that. We can only surmise that Christ wanted his apostles—and now us—to depend solely on him, on divine providence which, as we all know, is governed by nothing less than pure and gratuitous love, a love that springs from complete faith in God’s will and ways.
Christ wants us to give our heart completely to God. Thus, in the Book of Proverbs, we have this passage: “My child, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.” (23,26) We need to realize that our heart actually has a certain hunger and thirst that can only be completely satisfied by the infinite love of God.

But often we do not realize it, since this infinite love of God would involve, given our wounded condition, certain sacrifices and sufferings, things that we tend not to realize that they can be good occasions to show and develop the true love that comes from God.
We have to realize that to give our heart to God is to grow in our capacity to love the others. This giving our heart to God is to have a new heart, a heart of flesh, truly capable of loving, to replace the heart of stone. (cfr. Ez 11,19)

It’s when we give our heart to God through Christ in the Holy Spirit that we would find it easy to put our heart in all the tasks that we do. It’s when we can deal with anyone with great understanding and magnanimity. It’s when we can live out what St. Paul said: that we have the very mindset or sentiments of Christ. (cfr. Phil 2,5)

It’s in this context that some of those who are given a special vocation from God choose to live in what is known as “apostolic celibacy” so they can give themselves more to the others.

It’s when we give our heart to God through Christ in the Holy Spirit that we can also have the very merciful heart of Christ, willing to bear all the burdens of everyone, including their miseries and sins, doing this with determination and commitment if only to gain pardon and the ultimate victory of our life.

It’s when we give our heart to God through Christ in the Holy Spirit that we can expect the purification of all sins, and the regeneration of hope and human love. It’s when we attain the fullness of our humanity, when God will give us “grace upon grace” (cfr. Jn1,16)
How important therefore that we learn to engage our heart with the right treasure, the ultimately genuine one, the one that lasts forever, and not the many pseudo-treasures that the world offers.

Thus, we should often echo those words in Scriptures in our ears: “My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways.” (Prov 23,26) Or, Christ’s words: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…” (Lk 10,27) Here God both begs and commands us to give our heart to him.

This is when we can have a truly big and compassionate heart especially when we do apostolate.

We had been captive of an educational system where students are trained to pass exams as a measure of success. It is not surprising that students fix their focus on the hows of passing the multifarious examinations they are to face in the course of their studies. Here is where many students develop the wrong notion that passing is the be all and end all of their schooling. There is no other purpose for schooling than to pass the tests in order to succeed. This passing mentality had been ingrained in the minds of our students and many of them do not care about the essence of learning anymore. What becomes the primordial concern for the student is passing by all means and at all costs, setting aside or making learning merely incidental.

While passing examinations is one good measure of one’s learning, it is not a foolproof indicator that the passer is indeed a learned person. As passing is attained in many ways under our system, there is no guaranty that the passer is truly equipped with the knowledge he ought to possess. There are students who struggle just to get the correct answers of examinations without giving value to the learning process. Many students resort to pointers and tips and even to the extent of cheating just to get a passing grade. There are those who rely on coached answers from classmates who are brighter and knowledgeable. This crop of students finds the many ways to pass without learning.

It is now an acute syndrome to cure the system that had inculcated the passing mentality at the expense of true learning. We had been used to such system and making radical changes will surely be on a collision course with many fixated concepts that are too rigid for change. But our educators and authorities must realize that the system is getting overrun by the fast changing demands for functional education. The need to develop new methods where knowledge and competence could be measured better than by mere passing grades that are obtained without validation is very much in order.

One clear indicator that defines the infirmity of the present system is how many of our college graduates are still failures for being incompetent on the job despite passing the many tests all throughout their schooling from pre-elementary to college. It is really a cause for concern that graduates of our educational system fall incompetent on the job. While the situation may be connected to the convenient excuse of the mismatches in education and job needs, it still needs serious attention and consideration for reforms in our educational system.

There must be a way of measuring knowledge on one hand and competence on the other hand in order to ensure that the educated person is ready to become a functional and competent worker. Requiring students to pass is not entirely wrong. It affords a good measure of ones knowledge if administered properly. But the same must be coupled with measures of competence which is more necessary on the job than mere passing grades.
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