30th Sunday in OT, Year A

The Revolution of LOVE

When Cardinal Ratzinger was elected Pope, people thought he would be a tough one, rigid and traditionalist, concerned with the institution of the Church, putting the Church in a defensive mode. They even ridiculed him intending the pun, “German Shepherd” for a German Pope who they thought would be on the guard, and nothing of the sort of the charismatic and revolutionary John Paul II, his predecessor. Not long after Pope Benedict XVI was made Vicar of Christ, he wrote his very first encyclical, and it was “Deus caritas est” – God is love. Nothing can be more charismatic of the faith and revolutionary for the world than this very basic but essential confession of faith that God is Love. The Pope affirmed the very nature of God, the heart of God, the most basic truth about God, that God is Love. God has loved us with the passion of eros, a love that keeps on loving and keeps on desiring the good of the beloved. God has loved us with the depth of agape, a love that is self-giving, that shares life to the beloved in a self-gift. Jesus exemplified the love of God, eros and agape.

Today, we hear Jesus declaring the two greatest commandments: Love God and love our neighbor. It is interesting to note that Jesus’s summary was not a prohibition, but rather an imperative. The Law of God is not restraining. The Law of God is enabling. The Law of God enables the good that disables the bad. The Law of God fulfills the best of us, and leaves no room for the worse in us.

The question of the law then is how to love. Jesus tells us, “first of all, love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Love God first, foremost and fully. Last Sunday we were told, “Render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar; and give to God what belongs to God.” The roman coin bore the image of Caesar, and so it had to be given back to Caesar. But we asked, what bears the image of God? We recalled Genesis which said that men and women are created in the “image and likeness” of God. So what do we give to God? Our very selves, our whole selves. We are made in the image and likeness of God, and we owe everything to God. What we should offer to God then is the gift of ourselves.

A total gift is also what is asked by the greatest commandment. To love God is to give him total allegiance, total control of our lives. The prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola exemplifies this:

Take and receive, O Lord, my liberty. Take all my will, my mind, my memory. All things I hold, and all I own are thine. Thine was the gift; to thee, I all resign. Do thou direct, and govern all and sway. Do what thou will. Command; and I’ll obey. Only thy grace, thy love on me bestow. These make me rich. All else will I forego.

“You shall love the Lord you God with all you heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” There is however a twin to the love of God. Jesus tells us, “Love your neighbor.” If we truly love God, we cannot but love our neighbor. The First Letter of John puts it in this way: “If anyone says, “I love God” and hates his brother, he is a liar; (in the Bible, the devil is the father of lies) for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 Jn 4:20) Benedict XVI writes that love can be commanded because we have been loved first. Not that love can ever be forced. Not that one can ever be commanded to love. It is rather because being loved enables and transforms the beloved to also share and give love. The Pope wrote, “God does not demand of us a feeling which we ourselves are incapable of producing. He love us, he makes us see and experience his love, and since he has “loved us first,” love can also blossom as a response within us.” I can love because I have been loved. The more I love, the more I grow in the love given me. A popular action song puts it rather simply but clearly:

Love is something that you giveth away, giveth away giveth away. And it come right back to you. It’s just like a magic penny. Hold it tight and you won’t get any. Spend it. Lend it. Give it away. And it comes right back to you.

Love grows through love. And this love is not simply a feeling. It is rather concrete. The first reading from the book of Exodus reminds us of the corporal works of mercy:

• To feed the hungry;
• To give drink to the thirsty;
• To clothe the naked;
• To shelter the homeless;
• To visit the sick;
• To ransom the captive;
• To bury the dead.

And we should add the spiritual works of mercy:

• To instruct the ignorant;
• To counsel the doubtful;
• To admonish sinners;
• To bear wrongs patiently;
• To forgive offences willingly;
• To comfort the afflicted;
• To pray for the living and the dead.

By these, we love our neighbor just as our God has loved us.

On a final note, although love of God and others are part of our very being, sometimes, we neglect and refuse to do so. Maybe because at times, we only look at ourselves, and love only ourselves. One popular ballad seems to be the anthem of many: “Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.” Me, myself and l. We tend to trust ourselves alone, seek to please and pleasure ourselves alone. We relate with each other in view of our selfish interests. Come to think of it, there is nothing wrong with loving ourselves. But we have to look at the bigger picture. If we look at the two greatest commandments, where do we find ourselves? In the love of God and in the love of neighbor. True love of the self is love of God and love of neighbor. Relating this to previous Sunday’s Gospel, we should remember that we are created in the image and likeness of God. If we love ourselves, we also should primarily love God of whom we are but an image. If we love ourselves, and if we love God, we should love others, who like us, are made in the image and likeness of God.

And if we all love ourselves in this way, putting God above all else, yes above all power, above all fame, above all wealth, above all treasures this earth has ever known, if we relate with one another in love, not in arrogance, or violence, or competition, or distrust, or discrimination, we will see a world transformed. And the love and good will we give, we receive back.

God is love. God has loved us. Since we have been loved first, then we are able and are called to love one another. What could be more basic and revolutionary at the same time?

Grapes and Tenants of the Vineyard

27^th Sunday in OT, Year A, 2011

We have two similar parables in our readings today.  From Isaiah we read of the parable of the unfruitful vineyard.  The vine grower has cultivated, watered and nurtured the vineyard.  But the grapes were sour, the vineyard was unproductive.  The vine grower asks, “What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done?”

Sometimes we also find ourselves in such disappointing, discouraging situations.  We toiled and worked hard, but our labors seem to be futile.  We loved and loved, and our love is unrequited.  We tried and tried, but we do not succeed.  We also ask, “What more should I have done?  Were all that I have done and given not enough?”

Although this is a relevant lesson, this is not all that there is in the parable in Isaiah.  This parable is about God’s offer of his live and love, his offer of the covenant, and the response of the people to God’s offer.  It is addressed to a people who had rejected God in spite of his goodness.  Like the owner of the vine, God has showered his people with his love, but they have continued to reject his offer.  They have continued to disregard and disobey him.  Like the vine grower, God asks, “What more was for me to do for my people that I had not done?”

This parable is taken up by Jesus.  Jesus is the most that God has done for his people.  The familiar John 3:16 is God’s answer to the earlier question.  “For God so loved the world that in the fullness of time he sent his only begotten Son so that all who will believe in him will not die, but rather, have eternal life.”  Jesus relates in the Gospel parable that there was a landowner who set up his vineyard so well, and entrusted this to tenants.  The tenants, however, although they were only tenants wanted the vineyard for themselves.  They wanted to be owners, not tenants.  At the time of vintage, the landowner sent his servants to gather his share.  But the tenants mistreated and even killed his servants.  He sent another delegation of servants, but the servants were treated no better by the tenants.  He so trusted the tenants so he sent his son.  But even the son was disregarded by the tenants.  They kill the son. 

This parable is addressed to the leaders of the Jewish community at the time of Jesus.  Jesus exposed the leaders’ rejection of Jesus.  He also exposed their violent schemes.  Here Jesus prefigures his own death.  He is the Son sent by the owner, but whom, as the tenants acted, the leaders will kill.

The parable of Isaiah illustrating the vineyard’s unproductiveness ends with the ruin of the vineyard.  The parable of Jesus illustrating the tenant’s usurping ownership of the vineyard, and the violence the tenants did, ends with the word that the vineyard shall be taken away from the tenants. 

While the parables speak of the Israelites and the leaders of the people, the parables also speak to us.  Like the vineyard, we have also been so generously and gratuitously cultivated, watered and nurtured by God.  We have been so richly blessed by God.  The greatest blessing we have received is Jesus.  We have to ask ourselves, “What grapes do we bear?”  Are we fruitful?  Are we producing the fruits of the Kingdom of God?  From the second reading,  we are asked, are we bearing fruit in “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious”? 

If we do not bear fruit in goodness, and reject God’s offer, we will also end in ruin.  Not that God wants that.  Not even because God would punish us.  It is rather that without God, we simply are nothing.  If we reject God’s offer of his goodness, we have nothing left, but our sorry selves.  God created and nurtured us, and apart from God, we are nothing, and cannot do anything of true worth.

Like the tenants, we are also stewards of God’s many gifts.  God asks us to give him his share.  Do we give God his fair share of our life, time, talent, treasure?  Do we invest in our spiritual development?  Do we responsibly take part in the growth of our parish, of our Church? 

If we do not give God his share of our life, time, talent and treasure, if we neglect to invest time and effort in prayer and the liturgy, our faith weakens, and even the little faith that we have can be disturbed and snatch away by the evil one.  If we do not take responsibility in nurturing our parish life, our Church, our parish will not prosper, and the Church is impoverished.  The United States, thankfully is still home to fervent and true Catholics.  But if we do not take care of our Catholic Faith in America, if we compromise and not give due recognition and place of Faith, the place of God in our communal life, and in our laws, God forbid, that one day we would find our society and nation devoid of its soul.

God generously offers us his life and love.  We are God’s vineyard.  We are God’s tenants.  We are called to bear fruit in holiness.  We are called to be responsible and committed stewards of God’s gifts.  God will not force his offer on us.  He gave us free will to make a decision for God. 

The example of Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint whose feast is celebrated every 28^th of September is worth noting, not because I am Filipino, but because his example I think illustrates our needed commitment and conviction to the gift of faith that we have received.

Lorenzo Ruiz is a Filipino-Chinese mestizo, a lay man who was working as secretary and sacristan at his parish in Binondo, Manila.  When the Dominicans sent a group of missionaries to Japan, Lorenzo joined them.  At first, it was only to flee from a false accusation of murder made against him; but also with missionary zeal since he very well knew that what awaits him there is not a bed of roses.  As they evangelized in Japan, they were arrested.  At the court, Lorenzo was given a chance to renounce his Catholic Christian Faith.  If he denounces his faith, he will save his life.  The response of Lorenzo is recorded in the documents of the court.  He said, “I am a Christian and this I profess until the hour of my death; and for God I shall give my life…. As a Christian and for God I shall give my life….  And if I had a thousand lives, I will give them all to God.”

This Sunday, let us pray that we may choose God.  May we choose to follow Christ and be always faithful to him.  Amen. 

Spy Wednesday

Holy Wednesday had also been called “Spy Wednesday”. This is in reference to today's Gospel (Mt. 26:14-25) – of Judas acting as spy of the Temple Elite, and betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. On this day, the last day, technically of Lent, we have an unlikely companion in our prayer and reflection - Judas.

It has been asked many times why Judas betrayed Jesus. After all, Judas followed Jesus for about three years. Judas was willing to dedicate three years of his life to the itinerant preaching of Jesus, and in the building of the community of the disciples. What could have led to Judas’ betrayal?

The narrative of John which we listened to yesterday gives us a window of understanding the complex inner battle that Judas was undergoing. Satan entered Judas. Then Judas left. Then it was night. Benedict XVI in his new book takes note of this. In John, what happened to Judas was beyond psychological explanation. Judas has come under the dominion of another. Anyone who breaks friendship, casting off the yoke of Jesus does not gain liberty, but succumbs to other powers. Judas betrays his friendship with Jesus because he is in the grip of another to which he has opened himself.

In Matthew, the account we listened to this morning, there is a striking detail that we should not miss. When Jesus announced that one of them will betray him, notice that all the other apostles say, "Sure it is not I, LORD?" Judas says, "Surely it is not I, RABBI?" The Gospel of Matthew here hints at something. Judas has never really understood Jesus and in the end sees him as another rabbi/teacher and not as LORD! Even when he regrets his action and tries to return the money, he speaks of "innocent blood" but there does not seem to be any greater faith.

There is a little bit of Judas in each of us. We too are often tempted to betray Christ. We do this when we choose to do wrong and refuse to do good. By sin we betray Christ. Whenever we fail to live the Christian life and we hand over our integrity, self-respect, and peace of mind, we are handing over Jesus.

As we recognize our own acts of betrayal, and as we seek forgiveness and renewal, at the deepest level we have also to ask, where are we in our faith in Jesus? Is Jesus Christ for us just a teacher, a rabbi, or is he for us truly Lord and Savior? If we see him as merely a teacher and rabbi, then we make him just one of the choices. We can choose to follow him or not to follow him. But if we accept him as our Lord and Savior, we are recognizing him as not just one choice among many. Rather, we recognize that he is the only choice – in words of the book of Revelation and in the signs of the Easter Candle, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. When we put ourselves under Jesus Lordship, his dominion, no other power can overcome us. As St. Paul says, “We can overcome all things in Christ who strengthens us.” But from Jesus, we are nothing. Everything we do and are makes sense and has meaning only in faith and fidelity to Jesus.

As we go journey through Holy Wednesday, let us call to mind own acts of betrayal, and as we seek forgiveness and renewal, at the deepest level, let us ask, where are we in our faith in Jesus? Is Jesus Christ for us just a teacher, a rabbi, or is he for us truly Lord and Savior?

Ever been in love?

Lent 3, Friday
(Hos 14:2-10; Mark 12:28-34)

There is a movie, now showing in some select theaters entitled, “Of Gods and Men”. It is about French Cistercian Monks who lived in a small, troubled Algerian Muslim village, living the Christian faith in community as monks, and witnessing in service to the people of the village. In one scene, a young lady asked one of the monks, an old man of maybe about 70.

“How do you know you are in love?”

“There’s something inside you that comes alive. The presence of someone. It’s irrepressible and makes your heart beat faster, usually. It’s an attraction , a desire. It’s very beautiful. No use asking too many questions. It just happens. Things are as usual then suddenly, happiness arrives or the hope of it. It’s lots of things. But you are in turmoil, great turmoil. Especially the first time.”

“Ever been in love?”

“Yes, several times. And I encountered another love, even greater. And I answered that love. It’s been a while now, over 60 years.”

This same compelling love is what the readings remind us today. The first reading from the prophet Hosea tells us of the great love of God. Amidst the infidelity of Israel, God continues to love his people. Like a husband who seeks out his wife, and offers her total forgiveness, God promises to heal his people, to renew them, to give them life – to make them blossom like the lily, grow like the Lebanon cedar, and flourish like the olive tree. They need only to repent.

For our worship, this has been beautifully put into song. “Come back to me, with all your heart. Don’t let fear, keep us apart. Long have I waited for your coming home to me and living deeply our new life.”

The season of Lent reminds us of this great love which beckons us home, calling us to live in the life of God, attracting us, compelling us to respond, wanting to come alive in us, wanting to come alive in our lives. “Ever been in love?” “Yes, several times. And I encountered another love, a greater love.”

We all long to be loved, and we look for that love. The wonder of it, the Far Greater Love is looking for us, longing to love us. We only have to open ourselves to God. And then we will find love, or better still, and more appropriately, Love will find us.

This love that found us, the love that fills our heart, as Romans 3:4-5 would tell us, “the love of God that fills our heart through the gift of the Holy Spirit” moves us to give love in return. And love is not lost when we give it. It is rather blossoms, grows, flourishes. Loved by God, we are called to live in love – for God and others, just as God has loved us.

Rephrased, the question of the young woman may also be asked of us – “Have you ever owned in your heart that you are loved, loved by a Far Greater Love? Have you ever loved as you have been loved?”

Cooking and Homiletics

Let me share an article on Homiletics from Commonweal Online. Insightful.

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Joys (& Fears) of Cooking
A HOMILIST’S EDUCATION
Fr. Nonomen

It was a Mass celebrating a major anniversary of the parish and I was right in the middle of the homily. It was also one of those exquisite moments when the message and the congregation connected to such a degree that you could hear a pin drop. I drew another breath to begin the conclusion, and that’s when the cell phone went off. It belonged to the little old lady sitting in the first pew, in the bench designed for those who have difficulty walking. I assumed she would turn it off, but instead she actually answered it, and in that charmingly loud voice of the hearing-impaired, she said, “Yes, I’m still in church!....I don’t know….He’s still talking!”

People who are trying desperately to choke back laughter make a very distinctive sound. On that fateful morning, it was exactly that sound I heard starting somewhere in the fourth pew. I heard it—and then actually watched it—work itself halfway through the church, until it finally exploded into an all-out guffaw. My moment in homiletic heaven was history. I watched people lending tissues to each other and wiping tears from their eyes as their chuckles were winding down, and I knew the homily was over. I mumbled some non sequitur about the parish and joy and the God of surprises and returned to my seat.

Being a Sunday preacher is a scary business. It starts long before you stand at the pulpit. My homiletics professor told us that it takes a whole week for a homily to “cook,” and mostly she was right. Really, it starts on a Monday morning, when I read the Scripture for the coming Sunday, along with any number of relevant commentaries. Then it all sits in the brain, on a back burner, slowly simmering. Throughout the week, I hope it will get some fresh seasoning from timely newspaper articles and things I’ve observed in and out of the parish. The goal is to make my words about the Scripture slide from the head into the heart.

By Friday, I’m hoping my simmering thoughts make their way down the arm and into the hand that commits the first draft to paper. In a good week, some idea sets me on fire and I rush to write it down. First drafts, though, are always too long. “Never speak longer than you are interesting!” the professor would tell us, as she scanned us over the top of her eyeglasses. “And none of you is really that interesting….”

That made an impression. I always tighten things up on Saturday morning. The next step is to reduce all of the written text to the barest of speaking notes in order to “allow room for the spontaneity of the Spirit, which will only happen if the original is well-crafted to begin with,” as the Professor Lady instructed. Finally, any rough edges are smoothed off with a couple of rounds of practicing out loud.

Some weeks, the heart aches to be kindled with a good idea or an interesting angle. Sometimes the best that can be done is to assemble a “Frankenstein homily” from bits and pieces of sermons written long ago. This approach always comes with a side order of humility, the realization that no one remembers anything you said three years ago, no matter how brilliant and life-changing they told you it was after Mass.

Eventually, you take a deep breath and bring it all to the pulpit. Some days, the only distractions are a few screeching children or a couple of text-messaging teenagers. Yet more and more, I encounter another phenomenon. I might be talking about, say, marriage, and suddenly I sense all the long-married couples carefully training their attention on my words. Or, I might mention something about Aquinas and realize that a medieval scholar is sitting in the third pew. I start describing some ancient Palestinian cultural practice in order to give some context to the Gospel, and then I remember that the electrician who’s a regular at the 9 a.m. Mass completed a rigorous Bible study course at the local college.

When I preach, I am increasingly conscious that the people who must listen to my homilies reflect a dramatic change in the relationship between the clergy and the laity; specifically, the laity is more educated than ever before in the ways of religion, theology, and Scripture. This presents an exciting challenge; it also introduces an honest and healthy dose of fear. Facing my parishioners from the pulpit, I realize that I am less of a “guru” and more of a companion. My decades as a priest have taught me that my parishioners, like those in any faith community, preach the gospel powerfully in many different ways themselves. All I really need to do when I preach is hold up a kind of mirror so that those in the pews can see how God is at work in all of our lives.

Who knows, given the theological sophistication of so many laymen and women, one day we might figure out a way to allow anyone who feels called to “cook up” a homily to stand in the Sunday pulpit. As far as I’m concerned, it would be good to share the fears, the joys, and the little old ladies who come with the job.

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(end of article)

Zacchaeus

There is in everyone a Zacchaeus, once a sinner, seeking for Jesus. The wonder is, even before one find Jesus, Jesus find him. And enters his house, and his heart. Receiving Jesus, Zacchaeus is never the same. Justice and compassion then flow from his heart. He is saved.

May we allow Jesus to find us today. May we allow him to come to our house. May we allow him to come to our hearts.

WE could also learn from the approach of Jesus.

God loves his creatures. His desire is to save not destroy. Wisely and compassionately, Jesus saved Zacchaeus. May we, the Church, mirror not only God's justice, but also his wisdom and compassion which alone truly saves.

Why a new template

God

Love

Revelation

Descent

.

Man

Faith

Ascent

Assent

The Triumph of the Cross

The cross was an ancient form of punishment which dates back to the Persians. It was later adopted by the Greeks, then also by the Romans. Crucifixion was considered the worst of all punishment, not only because of the pain felt by the crucified, and the slow and excruciating cause of death on the cross, which is asphyxiation – characterized by the loss of oxygen causing severe muscle paralysis among others. It was considered the worst punishment because of what it meant – the person is exposed, stripped naked which means the person is stripped of his dignity, and then he is hanged on the cross between heaven and earth which mean he is deprived of both heaven and earth – he is deprived of everything. The cross was not only a painful death, but a sentence of ultimate humiliation and of total deprivation. The cross is by no means then a beautiful symbol. It is actually an ugly sign of cruelty. Triumph of the Cross then would be an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms. The cross is anything but triumphant.

What changed it all is when Jesus gave himself over to be crucified. The authorities meant to humiliate, deprive, defeat Jesus. On the contrary, on the cross, Jesus was exalted, fulfilled, triumphant. On the cross, Jesus was exalted, raised up high, and just as the serpent lifted up on the pole symbolized, all who look on Jesus Crucified will be saved. On the cross, Jesus fulfilled his mission to be Messiah, whose suffering and death won the healing and life of broken humanity. On the cross, Jesus triumphed over violence, over sin, over death, over evil, over hatred. The cross is the triumph of Peace, of Grace, of Life, of Goodness, of Love.

The cross was a sign of defeat and of weakness. But the self-giving of Christ, which the letter of Paul to the Philippians sing about transformed it into a statement of triumph and strength. Very beautifully, Hans Urs Von Balthasar wrote that the divinity of Jesus shone most eminently in the cross. Jesus, was most God when he was there hanging on the cross – for only God can be capable of such great love. True, because God is love.

As the Church grew, the cross became a central symbol of the faith, and rightly so. We sign ourselves with the sign of the cross. The cross is central in the symbols of the Churches. We hang the cross in our homes, rooms, schools, workplaces, even in our cars. Some have the cross in their pocket. Some wear them as pendants, rings, or sometimes even as earrings. But more than just symbols, more than fashion accessories, let us remember that when we sign ourselves with the cross, when we hang the cross, or when we bring the cross, or wear the cross,

- We are reminding ourselves of the great love of God – For God so loved the world, that he gave us his only son, so that all who would believe in him might have eternal life.
- We are making a statement of faith – that we believe that Jesus Christ has saved us, that Jesus Christ has freed us.
- And we are saying yes to cross – to take up our cross daily, to embrace the cross and let the cross triumph in our lives. The cross triumphs in our lives when we defeat violence, sin, death, evil and hatred, and let Peace, Grace, Life, Goodness, Love be concrete in our daily lives.

May we be always grateful for the immense love of God, proud of our Christian heritage of the cross, and aware of our responsibility to take up the cross daily.

Let us adore Christ and bless him because by his holy cross he has redeemed the world.

A thought for today

Obscurity, Ordinariness, Goodness and Greatness


Blessed John XXIII, the pope who convened the Second Vatican Council wrote (in his Journal of a Soul) that one of the things that baffle him in the life of Jesus is its obscurity. For thirty years, the Son of God lived in obscurity – silent and unnoticed. This he says speaks of the humility of God who stripped himself of all grandeur and entitlements to live among us as one of us.

If I may add, obscurity of life that God opted for is a statement on the goodness of humanity. That God chose to become one of us and lived the simple life of a carpenter’s son is God’s way of telling us that man is capable of goodness. The simple person is capable of greatness. The carpenter’s son, the carpenter, the laborer’s son, the laborer, the ordinary person is capable of great things.

Many times, we fail to see this. We fail to see that we are capable of goodness, of greatness. Like the town mates of Jesus. Their rejection of Jesus from the fact that they knew his humble origins and humble life was not only a rejection of Jesus; it was a rejection of their own selves. They were in effect saying that they were not capable of goodness, of greatness. Worse, unable (or unwilling) to see this in ourselves, we deny this too of others. Like the town mates of Jesus there is a tendency for us to look down and dismiss people who shine in goodness and rise to greatness.

In the Philippines, this attitude is called crab mentality – from the behavior of crabs in a basket. There is no danger of losing any of them because no one would allow one to leave the basket. If one attempts to climb the basket and leave, the others pull him down, back into the basket.

To counter this mentality and attitude, one teacher’s attitude towards her students is noteworthy. When she enters the classroom, she looks at each student not for what they are, but for what they can become. Before her could be the next president, the next great scientist, the next pope, a saint. And so she has a lot of respect for them.

Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World teaches us that Christ reveals to us our truest selves. The very person of Jesus reveals to us who we are, what we are capable of, what we are destined for. But we can only become our truest selves, realize our utmost capabilities and reach our destination only if we truly and fully accept Jesus and make his teaching, his very life and person the standard and guide for our own lives. And this also entails seeing the goodness and greatness of Jesus in other people.

I invite you to pray,

Lord, make us accept the ordinariness of the life of Jesus, make the ordinariness of our lives be filled with the goodness and greatness of Jesus, and make us see not the ordinariness of other people, but the infinite capacity for goodness and greatness that you have gifted them with.

Scarce, Scarred, But Never Scared

Click for the Readings: (14th Sunday of Ordinary Time)


“The harvest is great and the laborers are few.” There is a lack of priests, religious, missionaries to serve the whole Church. In my home parish, there are about 50,000 parishioners and there are two priests to serve them. The parish is subdivided into more than a hundred Basic Ecclesial Communities, each they ideally visit, celebrate mass with, and give formation sessions at least once a month. The scarcity of priests is a constant refrain.

But I suggest, Jesus did not only mean the 12 when he spoke of the scarcity of workers; he was sending the 72. He meant the whole of the Church. As he sent the 72, he also sends the whole Church. And in the whole of the world, the harvest is “great”, and the whole Church is but “few”. And could get fewer. There is as most of us could have learned a shifting tide in religion. The Christian population is diminishing where it used to be the foundation and the majority.

As the Lord sent the 72, he also sends all of us, into the world. He sends all of us to take on a more active witness of the Faith. He sends all of us to proclaim him to world – in our words and deeds, in what we preoccupy our thoughts with, what we say, what we do, and how we relate with other people. What is the message we are to proclaim? As Jesus instructed the disciples, it is a message of “peace”. To the world, we are to become ambassadors of peace. What is this peace? It is the peace that we have found in Christ, the peace of the Kingdom of God, the joy, fulfillment, completeness that is found in doing the will of God, no matter how difficult, no matter how challenging.

Active witness is bound to be challenging. To witness to the love and forgiveness of Christ amidst hostility and injury. To witness to the truth in the midst of lies. To witness to sacrifice in the midst of a pleasure seeking culture. To witness to simplicity in the midst of consumerism. To witness to humility in the midst of competition. To witness to purity in the midst of worldly temptation. Witnessing to Jesus, proclaiming the peace of Jesus entails confronting a world where contradicting values dominate. And we are sure to face opposition, we are sure to face difficulty. Jesus himself said to the 72, “I am sending you as sheep among wolves.” That is why the laborers are not only SCARCE. They are also SCARRED. As St. Paul says, the mark of a true witness of Christ is willingness to suffer for, with and in Christ.

Although SCARCE, and SCARRED, few and wounded, the 72, are not SCARED. When Jesus sent the 72, he told them to bring no money, no sack/bag, no sandals. They were only to bring themselves and Christ. Their very life was their witness, and Christ was their source of security. We are not scared to give witness because we have Christ. We can say no to hatred because we have Christ. We can say no to sin because we have Christ. Teens can say no to drugs and peer pressure because you have Christ. Married people can say yes to fidelity because you have Christ. Unmarried people can say yes to purity because you have Christ. We can say yes to honesty, integrity, service, because we have Christ. We can say yes to life because we have Christ. We can be the source of comfort and consolation that Isaiah spoke of, in a difficult and anxious world; we can be a source of joy, inspiration, encouragement, because we have Christ.

Like the 72, we are also sent by Jesus, to take an active witness of Christ in the world, right where we are and live. We are to preach Christ, not ourselves. Christ is the savior, not ourselves. And for us workers, Christ alone is the source of comfort and consolation, not ourselves, not even success. To have preached Christ is our goal. Mother Teresa of Calcutta was said to have been asked by some critics, “You take care of those old people, they still die, and you don’t change that.” In effect, they were saying, you are not successful. Her response was, “I didn’t know that I was supposed to be successful. I thought I was supposed to be faithful.” Her vocation was not to be successful, but to be faithful.

We, the laborers are scarce, few and little in the face of a great harvest. We are scarred, wounded, opposed, challenged. But we are not scared. We are sent, and we have Christ. We preach the peace that Christ alone can give. And our only boast is the Cross of Christ.

Interviewed

About two years ago, I got interviewed. I found it relevant to reread my responses to the questions. These give me a headstart in rediscovering my priesthood as the Year for Priests is about to end.


How did it feel entering your occupation?

Fulfilled. But it is not an occupation. I would rather refer to it as a vocation. In an occupation, the fulfillment would be professional gains, personal growth, monetary rewards. In a vocation, it is the inner peace of pursuing what one discerns as one’s unique calling in life. When I returned to the seminary to pursue priesthood, after two years off, I felt most fulfilled.

What still inspires you to stick with your occupation? Why?

I made a commitment, and for me, that is what keeps me in the vocation. There are of course tangible rewards, the support of family, friends, people I serve, but I hope that although these may all dwindle, the commitment I made to be faithful to the priesthood will keep me going. This is because priesthood is a calling and a gift, and also a personal response. I am not worthy to be a priest, but that God chose me to become one, is motive enough for me to be gratefully faithful.

How do you earn a living?

Priests do not actually earn a living. Life finds them.* The Archdiocese (the Local Church) supports me, providing lodging and food, and daily upkeep, as well as a modest but fair enough allowance for personal needs and social obligations.

(*On hindsight, I could have spiritualized the question. As an insight from experience though, I am deeply convinced that priesthood makes one amazingly grace-filled life. "Whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it." - Mt 16:25)

As a priest? What do you usually give importance to? Why?

It has to be service – to the Church and her mission especially to the most in need – those we refer to as the least, the lost and the last – the marginalized in various aspects.

Are there any risks in being a priest? How?

There are definitely many risks entailed in being a priest.

First of all, a priest is called to a life of solitude – to be able to live alone in total dedication to the Gospel, without a wife for a lifetime partner. The priest’s lifetime partner is the Church. Among others, there is then the risk of an uncertain future. Anxious questions also come to my mind – who will take care of me when I grow old? With whom will I share my twilight years? What if I get sick and invalid? What if I am no longer able to serve? What will happen in the future?

And of course, real and immediate are the risks of the mission. As priests, we are called to be prophets – to announce what is true, good and just and of course denounce and go against what is false, evil and unjust. And often our lives are put at the forefront of the struggle for a God-centered, just and humane social order. Often, the structures of sin resist confrontation, and the perpetrators of such would not hesitate to counter-attack.

The first risk is however part of the personal choice, made in faith. And the second, part of the mission we embraced, kept aflame with love.

"Do not TELL anybody..."

I wrote the following reflection for my My 3rd Ordination Anniversary Mass last December 5, 2008. The Gospel was from Mt 9: 27-31.


It is rather surprising to note that Jesus did not want the healed men to talk about the healing that they received. First of all, Jesus would need all the mileage that he could gain. His was a herculean mission of establishing the Kingdom of God, and he had only three years to do it. So, he is supposed to need all the exposure he could get. If those healed would speak about their healing, then his popularity would grow and as more people will be interested with him, more people would flock to him, and he would have opportunity to preach to them. Second, it was almost impossible for the two healed men to keep the healing to themselves – after all, they used to be blind but now can see. So how could they hide the fact that they had been healed miraculously? Likewise, how could they keep to themselves the joy of being healed?

I would like to believe though, that Jesus had reasons to do so. First, if we look closely at Jesus, we find that he did not want the men to talk about him healing them because he did not want to promote himself. He wanted to promote the work of the Father. He wanted to fulfill and promote the will of the Father, not himself as a wonder worker. For me as a priest, as I celebrate my anniversary, I am reminded that I am a priest not for myself but for him who called me to share in his mission. I have to be cautious that in my ministry, I do not point to myself, rather, that I should point to Christ. I am reminded not to seek praises for myself, to work and minister not for recognition or acceptance. I have to bear in mind, and always be conscious that all that I do should never be for me, but for the greater glory of God.

The same challenge is also for us. Let us do good things, not to seek our own glory. We do good because somebody has been so good to us, and we do good in response to this goodness. This leads us to our second reason as to why it was surprising for Jesus to have forbidden the men to spread the news about their healing.

Second, Jesus did not want the men to speak about their healing, I believe, is because he knew that there is something more that they should do, more than just spreading the word of their healing, and this is that they be grateful to him who healed them, by a life worthy of the gift that they have received. There was a young man who was drowning at the river. An elderly man jumped into the water and saved him. The young man was so thankful to the elderly man. He asked him how he could thank him. He could give him some cash, since his parents were rich. The elderly man refused. He told the young man, “Live your life well, and that would be enough to thank me. In that way, you prove that your life is worth saving.” Jesus wanted the men not only to talk about their gratitude, he wanted them to live their gratitude.

For me, this is a reminder that I have to live my priesthood right and fully, if I were to be truly grateful to God for this gift. It is not enough for me to mouth gratitude if I do not take care of my priesthood, and do my best to be faithful, to struggle to be faithful.

For us all, this is a reminder to live grateful lives – we have received so much, and the best thanksgiving we could give to our donor is a life that is well lived.

Wholeheartedly Thankful for Four Years

Today, I am four years old as a priest (December 5, 2005-2009). I was ordained priest by Archbishop Salgado four years ago at the San Juan de Sahagun Parish Church in Candon City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines for the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia.

Four years of grace.
Four years of blessing.
Four years of providence.

Four years of seeking.
Four years of hoping.
Four years of trusting.

Four years of striving.
Four years of giving.
Four years of growing.

Four years of service.
Four years of prayer.
Four years of witness.

Four years of joy.
Four years of inner peace.
Four years of fulfillment.

Four years of discipleship.
Four years of surrender.
Four years of priesthood.

For all that has been Lord, thank you.
For all that will be, your will be done.
I have not been worthy, never will be.
But I trust in your grace and mercy.
Please make me more and more, a shepherd after your own heart.

(I am celebrating a thanksgiving mass. All of my life and priesthood had been grace and blessing. I have nothing I can claim as my own, except for my shortcomings, which God has even made into avenues for grace through repentace and reform. I have everything else to thank God for. I will remember all who have been part of my life and priesthood with gratitude to God who has so richly blessed me with their persons. Foremost, I thank God for my Parents, Brothers and Sisters and the rest of the Family, Relatives and Friends through whom I encounter God, the Loving and Faithful most concretely. I thank God for Archbishop Ernesto Salgado, who ordained me a priest, and also for his fatherly concern for and confidence in his most unworthy priest. I thank God for the Presbyterium of Nueva Segovia with whom I share not only the priesthood of Christ for the Archdiocese, but with whom I share communion of life and mission. I pray for the faithful of the Archdiocese that we may continue on our journey towards the fullness of life. I especially pray for my ordination class whose friendship and ministry are an inspiration. I pray for the ICST community that we may be living traditions of integral priestly formation. I pray for all whom God has graciously deigned their lives to intersect and enrich my own. I pray for all of God’s people, for whom through God’s grace and mercy, I am a priest, servant, shepherd.)

Chancery Reminders: December

REMINDERS FROM THE CHANCERY
MONTH OF DECEMBER 2009

1, Tuesday: Advent Weekday (1), VIOLET

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. DAVID WILLIAM ANTONIO (ORDINATION, 1988)
REV. MARLON BELMONTE (ORDINATION, 2003)

2, Wednesday: Advent Weekday (1), VIOLET

ARCHBISHOP’S SCHEDULE:
Ilocano Bible Centennial Celebration
Baguio City

3, Thursday: St. Francis Xavier, priest. WHITE.

PATRONAL FEAST:
St. Francis Xavier Parish, Lungog, I. Sur
9 AM - Concelebrated Mass

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. REYNALDO REBEBES (BIRTHDAY, 1972)

4, Friday: Advent Weekday (1), VIOLET or m of St. John Damascene, priest, religious and doctor, WHITE.

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. CARLITO FERIA (ORDINATION, 2001)
REV. RUFO V. ABAYA (ORDINATION, 2006)
REV. CRISTETO A. CORTEZ (ORDINATION, 2006)

5, Saturday: Advent Weekday (1) VIOLET.

Archbishop’s Schedule:
St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral, Vigan City
9 AM – Confirmation

NECROLOGY:
1781 Fr. Fernando Balensuela
1857 Fr. Damaso Lazo

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. DANILO MARTINEZ (ORDINATION, 2003)
REV. WILLIE JONES DUCUSIN (ORDINATION, 2005)

6, Sunday : + SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT. VIOLET

SPECIAL COLLECTION: to be made in all masses for ICST

Archbishop’s Schedule:
AWRIS Christmas Gathering, Abbey Chapel, Fatima, Vigan City
11AM - Holy Mass

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. REX RILVERIA (ORDINATION, 2001)
REV. MICHAEL C. TANACIO (ORDINATION, 2006)

7, Monday: St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor. WHITE

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. ERWIN E. ECHALAS (BIRTHDAY, 1981)
REV. ERNESTO JUAREZ, JR. (ORDINATION, 2005)

8, Tuesday: SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY. PRINCIPAL PATRONESS OF THE PHILIPPINES. WHITE.

PATRONAL FEAST:
Immaculate Conception Parish, Sta. Cruz, I. Sur
8:30 AM - Concelebrated Mass

Immaculate Conception Parish, Quirino, I. Sur
4 PM - Concelebrated Mass

NECROLOGY:
1837 Bishop Francisco Alban, OP

9, Wednesday: Advent Weekday (2), VIOLET or St. Juan Diego, WHITE.

Clergy Advent Recollection - Aula de Nuestra Señora de Caridad
Archbishop’s Residence Compound, Vigan City

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. GLENDINO RAGSAG (ORDINATION, 1997)

NECROLOGY:
1856, Fr. Saturnino Mateo
1950, Fr. Andres Alcayaga
1983, Msgr. Osmundo Calip

10, Thursday: Advent Weekday (2), VIOLET.

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. MELCHOR REONAL (ORDINATION, 2003)
REV. RAMELLE J. RIGUNAY (ORDINATION, 2007)

11, Friday: Advent Weekday (2), VIOLET or m of St. Damasus I, pope, WHITE.
LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. ARNEL NOEL RAMOS (BIRTHDAY, 1970)
REV. RAYMUND ANCHETA (ORDINATION, 2001)

12, Saturday: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Philippines. WHITE.

PATRONAL FEAST:
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Sevilla, Sta. Cruz, I. Sur
9 AM - Concelebrated Mass

13, Sunday: + THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT. VIOLET OR ROSE.

SPECIAL COLLECTION: to be made in all masses for St. Peter’s Pence

PATRONAL FEAST:
St. Lucy Parish, Sta. Lucia, I. Sur
8:30 AM - Concelebrated Mass

St. Lucy Parish, Narvacan, I. Sur
4 PM - Concelebrated Mass

14, Monday: St. John of the Cross, priest and doctor. WHITE.

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. SHERWIN AQUINO (ORDINATION, 2005)
REV. BERNARDO GONZALES (ORDINATION, 2005)
REV. LESTER JOSEPH PLANA (ORDINATION, 2005)

15, Tuesday: Advent Weekday (3). VIOLET.

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. MARIO RAQUEPO (ORDINATION, 1979)
REV. ANTONIO RECLUSADO (BIRTHDAY, 1961; ORDINATION, 1987)

NECROLOGY:
1846 Fr. Egidio Abaya

AGUINALDO MASSES

16, Wednesday: Advent Weekday (3). VIOLET.
National Youth Day.

SPECIAL COLLECTION:
1st Misa de Gallo collection for IYM

NECROLOGY:
1807 Fr. Bernardo Montenegro
1814 Bishop Cayetano Pallas, OP

17, Thursday: Advent Weekday (3). VIOLET.

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. ANTHONY ROSARIO (ORDINATION,1990)
REV. CONSTATINO ATINAJA, JR. (ORDINATION, 1994)

18, Friday: Advent Weekday (3). VIOLET.

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. RENE ROSABIA(ORDINATION, 1991)
REV. PETER DUMAG (ORDINATION, 1992)
REV. REAN FREDERICK ENRIQUEZ (ORDINATION, 1993)
REV. RONILO VILLA (ORDINATION, 1995)

19, Saturday: Advent Weekday (3). VIOLET.

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. GERARDO ISABELO ANTOLIN (ORDINATION, 1990)
REV. JACK CABATU (ORDINATION, 1992)
REV. FLORENTINO ESCALONA (ORDINATION, 1994)

20, Sunday: + FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT. VIOLET

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. ARTHUR AMIAN (ORDINATION, 1989)
REV. RAYMUND ELLORIN (ORDINATION, 1991)

21, Monday: Advent Weekday (4). VIOLET, or m of St. Peter Canisius, priest and doctor, WHITE.

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. VIRGILIO CABACCANG (BIRTHDAY,1955)
REV. FERDINAND RAGASA (ORDINATION, 1990)
REV. COSMENIO ROSIMO, JR. (ORDINATION, 1991)
REV. MAR G. BARROGA (ORDINATION, 2002)

NECROLOGY:
1806 Fr. Christoval de Quintos
1992 Fr. Jose Tongson

22, Tuesday: Advent Weekday (4). VIOLET.

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. FELIX COSTALES (ORDINATION, 1989)
REV. JERRY AVISA (ORDINATION, 1992)

23, Wednesday: Advent Weekday (4). VIOLET.

LET US PRAY FOR
OUR ARCHBISHOP, THE MOST REV. ERNESTO SALGADO (PRESBYTERAL ORDINATION, 1961)
REV. ALBERT MANALO (ORDINATION, 1961)

24, Thursday: Advent Weekday (4). VIOLET.

Archbishop’s Schedule:
St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral, Vigan City
12 MN - Midnight Mass

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. GERMAN SOMERA (BIRTHDAY, 1969)

CHRISTMAS SEASON

25, Friday: + CHRISTMAS, SOLEMNITY OF THE LORD’S BIRTH. WHITE

Archbishop’s Schedule:
St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral, Vigan City
9 AM – Holy Mass

26, Saturday: Stephen, First Martyr. RED.

PATRONAL FEAST:
St. Stephen Proto-Martyr Parish, San Esteban, I. Sur.
9 AM – Concelebrated Mass

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. CONSTANTINO ATINAJA, JR. (BIRTHDAY, 1968)

27, Sunday: +FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY, WHITE.

Archbishop’s Schedule:
Parents of Priests’ Christmas Gathering
Aula de Nuestra Señora de Caridad
Archbishop’s Residence Compound, Vigan City
11 AM – Holy Mass

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. ETHEL AGAMATA (ORDINATION, 1989)

28, Monday: The Holy Innocents. RED.

Archbishop’s Schedule:
9 AM – Confirmation
Brgy. Panay, Magsingal, Ilocos Sur

29, Tuesday: FIFTH DAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS or m of St. Thomas Becket, bishop and martyr. WHITE.

LET US PRAY FOR:
REV. DAVID WILLIAM ANTONIO (BIRTHDAY, 1963)

30, Wednesday: SIXTH DAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS, WHITE.

Archbishop’s Schedule:
Santiago Town Fiesta
7:30 AM – Holy Mass

31, Thursday: SEVENTH DAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS or m of St. Sylvester I, pope. WHITE.

Archbishop’s Schedule:
St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral, Vigan City
9:30 PM – Holy Mass

LET US PRAY FOR OUR CONFRERE:
REV. GLENDINO RAGSAG (BIRTHDAY, 1969)

NECROLOGY:
1803 Bishop Agustin Pedro Blaquier, OP

Activities for JANUARY 2010:

January 4-5: Clergy New Year’s Gathering, Stella Maris, Pug-os, Cabugao, I. Sur
January 12: 54th Canonical Coronation of Apo Caridad, Bantay, I. Sur
January 15: Patronal Feast of Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Burgos, I. Sur
January 17: Patronal Feast of Holy Child of Prague Parish, Cervantes, I. Sur
January 23: Patronal Feast of St. Ildefonsus Parish, San Ildefonso I. Sur
January 25: Patronal Feast of Conversion of St. Paul, Vigan City
January 25-29: 2nd National Congress of the Clergy, Manila

Ang Bulag, Nakakakita at Mulat

Ika-tatlumpong Linggo ng Karaniwang Panahon (30th Sunday in OT, Year B, 2009)

1. Dumating si Jesus kasama ang kanyang mga alagad sa Jericho – pero hindi sila nanatili sa Jericho – gumayak sila at paalis na sila ng Jericho, patungo sila ng Jerusalem, patungo sa pagpapakasakit, pagkamatay at muling pagkabuhay ni Kristo

2. Mayroong isang bulag na nakaupo sa tabi ng daan na namamalimos – si Bartimeo (Anak ni Timeo). Narinig niyang naroon si Hesus na taga-Nazareth kaya sumigaw siya – “Hesus, Anak ni David, mahabag po kayo sa akin.”

a. Tumawag siya kay Hesus dahil siya ay may kailangan. At kailangang-kailangan niya ito. Kaya nga siya nagsusumigaw at ang kanyang pagsigaw ay may sinasabi – “mahabag po kayo sa akin” – “have PITY on me” (hindi lang awa, kundi habag)
b. Ganito rin po ba tayo? Kapag may kailangan tayo, talagang nagsusigaw tayo sa padarasal. Kapag may gusto tayong makamit, sunog kilay, banat buto talaga para makamit yung minimithi natin.

3. Pinagsabihan siya ng mga tao at pinatahimik

a. Yaong mga taong naroroon, sinusubukan nilang pakinggan ang mga sinasabi at itinuturo ni Hesus. Maraming tao kaya mahirap marinig, at sumabay pa itong bulag na ito na nagsusumigaw.
b. Pinatahimik ngayon nila si Bartimeo. Total, isa lang naman siyang bulag at namamalimos, akala nila hindi naman siya papansinin ni Hesus. Ang mas masaklap, ang pagpapapatahimik nila kay Bartimeo, ay para na ring pagpigil sa kanya upang makatagpo niya si Hesus.
c. Ganito rin po ba tayo? Sa ating buhay, mayroon po tayong mga taong isinasantabi? Hindi pinahahalagahan? Marahil dahil sa kanilang katayuan sa buhay, katandaan o kabataan, pinag-aralan, nakaraan o ano pa man. (People we take for granted – maybe because of their condition in life, status, past, age)
d. O ang mas masaklap, mayroon po ba tayong mga taong pinipigilang lumapit o mapalapit kay Hesus? Marahil dahil sa ating salita, o gawa? O dahil sa ating hindi sinasabi o ginagawa?

4. Kung gaano katindi ng pagpigil ng mga tao kay Bartimeo, lalo pa siyang nagsisisigaw

a. Hindi siya patatalo ng ganun ganun na lang. Gusto niya talagang mapansin ni Hesus.
b. Ganito rin po ba tayo? Itinutuloy pa rin ba nating maging mabuti at mabait kahit mahirap? Itinutuloy pa rin ba nating mapalapit kay Kristo kahit parang napakalayo niya? Itinutuloy pa rin ba nating magpakaKristiyano sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa kahit na maraming tumututol, pumipigil at nagpapahirap sa atin? Umaasa pa rin ba tayo sa pagkalinga nang Diyos kahit pakiramdam natin ay pinabayaan at kinalimutan na tayo? (Do we easily give up and quit? Do we keep on asking, hoping, trusting, loving?)

5. Narinig sya ni Hesus

a. Narinig siya ni Hesus. Tumigil siya sa paglalakad. Kung tumigil pala si Bartimeo sa pagtawag, maaring hindi siya narinig at nadaanan lang siya. Hindi pa niya nakakatagpo si Hesus. Hindi pa narinig, at mas lalong, hindi pa nakita. Pero ramdam ni Bartimeo na nariyan na si Hesus.
b. Ganito rin po ba tayo? Nakikilala po ba natin si Hesus kapag dumaraan siya sa ating buhay? Hinahayaan lang ba natin siyang dumaan? Madali lang hanapin si Hesus sa simbahan kung saan naroon ang Santisimo Sakramento. Pero naroon din si Hesus sa iba’t iba pang tao, bagay at pangyayari. Maari ngang iyong nagpapahirap sa iyo ay nagpaparating din ng mensahe ni Kristo – sumasamo na kaharapin mo siya bilang isang Kristiyano.

6. Pinatawag ni Hesus si Bartimeo. Ang mga taong kanina lang ay pumipigil sa kanya ay umaalalay na sa kanya at nagsasabing, “Lakasan mo ang iyong loob. Tumindig ka. Ipinapatawagka niya.”

a. Ganito rin ang ating pagkakakilala kay Hesus – ipinakilala siya sa atin ng ibang tao – magulang, pamilya, kamag-anak, kaibigan, guro, and simbahan, mga seminars, libro, palabas at marami pang ibang paraan. Marapat lang tayong magpasalamat sa mga taong nagpakilala sa atin sa Diyos, mga taong naglapit at naglalapit sa atin sa Diyos.
b. Tulad nila, ganon din po tayo? Marami ring nangangailangang marinig at makilala si Kristo. Tayong nakarinig at nakakilala kay Kristo ay tinatawag ding maging tagapagpakilala sa kanya. Mayroon bang hindi pa nalalapit kay Kristo sa ating pamilya? Mayroon bang hindi pa nakakarinig at nakakakilala kay Kristo sa ating pinagtatrabahuan? Ibinabahagi ba natin ang ating pagiging Kristyano? O mga tsismis lang tungkol sa ibang tao ang ibinabahagi natin?

7. Iwinaksi niya ang kanyang balabal, paluksong tumayo at lumapit kay Hesus.

May naaalala ba kayong nagmamadali ring lumapit din kay Hesus? Narinig natin sa Ebanghelio ng isang nakaraang lingo yaong mayamang lalaki na marahil ay nakadamit ng mamahalin at lumapit kay Hesus at nagtanong, “Ano ang maari kong gawin upang mapalapit ako sa Diyos?” Ngunit itong mayamang ito, umalis ng malungkot. Iba ang “ending” ng kwento natin ngayong araw na ito.

8. Tinanong siya ni Hesus, “Ano ang ibig mong gawin ko sa iyo?”

May naaalala ba kayong tinanong din ni Hesus ng ganito? Nuong nakaraang lingo, tinanong ito ni Hesus kay Santiago at Juan na humiling na sila ay gawin pangunahing ministro ni Hesus sa kanyang kaharian.

9. Ang sagot ni Bartimeo: “Guro, ibig ko po sanang makakita.” “Humayo ka; magaling ka na dahil sa iyong pananalig.”

a. Hiniling ni Bartimeo na siya ay makakita. At ang hinihingi niyang paningin ay hindi lamang pisikal na paningin, kundi ang pananaw ng pananampalataya – “not only physical sight, but the sight of faith”
b. Ganito rin po ba tayo? Hindi po tayo tulad ni Bartimeo na bulag sa pisikal na pagkabulay, ngunit maaring mayroon din tayong pagkabulag - maaring espitwal na pagkabulag. Bulag sa ating pagkakasala. Bulag sa pangangailangan ng ibang tao. Bulag sa pagsasamo ng ating kapwa. Bulag sa mga nangyayari sa kapaligiran. Bulag sa nararapat na patutunguhan ng ating buhay.
c. Ang sikreto daw po ng pagkakaroon ng katahimikan sa buhay ay yaong makita ang tunay na katuturan ng buhay. Kung hindi raw po nating iminumulat ang ating mga mata sa tunay na katuturan ng buhay, para tayong mga manok na naputulan ng ulo, patakbo-takbo, hindi alam kung saan patungo, hindi namamalayang paubos na pala ang kanyang dugo, hanggang bumagsak na lang itong wala nang buhay.

10. Nakakakita na si Bartimeo.

a. Ngayong nakakakita na si Bartimeo, nagkaaroon na hindi lang ng liwanag ang kanyang buhay, kundi nagkaaroon na rin ito ng direksiyon – ng patutunguhan. Ang sabi nila, ang hindi raw marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan, hindi makararating sa paroroonan. Ang maari naman nating idagdag, ang hindi mulat sa kanyang paroroonan ay walang kahihinatnan. “If we do not know our goal, we are going nowhere.”
b. Pagkatapos natanggap ni Bartimeo ang biyayang kanyang inaasam-asam, sumunod siya kay Hesus

Idulog natin sa Diyos ang ating mga pangangailan. Idulog din natin sa kanya ang ating mga pagkabulag. Hilingin nating pagtibayin niya tayo upang mamulat tayo, sa ating kapwa, sa ating sarili, sa ating patutunguhan, sa kanya na ating Diyos. At sa pagkamulat, sumunod kay Hesus – sa Jerusalem ng ating buhay kung saan mayroong araw-araw ng pagpapakasakit, pagkamatay, ngunit may inaasahang muling pagkabuhay. Amen.

Back

I have been out of the blogosphere for quite some time. For some reasons, I fell out - lack of time, juice, resolve and faithfulness. I am back. I hope to regularly get to this, and share stirrings and echoes that have come to me - as gentle breezes, gushing winds, calm waters, raging currents, troubling thoughts, silent reflections, and whatever that has disturbed, inspired, challenged, moved me.

I am now in the US. I arrived here last August 6. My Archbishop, Apo Erning, with the ICST seminary fathers sent me here for studies. I am deeply grateful for their confidence. I am also truly thankful to countless people who have encouraged me, supported me, pledged their prayers, and wished me well.

I have much to write about this. Wrting about it, I know will benefit me first. If it does something to you, thanks to the Eternal Stirring and Lingering Echo, the Spirit.

Do not look glum...

Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

‘And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

‘When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’

"Sshhh! Do not be too noisy. Do not laugh too loud. It is Lent."

As children, we have been often reprimanded for being too happy during Lent. The conventional understanding was, that when we have entered the Holy Season of Lent, we have to be austere and meditative in bearing and disposition. These are the days to be quiet and to in silence reflect on the sacrifices of the Lord Jesus. And if this is so for Lent, it is much more so during Holy Week, especially on Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

There is of course much truth in this.

The Season of Lent is a penitential season. The first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday (The Gospel we cited above is the reading of that day's Liturgy.) sets the penitential tone - we are marked with ashes, an Old Testament sign of contrition and sincere sorrow for our sins, with the words, "Turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel."

The Season calls for much reflection. We are to reflect on the great sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, and on our own personal struggles for a faithful Christian life.

The Season calls for us to be austere - to practice self-denial by fasting and abstinence. The Holy Father Benedict XVI in his Lenten Message in fact rediscovers the value of the discipline of Lent. He wrote,

It seems abundantly clear that fasting represents an important ascetical practice, a spiritual arm to do battle against every possible disordered attachment to ourselves. Freely chosen detachment from the pleasure of food and other material goods helps the disciple of Christ to control the appetites of nature, weakened by original sin, whose negative effects impact the entire human person.

The Season is a time to quiet down (read: slow down). We are called to be more cognizant of the presence of God in our lives, in our relationships, in our world. We are called to not be constantly subsumed by the busyness that we are constantly pushed to. We are called to stop, look, and listen. We are called to more consciously stop from our "full schedules" to have time for ourselves before God. We are called to unclutter our lives. We are to look into our lives and make sense of what is happening in us, with our lives, relationships, directions. We are called to pick up scattered pieces, fragments of our life and find some patterns. We are called to listen - to ourselves (Come to think of it, we often miss this, don't you think?), to others (Again, don't you think we miss this too?), and of course, to God (Yes, there is God.).

Amidst the call to contrition, reflection, self-denial and recollection though, we are called to be people of joy and hope. Our attitude amidst this discipline is one of a willing and joyful heart - willingly sacrifice and deny ourselves in loving response to God who has loved us first, and a joyful heart filled with hope that what the Lord has done - conquered sin and death, and triumphed in new life for all eternity - will also happen to us, that we will also share in the Resurrection, ultimately in the future, but beginning in our present life, relationships and world.

What is more, this motive of willingness and joy is trustworthy. We know and believe that the hope promised us will be ours.

Is this not a source of joy?

Happy Birthday, Mama Mary

Today, we celebrate the birth of the Holy Mother of God, Mary Immaculate.

From the earliest of time, we read from Genesis 3:15, God as he cursed the snake, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel." And all of Israel from then on waited for the birth of this man who will destroy the serpent – and of course, waiting for the woman to give birth to this promised savior.

At the appointed time, the woman who was to be the Mother of the Savior was born to her parents, Joachim and Anne. She was named Mary. Also in the appointed time, the woman was visited by an angel, whose announcement she lovingly accepted. And also in the appointed time, the woman, gave birth to a son, who was named Jesus. The rest, as they say is history – salvation history.

The birth of Mary brings us to reflect on our own birth and the life.

I would like to believe, as the Good Book attests to, that each of us is born for a specific purpose. In fact, the Good Book attests too, that God has called us even before we are born – we are dedicated to a unique and special role. Not that we are predetermined fatally, but that our birth is with purpose and it is our choice to fulfill that or otherwise.

It is pretty difficult to recognize and take hold of this purpose that God has for us, in the most concrete. This is evidenced by the difficulty many encounter in choosing a career, a profession, a state in life.

A little help from our enlightened peers might help. Frederick Buechner, an ordained Presbyterian minister once said, the place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.

Our quest for our purpose, or calling, if you want has two dimensions then – where we find our deepest gladness and the world’s deep hunger.

Our purpose in life which maybe manifested in a career, profession or state in life is first of all where we find our deepest gladness. The advice of many parents is proper – kung saan ka masaya, suportahan ta ka. Jesus said in the Gospel, where your heart is, there your treasure will be. In an increasingly financially difficult world, in an increasingly commercialized and secularized world, in a world where more and more the norm is material progress, this comes as a great challenge – does our choice of profession bring us deep personal joy, fulfillment and peace? Joy is not simply cheer. Fulfillment is not simply accomplishment. Peace is not simply security. Financial progress, career heights, a fat bank account, and accumulated wealth do not always bring deep, true, lingering gladness. The first measure then of our purpose in life is deep personal joy, fulfillment and peace.

Second, our purpose in life which maybe manifested in a career, profession or state in life is to be based, on the world’s deep hunger. Our purpose in life is not only for our selves, but also in response to the world’s deep hunger. Cliché as it may be, still it is true, no person is an island, no person stands alone, each person’s joy is my joy, each person’s grief is my own. Our pursuit for purpose, and for deep gladness should also take into consideration the world’s deepest need. The problem arises when in pursuit of personal happiness, a person closes his or her eyes to the suffering of other people. Worse, when in pursuit of personal happiness, a person causes the suffering of other people, even myriads of peoples. We are reminded, that our purpose in life is tied not only in our personal happiness, but in our contribution also to alleviating the poverty of the world, of quenching the deepest thirst of peoples, of filling the hungers of peoples.

The place God calls us to is the place where our deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.

May our commemoration of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary bless us.

From worry to hope...

A reflection for Sunday, August 10, 2008:

Why Worry?

There are only two things in life to worry about:

Whether you are well
or whether you are sick.

If you are well,
then there is nothing to worry about.

But if you are sick,
there are only two things to worry about:

Whether you are going to get well
or whether you are going to die.

If you get well,
then there is nothing to worry about.

But if you die,
there are only two things to worry about:

Whether you are going to go to heaven
or whether you are going to go to hell.

If you go to heaven,
then you have nothing to worry about.

But if you go to hell,
you'll be so busy shaking hands with all your friends,
that you won't have time to worry!

So, Why Worry?

(from a poster)

Come to think of it however, there are really a whole lot of things to worry about, be afraid of, be anxious about.

We worry about dwindling vocations. We worry about problematic priests, and religious. We worry about unbecoming church leaders. We worry about dwindling catholic participation. We worry about enrollment. We worry about a changing culture. We worry about problematic students. We worry about revenues. We are anxious of the future. We are anxious of the worsening global climate. We worry about the worsening politics. We worry about the shady deals of some government people with business interests, foreign nationals, and even rebels. We worry about food security, prices of commodities, and fuel cost. We worry about our personal health. We worry about strained relationships. We worry about family. We worry about our work and ministering. We worry about lack of time. We worry about various problems, difficulties and deficiencies.

There is enough, actually, a lot of things to worry about. And it would not be new if we find people, or even ourselves overwhelmed by these.

The disciples in today’s Gospel were definitely worried. They are at the middle of the sea, there was a storm, strong winds and waves were tossing the boat about. And Jesus was not with them. They might have been really frightened.

And then Jesus came walking on the water to them. And when he had gotten into the boat, the storm stopped, the winds and the waves became calm. The message is clear. The Christian is not to be perturbed by strong winds and raging waves of trials and difficulties. There is hope amidst the storm. Jesus is with us, he will never leave us. He will never forsake us. The Christian motive of hope is Christ himself.

There is a song, courtesy of the Jesuits Manoling Francisco and Johnny Go, entitled Far Greater Love. The song drives home the message of today’s Gospel episode.

*** **** ****

In between the storm of the lake and the fright of the apostles, and the stilling of the winds and waves, is an important episode. The disciples saw Jesus and they thought he was a ghost. And so they were all the more terrified – a storm, winds and waves and a ghost walking towards them. But Jesus introduced himself to them saying, “Do not be afraid, it is I.” Peter in his characteristic impulsiveness asked Jesus to call him and make him walk on the water if it was really him. The Lord called Peter and Peter walked on water. But when he saw the big waves and felt the strong winds, he was frightened and he began to sink.

We see here the fragility of belief. There is a potential of doubt even in the most sincere of believers, and there is a potential of belief even in the most stubborn of doubters.

This could also happen to us. Even when we think that we trust God, sometimes the big waves of circumstances and difficulties distract us. Sometimes our personal insecurities and deficiencies confuse us. Sometimes we lose sight of our hope, instead be overwhelmed by circumstance and engulfed by our limitations. When these times happen, we pray to have the courage and urgency of Peter, to cling to the Lord and plead, “Lord, save me.” And mabilis pa sa alas kwatro, the Lord will come to the rescue.

The call is for us not to allow circumstances to distract us, and our limitations to overwhelm us. We are to pin our hopes not in luck, or even in other people or ourselves. Instead, we look up to him who walks on water, who is above all chaos, and allow him to guide our lives.

But when we allow Jesus to guide us, we should not expect to have a comfy and smooth sailing. Expect the otherwise instead. Jesus does not promise to take the storms away. Life is never meant to be easy. Suffering is redemptive. Amidst the storm, we are to look for Jesus and let him in our boat. Walking to Jesus, we can walk on water even amidst strong winds and waves. And when we start sinking, let us be quick to ask the Lord’s help. A reflection of a friend is worth recalling here – we are far safer with Christ in a storm, than without Christ in the calm and quiet.

There are a lot of things to worry about. But we are not to be paralyzed by these, because we have the Lord Jesus with us. We are ruled by a love far greater than the troubles of this world and the limitations of our hearts. But the Lord will not take away all the troubles and difficulties. He instead assures us that he is with us.

With the Lord with us, is there room for worry? Why worry? Trust in the Lord and he will help you. (Proverbs 20:22)

Darnel and Wheat

One of the oldest and most baffling questions of man is the presence and prevalence of evil in the world. The parable of the darnel and the wheat (the parable, the explanation by Jesus)attests to this – in the world, there is both good and evil. But in the end, the good will triumph and the evil will be destroyed.

At first glance, this comes as a strong warning. True enough. We are called not to side with evil, and instead be with the good. In the Star Wars parlance, we are called not to side with the dark side, but to be with the light.

But more than a warning, the parable is a message of hope – that no matter how seemingly the evil triumphs now, it will not be so for all eternity. Goodness will eventually win. God will triumph over evil. There is a song by the Jesuit Music Ministry entitled “Far Greater Love”. The lyrics put it well: Who would have known it would be, a history so torn with wars, the sky, seems grayer in our hearts. Who would have known life would be such a mystery, but the world is turning still, and our hearts yearn and believe that something is greater than our hearts. The storms of life may shake our ground but a greater peace still dwells in our hearts. Fear no harm, we are ruled by a far greater love. We’re never alone. All else may go wrong, still there will be a love far greater than our hearts.

This is at the core of the second encyclical of Benedict XVI, SPE SALVE – On Christian Hope. The Pope reminds us that in hope we are saved. And this hope is no other than Jesus Christ. The Christian should then not be fazed by difficulty, nor crushed by the trials of life. The Christian should trust that Jesus has won eternal life for us, and that is our destiny. But the Pope takes this further – he reminds us that hope is not only an attitude or internal disposition. It is to be “performative”.

Our lives should mirror the hope of a better life, of the triumph of goodness, of eternal life. Our life should not be a submission to the forces of life, but to be a witness of a hopeful struggling to do good and to overcome evil.

In the face of evils, Christians may not be silent, may not be complacent. Definitely, it would be a herculean task – real difficult and enormous. But we cannot, may not and should not disregard this task. Our life should not be a submission to the forces of life, but to be a witness of a hopeful struggling to do good and to overcome evil.

We begin with ourselves. In the final analysis, all evils of the world are rooted in acts of individuals. Repeated, condoned and unchecked, they took root and became structures of sin.

The fundamental challenge for us is to look into ourselves, and to confront the evil in us. We are to be discerning of what is good and what is evil. We are to be careful not to support the scheming of the evil, or in our careless disregard, be perpetuators of evil as well. We are to be, as the Gospel tells us, “innocent like doves, but smart like serpents” (Mt 10, 16). We should never be overconfident. We are to be always cautious. The Apostle Peter warns us, “Be sober and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, solid in your faith.” (1 Peter 5, 8-9)

There is a story about an old man giving an advice to his grandson. The old man told his grandson, “There are in each one of us two wolves struggling against each other – one good, the other evil.” The grandson anxiously asked, “Grandpa, who will prevail?” The reply came, “The one you feed.”

The words of St. Paul are a fitting reminder: Do not let evil defeat you. Instead, conquer evil with good. (Rom 12, 21)