Man's perennial struggles between flesh and spirit

Today is Pentecost Sunday, and in today's Gospel according to St. John, 20:19-23 and 15:26-27, as well as 16:12-15, the evangelist tells us how Jesus appeared and breathed into the apostles and gave them the Paraclete, our advocate, the Holy Spirit. And in the second reading, Saint Paul, in First Corinthians 12:12-13 and Galatians 5:16-25, told of the two dimensions of man: the flesh and the spirit. This explains the ceaseless struggles that man has to grapple with, which is the perennial struggles within himself, between the divine urgings of the spirit and the worldly temptations of the flesh.

The temptations of the flesh often lead man to the works of sins, which include among others, envy, anger, quarrels, dissensions and murders. Today, the whole world witnesses the many conflicts among men and nations, among religious groups and among political parties, among ethnic tribes and communities, and among peoples who had been fragmented by politics, religions, ideologies, geographies, and cultures. One very glaring example is the seemingly endless fights between the Israelis and the Palestinians. If this kind of conflict could erupt in the very land where the Lord Jesus was born, there is no reason why it could not happen in all the other parts of the world. Men of different faiths and political principles compete for supremacy, land, territory, and possessions, and for whatever reason and motivations.

But the Holy Spirit also has fruits, which include charity, peace and joy, patience, benignity or compassion, goodness, longanimity or the perseverance to endure amidst many tribulations and adversities, mildness, goodness, modesty, fidelity, and chastity. For every thousand tribal warriors who kill their enemies, murder men, women, and children in the name of their tribal kings and chieftains, there are tens or hundreds of monks who silently pray for peace in the village and in the world. For every battalion of soldiers sent by their commanders to destroy the enemy and pillage their homes and lands, there are squads and platoons of international peacekeepers deployed by the UN to serve as mediating and conciliating contingents to make sure that opposing forces adhere to the articles of war, or better still, seek peaceful solutions to their conflicts.

While evil continues to gain mileage by the works of suicide bombers and international terrorists, there are many groups who seek peace via the many avenues of arbitration and mediation through the good offices of neutral countries and peace-loving international organizations of enlightened nations. In every continent, in every island, in every small community or tribe, there are recurring internal tensions brought about by the works of the flesh. Men continue to fight against each other because of money, property, prestige, honor or exalted positions. Politics, creed, ideology and territorial conflicts continue to make men kill, murder and plunder, rob, cheat and commit all forms of atrocities and shenanigans.

Within the heart of every person, there is a continuous struggle between the good and the evil, between the spirit and the flesh. Each one is given a free will to choose whether to follow the straight and narrow path or to succumb to the temptations of the path of least resistance, the easy and painless way, the instant solution to long-drawn problems, the quick fix and the instant gratification, which are all the works of the flesh. The spirit always demands more circumspection, more reflection and more contemplation. The mind first before the hands, thinking first before action. Better still, prayer first before translating plans into actions. The flesh is reckless, the spirit is prudent and mindful of all consequences and implications.