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Year A
(2007-2008)

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27th Ordinary Sunday (Readings: Is 5:1-7; Phil 4: 6-9; Mt 21: 33-43)

Jesus, in today's Gospel, tell the chief priests and elders a parable taken from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, which was our first reading.  It is a rather obvious reference to the Jewish people, which his audience fully understood.  He refers to the numerous times, since the very first covenant between God and Abraham, that the Chosen people have turned away from God to sin.  Moses and all the Prophets time after time called the Jewish nation back to God, called on them to repent and mend their ways.  But again and again, they fell back into their sinful ways.  Then God, just like the owner of the vineyard, sent his Son, Jesus, hoping that they would "respect my son."  But Jesus knows that he will suffer the same fate as the son of the vineyard owner - death. 

Jesus then asks them what they think will happen to the murderers.  They give the right answer - "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death."  But they still don't get it.  They are the wretched men.  They are the ones who are rejecting the Son of God.  Jesus says, "Didn't you ever read scripture?"  "Don't you get it?"  Jesus is the cornerstone being rejected by the builders, the Chosen people of the House of Israel.  He concludes by telling them that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from the House of Israel and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 

    That's us!  By our Baptism into Christ we have become the Chosen people, the People of God.  Jesus created a new covenant between humanity and God through himself.  By our Baptism we become sons and daughters of God, sisters and brothers of Jesus and heirs to the Kingdom of God.  Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God calls all people to Himself.  He pours out His love and favor on all.  All that He asks in return is that we open our hearts to receive that Divine love and grace. 

    Notice though, that Jesus tells the chief priests and elders that while the Kingdom will be given to another people, it is a people who will produce the fruit of that Kingdom.  This is not a gift without responsibility and response on our part.  Jesus calls us to make the Kingdom come here and now.  As followers of Christ and people of the New Covenant, we have a responsibility to make Christ present in our world.  The fruit of the Kingdom is, as Jesus commanded us, to love God totally and our neighbor as ourselves.  But, just like the Jewish people, we too fall over and over again into sin.  Through the merits of his death and resurrection, over and over again he forgives us and calls us back to Him.  He calls us to bear the fruit of the Kingdom.

    We live in a world of violence, hatred, prejudice and bigotry.  We see all around us suffering and want.  We see injustice and poverty, lack of hope in a better future for so many.  What are we, as followers of Christ, doing about it?

   St. Paul, in the second reading, tells us to keep on doing what we have learned and received and heard and seen.  We know what should be done.  If we don't, then we better find out!  This is what God expects of each one of us.  God gave each and every one of us specific talents and He expects us to use them for the good of all.  Each one of us was put on this Earth by God for a reason.  We need to discern what that reason is and then do it, use those talents.  If we do, St. Paul assures us, "The God of peace will be with you."

    This week as we go about our daily tasks, let's keep in our mind the words of the Alleluia verse sung before the proclamation of the Gospel today.  "I have chosen you from the world, says the Lord, to go and bear fruit that will remain".

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25th Ordinary Sunday: Is 55:6-9; Phil 1:20-24, 27; Mt 20:1-6

MONEY, ENVY, & GOD'S GENEROSITY 

Why many relationships & friendships failed or broke up? Why couples fight sometimes and many ended in divorce? Why good friends & also close relatives would become bitter enemies? Why are there labor unrests? Aside maybe from other reasons, the obvious reasons to all these are: grumbling/complaining about money, jealousy or envy for people who seem to have more, & not being contented of God’s gifts to us. Thus, 3 points summed up Jesus’ parable in today’s Gospel: Money, Envy & God’s Generosity.

First, money. Jesus’ parable is a story of labor unrest because of money. Greed for money triggered the workers who were hired in the morning when they complained & protested that they were paid the same wage as those hired in the afternoon. “A gross injustice! That’s unfair!” they complained.

Actually, the issue here is not about the practice of justice or injustice, or about fairness or unfairness.

The issue is the vast difference of human beings’ thoughts & ways compared to God’s thoughts & ways. The Lord made it clear in the 1st Reading when He said: “my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are not your ways” (Is 55:8). And He added, as “heavens are as high above earth so high are my ways above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts.”

What are God’s thoughts/ways as revealed by Jesus in today’s parable? They are God’s unlimited & unconditional kindness, mercy and generosity, much more than any human being can be.

And what are human beings’ thoughts & ways that prevent us from seeing, understanding & imitating God’s kindness, mercy, forgiveness & generosity? We mentioned already: Love of money and the problem in attitude which is JEALOUSY / ENVY & that of not appreciating God’s given blessings we already have.

In the pursuit of money, we have a capitalistic mind that have been oriented in merit system or reward-based economy that says, “You get what you deserve.   Nothing comes free.  You want something?  Work for it. People should be paid for what they are worth.” So we think that God too will act in the same way towards us.

Second is ENVY. Envy also drives the first workers to complain/grumble. Like them, we grumble because we feel envious of the good fortunes of others who care nothing about God while we who work hard, trying to be good are lagging behind. We may claim to be better off morally, yet they are better off than us financially, socially, & in every natural way.

Envy/jealousy/covetousness never brings us true happiness, contentment & peace of mind & heart, like those workers.

What then should be the best attitude? Simply this: Instead of complaining to God & being envious at what gifts others have, we should count our numerous blessings and be grateful to God for those blessings we possess. More importantly, we should compensate what we lack by improving & excelling in those we already have.

I really like that saying w/c goes: “I was always complaining that I have no shoes, until I saw somebody who has no feet.”

Third, GOD’S GENEROSITY, which is the gist/essence of this Sunday’s Gospel.

“Are you envious because I am generous?” God’s generosity utterly transcends human generosity. God’s generosity implies that the skills, talents, or the blessings we have received are gifts and not deserved, not rewards.

Therefore, unless we do not rethink and change our ideas of fairness and come to accept God’s ways of being so generous, kind and merciful, we will never stop carping, grumbling & being envious like the workers in Christ’s story, & we will never rise from our adversities & deficiencies.

After all, we are all late-comers in the vineyard of the Lord, but for Christ there are no “first & last” for those who are trying their best to imitate God’s kindness and generosity.

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Feast: TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS (Num 21:4-9; Phil 2:6-11; Jn 3:13-17)

 

  There is a popular expression and a song that goes, “I’d do anything for you….” It is used as part of a marriage proposal, but some couples don’t mean it seriously for life.

 The expression, I’d do anything for you was far closer to reality when you held your babies. People will do anything for their children because they love them so much. That might mean working two jobs, and saving all you can for their college.

 There are few limits to what you would do for your children. Even when you choose some “me time” it is basically to help you be a better Mom or Dad.

 The way you all fell about your children when you say, “I’d do anything for them,” gives us a faint ideas of how God feels about us.

 He’d do anything for us. And he did.

 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son so that all who believe in him might not perish but may have eternal life. John 3:16

 God gave his Son to us as a complete Gift. He was completely ours to treasure, to find the Father through, or, sadly, to ignore and even to put to death.

 And human beings did put Jesus to death in the most horrible way possible, execution through the torture that was crucifixion.

 Today we celebrate this special feast, the Exultation of the Holy Cross. The Son joined the Father’s love in doing anything for us. The feast is the exultation of the cross because it is a demand that we recognize that his symbol of death & misery has become a way of life & victory.

 Jesus’ death on the cross restored our capacity to have eternal life. The power of the cross is that, on the Cross Life Destroyed Death, & Love destroyed hate.

 This is totally counter cultural. Our culture asks us to accept the absurdity that physical might, military superpower, & financial strength are the signs of a powerful nation or a powerful person. But who were the most powerful people of the last century? Perhaps you might think of Hitler, Stalin, Marcos (Phils.), Saddam, & others.

 Two of the most powerful people of the last century were both poor & were lovers of all that is right & just: Mahatma Ghandi & Blessed Mother Theresa. Ghandi shamed the mighty British Empire into giving India independence. Blessed Mother Theresa shamed us all into recognizing our responsibility towards the poorest of the poor. We also should add the great Pope, the late John Paul II to those who conquer through the cross. JP II’s life demonstrated the Power of the Cross.

 This feast, the Triumph of the Cross, reminds us of why we wear or should wear a cross. We should never wear a cross as a piece of jewelry, even if we wear a gold cross. We should wear a cross as a sign that we are committed to Christ’s way, the way of sacrificial love. We should wear a cross as a sign that our ideal is to choose that which brings love into the world regardless of the personal cost. Love & love alone defeats hatred and, ultimately, death.

 We should wear a cross as a personal reminder that even when the cost of one of our sacrifices seems terribly high & even when we can not see & may not see the good that has come from the sacrifice, we still have the faith that the power of the Cross, the power of Sacrificial Love will prevail.

 We should wear the cross as a sign of our commitment to a living faith & our hope that even if we die, as we probably will, we still share the eternal of God.

 We should wear the cross as a statement to ourselves & to others. The statement is simple: this is how God loved the world.

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 23rd Sunday in Oedinary Time (Ez 33:7-9; Rom 13:8-10; Mt 18:18-20)

LOVE Is Genuine Concern For Others

Love. What a beautiful topic/theme of my first Sunday Mass with you as we are celebrating the mystery of Christ’s love – the Eucharist. “What is true Love?”

Love can be expressed & understood in many ways, sometimes confusing & even distorted. But let us take only one definition of love & reflect on it – the kind of love Jesus presented in today’s Gospel & emphasized by St. Paul in the 2^nd Reading. That is, LOVE IS GENUINE CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF OTHERS. Or simply: LOVE is GENUINE CONCERN.

Examples: (1) There was once a manager in an office who had been drinking & smoking heavily. Everybody was talking, even snickering, behind his back. Because he was the boss, nobody would dare broach the problem to his attention. He was heading over the precipice. Until one day a guy mustered enough courage to approach him. Instead of talking about him, he dared talk TO him. “Sir, we’ve observed that you’re drinking & smoking too much,” he began. “Don’t you see you’re killing yourself? If you don’t stop, you’ll destroy yourself, your career, your family & us.”

Somehow that jolted him to his senses; it proved to be a “shock therapy.” Embarrassed & remorseful, the manager took the painful steps to rehabilitate himself. He joined the Alcoholic Anonymous, & learned to kick off no only his drinking habit but even his smoking. He had changed because someone had the guts to stand up to him.

(2) A man was seen constantly w/ another woman who’s not his wife. His friends gossiped, talked, even joked as he drifted to extramarital affair. Poor guy, his marriage broke up. All the friends could say was, “I could see it coming for a long time,” but they never moved a finger to call his attention. Do they love him as their friend? No! Because they didn’t show any act of concern for him to become better Christian.

Many of us have the notion that loving someone means always agreeing or not hurting his/her feelings. But true love & friendship also means criticizing and disagreeing when a loved one goes off the right path because you are deeply concern.

And because you are deeply concern, sometimes the best service or help you can do to a person you love is to criticize or disagree w/ him/her when s/he is not doing right. We give constructive criticism to prevent molehills of problems into becoming mountains, or minor repairs into becoming major ones.

Christ in today’s Gospel says, “If your brother sins against you, go & show him his fault” (Mt 18:15). Thus, in teaching us about responsibility for others, Christ says that part of loving concern is to correct the faults of others.

In the 1^st Rdg, the Lord warned prophet Ezekiel that if he does not correct or warn people to renounce their sinful ways, He, the Lord, will hold him responsible….

“If you do not warn the wicked to renounce his ways, then he shall die for his sin, but I will hold you responsible for his death” (Ez 33:8). This warning was meant not only to Ezekiel but also to us & those who neglect their Christian responsibility to help another person to move away from evil ways.

Fraternal correction is necessary to “warn” another person ‘to renounce his/her wicked ways.’ The Gospel message teaches us, however, that when we have to correct people, like a spouse, a child, a friend, a co-worker, a boss, it should not be harsh & oppressive, but in a gentle manner & in the spirit of charity & concern. As the writer Frank Clark puts it, “Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots.” 

Christ warns: “Keep it between the two of you.” In effect, He is saying: ‘keep you mouth shut if you don’t have something good to say about the other person. Don’t ever gossip.’

To be concern, it is not easy to speak out. But it is usually better to risk having a friction & solve a problem, rather than allow it to fester till it explodes (like a volcano!) or pushes the couple farther & farther away, & the next thing they talk about is divorce.

When we correct others out of genuine concern because we love them, we have to be ready & humble enough to be corrected or criticized in return, simply because none of us is perfect. And because none of us is perfect we all need fraternal corrections. That is what I like you to do – disagree & criticize me in a positive way if/when you see/think I’m doing something not right.

Finally, inspired by Christ’s message to love with genuine concern, St. Paul in the 2^nd Reading says that when we love other people we must carry our obligations – especially our obligation to fulfill the commandments as he summarized “in this single command: YOU MUST LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” that is: ‘You must have a loving concern for the welfare of your neighbor, of others as you have a loving concern for yourself.’ LOVE IS GENUINE CONCERN.

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 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Jer 20:7-9; Rom 12:1-2; Mt 16:21-27)

 THREE REQUIREMENTS

3 requirements for following Christ we just heard from Him this Sunday’s Gospel. What are they?           

 He said, “Whoever whishes to come after me must, number one, RENOUNCE HIMSELF; number two, TAKE UP HIS CROSS; & number three, FOLLOW ME.” Let’s try to have a clear understanding of what Jesus meant by these three requirements.

 The 1^st requirement: “Renounce himself” or herself, or what we call ‘self-renunciation’ or ‘self-denial’. We always hear this word self-renunciation from the spiritual talks, from homilies, recollections or retreats. But how do some people apply it? Only partially. For example, during the days of Holy Week, some people would say, “Now that this a time of fasting & abstinence, I will deny myself of meat; I will deny myself of drinking too much wine or beer or of some sticks of cigarettes.” But then, after Holy Week, back to same old ways.

 For Christ, self-renunciation is CONSTANT - a constant opportunity to die to self in little ways everyday in 365 days a year – to die to our pride, to our selfishness, to our lust for pleasure & power, to our excessive drinking, eating, smoking, to drug addiction, gambling & gossiping. This is what Jesus meant in the Gospel when he also talked about losing life, but gaining life in the process. Because for Him, self-denial is death to self w/c, in fact, the entrance to a higher life.

 There is a sure backlash whenever we choose evil over good/divine will. Yes, we lose our name, our peace of mind, our values, our character, and even our souls. As Jesus said: "What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and ruins his life?" Hence, self-renunciation is, that I say NO to myself, in order to say YES to Christ, for only Him “will reward each one according to his/her behavior.”

The 2^nd requirement of Christ is: “Take up his cross.” As Christians we know what the “cross” is all about. It symbolizes sacrifices & sufferings – sufferings which are inevitable or brought by natural calamities & inflicted pains caused by people or by our own doing.

 When Jesus said, “Take up your cross”, in effect, He is saying to us, ‘But as Christians, if you wish to be followers of mine, you have to embrace the INEVITABLE & INFLICTED sufferings, the way I humbly did.’

 But like Peter ‘judging by man’s standards’ we, as humans, have the tendency to choose the easy way out. We try to avoid the difficult way of sacrifices & sufferings if possible, as clearly expressed by Peter but condemned by Jesus as something satanic, “Get behind me, Satan!... the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.”

 The 3^rd & final requirement is, “And follow me.” You might ask me, “Father, if I practice self-renunciation, if I take up my cross, isn’t it, automatically, I am already following Christ?” No. Not automatically & not necessarily. Why? Because you might be doing the good thing but with the wrong motive.

 For instance, I say to myself, “Now that I’m ordained to the Priesthood, I will do all my best in exercising my priestly ministry; I will perform with dedication & sacrifice all my pastoral works & activities.” That’s great! What I am doing as priest is wonderful! Very sublime!

But then, if I have wrong reason/s for doing my obligations, like saying to myself: “So that I become popular! So that the parishioners will believe in me! So that they will praise & appreciate me or sympathize with me! So that they will like me and invite me to their houses! And so that they will not forget me!”

 You see? With these motives, I cannot say that what I am doing is in order to follow Christ. I am actually promoting not Christ, but myself. I must just even be fulfilling my “need to be needed, my need to be praised or appreciated.” Although, of course, we priests need to be appreciated sometimes as you, parishioners, need to be appreciated by your priests.

Our good work, our generous act, or our great sacrifice is NOT a way of following Christ if accompanied with selfish-motive!

 Hence, for Jesus, renouncing ourselves constantly, carrying our cross daily in the right spirit or with the right motive, makes us His true followers and will surely merit us eternal life. In the words of St. Paul: “If you suffer w/ Christ, you will also rise with Him.” 

And, in the today’s Second Reading St. Paul gives us how we live our faith in conformity to Christ’s 3 requirements:

"I beg you through the mercy of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God…. Do not conform to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind so that you might judge what is God's will, what is good, pleasing and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2).

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 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Is 22:19-23; Rom 11:33-36; Mt 16:13-20)

Why Peter?

 Nicknames are given to people to describe one of their characteristics. That’s why we call some people “Shorty”, “Curly-topped”, “Skinny”, or something to that effect. When Jesus called Simon “Rock”, he was implying that he was solid & firm, like something suitable for a foundation.

 Actually it is quite surprising that Jesus gave this unlikely nickname to Simon. For Peter was everything but rock-like, solid & firm. He was so weak that he did not only abandon, but denied his Master.

 Peter’s weakness is likewise highlighted in the story – w/c was later made into a movie – entitled “Quo Vadis” (a Latin word for ‘Where are you going?’). According to the story, when the persecution of the early Christians broke out in Rome, Peter developed cold feet, & tried to flee leaving behind those courageous/gallant Christians to suffer & be fed to the lions for public spectacles.

 As Peter sneak out thru the Via Appia, he allegedly met Jesus walking in the opposite direction. Surprised, he asked the Lord, “Where are you going?” (Quo Vadis?). Jesus replied, “To Rome…to be crucified again.”

 This hit Peter like a thunderbolt. It dawned on him, albeit embarrassing, that if he must follow Christ, he must face the cross as his Master had done not too long ago. Thus, he returned to Rome and, like Christ, he was crucified – but in upside down position because he deemed himself unworthy to be crucified like Jesus.

 When I was in Rome, I learned that a church called “Quo Vadis” was erected to mark the legendary spot where Peter supposedly met Christ. What’s more interesting is the fact that just across it is a restaurant (“ristorante”). The Apocryphal story goes that after meeting the Lord, the scared, indecisive Peter had to take a few shots (of wine) in there to steady his nerves, muster enough courage to return to Rome & “face the music”. Thus, the “ristorante” – and its name? “Quo Vadis!”

But why is it that Jesus chose Simon to be the solid, firm foundation of His Church & leader of His disciples?

 If love and loyalty were the basis for leadership, it would have gone to John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” But Jesus chose Peter. He did it not because of the character of his strength, but the strength of his faith. Deep down Peter knew himself to be weak & imperfect, hence he was convinced that his total security could only come from a power greater than his own, God’s power.

 Peter’s story illustrates how the Lord entrusted the Church He founded in the hands of the imperfect humans. The history of the Church buffeted by internal dissent & confusion from the early centuries right down to our own times, has proven Christ’s words: “And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18).

 There were numerous popes & religious leaders who were paragons or models of virtues, but there were also some if not many church leaders who were totally devoid of the right qualifications to lead because of their misconduct that caused great scandals. But thru it all, the good & the bad, the Church has withstood the torrents, the tsunami or violent storms that have threatened it because it’s founded on rock.

 For all the humanness of Peter, we poor mortals who have our own faults or human weaknesses, can identify with him. Like the bungling or incompetent Peter, we too can rise from our human weakness w/ the help of a higher power, w/ the help of Christ, and with God as our security.

 God knows that in spite of our own faults & human weaknesses, like Peter, not as solid & firm as a rock, what matters to Him is our personal & persistent faith we put in Christ, His Beloved Son. Thus, the crucial question for each of us: Who is Christ for me? Is He the Son of the Living God for me? And if so, how does this belief affect the way I live that I may have a strong foundation?

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20^th Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Is 56:1, 6-7; Rom 11:13-15, 29-32; Mtrt 15:21-28)

 Story: One day, it seems, a certain curious person in heaven asked St. Peter, “Are Christians only welcome in heaven?” St Peter replied: “No, there are no Christians in heaven.” St Peter goes on: “Heaven is not meant for any particular group of people. Here, there is no distinction between Hindus, Muslims or Christians for all are welcome in heaven.”

That’s the lesson & message of the three Readings this Sunday. There Are No "Foreigners" in the Reign of God. Heaven is not meant for any particular group of people. For Heaven is open to all those whose faith in the Lord is personal, persistent and practiced daily, especially in the service of others.

In the 1^st Rdng, God did tell His chosen people, “Foreigners who have attached themselves to the Lord to serve him & love his name & be his servants… - these I will bring to my holy mountain…” And referring to the Temple in Jerusalem which was a symbol of heaven for the Jews, God said, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples” (Is 56:7).

Thus Jesus, in response to the “great faith” of a Canaanite woman, healed her daughter (Mt 15:28) & she became one of His disciples. Although in the first place, Jesus appears to be cold, even callous to her, & insulting her as a woman belonging to the race of “dogs”.

The Israelites looked down upon the Canaanites as foreigners, pagans, and outcasts. We have people today with the same prejudice.

Following his Master, we heard of St. Paul in the 2^nd Rdng who became ‘an apostle to the Gentiles (foreigners or pagans) & took pride in that service’, even ‘arousing envy’ in his own people. (Rom 11:13).

In fact, we ourselves feel envious of the faith w/c the gentile Canaanite woman put in Christ & are compelled to ask ourselves whether our Christian faith is as good as hers. Two things we can learn from her.

(1) Hers was a personal faith: when she cried out, all the disciples went to Christ and entreated him, “Send her away” (Mt 15:23), but the Lord put them off, & when the woman herself personally cried out begging for this favor, He granted it, saying, “Let it be as you desire” (Let your wish be granted) (v.28). Is our faith personal?

(2) Hers was a persistent faith: nothing could discourage her. She first met a wall of silence, but kept asking; then she met a rebuff, but she threw herself at the feet of Jesus & she was rewarded. How persevering is our faith? An old, familiar saying goes, “If at first you don’t succeed, try & try again.”

In our faith-relationship w/ God, sometimes our prayers seem to fall on deaf ears. We should remember, however, that prayer begins w/ the risk of asking or entrusting ourselves to silence, uncertainty & even rebuff. We shouldn’t be discouraged and, as in the example of that Canaanite woman, our perseverance will be rewarded.

What can we do to strengthen our faith? Faith is like a muscle; the more we exercise our muscle, the stronger it grows. So how can we exercise our faith to strengthen it, to make it more personal, alive & persevering?

There are many ways like: attending RCIA, going to Sunday Mass & receiving the Eucharist, taking up the habit of daily prayer, religious readings, attending spiritual recollection/retreats, etc. But there is one way to exercise our faith that seems to be especially powerful & that is the way of loving service. Jesus Christ does not exclude anyone from God's love and mercy; and loving service is the expression of our faith with Heaven as a reward. Loving service calls us not to discriminate against anyone by reason of race, color, religion, economic or social status.

 So, Heaven is open to all those whose faith in Christ is personal, persistent, cheerful and practiced daily, especially in the service of others. God does not discriminate against anyone. He welcomes all who believe in him & do his will.

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19th Ordinary Sunday (1 Kg 19:9, 11-13; Rom 9:1-5; Mtt 14:22-23)

Who can we turn to?

In today's Gospel (Mt. 14, 22-33) Jesus teaches us to turn to prayer as He himself did whenever He was under pressure by the crowd. Prayer, solitude and silence can help us find our bearings and strength, especially when our batteries are already low and in need of recharging.

More so, we need to turn to God in prayer when we are tossed about by waves that threaten our very lives. Who do you turn to, what do you turn to when problems overwhelm you?

When you walk through a storm, where do you seek refuge? Some stay put, and some fly away (literally, to another country!). Flight does not solve the problem. One may seek refuge in drugs, alcohol and other worldly pleasures, but the problem is just postponed and may even be compounded.

One can gather a thousand lieutenants, advisers, PR handlers to fix the problem, but they can only do so much. At the end of the day, the only road one must take is the road that leads to God's heart, and the way to walk it is on one's knees.

Full of faith Peter chooses to take a bold step to join Jesus…. But then he falters. He gets distracted by the wind & the waves, fear gets the better of him, & he forgets that Jesus is still there with him.

As he begins to sink, Peter looks up to Jesus and cries out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus does just that: he reaches out & catches Peter.

God wills that we get out of patterns of living that are not life-giving. But God never demands the impossible. Jesus comes to us, in the middle of the storm & calls us to step out to him.

The moment we falter He reaches out to us & catches us. And keeping our eyes on Him, we can walk unperturbed / undisturbed.

Peter’s example tells us that stepping out of the wind-tossed boat into the stormy unknown may be frightening & dangerous. But it may often be the one option that will lead us to wholeness & joy, to Jesus & salvation.

"Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." How consoling to hear these words of Jesus, especially these days when there's so much turmoil, noise, debates, media blitz, focused on half-truths and blatant lies.   In the midst of all these, it is a consoling thought to know that God is still at the controls….

“Take courage… Do not be afraid.” It is easy to succumb to the temptation to be too comfortable with ourselves & our situation. But when we choose to step out, take a risk, & focus our attention on Jesus (our Emmanuel, God-with-us) rather than on the fear that holds us back, we will find ourselves in amazing places.

An investor who is focused on becoming rich, takes all the risks, w/c the majority fear, will attain financial freedom. An athlete who is focused on obtaining an Olympic gold medal, doing extra efforts in his/her practices will surely get it. So is a Christian who is focused on Jesus with courage, not on the fear of the threatening waves, will attain salvation.

A moment with the Lord: Lord, when we are buffeted by waves or strong wind and we start to sink, help us to turn to you in prayer, penance and good deeds. Amen.

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 18th Ordinary Sunday

He Gives Us All We Need
(Readings: Is 55:1-3; Rom 8:35, 37-39; Mtt 14:13-21)

THE STORY is told about a little boy who was asked to say a prayer before the evening meal. The boy looked at the food, then proceeded to eat. When his parents asked why he didn't pray, the boy answered: "I already prayed for this food at lunchtime. These are leftovers!"

In today's Gospel (Mt. 4, 13-21) Jesus said the prayer five loaves and two fish, fed the crowd of 5,000 men, after which they had lots of leftover food. It was more than a miracle. Jesus showed that the real miracle in that gathering was the miracle of sharing or of generosity - that if people share, there will be enough for everyone.

As mentioned in the three other Gospel, the marvelous generosity of the little boy, who, with his gift of five loaves & two fish, made the miracle possible. From the little boy we see that a small amount, a small sacrifice done out of love can become big when placed in the hands of the Lord.

This miracle is also about unity/union with Jesus. United with Jesus the disciples had plenty of what the people needed.

When we go to the Lord in prayer or in the Eucharist and nurture our union with Him, He feeds us and provides us with all that we need to feed the hungry, those who are searching for meaning in life, those who are searching for Him.

Sharing or generosity is not always about giving things. More often it is about giving of ourselves, of our times, our gifts. Giving things can be easy, but giving of oneself is never easy.

Accepting an assignment, for instance, to another Parish or mission somewhere is not that easy, considering the sacrifice of detaching yourself from your friends & comfortable environment you’ve been used to; and then make major adjustments to the new environment, peoples, & culture in another place. However, union with Jesus makes it possible in such a situation.

United with Christ, He provides so much that it is normal for us to be strengthened by the holiness of those whom we have fed. You parents are often edified by your children. Priests often receive experiences of holiness from their parishioners. That is the lovely cycle of Christian holiness.

We heard from the first reading from Isaiah 55. “Come to the water, all you who are thirsty. Heed me and you shall eat well.” 

Sure, we often feel outnumbered. We are proclaiming a radical lifestyle to a world that has deified selfishness. Our college students are proclaiming Jesus to classmates who mock the spiritual. Our adults deal every day with work mates and neighbors who have neither concept of nor desire for spirituality. The media glorifies the scandalous and mocks the religious as we have seen & heard during the World Youth Day.

We are a minority. But we are strong. We are powerful. We have the Power of Jesus Christ. Nothing can & will stop us as long as we remain united with Him. As St. Paul said to the Romans in the second reading:

“What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us….”

Sisters and brothers, when we have Christ & remain united with Him, we have plenty, plenty for ourselves and plenty for others. 

Let’s treasure the Special Meal, the Eucharist, always aware that it is through the Sacrificial Love of Christ on the Cross that the world is being fed, that we’re strengthened and inspired to give more of ourselves.

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17th Ordinary Sunday (1 Kg 3:5, 7-12; Rom 8:28-30; Mtt 13:44-52)

THE SUMMUM BONUM

In Christian philosophy there is a something called summum bonum or the supreme good. The summum bonum is believed to be not just the best thing one could ever have but also that good which contains in itself or brings along with it all other good and desirable things, that which completely satisfies the otherwise insatiable desires of the human heart.

Today’s readings invite us to ask ourselves this important question: Among all the things I desire in life, what is the one desire of my life that once found will bring all my other legitimate desires in its train?

The gospel calls this ultimate desire of the human heart “the kingdom of God.” “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt 6:33). The kingdom of God is God’s reign in our hearts, in our lives, in our homes, in our society, and in our world.

The one who finds the kingdom of God finds everything desirable besides. That is why it is compared to hidden treasure in a field which a man finds, then goes and sells all that he has and buys the field. Or a precious pearl which a merchant finds, then goes and sells everything he has and buy this one pearl. In fact, these parables invite us not only to seek first the kingdom of God but to seek only the kingdom because with the kingdom of God comes every other good thing that we desire and long for.

Solomon in the first reading is a good illustration…. As a young king Solomon had many legitimate needs. He needed wealth, military might, fame, security, prosperity, long life and happiness. But when God asked him to ask for one thing, he asked for the summum bonnum, wisdom from above. He knew that with wisdom comes every other good thing he needed and desired. And God confirmed his choice in these words:

Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind…. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. (1 Kings 3:11-13)

What then is wisdom?  It is the power to judge rightly. It is the ability to take all our values in life, put them in proper order, then make correct judgments about them, based on the higher values. 

Solomon knew that of all the decisions he would be called on to make, none could be more important than judging right from wrong, for when we make such judgments, we are putting in first place the kingdom of God; we are buying a treasure of great worth; we are purchasing a pearl of great price.  

If God comes in your dream tonight and ask you to ask for one thing and one thing only, what would you ask for? Would you ask for wealth or success in business or love life? Would you have the wisdom of Solomon to ask for the reign of God in your personal and business life? Is the kingdom of God so important to you that you are prepared to part with unnecessary stuffs or desires you have in order to have it?

Remember, the kingdom of God is not just one among so many other good and desirable things. It is the summum bonum, the supreme good, the one and only good thing we shall ever need to achieve total satisfaction and fulfillment in life.

If you have the kingdom of God you have everything and if you don’t have the kingdom of God you have nothing.

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16th Ordinary Sunday (Wisd 12:13, 16-19; Rom 8:26-27; Mtt 13:24-43) 

This is the kind of a parable that can leave us with the thought, "So, what does that mean to me? I don't sow/plant weeds or wheat, so I'm not included in the message.”

That's not really true. Jesus is not only talking about seeds of grain. There are many different types of seeds..... seeds of doubt, seeds of evil, seeds of bad thoughts & feelings, or seeds of sin, and many others.

There may be other people who are sowing "bad seeds" in your life.

Young & old, all of us are vulnerable because our modern society is encouraging us to ignore the Church teachings or judgments and make our own judgments. As a result we see what is happening: divorce, broken families, gambling, pornography and all sorts of "bad seeds" are being planted all around us.

We may say, "Wait a minute. The gospel tells us to wait until the harvest and then remove the weeds." That may be a fine theory in agriculture but we all know that in our society, the longer we wait to get rid of the "seeds" of sin, the more apt we are to suffer grave consequences. Listen to the words of Jesus, "The wages of sin is death!!!"

Yes, DEATH!!!! Allowing the weeds to grow in our lives could mean the death of a relationship with family or friends. It could be a death of your education and your progress toward your career.  It could also lead to the "death" of a relationship with someone you might have someday married. And, in some instances of drugs and alcohol it could literally lead to one's own death.

Those of us who are older also face problems by allowing the "weeds" to creep into our lives and our marriages. Again, alcohol, drugs, pornography and gambling are "weeds' that can ruin one's life.

Everything Jesus taught and everything He preached was for the benefit of those who would hear Him. Some listened to Him and walked away, just as there are some who can not listen to what He is saying to us each Sunday here at Mass.

We may listen to His words and think, "That doesn't apply to me! That's old fashioned. No one can make me do something I don't want to do!"

And that's true. Whether we are a teenager, a young adult, middle aged or a senior citizen, we have to make up our own minds. No one can live our lives for us. We all can recognize the "weeds" in our behavior. And, if we are to be truly happy, we have to get rid of them or our personal "harvest" will not be fruitful.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, is a loving God and He is a fair God but he is also a just God. What will happen to those of us who don't listen & keep His words or commandments?

"The Son of God will send His angels and they will collect out of His kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.  They will throw them into a fiery furnace. Then the righteous will shine like the Son in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear! "

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15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Where is the Seed Being Thrown?
(Readings: Wis 12:13, 16-19; rom 8:26-27; Mtt 13:24-43)

The Divine Sower is throwing seed. And not a few seeds. He is pouring out his Word upon us. We’ve got to do something more than just let the seed hit the ground. We’ve got to be good soil. We have to nourish the Word of God. We have to let it take root and grow.

It simply is not enough just to hear the Word of God. We have to let it grow within us to such an extent that we are covered in its foliage. It is simply not enough to go to Church. We have to be Church. It is not enough to read the Bible. We have to be People of the Word.

So we hear the words: Love one another. That’s nice. And that’s useless. Useless unless we are able to look at that person in our family, whose life has become the bane of our existence and make up our minds that we are going to end the vicious cycle of sarcasm, of silence, of nastiness, and maybe even of hatred. Let the Word of God take root and grow.

We need to pray for that father who avoids us, and look for ways that he might enjoy our presence. We need to pray for the mother who snaps at us, and find a way to ease her burdens and fears. We need to pray for that child who is both hurting and hurtful. We have to refuse to let him/her destroy himself or destroy us. Instead, we rebuild him with encouragement & re-enforcement. 

It is not enough for the Word of God to be scattered into a home. It must take root. When it is nurtured by our prayers, and cared for with our charity, it will grow.

This is where St. Paul comes in. He says in the second reading, “I consider the sufferings of the present nothing compared to the glory to be revealed to us.” Maybe this appears to be one of those lost statements. Something that we shelve until a crisis hits us. Wrong. To be a Christian is to accept suffering and accept the challenge of the Cross. It is a challenge and it is suffering for us to swallow our pride…. That’s not easy. But that is how the Word of God will take root and grow.

The Divine Sower throws his Word on us to look with love and compassion on all the people in the world. We live under the constant threat of terrorism. Have any of us prayed for the terrorists, prayed that they see that their actions are only destroying themselves? Let’s be honest. 

It is hard to pray for them. In fact, it is suffering; particularly if you know someone who has been killed or hurt by terrorists or who has been sent to fight radical Islam. But we have to pray for them. And that hurts. Still, the sufferings of this present life are nothing compared to the Glory that is to be revealed to us.

The Divine Sower is throwing seeds. But how can his Word take root & grow when it is thrown into a society that condones immorality, even supports immorality, in the name of freedom and political correctness?

Pornography, even in the name of art, is destroying our society. Men are treating women like objects, not like people of love. Women are letting it happen, even joining in, in the name of liberation. It takes courage and suffering to stand up against a society that has placed marriage as the step that comes after living together.

People don’t want to hear this. They mock us. They treat us with disgust and disdain. But the sufferings of this present life are nothing compared to the Glory that is to be revealed to us.

“Lord come and heal the pains of our lives, of our world” we pray. And He gives us what we need. He gives us His Word. But the Word is a seed. What are we going to do with it?

Today we pray for the courage to be good soil.

14th Sunday...  Bridge Over Troubled Waters (Zech 9:9-10; Rom 8:9, 11-13; Mt 11;25-30)

Today, a lot of problems beset us – from rising price of Petrol to rocketing prices of commodities to rice problems in the eating rice countries to natural calamities like drought, strong typhoons, earthquakes to violence compounded by political, religious, personal and family problems. Indeed these are trying moments. The words of Jesus Christ this Sunday are, therefore, very timely & consoling: “Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will give you rest” (Mtt 11:28). Experiencing weariness & finding life burdensome are part & parcel of human life... (1) There is the ordinary fatigue we feel from hard work – the kind nurses & doctors, cooks, secretaries, teachers, laborers feel after a hard day or week. Thus the saying, accompanied with a sigh relief: “Thank God, it’s Friday.” (2) Then there is the extreme kind of weariness bordering on severe depression & even suicide. From time to time we read in newspapers young & old people committing suicides because of their acute depression about lingering illness, unresolved broken relationships, mounting bills, bankrupt business, addictions to drug & alcohol problems, & so on. In the U.S. did you know that the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco has been the scene of more than 600 suicides? I was informed that the Harbour Bridge in Sydney was also the scene of many suicides before that’s why they put a special fence. For these people life has become meaningless & living doesn’t seem worthwhile anymore. Just as there are different degrees of weariness, so there are different kinds of burdens.... (1)  There is the ordinary burden of RESPONSIBILITY that comes with being a parent, teacher, manager, minister, or leader. (2) Then there is the burden of being sick, handicapped, widowed, single parent or separated. (3) There are also the burdens we bear in looking after others, like taking care of a retarded child, a crippled spouse or senile parents. Jesus, often described as a friend who is “gracious & merciful, slow to anger & of great compassion” may, in contemporary parlance, be called “bridge over troubled waters.” He teaches us to cultivate RELINGUISHMENT, the ability to “let go” of our anxieties & to put ourselves in God’s hands. Too often we allow our worries & anxieties to overcome us instead of we overcoming them. We are so used to depending on ourselves that we leave no room for God’s working in our life. I can appreciate the blessings of the present & be grateful for them because I am acknowledging my dependence on God whom I know is always with me, for my life’s fulfillment. Of course, this dependence should not be an abdication of personal responsibility. When Christ said on the Sermon on the Mount, “Don’t worry,” he did not mean “Don’t work.” Or as the writer J.C. Holland puts it: “God gives every bird its food, but he does not throw it into the nest.” So, as much as we ought to depend on God for our daily needs, so must we work hard, doing our part best & let God do the rest. There are some people who work hard & become wealthy or successful & who feel proud of their so-called “my accomplishments.” But, for us Christians, working hard to success includes learning hard from Jesus to be “gentle & humble in heart.”

PENTECOST Sunday & Mother's Day
Readings: Acts 2:1-11; Ro1 Cor 12:3-7; John 20:19-23.

There was a comedy show on T.V., a wife opened the front door and, behold, her mother-in-law was on the front porch, asking, "Can I stay here for a few days?" "Of course, you can stay there," was her response, and then she shut the door.

This Pentecost Sunday we also celebrate Mother’s Day. “Peace be with you,” was the greeting of our Lord to His disciples. You know why there is no peace not only in some but in many families? One of the main reasons is: because there are children who shut the door on their mothers.

How many mothers are snubbed, forgotten or are taken for granted by their children? Worse, how many mothers are hurt by their children?

One time an elderly woman came to me, crying and telling me that, perhaps, it was better for her to die already so that she would not be a burden to her children anymore. She went on to say that her children hardly called or visited her, and if ever they did, all she heard were their complaints, their miseries and their never-ending squabbles and quarrels among themselves. I’ve heard & encountered many similar cases.

The greatest pain for any mother is to know that her children will not be all right and will not have peace with each other after she is gone. A mother does not need much to be happy.

All she needs is love and assurance from her children, her "little ones." Have you called, have you visited, have you hugged your mother lately? Better do it now, before it's too late. It was too late for me….

My mother was about 60 years old when she died. It was painful for me not to have talked and hugged her before she got sick and died. I was in 2^nd year college in the Seminary, more than 600 kilometers away from her, when I received the sad news. There was a strong typhoon that time which causes mudslides & erosions on the road that delays my trip to see her body. When I arrived after two weeks her body was already buried 5 feet below the ground.

Anyhow, I still hold in my heart many lessons I learned from her. I remember most as a boy was her constant admonition to be strong, to value hard work, to endure, to be patient and God-fearing….

The important role and presence of a loving & caring mother to her children & to her family is, somehow or in anyway, like the very important role and presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church, forming and uniting us always as one big family, or as the Body of Christ.

In today's Gospel (Jn. 20, 19-23), the Lord gives His Holy Spirit to His disciples, along with His greeting "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” You know why we don't have peace in our hearts? You know why there is no peace in many families, in some countries, and in the world? That's because we shut the door on the Holy Spirit.

Too bad many of us belittle, take for granted - if not altogether ignore - the Holy Spirit and not make use of His many different gifts made available for each of us to perform our mission.

The 3 readings have a common message: that the disciples received the Holy Spirit, they were empowered to work together & sent forth. But what about us? We receive the Holy Spirit at baptism and confirmation. Through the Holy Spirit, we have all been given, as St. Paul says, “different kinds of spiritual gifts,” through which we can perform “different forms of service” “for good purpose,” & for the good of all.

St. Paul made a clear analogy when he says that our bodies are composed of many parts w/ different functions and that all of them are required for the body to work together correctly.

As members & important parts of the body of Christ, the Church, each of us is needed to make our parish work as God intends. The Holy Spirit gives us individual gifts to help build up the body of Christ.

Our challenge is to answer the question: Are we active parts of the Body of Christ? If not, the Body of Christ is not working as well as it could. If not, our parish is not doing all that Christ calls it to do.

So, let us not shut the door on our mothers whose only concern is to see us at peace, happy & living a good life; and let us not shut the door on the Holy Spirit who is empowering us to make use of our spiritual gifts which are intended to love & serve the Lord especially in our Parish community, a part of the Body of Christ.

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Feast of the Lord's Ascension
Readings: Acts 1:1-11; Eph 1:17-23; Mathtt 28:16-20.

 

 Loneliness and the Presence  

Ronald Rolheiser in his book The Restless Heart: Finding our Spiritual in Times of Loneliness, wrote: “No person has ever walked our earth and been free from the pains of loneliness. Rich and poor, wise and ignorant, faith-filled and agnostic, healthy and unhealthy have all alike had to face and struggle with its potentially paralyzing grip. It has granted no one immunities. To be [part of being] human is to be lonely.” He goes on saying that today people in the West experience it with greater intensity than ever before.

Jesus knows this human reality, of what is to be lonely or alone. He has to give the best answer or solution to it, which is the most reassuring words of Scripture: “Know that I am with you always until the end of time.”

It is not just the disciples who felt alone when the Lord left them and Ascended to the Father. Even the busiest of Moms with a house full of children and an attentive husband feels alone in the world. How can anyone understand her fears, her struggles, her upset? Everyone compliments her, but no one realizes how tired she is. She can talk to her mother, but her mother only says it will pass. She might as well talk to the wall.

That attentive and dutiful husband likewise feels overwhelmed with his responsibilities to the present and future of his family. He doesn’t want to burden his wife. She doesn’t fully understand his fear. He can try talking to his friends, but they all have quick answers without any solutions to the real problems of life. He also feels so alone.

Even the most pious senior who says three rosaries a day and is crowded with his loved ones… feels very alone in the world. How can he tell them that he is afraid to die? How can he tell them that he is afraid to spend the rest of his remaining years at the Nursing Home, doing nothing, seldom be visited by relations & friends, & feeling alone?

Mothers, husbands, grandpa’s and grandma’s take comfort with Christ’s,  “Know that I am with you always….”

For teenagers it is even worse. As they enter into maturity, their first experiences of rejection, of defeat, of questioning all they were taught as children, convince them that no one understands them. Every teenager thinks that he or she is alone. Every teenager is convinced that their experiences have never been felt by anyone else.

When the teenager says, “You don’t know what it is like to be in love, Mom and Dad,” he or she is projecting onto the world a feeling that is new to him or her. Although we might chuckle at the statement, the truth is that none of us know the feelings inside the Teen. He or she is truthful in feeling alone.

Even our little children, often feel very alone. How many times has the four year old climbed into Mommy and Daddy’s bed because she or he could not bear the feeling of being alone? How many times has the school age child wanted to go with Mom or Dad to the store just to be with him or her to combat the loneliness of life? The pain is greatly felt by orphaned children or children with divorced parents.

Teenagers, children, take the words of Jesus & trust Him as your Big Brother who is telling you: “Know that I am with you always until the end of days.”

Priests and Religious also feel alone not only sometimes…. When my Military Bishop told me just after my ordination, “Prepare yourself in a few weeks… to take further studies in Rome,” I was shocked. “Why me?” In short, it was a period of dilemmas for me. Shall I leave my country which I love so much & where I have so many friends & people that I like & who likes me? To Italy with a completely different language & culture? Partly, I realized these are questions of fear of being alone or lonely in foreign lands.

The answer came to me in the forms of questions also: “Is God not enough for you? If God is not enough for you, then who exactly is the God whom you believe in & in whom you have your confidence & to whom you give your life?” (Anastasios, Orthodox Archbishop of Tirona).  With that I put my trust in Christ’s words: “Know that I am with you always…”

Jesus knows what it is like to be alone. Jesus, one of us, the one who died deserted by all, felt the loss of his Father’s Presence and cried out, “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?” He experienced the human feeling of loneliness. So it is not just the disciples who felt alone on the mountain of the Ascension.

“Know that I am with you always until the end of days.” I don’t think that there are any more reassuring words of Scripture than those. In fact the name he is given in this same Gospel is Emmanuel, God with Us. Jesus is with us. He never leaves us alone.  

He didn’t ascend into heaven to leave us. He entered into the dimension of the spiritual so we could experience his presence in our spirits, our souls, and bring his presence to the world. (Fr. Joe Pelligrino)

So as Jesus commanded His disciples, "Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you,” we, too, have a mission to go out to preach through our lives, and when we think we are alone, we need to realize that Jesus is closer to us than ever before. “Know that I am with you always….”

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6th Sunday Easter: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; 1 Pet 3:15-18; John 14:15-21.

                                           IF YOU LOVE ME, OBEY

ONCE a little boy approached his mother and said: "Mama, what are the 10 Commandments?"
"Those are the commands of God to us," the mother replied.

"Mama, you’re higher than God." The mother was startled and asked: "Why?"
"Because He has only 10 commands but you have more commands!" he said.

In the gospel message for this 6th Sunday of Easter, Jesus talks about His commandments. He says to his disciples, "If you love Me, you will obey/keep My commandments."

It is like a mother telling her child, "If you love me, do as I tell you."

Jesus makes it clear that if we really love him we will keep his commandments. He doesn’t make the mistake that many people make, of reducing love to a feeling, to a form of sentiment. There are children, young & old, who claim to love their parents, but they disappoint them and even break their hearts because they refuse to obey the most reasonable demands. They have feeling of affection, but they don’t follow through.

[2 weeks ago one mother approached me and said, ‘please pray for my 16 year old daughter. She is going with her friends who are taking drugs. She doesn’t concentrate on her studies; she stopped going to Mass. I’m trying my best as a mother but she doesn’t listen to me….’]

How much pain is inflicted on parents by disobedient children who refuse to study, who go with the wrong crowd or friends, who disregard religious or moral values or who destroy the parent’s good name? These are forms of disobedience; they are failures to observe the requirements of real love.

When Jesus says we must keep his commandments, he’s not just telling us to observe a bunch of rules and regulations. You can’t reduce the Christian life, or any true religion, to a list of do’s and don’ts.

The Pharisees tried that, and it didn’t work. They ended up with a rigid, stifling religion. But there is a place for rules: the Ten Commandments are a good start. They tell us to worship God, to respect parents, to respect life, to be sexually responsible, and to be truthful and honest.

Sometimes these commandments are hard to obey; they occasionally call for courage, unselfishness, and sacrifice. These are the tests of real love.

But the Commandments are not only demanding; they are also sometimes unclear. “Thou shalt not kill” sounds simple enough, but is it? How does it apply to abortion…to war…to stem cell research…to capital punishment?

These are not always easy questions. Sometimes good people can and do disagree. So Jesus doesn’t leave us orphans trying to figure it out all by ourselves. He sends us the Holy Spirit to guide and help us. He calls him “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept.”

By “the world” he means those people who either don’t believe in God or refuse to pay attention to God. Religion plays no serious part in their lives; they simply try to impose their views on reality. Their favorite word is “choice,” which they think takes care of everything. But exercising one’s freedom of “choice” not enlightened by faith, or not being guided by the Spirit makes oneself or a person above God’s law or commandments.

Such kind of person is like a drunken driver who ignores the traffic signs – "Danger Ahead," "Slow Down," "No Overtaking…Curve Ahead" and so on?

Once we believe that we are above God’s commandments, we become life threatening, whether it be thru abortion, the death penalty for a criminal, the waging of war or the oppression of the weaker ones.

But we are not like that; & we should not be like that; we admit our need, our limitation and we look to the Spirit for guidance as we try to know Christ’s commandments, to keep them, and thus prove our love for him.

Fr. Benjamin Earl, OP, wrote: “…life in the spirit of the Gospel law is firmly based on love for the real person of Jesus & the following of His concrete commandments. If we neglect Jesus or His commandments, we are part of ‘the world’ w/c cannot receive the ‘Spirit of truth.’”

Finally, keeping Jesus’ commandments is not only a test of our real love for him, but we also continue to remain in his love so that his joy will be in us and that our joy will be complete:

He this in John 15:10-11: “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I kept my Father’s commandments & remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy might be in you & your joy might be complete.”

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Fifth Sunday Easter: Acts 6:1-7; 1 Pet 2:4-9; John 14:1-12.

                           Precious in the Eyes of the Lord

Intro: [Get a dollar bill…show them…how much? If I crumple/crush/trample it… does its value/worth diminish…? Still the value is $20 bill, isn’t it…? That’s how precious we’re to the Lord.]

Though we may be crumpled/crushed by our problems, hardships or old age, or although we may feel so down or so low as the consequence of bad treatments by others who took advantaged of us, reject, discriminate & looked down upon us, or as the result may be of our own stupidity, sinfulness and self-destructive actions, our precious dignity as children of God whom He love so much still and always remains. What does St. Peter says about our dignity in our Second Reading this Sunday….  

We are called living cornerstones of the Church, built into a holy priesthood. We are called a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people the Lord claims for his own to proclaim the glorious works of the one who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.

We are precious in the eyes of the Lord. We are invaluable. We are cherished. We are highly esteemed. We are loved. Why? Does God love us so much because of something or other that we have done? Why are we so precious?

Well, why do you, why do we love our children? Why are our children so precious to us? Is it because of what they do? I don't think so. Sure, there are many times that you are proud of your children's accomplishments. But you love them even without their accomplishments. When you first held them as infants you could not believe you had so much love in you. Yet, the baby did not do anything. 

Why, then did you love that baby? Why do you love your children? You love them for whom they are, not for what they do. Your child is your love for your spouse, now a unique person loving you back. You see God's love in your child. You see a reflection of God's beauty in your child.

Why does God love us? Why are we so precious to Him? He loves us for whom we are, unique reflections of His love in the world. He loves us because he sees in each of us the love He has for his Son, Jesus. He loves us because each of us carries on the life of Jesus in the world.

Jesus is the rock that has been rejected by the world but has become the cornerstone of the New World. We are the living cornerstones. The Church is the building of the spirit of God. Jesus is the great high priest who was rejected by the status quo and thrown out of the Temple, crucified outside the city. 

We are the holy priesthood, people carrying on the priestly presence of the Lord making God present to others and others present to God. Jesus is the Light for the World, the one who dispels the darkness of sin. We are the light of the world – those who are called to bring hope and light to a world living in fear and darkness.

We are precious to God because He sees his Son at work in us.

Therefore, we have to be aware and attune to our dignity as children of God. We have to treat ourselves and each other with the respect a child of God deserves.

Out of respect for myself, out of respect for yourself, out of respect for the dignity that God has given us in calling us to be children of God, out of respect for the precious image of his Son that you and I have been called to bring to the world, we have to avoid those self destructive inhuman selfish acts that always result to the person’s lost of his/her self respect.. We have to convince ourselves that it is just beneath our dignity to do this or that.

We are precious to the Lord. We carry the image of his Son within us and among us. We have to hold our heads up through the muck of society. We have to have enough self respect to avoid degrading ourselves by giving in to what everyone else says is acceptable in this modern day but what we know is unacceptable in any day.

We are precious to God & He love us because he not only sent his Son to invite us, to welcome us, but also to a place/room for each of us in his Father’s house or heavenly mansion. Jesus said & promised: “There are many rooms in my Father’s house… I’m going there to prepare a place for each of you… I’ll come back & take you with me. Then we’ll be together.”

So, we have to stand tall with the Lord. For we are the Church, we are the royal priesthood, we are the people whom God has chosen to bring light to all who live in darkness, & we are His precious children whom His Son promised a place or rooms in His heavenly home, provided we follow Him, “the Way, the Truth, & the Life.” May the choices we make in life be only those that reflect the dignity we have been gifted with by the Lord of life. 

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Fouth Sunday Easter; Readings: Acts 2:14,36-41; 1 Pet 2:20-25; Jn 10:1-10.

                                                  THE GOOD SHEPHERD

There was this story of a priest who lost his direction. He approached the gasoline boy: “Hey kid! Could you help me please. Seems I have lost my way. Could you tell me the way to St. Michael & St. John Cathedral?”

Boy: What would you do there?

Priest: I’m a priest, you know. The parishioners invited me to give a talk.

Boy: And what will you tell them?

Priest: (Irritated). Well, I’ll… teach them the way to heaven.

Boy: (Grinning). I don’t think they’ll believe you, Father. How can you teach them the way to heaven; you don’t even know the way to the church.

Too bad, there are some priests, as there are some leaders, parents, teachers who somehow lost focus and are misleading many faithful, many children or students because they themselves are not good shepherds; they themselves are not entering the right “Gate” or the true “Way” that is Christ Himself the Good Shepherd; they do not listen to His voice. 

Jesus made it very clear in today’s Gospel parable: “I am the gate of the sheepfold… Anyone who enters thru me will be saved.” Jesus is the real shepherd of the sheep; He is the door thru w/c all His flock will enter His sheepfold – the Church, and whoever enters thru Him will be saved, or will be on the way to eternal life, life abundantly w/o limit or life to the full.

We are Christ’s sheep or flock & with Christ as our “good shepherd” who is sincerely interested in the true welfare of His flock we have reason to rejoice. And Jesus said that anyone who does not enter the sheepfold thru the gate, that is, thru Him, but in another way is a thief & a robber, those who do not obey or follow Him.

Through Baptism, we surely are fortunate to belong to the sheepfold of Christ – His Church. We surely are blessed to have the Son of God as our Shepherd, who came among us as the “door” or “Way” leading us to heaven.

We entered the sheepfold of Christ – the Church thru the Sacrament of Baptism, but Baptism does not automatically guarantee our entrance to heaven, not even our first Communion, or our wedding or our perfect record for Sunday Mass.

The Sacraments are necessary for salvation, however, we are basically saved to the extend we receive Christ. Meaning, it is our acceptance of Jesus as our shepherd, our obedience to His voice, our willingness to be led by Him, & our imitation of His generosity that open the gate of His Kingdom. He once said, it’s a “narrow gate,” not easy & wide gate.

If we reject His teachings, we reject Him as our Shepherd, & we cannot enter. People who disregard the sacredness of marriage or faithfulness to duty, sometimes justify themselves, saying: God will understand. Surely, God is truly merciful & forgiving, but He does not consent to evil & does not cover it up.

It does not seem reasonable or logical for a person to demand the reception of Holy communion while refusing to get married in the Church as Christ wants it.... If Christ means so much to him that he wants to be one in communion w/ Him, then Christ should be allowed to be part of the unity of husband & wife too. That’s why the church is reminding live-in partners to refrain first from receiving communion.

Being close to Jesus provides the attention of a loving & caring shepherd. Maybe one of the couple does not like Jesus to be the door of his life because getting married means closing the door on any other partner, & he is maybe thinking only of a temporary arrangement till a better partner shows up.

Refusing Christ to be part of the unity in marriage life or covenant is refusing the gate to the future happiness not only of husband, & wife but of the children because Christ brings a love that is faithful & lasting. Happy married people are themselves good shepherds who constantly listen & obey Christ’s voice & imitate His generosity, & thus providing proper education & guidance for their children’s Christian upbringing.

“I am the gate. Anyone who enters thru me will be safe; he will go freely in & out…”           Christ, the good shepherd & as the gate does not impose, He respects our freedom; He only opens the gate, shows us the way. He appeals to our faith for He cannot lead us when we get stuck in indifference or stubborn refusal. Like the reaction to His parable in the Gospel, if we are unwilling to listen to Him, we do not understand or realize what He is trying to tell us.

Jesus, the gate, says: “I am the Way, the Truth & the Life.” So all people must pass thru Him for nobody else can save people. Does this mean no salvation outside Christianity? Is somebody who does not accept Jesus as Lord  & Savior condemned? Jesus revealed a God of mercy who does not condemn anybody when there is no guilt. True enough, Jesus is the only Savior, yet every person will be judged according to the light he received.

“The sheep follow because they know his voice,” the voice of Christ, the Good Shepherd. ‘In a world thirsting for direction and guidance,… in a world now ruled by the swiftly changing winds of technology, globalization & promotion of the “culture of death,” what kind of voice/s are we listening to and following?

Jesus Christ assures all as He promised: “Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.”  Anyone, therefore, who has communion with Him and follows Him is sure of belonging to God’s flock and shares in the salvation for which Jesus is the gate.

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Third Sunday Easter. Readings: Acts 2:14, 22-33; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Luke 24:13-35

                             WALKING WITH JESUS ON HIS ROAD TO ETERNAL LIFE

The great victories in our life are won when we wanted to run away/give up, but faced instead the job, task or mission to be done.

The Gospel reading today says the two disciples “were on their way” to Emmaus, walking away from Jerusalem. The two had lived w/ great expectations. They had believed in Jesus whole-heartedly, but their dream had collapsed. Jerusalem had become a place of tragedy & they abandoned it, their faces downcast.

Sometimes, we also face major disappointments: a friend who betrayed us, a spouse who gives us more worry & problems than joy or a son/daughter who keeps giving headaches/ heartaches, shattering our dreams. Such unexpected turn of events may stun us & we may decide not to go on any longer w/ our generous efforts.

Frustrations may change the whole course of our lives for the people we sought out before as the center of our lives are now the very people we prefer not to see for they cause us only pain.

We may have started our job w/ zeal & enthusiasm, but after experiencing the bad spirit of our work, we become influenced by it & no longer desire to serve people. Instead, our main concern has become to collect our monthly salary. The great love we expected to find in our marriage may have disintegrated on the rough edges of life & may have been replaced by sarcasm & bitterness. In this case, like the 2 disciples, we are going the wrong way to more trouble.

The 2 disciples had lost all hope; there was no fighting spirit. Hope can do much to us. It gives us the strength to keep striving, to resist the negative comment of others, & to hold on.

Inventors would not persevere if they were not people of hope. Believers still hope when others would despair.

Along their way the 2 were talking all that had happened. Jesus was still the topic of their conversation & suddenly, Jesus joined & entered theirs lives as a stranger & as a listener.

(a) As a stranger, Jesus tells us to be more alert & receptive to our neighbor: a new fellow worker, a migrant of different culture, a family that just transferred or a person we meet by accident. Do we see Christ in them for He often shows Himself in the people we least expect?

(b) As a listener: Jesus asked, what matters are you discussing? He allowed the 2 to do the talking, expressing first all their feelings – feelings of frustrations & despair.

Here, Jesus reminds us not to turn our backs on somebody who needs our full attention as he expresses his frustrations & worries in life. If people are down, our first action, too, is to listen. In our prayers we often pressure God as we do all the talking & requesting as if He doesn’t know what we need, and so we don’t give Him time to listen to what He has to say. How many times we misunderstood people because we are not attentively listening them?

The Gospel goes on: “When they drew near to the village… Jesus made as if to go on.” That is, Jesus did not impose on the disciples, he made as if to go on. Jesus appears constantly at our side on the road of life, but He does not force Himself upon us. It is our decision to invite Him in: the poor person or victims of disasters who may be asking for help. Whoever is the least of our brothers/sisters represents Jesus.

The Gospel continues… “Now while He was with them at table…” The meal w/ Jesus turned into a Eucharistic event. He took bread, said the blessing, broke it & handed to the disciples. This is the moment when they recognized Him. This Eucharistic event is very significant as we continue to celebrate the “Year of the Eucharist,” one of JPII’s legacies.

The Eucharist is the time when Jesus gathers us, His disciples, makes us recognize & understand Him thru His Word in the Bible, & gives us strength to continue walking on His road to eternal life thru the reception of His Body & Blood, our spiritual food/nourishment.

And this Eucharistic event is the climax of the Gospel story for the disciples’ encounter w/ Jesus, during the breaking of the Bread, brought about a total change in them. They run away from Jerusalem, frustrated & downcast; now, they returned enthusiastically. What they could not face in frustration, they could now face w/ joy.

This is what the Eucharistic celebration does to us, the highest from of prayer of thanksgiving, worship & adoration offered to God thru the Risen Christ Jesus. God’s word gives us new insights, inspiration & encouragement & the Eucharist or the Body & Blood of Christ renew our strength. As the two rejoined the community in Jerusalem, our encounter with Christ in the Eucharist strengthens our unity as community of believers, brothers & sisters, in the Risen Lord.

We pray that each of our Eucharistic Celebration may truly be an encounter w/ the Risen Lord, & may gradually change our lives for the better – a life of renewed courage & confidence, strengthened faith & joyful hope – especially in our efforts in giving witness to the Gospel Values.

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Third Sunday Easter

The great victories in our life are won when we wanted to run away/give up, but faced instead the job, task or mission to be done.

The Gospel reading today says the two disciples “were on their way” to Emmaus, walking away from Jerusalem. The two had lived w/ great expectations. They had believed in Jesus whole-heartedly, but their dream had collapsed. Jerusalem had become a place of tragedy & they abandoned it, their faces downcast.

Sometimes, we also face major disappointments: a friend who betrayed us, a spouse who gives us more worry & problems than joy or a son/daughter who keeps giving headaches/ heartaches, shattering our dreams. Such unexpected turn of events may stun us & we may decide not to go on any longer w/ our generous efforts.

Frustrations may change the whole course of our lives for the people we sought out before as the center of our lives are now the very people we prefer not to see for they cause us only pain.

We may have started our job w/ zeal & enthusiasm, but after experiencing the bad spirit of our work, we become influenced by it & no longer desire to serve people. Instead, our main concern has become to collect our monthly salary. The great love we expected to find in our marriage may have disintegrated on the rough edges of life & may have been replaced by sarcasm & bitterness. In this case, like the 2 disciples, we are going the wrong way to more trouble.

 The 2 disciples had lost all hope; there was no fighting spirit. Hope can do much to us. It gives us the strength to keep striving, to resist the negative comment of others, & to hold on.

Inventors would not persevere if they were not people of hope. Believers still hope when others would despair.

Along their way the 2 were talking all that had happened. Jesus was still the topic of their conversation & suddenly, Jesus joined & entered theirs lives as a stranger & as a listener.

(a) As a stranger, Jesus tells us to be more alert & receptive to our neighbor: a new fellow worker, a migrant of different culture, a family that just transferred or a person we meet by accident. Do we see Christ in them for He often shows Himself in the people we least expect?

(b) As a listener: Jesus asked, what matters are you discussing? He allowed the 2 to do the talking, expressing first all their feelings – feelings of frustrations & despair.

Here, Jesus reminds us not to turn our backs on somebody who needs our full attention as he expresses his frustrations & worries in life. If people are down, our first action, too, is to listen. In our prayers we often pressure God as we do all the talking & requesting as if He doesn’t know what we need, and so we don’t give Him time to listen to what He has to say. How many times we misunderstood people because we are not attentively listening them?

The Gospel goes on: “When they drew near to the village… Jesus made as if to go on.” That is, Jesus did not impose on the disciples, he made as if to go on. Jesus appears constantly at our side on the road of life, but He does not force Himself upon us. It is our decision to invite Him in: the poor person or victims of disasters who may be asking for help. Whoever is the least of our brothers/sisters represents Jesus.

The Gospel continues… “Now while He was with them at table…” The meal w/ Jesus turned into a Eucharistic event. He took bread, said the blessing, broke it & handed to the disciples. This is the moment when they recognized Him. This Eucharistic event is very significant as we continue to celebrate the “Year of the Eucharist,” one of JPII’s legacies.

The Eucharist is the time when Jesus gathers us, His disciples, makes us recognize & understand Him thru His Word in the Bible, & gives us strength to continue walking on His road to eternal life thru the reception of His Body & Blood, our spiritual food/nourishment.

And this Eucharistic event is the climax of the Gospel story for the disciples’ encounter w/ Jesus, during the breaking of the Bread, brought about a total change in them. They run away from Jerusalem, frustrated & downcast; now, they returned enthusiastically. What they could not face in frustration, they could now face w/ joy.

This is what the Eucharistic celebration does to us, the highest from of prayer of thanksgiving, worship & adoration offered to God thru the Risen Christ Jesus. God’s word gives us new insights, inspiration & encouragement & the Eucharist or the Body & Blood of Christ renew our strength. As the two rejoined the community in Jerusalem, our encounter with Christ in the Eucharist strengthens our unity as community of believers, brothers & sisters, in the Risen Lord.

We pray that each of our Eucharistic Celebration may truly be an encounter w/ the Risen Lord, & may gradually change our lives for the better – a life of renewed courage & confidence, strengthened faith & joyful hope – especially in our efforts in giving witness to the Gospel Values.

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Second Sunday of Easter:  Acts 2:42-47; 1 Pet 1:3-9; Jn 20:19-31

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

Watching Thomas & Jesus & the other disciples in today’s Gospel story, we learn about mission of peace & forgiveness, we learn a lot about doubt & belief, & about religion & faith.

In the 1^st part of the Gospel, Jesus appeared & stood in the midst of his disciples in spite of the doors being closed, and greeted them w/ the words: “Peace be w/ you.” This was more than a pious wish or a word of consolation. It was a word that not only meant peace but effectively gave that peace, the peace of God’s Spirit. And this was accompanied by a mission: “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.” The peace that God gives is not a peace to sit down & keep for oneself. No, it is a peace that goes out & share God’s message of goodness, of love, forgiveness.

“Receive the Holy Spirit.” By giving God’s Spirit, Jesus energized or empowered them too to forgive sins, as He continued: “For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain they are retained.” Thus, the Sacrament of Penance was instituted, a sign of God’s infinite mercy & to bring us true peace.

In the 2^nd part of the Gospel, the well-known story of the unbelieving Thomas, we learn that there’s nothing wrong with a healthy skepticism & an inquiring mind, so long as we do not close off all chance of enlightenment. Thomas’s magnificent profession of faith was all the stronger because, w/ Jesus’ help, he had faced his doubts & overcome them.

We also learn that faith & religion cannot be done all alone. We need other people. Thomas was not w/ the other disciples when the risen Jesus 1^st appeared to them, & that was part of his problem.

In the individualistic society that is the modern technological world, there are many people who try to do religion all by themselves. They say they don’t need church, they can relate to God one-on-one. Jesus was willing to go one-on-one w/ Thomas, but even as he accepted Thomas’s act of faith, he told us that it usually doesn’t work that way. “Blessed are those who have not seen & have believed.” Faith comes from hearing, from the words & the witness of others.

The 1^st Reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, vividly describes how the early church shared & passed on the faith. “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles & to the communal life, to the breaking of bread & to the prayers…. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” And that’s the way we do it today: together. That’s what the church is all about.

The author of today’s 2^nd Reading praises his fellow second-generation Christians in words that are addressed to us as well: “Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him,…you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

So, “Blessed are those who have not seen & yet believe.” And Blessed are we when we say with Thomas: “My Lord and my God!”—on the “first day of the week,” the Day of the Risen Lord, who comes and is present in his signs of bread and wine in the Eucharist, bringing us shalom/peace in the Holy Spirit and sending us off on a mission of forgiveness and joy to all people.

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Easter Sunday: Acts 10:34a, 37-43; col 3:1-4; Matt 28:1-10

“Do not be afraid!... He has been raised just as He said.”

There is an old saying that it’s never so dark as just before the dawn. That certainly was true for the followers of Jesus very early that first Easter Sunday morning.

A week ago they had accompanied Him on a triumphal march into Jerusalem before the celebration of Passover, the feast of national liberation. The crowd was shouting & waving branches & gave them the feeling that they were part of a popular movement that would sweep all before it. Now their hopes & dreams lay in ruins, & they had lost the will to put their lives together again.

It is in this dark, gloomy moment that the light bursts upon them. The angel tells them: “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.” They don’t know whether to be fearful or overjoyed, so Jesus himself appears & tells them, “Do not be afraid.”

To recognize the risen Jesus is to catch a glimpse of the person I am meant to be. When Christ conquered death, he did it for us all. He offers us the gift of eternal life; what will it be like?

We don’t know, but we have been given the sign – the resurrected body of Jesus. His risen body is real, but it has been changed. It’s really Jesus, but he’s different. His body is radically transformed. He can eat, but he needs no food. He can be touched, yet he is free of the limitations of time & space. He is radiant in triumph, forevermore stranger to weariness & loneliness & pain. In suffering & laying down his life, he has banished sorrow & defeated death.

This is the message of the empty tomb: like Jesus, we will suffer & die, but we will not be destroyed. We will be changed, remarkably changed for the better. All our heart wishes will be fulfilled, beyond our wildest dreams.

When Christ triumphed in the resurrection, he defeated everything that is painful, confusing, difficult, & lonely. By his total victory over sin & death, he gained everything that the human heart can wish for. By ourselves, we could never do it. But together with the risen Christ, we can.

For as St. Paul tells, “…now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with Him.”

So, as the sun rises in the East to begin a new day, may this Easter, the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection & the transformation of the world, bring us all a new commitment to living the death and life of Jesus in our own lives, so we may also ‘be revealed in all our glory with Him.’ Happy and Blessed Easter!

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Passion/Plam Sunday: Is 50:4-7; Phil 2:6-11; Mt 26:1-14:66 

                                 Judas, Peter in Us

 We’ve reached the most important week of the year – Holy Week. It is the most important week because, as St. John Crysostom puts it, “extraordinary things were accomplished by God during these days.

 Holy Week begins with the commemoration of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday reaching its climax w/ Christ’s complete victory in his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

 Reflecting on the Passion of Christ, we can learn significant lessons worth living.

 First, there’s the betrayal of Jesus Christ by Judas. Judas’ tragic treachery stemmed from the expectation that Christ would become the political Messiah and, being a materialistic man, he realized how much wealth he could amass under His leadership. But when he found out that Christ would be just the opposite – a “Suffering servant” he betrayed Him for 30 sordid pieces of silver.

 Aren’t we much different from Judas? When a friend is successful, we lionize him/her; but the moment s/he’s on the way down…or gets broke, we drop him/her like a hot potato. “Success is relative,” somebody once said. “The more successful you are, the more relatives you have.” Or as the Irish would put it: “Victory has many fathers; defeat is an orphan.”

 2^nd, Peter & the apostles. Euphoric & jubilant when their Master triumphantly rode to Jerusalem. But shortly afterwards when Christ was dragged from one court to another looking pathetic & helpless, it was just unbearable. Peter had boasted in the Last Supper that he would lay down his life for his Master, denied Him thrice & all the others, except John, fled in disgrace.

 How often do we deny & abandon Christ in the way we live? The citizen who violets the laws does it. So does a husband who cheats on his wife & vice versa or parents who neglect their children by prioritizing their personal & social activities. Or, when we are faced w/ crises, frustrations & disappointments, don’t we sometimes (oftentimes?) lose faith in God?

 3^rd, the elders, chief priests & scribes – the “ruling class” who manipulated the people so that on the first Good Friday the same crowd who a few days before had shouted “Hosannah,” turned out shouting, “crucify Him, crucify Him!”

 Don’t we have such people among elected officials and charlatans who deceived the masses by making empty promises; who talk big but are short on accomplishments?

 Instead of being passive spectators of the great drama of Christ’s Passion, the greater challenge is to live out the lessons of the paschal events in our day-to-day life.

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                  "I am the resurrection and the life."
                                  (5th Sund Lent. Ezek 37:12-14; Rom 8:8-11: Jn 11:1-145)

 Today we have some ideas about death... but about the death that leads us to eternal life.

So it is life which interests us today... the eternal life that Jesus wants to give to all his followers. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, as we just heard. But Lazarus died again, just like all of us human beings.

So why, then, did Jesus perform this miracle of giving life to Lazarus who had died? As Jesus said in the prayer he pronounced before calling Lazarus forth, "for the people who are here, that they may believe that You have sent me." This miracle was certainly a sign: a sign that Jesus had power over death and over life.

In the fifth chapter of St. John's Gospel Jesus affirms that "the Son... gives life to whom He wishes." To whom he wishes. And to whom does Jesus wish to give life? Really, to all of us. Yes, to all... as He mentioned several times. But although Jesus wants to give life to all of us, He is still somewhat limited: no matter how tiny it is, we have to do something for our salvation.

The immense majority of what is necessary for our salvation Jesus Himself has already done. Our part is truly miniscule in comparison. But we have to do it!! On one occasion, Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my father." Our part is truly tiny, but we must do it. It's absolutely necessary.

 In today's Gospel reading, after the words, "he who believes in me will not die forever," Jesus asks, "Do you believe this?" Fortunately, Martha replied: "Yes, I have always believed that you are the Christ." Thus she declared herself a true follower of Jesus; thus she became a model for us.

Let us ask the Lord for the grace to believe as Martha believed. Let's try to believe deeply in the Christ who said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly." As we heard in St. Paul's words in today's second reading, "If the Spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead is in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies." This is our hope; by this we will truly live! Christ has come to raise all of us.

Jesus commands the obstacle, the stone, to be rolled away.  “Lazarus come forth!” He too calls each of us by name to come out of our graves.

1) From the tomb of separation from God, Jesus calls us in the sacrament of Baptism to “come forth” to union w/ God.

2) From the tomb of private/ind. spirituality, Jesus calls us in the sacrament of Confirmation to “come forth” to public expression of faith.

3) From the tomb of sin, Jesus calls us in the sacrament of Penance to “come forth” to a renewed life of grace.

4) From the tomb of isolation, Jesus calls us in the sacrament of the Eucharist to “Come forth” to a life of communion w/ Him & w/ His Church/X’tian Community.

5) From the tomb of anxiety in illness, Jesus calls us in the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick to “Come forth” to join our illness to His redeeming work.

6) From the tomb of self-absorption, Jesus calls us in the sacrament of Marriage & Holy Order to “Come forth” to sacrificial love.

Therefore, the point of this Lazarus’ resurrection story (which is our story) is that Jesus is indeed “the Resurrection and the life,” our Resurrection and our Life!

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4th Sunday Advent - 02/03/08

                  The Healing of the Blind Man
                 (Readings: i Sam 16:1, 6-7, 10-13; Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41)

First, that the “spiritual drink” Jesus came to give all mankind is not to preserve bodily life, but rather to give eternal life to those who will drink of it, or to those who worship him, love him & serve him “in spirit & in truth” during their earthly life.

Second, Jesus breaks down barriers concerning any forms of discriminations or prejudices about race, religion & sex.

Jesus is the Savior of all people & desires a flock that has only one shepherd. Any form of discrimination has to be removed. So He deals w/ these 3 major forms of discrimination here:

(1) Racial Discrimination:

The Gospel says, the “Jews, in fact, do not associate with the Samaritans.” Meaning, Jews & Samaritans were not on speaking terms for the Jews considered the Samaritans as inferior. The Jews pride themselves as God’s chosen people, whereas the Samaritans were a people to be condemned. For Jesus, this kind of racial discrimination is a great barrier that must removed.

We are all guilty of some racial discrimination as we easily see ourselves as belonging to a group/race we consider somehow better than other groups/races. Still many Europeans, Americans, & I dare say some Australians think that they are a better race than the Asians & Africans.

I can tell you many examples of racial discrimination that I saw & experienced myself when I was in Italy for 2 yrs, & almost 3 yrs here….

Here in Australia, lots of history books & present articles tell us that those living in the cities think they are better than the aborigines. This is the reason why it takes time to say: “We’re Sorry…” We have the natural tendency to identify w/ a particular group & we classify it as the best.

(2) Religious Intolerance:

The Jews worshipped in Jerusalem, the only place where sacrifices could be offered, but the Samaritans had their own temple. They were considered an idolatrous people that turned away from Yahweh.

Religion can be very divisive as we see today. Almost any religion has its own fundamentalists who refuse to question their own beliefs & condemn anybody who does not agree w/ them. It is the great scandal of Christians that while they all claim to possess the truth (Bible) they cannot even practice Jesus’ command to love each other. Some even use the Bible to dispute & attack their fellow Christians.

It is not Jesus who divides us, but our stubbornness w/c tries to impose our ideas & interpretations only as truth w/o knowing Jesus & other people well enough.

(3) Sexism:

The Samaritan was a woman. No self-respecting rabbi talked to a woman for this was unworthy of his intelligence & position. Even a husband would not easily talk to his wife in public. These biases meant nothing to Jesus. He was thirsty for the well-being of all people.

Sexism look at people’s value based on sex. Examples:

(1) In Mainland China, thousands of Chinese couples killed baby girls every year because the government imposed a limit of one child per family & they preferred a son. This is certainly worse than the tsunami. Women do not receive the same remuneration for the same work.

(2) Again when I was in Taiwan there were many cases of Filipino women being sexually harassed by their employers & even in the streets.

Prejudice/discrimination is often the child of ignorance - others’ culture, religion/ church, values & practices. In other words, because of our ignorance of other’s culture, beliefs/ religion, values & practices we do not appreciate them & therefore discriminate them.

How do we overcome prejudice/discrimination? There are two ways shown by Jesus Himself:

1) Thru personal contact or exposure w/ other people of dif’t group/race; supplemented by learning their culture, religion, values & practices thru readings, & have an open mind about each person’s uniqueness.…

2) Jesus does not deny the differences between Him & the woman, but He believes in her goodness. That is, regardless of who we are or who others are, all people have the same thirst for goodness, beauty & brotherhood, but only draw water from a different well. According to St. Paul & the Apostles who preached the Gospel of Christ, the whole human race/family is God’s family, whether you are a Jew, Gentile or Samaritan, or Greek,or barbarian... As far as Christianity is concerned this is the truth Christ Himself taught at Jacob’s well in today’s Gospel. All are children of God, thirsting for His Word, for a better world, & for everlasting happiness.

If we all have this outlook & attitudes then we all become bringers of good news as the Samaritan woman brought the good news to others after her encounter w/ Jesus.

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Feb 17 - 2nd Sunday Lent    THE TRANSFIGURATION: Our Transformation
                                          (Gen 12:1-4; 2 Tim 1:8-10; Mt 17:1-9)

    The Transfiguration or transformation or manifestation of Jesus in all His glory, is like a "Wake up" call for the three apostles and for us. It is a reminder of what our eventual relationship & destiny with Jesus should ultimately be in Heaven.

     Transformations can occur through the sacraments w/c were instituted by Christ as God wishes us to transform our lives & that we may have a deeper relationship w/ Him.

1) Baptism is the very beginning of our transformation. As we become members of the Christian community we are anointed Priest, Prophet and King. Thru Baptism, we mysteriously & miraculously put on Christ and we become, as St. Paul also says, “new creatures,” “reborn thru water & the Holy Spirit,” & “temples of the Holy Spirit.”

2)      The Sac. of Reconciliation transforms us from a state of sin to a state of holiness with Christ.

3)      Through the Sac. of Holy Communion or Eucharist, we are transformed and refreshed. When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we are refreshed in the likeness of Christ.

The Eucharist enables us to take what we hear in the Gospel and carry that message out into the world, to the people we work with, to the people we meet at the malls, and especially to the people we live with everyday.

4)      The Sac. of Confirmation transforms us and calls us to renew our Baptismal promises. Confirmation instills in us the power of the Holy Spirit; it strengthens us to defend the message of the Gospel. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit - Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord - give us the tools to spread the message of Jesus.

5)      The Sac. of Matrimony transforms two totally individual people into a union of one. Matrimony is not only a union of husband and wife, but it is more importantly a union of the couple with Almighty God. It transforms a man and a woman with God as the center of a holy and a sacramental relationship. The Sacrament of Marriage can infuse grace into the lives of the couple daily, something w/c is missing in “live-in” partners.

6)      The Sac. of Ordination transforms a man from laity into the Order of Deacon, Priest or Bishop. Through Ordination an ordinary man becomes extraordinary, having received the extraordinary powers of Christ that enables a priest to celebrate the Eucharist, to change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, & to forgive sins… something even the Angels can not do. Thus, through Ordination this ordinary man is transformed and takes on the powers of Christ in the midst of God’s people.

7)      The Sacrament of the Sick transforms us and strengthens us when we are ill. The Sacrament gives us grace. It gives us peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that may go with serious illness or the frailty of old age. This grace is a gift of the Holy Spirit, renewing our trust in God and strengthening us against the temptations of evil.

          The transforming power of Jesus, though we are unaware of, comes to us through the Sacraments. But, the grace of this transformation also can come to us through the ordinary events of our daily lives.

          One of the highlights of today’s Gospel is the voice of God the Father, "This is my beloved Son; listen to Him!"

          We don’t need to have miraculous events or phenomenon, like the Transfiguration in order to really listen, believe & trust in Jesus and follow Him.

          Lent is a time for us to come to know more about Jesus through the sacraments; a time for growth, & to be transformed more closely into the likeness of Christ, especially when we heed our Heavenly Father’s command, "This is my beloved Son; listen to Him!".

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Feb 10 - 1st Sunday of Lent                                TEMPTATIONS
                                                                   (Gen 2:7-9, #:1-7; Rom 5:12-17; Mt 4:1-11) 

Many people still ask these questions: Is Temptation a sin? Where do temptations come from? What leads us to temptations & to sin? And, how do we overcome temptations?

First, is temptation a sin? Definitely, it is not a sin. Temptation becomes a sin only when we give in to it, as Eve & Adam gave in, (1^st Reading). Jesus was tempted by Satan not only in the desert but even until his death on the cross, but he did not commit a single sin. In His triple temptations related in today’s Gospel:

He was first tempted to change the stones into bread. Satan offers Jesus to use the bread (the symbol of wealth or economic power) to easily attract & get hold of people in feeding them & providing their material needs. But what does it do to people?

Such approach is not liberating, it does not encourage people to work & to take responsibility. It is not the way to bring about the kingdom of God in w/c love prevails. Jesus does not bribe anybody to follow Him by promising material blessings, contrary to the battle-cry of those aspiring for public office.

Responsible parents do not just provide material things to their children, but also conviction, moral principles, Christian values & character.

> They do not bribe their children by rewarding them for doing their duty. Studying their lesson, sharing in the household chores & helping each other have their own reward in molding their character. The real hunger of children is not for material things but for recognition, affirmation, love, respect & fairness.

Jesus’ food was the Father’s will or word: “Man does not live by bread alone, but every word that comes from the mouth of God.” We are never tempted leading us to sin beyond our strength if we trust in God & in His words.

Second, Where do temptations come from?  They certainly come from Satan as demonstrated in the 1^st reading & the gospel.  Temptations also come from within ourselves. Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own selfish desire.

Satan can only arouse our desire for things w/c lead us away from God, as he did to Eve & Adam but failed to do it to Jesus. He is the persistent salesman who caters to our selfish desires.

Evil temptations never comes from God, as James 1:13  "No one experiencing temptation should say, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one."

Third, what leads us to temptations & to sin? They are, as we know, the occasions of sin: a person, a place or a thing which tempts us to disobey God's laws. 

Fourth, how do we overcome temptations? 

1) The radical way is to move far away to avoid an occasion of sin – move far away to a person/friend who loves to gossip, from a married person who seems going beyond just friendship; move away to avoid places like gambling dens; and, from things like drugs, alcohol, pornography, triple X DVD/ Video/films, the stuff you find in the internet; all these are yellow/red signs warning us of dangers and when to make a stop.

2) The other effective way to overcome temptations is to stay always connected or plugged into Jesus. Just as there is darkness & no power when electricity is not connected or plugged, we have no strength & courage to overcome temptations when disconnected from Christ. There are three main exercises we already know that keep us plugged into Him and help us overcome ordinary temptations.

(1)    PRAYER:  Prayer directly plugs/connects us into the Lord. Just as soon as we are tempted calling Jesus to come to our aid will do the magic trick or a miracle.

(2) FASTING & Abstinence. In ordinary language we call it self-discipline/control.  Jesus fasted & so do we. By fasting we gain control over our bodily appetites instead of our bodily appetites controlling us. Lent is a good time of dieting.

(3)    ALMS GIVING. In Lk 11:39 - Jesus said to the Pharisees:

“You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?  But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you".

By giving alms or giving to charity, we become more detached from money and more attached to Jesus.

Lent, therefore, is a time to discern where our loyalty lies. It is the time to make the right choices every time we are tempted. It is time to ask if we seek our happiness by following the steps of Jesus & stay connected to Him who will be there always to lead us to victory over temptation, sin & death.

In the Offertory prayer for Ash Wednesday, we again pray: "Lord, help us to resist temptation by our Lenten works of charity and penance.  By this sacrifice may we be cleansed from sin and renewed in spirit.  We ask this through Christ, our Lord…”

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Feb 3, 2008 (4th Sun)                                     The BEAUTITUDES
                                                                (Zeph 2:3, 3:12-13; 1 Cor 1:26-31; Mt 5:1-12)

 The word “happy” is very common in our daily vocabulary & is often connected w/ well-wishing: happy birthday, happy Valentines, happy New Year, happy trip, happy wedding anniversary. It is useful tool in conveying our feeling of sympathy & goodwill, & therefore it is valuable in society.

This Sunday’s Gospel is called the “Beatitudes.” (beatus = happy, blessed, or fortunate). Bible Scholars & theologians considered this the powerful summation of Jesus’ teaching, the essence of Christ’s teaching in his Sermon on the Mount; it is a summary of all Christian doctrine.

> The “Beatitudes” list the qualities Christ wishes to see in his followers, qualities w/c were exemplified in his own life.

>> They sound contradicting to what society normally considers a source of happiness. They are counter-cultural or a complete reversal or contradiction of worldly conventional standard & values & thus make many of us very uncomfortable.

1. The world says: Happy are you who are well-off: you can have whatever you want, do whatever you want. Be glad & rejoice when you will be the envy of all.

Christ says: “Happy are the poor in spirit...” Meaning, happy are you who are humble & who know your need of God. You who put your trust in God rather in wealth; you who realize that it is not the amount of money you possess that makes you rich, but the kind of person you are. You will be rich in God’s eyes, & that’s what matters. ‘You will possess the kingdom of heaven.’

2. World: Happy are you who live it up. Suffering is only the consequence of some inappropriate behavior. If we grieve, it is because we have brought it on ourselves.

Christ: “Happy are they who mourn...” Meaning, happy are you who remember that the most valuable things in life have to be bought with pain & sacrifice. Even though you may sow in sorrow, you will reap joy. You who grieve for your loved ones. ‘You will be comforted by your heavenly compassionate Father.’

3. World: happy are you who are tough; you who throw your weight around. People will be afraid of you, & you’ll get results.

Christ: “Happy are the meek...” Meaning, happy you who are gentle & kind. You who refuse to get on by trampling on others. ‘You will receive the heavenly inheritance.’

4. World: Happy are you who hunger for power, status & fame. You will always be in the limelight.

Christ: “Happy are they who hunger & thirst for righteousness.” Meaning, happy are you who have standards & values, & who are prepared to live up to them. You who realize that to live rightly, keeping your hearts upright in the sight of God is what life is all about. ‘You will receive your satisfaction from God.’

5. World: Happy are you who crush your opponent; showing mercy & forgiveness to those who made mistakes is weakness & the only way to go ahead is to step on others. You’ll be the boss, & everybody will know it.

Christ: “Happy are the merciful....” Meaning, happy are you who are able to make allowance for the sins of others, & whose greatness lies in your ability to forgive; you who show compassion. ‘The Merciful God will show mercy on you.’

6. Word: Happy are you who have clean teeth & clean skins; you who keep up to date w/ the latest style in clothes, or whatever beauty products advertised on TV to make you appear “sexy” & “irresistible.”

Christ: “Happy are the clean (pure) of heart…” Meaning, happy are you who have clean hearts. If your heart is clean, then all that flows from it will be clean – like water flowing from an unpolluted spring. Happy are you who in all simplicity show God’s face of love thru your own way of life. ‘You will see God.’

7. World: Happy are you trouble-makers & you who continue to go to war (even w/o justifications) & act as though those you kill are not children of God, but something foreign & to be disliked & distrusted. Big money can be made in wars anyway…. People will fear you, & you will get sensational headlines.

Christ: ‘Happy are the peacemakers…” Meaning, happy are you who spread or bridge understanding, reconciliation & harmony among people; you who welcome the strangers & who work for a just society. ‘You are true children of God.’

8. World: Happy are those who steal & cheat, & get off scot-free. “If you can’t beat them, join them.”

Christ: “Happy are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness…” Meaning, happy are you who make a stand for what is right. If you suffer for your stand, the wounds you bear will be honorable wounds, & they will mark you out as a true disciple of mine. ‘You will gain honor on earth & glory in heaven.’

Therefore, happy/blessed are we if only we practice 50% or 4 out of these 8 Beatitudes, we shall be assured of ‘beatification’ or the fullness of eternal happiness or blessedness in God’s heavenly glory, as Jesus promised to us.

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Jan 27,2008                                                        Jesus, the "great light"
                                                                         (Is 8:23-9:3; Cor 1:10-13, 17; Mt 4:12-23)

Poets appreciate the darkness of night. The darker the night, the brighter the stars up above seem to shine.

 I spent my childhood years in a place that electricity had yet to reach. On moonless nights, the neighborhood was so dark that even a mere flicker of light could be seen from afar.

 The first quarter of the moon was an occasion for merrymaking. The moonlight was enough to convert the street (plaza) into a vast playground where my friends & I played to our hearts’ content. At times we sat on the ground & told each other stories.

 Mathew likens Jesus’ coming to Galilee to a light that dispels the gloom of those who sit in darkness in a land overshadowed by death. Jesus’ light, although flickering in the beginning, will shine more brightly during his public ministry in Galilee and Jerusalem. It will shine brightest when he resurrects from the dead.

 The prophecy that Mt alludes to in describing the mission of Jesus was spoken by the prophet Isaiah (1^st Reading). Mt sees the prophecy fulfilled at the heart of Jesus’ public life.

 The Isaian passage mirrors the terror of the Assyrian invasion in 734 BC, in the course of w/c the tribes of Zebulun & Naphtali were the first to fall. As the people were being deported, Isaiah sought to sustain their hope, saying, “The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light…. You have brought them abundant joy & great rejoicing.”

 It is in this same territory that Jesus inaugurates his ministry. Just as the “great light” in Isaiah’s oracle cast out the darkness of the Assyrian oppression, Jesus brings the light of consolation to a suffering people. The people living in ignorance of God & enslaved by darkness now see the Messiah coming, his light shining upon them.

We at times arrive in a situation where we find darkness. People no longer talk to each other for any conversation ends up in an argument. They look for a wrong motive behind every comment or suggestion, they experience every word as criticism, or they discover hypocrisy behind kindness. It does not look like a place to become a good Christian, yet, it is a place where we are badly needed as light in the land of darkness.

 The presence of one person can change the atmosphere if s/he does not allow the negative behavior of others to drag her/him down but remains faithful to what Jesus has shown her/him: to be a wo/man of truthfulness, of faith in people’s goodness, of compassion & hope.

 We dwell in a world that seems overshadowed by death & in w/c our light as Christians is more needed than ever. Nature, endangered animals & fish are being ravaged by the rapacity of people’s greed.

 Ecology watchers/activists keep reminding us that our generation is consuming the resources that will be needed by our great-grandchildren.

Statistics & reports tell us that there are many people, despite the wealth & rich resources of our country, still suffers from poverty, injustice for laborers, discrimination to migrants.

Our country still suffers from socio-cultural division & quarreling & ever increasing threat to family life due to irresponsibility of parents & separations.

Jesus calls us to be fishermen who bring people into his kingdom. He also calls us to be farmers who plant the good seed in our home, place of work or neighborhood; to be miners who know how to dig up the good in every person & bring it out; to be carpenters who give shapes to things, who repair a broken relationship; or to be the bus drivers who know the road in bringing people to their right destination.

Jesus called busy people like the fishermen who were used to work as a team. People who have nothing to do usually have no time. Busy people, however, are people w/ a sense of purpose, make time for what is important, & make things happen.

Jesus became a great light in the darkness. Each one of us can be a light that shines in the darkness provided we are faithful to the task to w/c the Lord has called us.

We can do it with the Resp. Psalm as our battle cry: “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge, of whom shall I be afraid?”

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Jan 20, 2008                 The Greatness of John the Baptist
                                          (Is 49:3, 5-6; ! Cor 1:1-3; Jn 1:29-34)

Jan 13, 2008         BAPTISM OF THE LORD (Is 42:1-4,6-7; Acts 10:34-38; Mt 3:13-17) - see NIV

          In many respects, life is like a play – with some major differences, of course. For example, in a play the text is already written out, & the actors have no say about the unfolding of the plot; they are not free to change the story, their roles consisting only in rendering the text to the best of their ability.

            In real life, on the contrary, the actors can only guess at the nature of the plot – w/c is God’s plan of salvation for the world. They have some idea of the main lines of the plot, but they do not really know how their own destinies contribute to the total unfolding of the plot.

            However, there is a significant resemblance between life & a play. This lies in the common importance of the quality of the actors’ performance. In a play it matters little what your part is, whether you act the part of a king or a slave. What matters is how well you act the part given to you. Likewise, in real life one’s social role is of secondary importance, be it that of a political leader or of a poor worker. What matters primarily is how you live out your social role.

            All this is illustrated quite clearly in the scene of Jesus’ baptism. Here we have two different functions: one is to baptize & the other is to be baptized. At one point, John protests that he is unworthy to baptize Jesus. By so doing he is comparing persons. Jesus brings him to a better understanding of the situation, w/c is not about persons but about functions/roles.

            John’s role is to baptize (whatever the degree of his personal worth as a person), & Jesus’ role is to be baptized that moment (despite the fact that his personal dignity is incomparably above that of John’s). What matters is to fulfill one’s function as best as one can, thus accomplishing the will of God, his divine & saving “justice.”

        The same hold true for all of us. Some Christians believe that priests & nuns are necessarily more holy, closer to God, better Christians simply because of their function. It is like thinking that a mayor is a better citizen because he is a mayor.

            Likewise, in organizations, communities or even in families, some think that they are a cut above the others by the simple fact that they wield authority, that they are richer. Again, this is not true.

            In this respect too, we must give up heaps of our human views & adopt the point of view of Jesus. The crucial criterion for all our judgments on life is not whether one plays a major or a minor role on the human stage, but whether or not one fulfills the will of God. That alone makes a person great, especially if done with love.

            By his Baptism, Jesus was formally called & inaugurated to start his mission by his Father and given a mission to communicate the Father’s merciful love to the world.

            Through our own baptism we too received the Spirit of the Father & the Son, thus we become sons & daughters of God, brothers & sisters of Jesus. And thru our own baptism God calls each of us to share & participate in his Son’s mission. 

            Jesus, our Big Brother & Lord, calls us because he needs us to continue doing His work as His feet & hands - to communicate the Father’s merciful love, that is, to work towards social transformation, so that the Kingdom values of truth, justice, freedom, love & peace may truly permeate every aspect of society. This kind of involvement may cost us time, treasure, effort, & pain – as Jesus had already shown us the way – till death on the cross.

            So, to help us in this task of our own inner transformation first & social transformation, let us pray that the Spirit who descended on Jesus at his baptism will also be with us to empower us in our task at hand.

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Jan. 6, 2008 - Epipahny of the Lord (Readings: Is 60:1-6; Eph 3:2-3, 5-6; Mt 2:1-12)

Journeying In Faith

         Many if not all of us have vision or goal or perhaps a New Year’s resolution as our guiding ‘star’.

          However, life’s vision or goal, like New Year’s resolution is bound to fail before the end of January if it’s not realistic, if you don’t visualize it, set time frame on it, spend time & even money on it; if you don’t surround yourself w/ people who can propel you to that goal; if you are not determined in achieving it; & most of all it is bound to fail if you do not act on it consistently/persistently each & everyday.

          The 3 Magi in today’s Gospel set out in pursuit of a great vision & followed that vision/goal to the end – to ‘give homage to the newborn king of the Jews.’

          Theirs was a bold & courageous journey. No doubt they must have met people who encourage them & other people who told them they were foolish or crazy. It can’t have been an easy journey. No doubt they encountered many difficulties, & knew moments of anxiety, doubt & danger in the course of their journey. Yet, in spite of all the doubts, difficulties & dangers they persevered in their quest, & were rewarded when they finally found The Christ.

        Though the 3 Magi were guided by a heavenly light, a star, they did not know where the star would lead them. Hence, their journey was very much a journey of faith. Their journey can serve as a model for our journey of faith.

        However, we have one great advantage over them. We already know Christ, & have encountered Him in faith. Christ, the light of the world, is the ‘star’ we believe in & are supposed to be following. But the fact that we have faith doesn’t mean we know all the answers. & the fact that we already know Christ doesn’t mean that we don’t have doubts, difficulties & dangers in our faith journey.

        We are still searching, questioning; still traveling onwards w/ pains & joys, hopes & fears.

        Faith in Christ or & knowledge of Christ doesn’t guarantee an easy journey, only a meaningful one. Thus, the 3 Magi showed us that we too must persevere in the practice of our faith, & only then we can reach our final destiny/goal – our heavenly reward, & give homage to our Lord forever.

        Moreover, the 3 Magi did not journey as individuals. They had each other. They formed a little community of believers. We too have a family, a parish, a NCC or a big family of believers to support us in our faith journey & that we must give support in what way we can esp. those in need.

          In our faith journey, we cannot afford to be indifferent like the religious leaders who knew their Scriptures but never bother to join the 3 Magi, or like the selfish power-hungry Herod. We have to do better in the practice of our faith this New Year.

          In our faith journey, we follow Jesus our star, who is leading & telling us now to lend support especially to the disheartened, to our suffering brothers & sisters who’re in their difficult & hopeless situations.

          They are the kinds of people Jesus especially disguised or identified Himself at present so that whatever we do to them we do it to Him; then He will reward us in the end, as He says in Mt 25: “Come, blessed of my Father! Take possession of the Kingdom… for whenever you did to these little ones who are my brothers & sisters, you did it to me.”

         So, in our faith-journey, may Christ, our true Star never fails us. And may His light see us thru the darkness of this world, until we reach the heavenly Bethlehem where we shall see Christ in glory. Amen!

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 Dec 30   Feast of the Holy Family  (Readings: Sirach 3:2-6,12-14; Col 3:12-21; Mt 2:13-15,19-23)

A CHURCH IN MINIATURE

   No other structure can replace a family. Family is the centre of our affection round w/c our hearts’ best wishes intertwine. We live today in a commercialized, go-it-alone, competitive & sometimes heartless society; but still the fact remains that nobody grows alone, that people need people & it is in the family that the foundation of human relationship is laid, upon w/c faith & morality built.

   Psychologists remind us that many of the personality problems of the grown-ups have their root in family deficiencies during childhood. Family plays central role in human formation & growth; it provides the suitable soil for Christian virtues to flourish.

   The Feast of the Holy Family (we celebrate this Sunday) presents to us an ideal family for Christians. It is not right to say that the Holy Family is too ideal for us to relate to. In many ways they were ordinary people. They were economically poor, & in spite their privilege status w/ God they too were constantly struggling to find God’s will in their lives. And yet they succeeded in making their family holy & happy.

   In a happy family both parents & children contribute their share, each playing their respective roles. Parents need to realize that every word & deed of a parent is a fibre woven into the character of the child. What a father says to his children is not heard by the world, but it will be heard by posterity; what the mother sings to the cradle goes all the way down to the coffin. Every Christian parent should leave no stone unturned in order to help their children to develop physical, mental, emotional, & spiritual maturity.

   But no one says that bringing up children is easy. I played being a father to my younger brother & sister for five years. I’ve known there are hardships in parenting. Joseph & Mary endured such hardships when they had to flee Egypt as instructed by God (Mt 2:14). In fact they suffered all the anxieties & insecurities of poor parents, of being migrants in foreign land. But their conviction that they were doing God’s will & their faith in the divine providence sustained them in their travails.

   So too, Christian parents, if they centre their family life in God, can be sure that the grace of God will not be wanting to enable them to bear the hardships willingly, even joyfully.

   Children on their part have to respect their parents’ authority over them. Pity the home where everyone is the head. Children have an obligation to care for their parents especially in the old age. For us Asians, one of our positive values is that we still care for our old parents & grandparents at home till they depart to the next life. It’s our way own way of saying “Thank You” to them for all their loving care.

    In the 1^st reading, we heard Sirach: “My son, support your father in his old age, do not grieve him in his old age” (3:12). We never know the love our parents for us, till we have become parents. The 4^th commandment cannot be discarded like the clothes & toys of childhood once we become independent adults.

    A happy Christian family, has Christ as its centre & his teachings are the family guidelines. Such a Christian family can serve as an evangelizing church.

    A story is told that a group of young people from many nations were discussing how the Christian Gospel might be spread. They talked of propaganda, of literature, of new technology, & of all the ways of disseminating the Gospel today. Then the girl from Africa spoke: “When we want to take Christianity to one of our villages”, she said, “we don’t send them books. We take a Christian family & send them to live in the village & they make the village Christian by living there.”

   A Christian family, therefore, where the Gospel values flourish, w/ parents & children playing their respective roles in spite of the hardships involved, will not only be holy & happy, but increasingly, become socially conscious serving as an effective evangelizing church in the world.

Dec. 30, 2007 - Feast of the Holy Family

Dec. 25, 2007 - Christmas

Dec 23, 2007 - 4th Advent

Dec. 16, 2007 - 3rd Advent

Dec. 9, 2007 - 2nd Advent

Dec. 2, 2007 - 1st Advent  (Readings: Is 2:1-5; Rom 13:11-14; Mt 24:37-44)

Jan. 13, 2008 - Baptism of the Lord