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Saturday, February 02, 2008

Luck?

So, now we have moved into a new month!...

After much cramming and anxious waiting, my exams got under way and I had to deal with a rather difficult subject of Ecumenism with regards the Christian East. I had earlier spent some amount of time poring over my notes and losing much grey matter and hair over this, wondering why I did I choose this subject to do in the first place? When I sat in front of my professor and waited for his cue for me to speak I managed to surprise myself by my fluid reaction to his questioning as we went on from one item to another as if we were a couple of old buddies chatting in a coffeeshop over some news item that piqued our interest... well, sort of... :-D But the bottomline is, I passed my first exam! That's all that matters - for now. I still have 4 more to undergo and I am wishing that they were all over! :-P

Nonetheless, I am overjoyed that I managed to overcome my first hurdle of exams and managed to complete a semester of studies, both of which I have been out of circulation for a while. It just takes much more effort and time to make things work out in this field for a person of my age. So, when something like this occurs that makes it all worthwhile, I'd say it's providential. :-)

Which brings me to the matter of 'luck'.

It is during such times like this in any academic field and during occasions like these that you'd hear this word being uttered: 'good luck!' This happened to me when a priest classmate said it over his email and also by others who wish this upon their friends taking exams, many of them religious and other priests.

It's strange to me that such term be use rather matter-of-factly even among us as priests or religious, or even among Catholics. I know, straight off that we don't believe in luck. As believers and followers of Christ, it is ultimately providence (Mt 6: 25 - 34). Perhaps, one may mean chance, but to wish 'Good chance!' sounds silly or wierd. Besides, with God, nothing is left to chance (Mt 8: 28). I usually would use 'All the best' and be done with that! :-) To incur this usage of 'luck' in the utterance sounds like a little lack of trust in whom and what we believe all this while!

So, the next time you want to wish someone good for his/her exams, you know what you can avoid saying! Maybe you know of a more appropriate way to say it? ;-)

8 comments:

Terence said...

Way to go father, good to know you are handling the exams well. Over here we just started semester, so exam stress are still a long way more. And there's the CNY break, so before starting our engines, we already have a break.

Anyway I've stopped wishing people "good luck". Moved to the alternative "God Bless", or "All the best". And if all else fails, there is "May the Force be with you." or is it "May the Holy Spirit be with you".

Terence

Anonymous said...

hi Aloy

I remembered when I send a "good luck" wish to someone, she responded with "good luck? Hard work, I worked very hard". so I said to her "good hard work!"

brain cells die when it's not being used .... so max up the brain work and rejuvenate the cells!

peace to you!
gerry

Anonymous said...

the italians here do not want to wish 'good luck' or anything for their exams. they consider that 'bad luck' !

hahahhaa!

crazy people, I tell you! :-)

*fral*

mumbley said...

Congrats Fr Aloy! :)

I don't know, is believing in luck a kind of superstition or accepting that there are natural forces at work that make 'luck' - though 'make' of course isn't really a good enough word but I figure it'll suffice for now. :)

Anonymous said...

Oh, I'm a firm believer of this thing called luck. But it just doesn't happen to me.

Like how do you explain when someone undeserving gets promoted? Or how some people just manage to get away with certain things? It's pure luck. How's that for reasoning? :P

Anonymous said...

ylo : would it not be that the undeserved promotion ( through free will ) was granted either through poor discernment on the part of the authority that granted it, or that in Gods providence that there is his reason for that action having been allowed, for out of evil, good can be accomplished. The fact that good may not have happened to you ( as you may have anticipated )may be in part due to your own, or the authorities in charge own lack of due diligence. (pure luck) not likely :pure(l-acking u-nderstanding c-an k-ill)

Anonymous said...

bob,

It's not my promotion I'm speaking of here, but my bosses' many promotions over the years.

I can't see how God's providence works out in this matter. Perhaps with incompetent bosses, we have more work to do, and therefore we'll not be out of job?!?!??

Nah, I don't buy that. I still can't see it any other way except that those jokers are damned bl**dy lucky! :P

Anonymous said...

Oh, *fral*, here's wishing you GOOD LUCK with the Holy Spirit for your exams!!! :-)

And I think this is very apt, cos would you rather take your chances elsewhere, or (I quote you) "with God where nothing is left to chance"? :-D

 

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