Breaking the Word

The Voice Within

2010-01-09T01:15:00.000+08:00

It's a common sight in the trains- people, mostly youngsters and young professionals, with all sorts of gadgets strung around their necks, iphones, MP4, headsets etc. It can indeed be worthwhile to listen to music while travelling for an hour or two, especially after a long day at work or in school. We busy ourselves by listening to all sorts of sounds, music and voices.

After Jesus was baptized by John, he heard a voice from heaven, "You are my son; in you I am well pleased." The Lucan text says Jesus was at prayer when the heavens were open, when the Holy Spirit hovered upon him as a dove, when the Father's voice was heard. So, it is in prayer that we can hear what can be the sweetest music to our ears, "You are my child; in you I am well-pleased."

Engrafting to Life

2009-12-30T21:10:00.000+08:00

As 2010 begins, we all wish that this New Year will usher in blessings of peace and prosperity to the world, especially to the poorer countries. For the Philippines, 2010 is another critical year because of the May elections. We pray that our people will really be prepared for this democratic exercise, so that the country's chance to begin anew will not be squandered. May we truly experience being engrafted into the life of God as we begin 2010.

Happy New Year!

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ENGRAFTING TO LIFE

And you, High eternal Trinity

Acted as if you were drunk with love,

Infatuated with your creature.

When you see that this tree could bear no fruit

But the fruit of death,

Because it was cut off from you who were life,

You came to its rescue

With the same love with which you had created it;

You engrafted your divinity into the dead tree

Of our humanity.

O sweet tender grafting!

You, sweetness itself, stooped to join yourself

With our bitterness.

You, splendor, joined yourself with darkness;

You, wisdom, with foolishness;

You, life, with death;

You, the infinite, with us, who are finite.

What drove you to this

To give back life to this creature of yours

That had insulted you?

Only love, as I have said,

And so, by this engrafting, death is destroyed.

-Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)

Welcoming God's Visitation

2009-12-19T15:54:00.000+08:00

When we pray the rosary, we simply say, "the second joyful mystery is the visitation." We usually think only of Mary and Elizabeth. But they are not the only characters in this event. The babies they are carrying are also involved in the story: Jesus and John. The simple act of Mary visiting her cousin has brought joy not only to Elizabeth, but also to the infant in her womb, John, who left for joy when his mother heard Mary's greetings. Such is the joy brought by someone who carries Jesus... it is felt not only by one person, but even of those around (in Elizabeth's case, within) them.

On this season of giving and exchanging gifts, may we give and bring to people the greatest gift of all: Jesus Himself, and then we shall see more people, ourselves included experiencing the joy of Christmas.

A Blessed Christmas!

Through you, we touch God...

2009-12-07T18:33:00.000+08:00

Pope Benedict on the Immaculate Conception:

"This privilege given to Mary, which sets her apart from our common condition, does not distance her from us, but on the contrary, it brings her closer. While sin divides, separating us from one another, Mary's purity makes her infinitely close to our hearts, attentive to each of us and desirous of our true good. You see it here in Lourdes, as in all Marian shrines; immense crowds come thronging to Mary's feet to entrust to her their most intimate thoughts, their most heartfelt wishes. That which many, either because of embarrassment or modesty, do not confide to their nearest and dearest, they confide to her who is all pure, to her Immaculate Heart: with simplicity, without frills, in truth. Before Mary, by virtue of her very purity, man does not hesitate to reveal his weakness, to express his questions and his doubts, to formulate his most secret hopes and desires. The Virgin Mary's maternal love disarms all pride; it renders man capable of seeing himself as he is, and it inspires in him the desire to be converted so as to give glory to God. Thus, Mary shows us the right way to come to the Lord. She teaches us to approach him in truth and simplicity. Thanks to her, we discover that the Christian faith is not a burden: it is like a wing which enables us to fly higher, so as to take refuge in God's embrace."

Happy Feastday!

Stand Erect and Look Up!

2009-11-28T00:34:00.000+08:00

Isn't it a strange instruction: while all the catastrophic disaster are happening, the sun and moon falling, the earth shaking, perhaps with buildings crumbling, something like what happens in the film 2012, one is to stand erect and look up to the sky. The important details, however, should not be missed: the Son of Man coming in great power, bringing liberation to his people, to those who believe in him.

Amidst the turmoils in the world today, perhaps not (as yet) in the scale of cataclysms and catastophes, we are told by Christ to stand firm and raise our eyes to him, who is our hope and our strength. So that no matter what happens around us: volcanoes erupting, rivers overflowing, global warming, we do not lose faith because our eyes are fixed on the Lord.

We are reminded of Peter who started sinking when we paid attention, not to the Lord who was calling him, but to the waves surrounding him. May we begin this Advent season, this new liturgical year with an affirmation of our trust in the Lord, as we say in the psalm response; To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul!

Reexamining our Loyalties

2009-11-21T15:18:00.000+08:00

It's interesting to note how the arrival of Pacquiao, the "King of the Ring" comes right before the Catholic Church celebrates the solemnity of Christ the King. The picture is a study of contrasts between someone who is acclaimed king after defeating a line-up of world renowned boxers and a King who renounces worldly force and power and pointing to a Kingdom not of this world.

While the fans and followers of Pacquiao shower him with praises and adulation and getting ahead of each other to get a glimpse or a photo of their idol, Christ has no one to come to his rescue to defend him from the plots to kill him. He is left alone, to defend himself, and the only tool he has is the 'truth'; the only witness He has is the Father, whom He could only trust in utmost surrender and faith.

This solemnity invites us to reexamine our loyalties and to what extent we concretely express this by the way we spend our time, our money, our energy. Let this day be an opportunity to express our allegiance to Christ the King... of the universe, of our life.

What is at The End?

2009-11-13T23:38:00.000+08:00

This Sunday's readings speak of the "end of the world." Maybe we can safely say that we might not live long enough to witness the "end of the world," if we are to believe what science tells us: that the evolution of the universe is only at the 11:00 AM moment, which means that it has not even reached half its course. What we are sure of is the "end of OUR, MY world," and that is when I die, when my physical-biological existence comes to an end. It is as scary as listening to the scenarios described by the Gospel.

We can draw consolation and strength, however, from Karl Rahner's words: Accept the moment. See to it that you do what one can call, without any folderol, your duty. All the same, be ready again and again to realize once more, that the ineffable mystery we call God not only lives and reigns, but had the unlikely idea to approach you personally in love; turn your eyes to Jesus, the crucified one; come what may, you will be able to accept your life from Him when all is said and done. .. You go on as long as daylight lasts. In the end, you leave with empty hands, that I know; and it is well. At that moment, you look at the Crucified one and go. What comes is the everlasting mystery of God (Karl Rahner in Dialogue, pp. 275).

Giving Till Enough

2009-11-08T01:04:00.000+08:00

'For a Christian, his Xtian existence is ultimately the totality of his existence. This totality opens out into the dark abyss of the wilderness which we call God. When one undertakes something like this, he stands before the great thinkers, the saints and finally Jesus Christ. The abyss of existence opens up in front of him. He knows that he has not thought enough, has not loved enough, has not suffered enough (Karl Rahner, Foundations of Christian Faith, p.2)"

This excerpt from Karl Rahner bridges the commemmoration of All Souls' Day and this Sunday's Gospel on the Widow's Mite. Like the widow, we are encouraged/ challenged to give not just our of our surplus, but from the substance of our life, our self. Many times, though, we think we have given enough, we have thought enough, love and suffered enough. But faced with death, with the real possibility of entering into the dark abyss, indeed we realize we could have given, thought, loved, suffered more.

We pray that day won't find us full of regrets; but rather ready to leave all, for have have given all... to our God who has given His all.

Happy Sunday!

Our Companions in the Journey

2009-10-31T19:51:00.000+08:00

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb. 12:1-2).

For me, this is the message of All Saints' Day. The saints are witnesses: they testify to the enduring and eternal value of following Jesus. They cheer for us as we run the race towards the true life. They encourage us when we are tempted to drop out of

the race, when we feel as if we are running alone, when we uselessly compare ourselves with other runners. With the saints, we fix our eyes on Christ who is at the head of the race, leading us as the pioneer, but also the goal of the race, as the perfecter of our faith.

The saints, then, not only pray for us, but also accompany us in our journey towards Christ. Thank God for the saints, thank God for our companions.

That I May See

2009-10-24T14:34:00.000+08:00

Bartimaeus rightly calls Jesus "Rabboni", meaning "Teacher" because that was what Jesus had been doing just before they met. And this we have heard the previous Sundays. Jesus had been teaching his disciples fidelity (when he rejects divorce in favor of God's will for man and woman to be in an indissoluble marital bond), simplicity (when he told the rich young man to sell his belongings and follow him), humility (when he explained to his disciples, especially to James and John that greatness and primacy lies in being a servant and the least of all). But these are difficult teachings to understand. The disciples, and we, can not understand because we do not see the logic; we could not see how we can be secure without money; we could not see how we can be great by being the last.

The blindness of Bartimaeus is a metaphor for the blindness of the disciples to the teachings of Jesus. Perhaps our blindness, too.

"What is it that you want me to do for you?", Jesus asks. With Bartimaeus, we reply with all earnestness, "Rabboni, I want to see!"

What's it all about, Alfie?

2009-10-17T19:40:00.000+08:00

One way of appreciating the Gospel message of this Sunday is to read it as a continuation of the "discipleship" theme that Mark develops in his gospel, a theme that started with the gospel of two Sundays ago, on Divorce and last Sunday, on the Rich Young Man. In fact, the Gospel for next Sunday, Blind Bartimeaus, should also be read in the context of this theme.

All these three Gospel episodes show the radical, therefore difficult, demands of discipleship, of following Christ. They also show us how different the way of Christ is from the ways of the world. While the world says, "when the relationship is getting sours, dispatch the woman (or man)," Christ says, "What God has put together, let no human being put assunder.' While the world says, "To have riches, thick wallets, several credit cards, multiple bank accounts is the most secure way to go," Christ says, "Go and sell your belongings and give the money to poor." And while the world says, "Make sure to get promotion as quickly as possible or do your best to keep the top position, no matter what," Jesus says, "the best place is the lowest; the biggest man is the smallest." A totally different standard, a totally odd worldview, a totally difficult way of proceeding.

Why follow Him? The first reading hints at a possible answer:

"Because of his affliction he shall see the light in fullness of days;

through his suffering, my servant shall justify many..."

What is your life about, Alfie? For you or for others. By your answer, you will know which way to go.

Little Things with Great Love

2009-10-01T00:10:00.000+08:00

The appeal of the Little Flower, St Therese of the Child Jesus, lies precisely in her "littleness". During her day, she must have been an unknown cloistered nun. To her family, she was a child easily given to tantrums. Later on, however, as a nun, she fulfilled her duties with much dedication and love. Every little thing that she did, she performed with much love and with great trust that God pleased with what she was doing, and that He was accepting her offering of these daily tasks for the mission. Hence, hers was not just great love, but wide vision, piercing through the thick convent walls to see and be one with the missionaries in far flung countries.

St Therese is indeed a saint for us, small people, trying to do our daily, routinary tasks with great love and wide vision.

And I feel very blessed that on my first month here in London, I will have the chance of praying before the relics of St Therese which is being brought here for veneration is some selected churches.

At the Foot of the Cross

2009-09-14T18:06:00.000+08:00

Mondays and Tuesdays are low days in the Bilibid prisons because no visitors are allowed on these days. The prison camps come back to life starting Wednesdays up until Sundays when visitors are again given permission to enter the camps, the cells and the holes of the prisoners. Amidst the hardships and diffculties of life in prison, the presence of the visitors, especially of the inmates' wives and mothers, is the source of consolation and strength of the prisoners.

Mary at the foot of the cross certainly provided Jesus with the strength and courage which he badly needed during the hours of his ordeal on the cross. A mother's presence, even without words being uttered or lullabies being sung, is enough to make a son sturdy as steel and brave as a beast to endure the terrible sufferings he has to go through.

May we, too, be encouraged by the Blessed Mother's constant and consoling presence at the foot of our respective crosses.

The Way God Thinks

2009-09-12T19:14:00.000+08:00

The Gospel contrasts God's way of thinking with (wo)man's way of thinking. What is the difference between the two? At issue in this Sunday's Gospel passage is the value of suffering. While for humans, suffering is a dead-end, in which there is no way out, for God, suffering is an opening that leads to something greater, something bigger. But since that "something" is not readily experienced, it is difficult to believe in it. Here is where "faith that does good works" is necessary, as the second reading emphasizes.

My 3 months experience in prison ministry (National Bilibid Prisons, Muntinlupa City) has taught me to believe in this promise. The prison is a place of suffering: physical, psychological, spiritual, for the inmates, and for us who minister to them, who journey with them. But our daily celebration of the Eucharist, most often with utmost fervor and devotion, and the real felt need for God's mercy and hope, awakens in us the conviction that beyond, and even in the midst of the suffering they are going through, an opening towards a new life is showing forth. And this new life can begin not only after they have served their sentence, but and even during the time they are in prison.

Hence, our church volunteers: sacristans, readers, eucharistic lay ministers, and others, are all inmates. Many of them have seen that "opening' and have entered through it. Some are still stumbling along the way in search of the way to it. You and I may think they won't find the way. But God thinks otherwise, and that makes the big difference.

The Gateway

2009-09-08T12:12:00.000+08:00

For Manila and Quezon City dwellers, the word "Gateway" refers to the mall in Araneta Center in Cubao that links the Cubao stations of the 2 train systems in Metro Manila, the MRT3 Edsa Line and the LRT2A. Gateway, therefore, serves not just as a mall where people do shopping or watch movies, but also a bridge through which passengers can cross from one train system to the another.

Gateway comes to mind because today, birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our parish celebrates this feast under her title, Nuestra Senora de la Porteria, Our Lady of the Gate. Mary, indeed, is the Gate, since it was through her that Jesus our Savior, Word made flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit, entered our world. And it is through her, again, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that we enter the Kingdom of her Son. Mary is Christ's Gate, and ours, too.

Dear Mother Mary, we thank you for allowing your Son Jesus to pass through you that he may come to us. May you let pass us through you to your Son Jesus, our Lord, our Heaven, for you truly are the Gate of Heaven. Amen.

in AND out

2009-08-29T07:41:00.000+08:00

What the best way to worship God? Today's readings answers this question. The first readings simply says, "Obey the commandments of God." The Pharisees of Jesus' time did follow the commandments. And this they did to the smallest detail, but they seemed to have confined themselves to the externals: the rituals and customs of religion. In the mind of Jesus, however, this is not enough. They have to take notice, too, of the internal requirements of purity. This means avoiding the acts enumerated in the Gospel: fornication, adultery, greed etc.

But for a more complete picture, we have to turn to the second reading and the psalm: it is not just a matter of performing rituals and customs scrupulously, not or not doing this or that act of impurity. Rather, it is acting on the Word, proactively doing something, especially, for the poor, such as the widows and orphans. The psalm response summarizes the message: "He who DOES JUSTICE will live in the presence of the Lord."

To whom have we gone?

2009-08-22T09:57:00.000+08:00

At the end of the Bread of Life Discourse in John 6, many of the Jews abandoned Jesus because they could not believe in what he was saying: that He is the Bread from Heaven, that His flesh is real food and his blood real drink unto life eternal. It was just too much for them to accept. Turning to his disciples, he asks, "Are you also leaving?" Peter replies,"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life!"

But perhaps, if we were to be the ones to reply to Jesus, ours would be,"Lord, to whom have we gone? Even if we knew that you have the words of everlasting life, still we chose to listen to the words of other people, many of them, words of discouragement, words of darkness and despair. Sometimes the voices are coming from within ourselves, our inner shadows, and have drowned the still small voice deeper within calling us to hope, to love, to faith.

Draw us back to you, O Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

LISTEN TO YOUR HEART, BUT USE YOUR HEAD!

2009-07-30T18:26:00.000+08:00

A former Jesuit is known to have said, "Huh! Feelings-feelings ka diyan, magtrabaho ka!" That was the time when the Jesuits under formation were being taught to be aware and appreciate the role of feelings in humna and spiritual development. For him, feelings are not important. What should be done is to work and work because that is how we give greater glory to God. That is magis. That Jesuit had to eat his words when he was supposedly overcame by his feelings for a woman and eventually left the Society.

But for St. Ignatius, feelings/ emotions play a very important role in finding the will of God. While he was recuperating, he listened to what he was feeling and he gave them a deep thought. When he was thinking of his former life, he would feel happy, but it would die out soon after that. He would be left sad. But when he thought of Christ and the saints, he would feel excited, and this would last with him for some time. To name his feelings, he used the words consolation and desolation. Indeed, Ignatius listened to his heart, but he used his head.

May we who are sometimes afraid of our feelings learn to befriend them and listen to them and use our reason to think about what God may be saying to us through them.

AT HOME WITH CHRIST

2009-07-28T19:26:00.000+08:00

Martha, Mary and Lazarus are considered the closest friends of Jesus. In his journey to Jerusalem, when he passed by Bethany, He dropped by the their house perhaps to relax a bit before he continued with his journey. The episode in which Jesus seems to have reprimanded Martha for being busy about so many things is sometimes taken to be a lack of appreciation on Jesus' part of Martha's anxiety over details.

But some people have noted that the exchange between Jesus and Martha shows that it is not Jesus alone who is "at home" in Martha's house. Martha, too, is "at home" with Jesus. She is comfortable and familiar with Him that she can speak to Him that way ("Are you not bothered...?" , and Jesus answer her that way ("Martha, Martha...". It is an exchange between two close friends who can speak out frankly their minds and hearts.

How we wish we can also be as comfortable and familiar with Christ as Martha was! And whether we believe it or not, Jesus allows us to do so. Let us then open our hearts and pour out our anxieties and worries to Him. And let us allow Him to give us a friendly reprimand,

too =)

Loving Unto Death and Beyond

2009-07-21T19:48:00.000+08:00

The phrase "till death do us part" is usually associated with weddings because it concludes the prayer of the married couple after they have pronounced their vows. But this phrase can very well be uttered by friends to each other, because true friendship is one that lasts until death. In the case of Mary Magdalene and Jesus, their friendship is unto death and beyond... into the risen life.

The story of St. Mary Magdalene is a very inspiring one in many ways because it shows one woman's capacity to be loyal to someone whom she considers her friend, someone who must have given meaning to her otherwise wayward existence, someone whom she must have wanted to keep for herself, but could not. Yet she remained on his side until his death on the cross.

The appearance of the Risen Christ to Mary Magdalene shows Our Lord returning the love and loyalty of Mary Magdalene. She who was (among) the last to leave his side was given the privilege to be (among) the first to encounter Him in His Risen Life. The death and resurrection of Our Lord, which we take to be one single event/ mystery shows both Jesus and Mary as friends whose friendship has remained warm and tender despite death's attempt to break and bury it cold and numb in its grave.

Indeed, for friends, the last word is not "goodbye" but "hello".

I HAVE ENOUGH

2009-07-18T07:11:00.000+08:00

When we were students, some of us were forced to be thrifty because we only had a small amount of money to spend for our needs. We lived on a limited allowance and tight budget. We just had enough for our fare, snacks, projects and a weekend movie, if there is extra. Our needs were many, our wants were few. But when we started to have a job and to earn our own money, suddenly we realized that our wants became as many as our needs, even more than our needs. And we wonder how our hard-earned money simply leaves our pockets, disappearing in a few moments, just as fast as it came.

Having bought our personal necessities and finding out there is some extra cash, we think of something we have not had before (example, a cellphone or a branded pair of shoes); we buy it, but in a few days, there is a new model that is marketed as more efficient, more durable than what we have, and we buy. And the cycle continues, to the delight of the multi-millionaire owners of these products and services, to our regretful dismay.

This Sunday's psalm says: "The Lord is my shepherd. There is nothing I shall want.' Will I mean this if I say this?

HANDLING REJECTION

2009-07-04T11:02:00.001+08:00

"Fear of rejection" is a very common reason why people hesitate to venture into a new relationship, to apply for a new job, to submit a new proposal. We could not stand the pain of being rejected, especially if it will be for the nth time.

Jesus was not spared that feeling of being rejected. It must have been doubly painful because it was his own people who did not accept him. Instead of being proud of the good works he was doing, they looked down on him as a carpenter's son, as someone too familiar to them to be able to do such marvelous works.

But the Gospel does not report Jesus sulking in one corner and wallowing in His pain. Surely he must have been pained and must have dealt with it in prayer when he would retreat to a quiet place. But He did not allow the rejection of people to get in the way of His mission.

May we find in Christ the strength to move on after being rejected, even by people most dear to us.

Fixing One's Gaze on Jerusalem

2009-04-04T18:32:00.000+08:00

How did Jesus feel while entering Jerusalem? Did he indeed feel like a King triumphantly entering his city after a victory at battle? Did He rejoice at the sight of all the people acclaiming Him as Son of David, laying their garments on his way?

Probably not, because He knew at that point that death was already a real and inevitable possibility. And anyone confronted with death trembles
at that the sight.

But going to Jerusalem is something he has firmly decided on much earlier, in Luke's Gospel, as early as Chapter 9. V. 51: "and he has set his face to go to Jerusalem". Jesus enters Jerusalem, then, with determination and firmness, albeit certainly with the usual human fear and anxiety before an impending suffering and possible death.

May we, too, enter our own Jerusalems with the same firmness as Jesus did.

Testing the Faith, Risking the Friendship

2009-04-01T21:28:00.000+08:00

The readings for today mention Abraham, whom the Jews claim as their father, the father of believers. The first thing that most people remember about Abraham is his prompt obedience in carrying out God's will to sacrifice his son, Isaac. They take note of how it must have been very painful for Abraham to lose his only son who was the most precious treasure he had. The Genesis account does not bother to tell the reader about how Abraham felt. It leaves to the reader's imagination or contemplation to enter the mind and heart of Abraham and feel the suffering and dilemma, probably confusion and frustration at such a brutal demand from God.

What if we enter the mind and heart of God?... and try to discover, at least in our imagination and contemplation, how he felt as he placed Abraham in such a difficult situation. Could it be that God himself was suffering, feeling the same dilemma and confusion as Abraham did, first because He himself is a Father (and would in fact undergo the same experience when He will have to sacrifice His own Son for our sake). And also because Abraham is not just any creature or person to Him. Abraham is His friend, to whom He has revealed Himself, whom He allowed to have an intimate relationship with Him, to whom He promised the very same son He now is asking for from Him. Who would want to hurt a friend?

Whatever pain or suffering Abraham went through in obeying God's will, God, too, felt in His own heart. If the risk on Abraham's part was big enough, the risk on God's part was even greater. For what was at stake was the faith, and the friendship, the relationship which has already been established between the two of them. But God was not afraid to risk. And so was Abraham. They tested each other. The proved each other worthy of faith, of trust, of friendship.

Rejoice in the Love of God

2009-03-21T20:09:00.000+08:00

The fourth Sunday of Lent is also called Laetare Sunday. In the middle of Lent, we are asked to look forward with joyful expectation to that day when the angels will sing "Gaudete at laetare, resurrexit sicut dixit" Rejoice and be glad. He has risen as he said. At the cause for rejoicing is the love with which God did not spare His only Son from death to give us life. The love of God which loves us to the end is indeed a cause for rejoicing. As Pope Benedict said in Spe Salvi, "He who has experienced this love of God is the person who has hope."

Yes, in the midst of all the paperworks and reports and requirements that await completion as the school year comes to a close, let us quietly rejoice for we are loved, to the full, to the end.

If You Love Him, Set Him Free

2009-03-07T17:56:00.000+08:00

This is the advise usually given to someone who has difficulty giving up a loved one... a boyfriend who's got a new girl, a son wanting to enter the seminary, a friend who died to suddenly. We have to let go, but we won't, we can't,,, because it can be very painful, because we so love that person.

But that is not the case with Abraham. He loved his Son, but there was a love in his heart which was greater than his love for his Son, His love, His reverence for Yahweh. But love for God does not cancel out love for neighbor. In fact, the first leads to the other. Can't we say that precisely because of his love for his Son, he wanted him to be with God the soonest possible. Hence, paradoxically, it is in giving up that we truly know we are. When we give of ourselves, we know we are Christians indeed.

In the Gospel it is very clear. Jesus is proclaimed as Son of God. He is the beloved Son of God, who precisely bec of His being the beloved, He is given up to be delivered unto death. Because of God's love for Him, He allowed Him to explore the greatness, the depths and beauty of humaity and of the world. God has "set him free" "to humanize world." A tall order indeed. And that is the meaning of the Resurrection.

That We may Feel our Deepest Hunger

2009-02-28T08:15:00.000+08:00

In his message for Lent, 2009, Pope Benedict talks about fasting, one of the 3 pillars of Lenten observance. He shows how fasting is grounded in Scriptures, and how it goes all the way back to the creation of man/ woman. In this message, the Pope continues/ reiterates the point he made in his homily for last Sunday, where he talked about the absence of God as man's deepest illness. Of fasting, he says:

Denying material food, which nourishes our body, nurtures an interior disposition to listen to Christ and be fed by His saving word. Through fasting and praying, we allow Him to come and satisfy the deepest hunger that we experience in the depths of our being: the hunger and thirst for God.”

May this season of Lent and our joyful observance of fasting truly allow us to feel the God alone can satisfy our deepest hunger.

Our Deepest Illness

2009-02-21T12:04:00.000+08:00

The first 2 chapters of Mark presents Jesus as a healer, a miracle worker. People flock to him from all sides. This last couple of Sundays, we heard Jesus expelling the demon, healing Simon's mother in-law, cleansing the leper, and now, healing the paralytic, and forgives his sins. Pope Benedict follows the Scriptural understanding of these miracles as "signs"... signs of what?

"I refer to these healings as signs: They guide toward the message of Christ, they guide us toward God and make us understand that man's truest and deepest illness is the absence of God, who is the fount of truth and love. And only reconciliation with God can give us true healing, true life, because a life without love and without truth would not be a true life. The Kingdom of God is precisely the presence of truth and love, and thus it is healing in the depths of our being" (Angelus Message, Feb, 8, 2009).*

May the healing love of God touch us through Jesus that we may truly be healed from the depths of our hearts, and be fully reconciled with God.

*cf. http://www.zenit.org/article-25037?l=english

AS YOU ARE!

2009-02-14T19:01:00.000+08:00

Jesus' healing of the leper brought him not only physical cleansing and restoration, but also, and primarily, psychological and spiritual healing, because the leprosy ate up and destroyed not only the physical body, but more so, the dignity and sense of self of the leper. The first reading illustrates how the early Jewish society imposed restrictions on the lepers' movements and isolate them from the community.

But Jesus act of touching the leper and curing him of his leprosy restored to him his dignity and sense of wholeness, and reunites him back to the community. This is the reason why he needed to show himself to the priests and make the necessary offerings.

Jesus comes close to us and touches us as we are. We only have to be humble enough to admit our sickness and therefore our need for healing. "If you wish, you can cure me."

Let Your Servant Go In Peace!

2009-02-01T09:16:00.000+08:00

Since the examen serves as the night prayer of Jesuits, I did not develop the habit of praying the Night Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. But I recently realized how beautiful a prayer it is, especially the canticle of Simeon, which he recited (or sang) upon receiving the baby Jesus in his arms when the latter was presented in the temple:

Lord, let your servant go in peace

For your Word has been fulfilled.

My eyes have seen the salvation

you have promised to your all peoples,

a light of revelation to the Gentiles,

and glory for your people Israel.

How consoling is the thought that at the end of each day, we can indeed pray wholeheartedly this song of Simeon. Or at least, as a reminder that each night we close our eyes, we might not be able to open it again, that is, in this world. That would not be a frightening thought if and only if we are ready to face the Lord the next time we open our eyes... in the next life.

God's Blinding Light

2009-01-23T09:50:00.000+08:00

The conversion of St Paul (celebrated on 25th January) after his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus reminds us of the famous lines from the Confessions of St Augustine, where Augustine speaks of the light that shone on us and shattered his blindness, thus giving him a totally new sight, enabling him to see things from the perspective of God. This is the same experience St Paul went through in his conversion...

Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new late have I loved you. You were within me, but I was without. Unlovely, I rushed onto the lovely things you have made. You were with me, but I was not with you... You called and cried aloud, and forced open my blindness. You gleamed and shone and cahse away my blindness. You breathed fragrant odors, and I drew in my breath, and now I pant for thee. I tasted, and now I hunger and thirst. You touched me and I burnt for yoru peace! (Book 9, Chap 27).

God of New Beginnings

2009-01-17T06:58:00.000+08:00

Each year we celebrate the feast of Sto Nino, we reflect on the God coming down to earth as a human being, as an infant. The coming of a child to a family always signals the beginning of a new chapter in that family's life. Routines change; the sleeping patterns and arrangements change; budget change. New schedules and patterns and attitudes are begun. A child brings new beginnings.

The prophet Isaiah proclaims: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing.... For a child is born to us, a son is given us..."

The feast of Sto Nino, the feast of the Christ Child reveals to us who our God is... a God of new beginnings... a God who always begins anew. Once upon a time, He began creation, but continues, or begins each day. By the incarnation, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, He began a new covenant, He re-created the world, He renewed humanity. Many times, we tried to end our relationship with God. But He always takes the initiative to begin anew.

May this feast of Sto Nino, on this New Year, inspire us to begin a new, to start a new chapter in our lives, full of hope and trust in the God of new beginnings.

An Image of Security of Self

2009-01-10T12:48:00.000+08:00

John the Baptist is a striking image of someone who is so secure of himself that he does not claim to be who he is not. Honestly he says, "One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals." He could have taken advantage of the situation and proclaimed himself as the Messiah; but he did not.

Although he himself was unsure whether or not Jesus is the Messiah (that's why he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you the one we are waiting for or will we wait for someone else?"), still He did not claim to be the one. He know who he was and he knew where he stands. He is the best man and Jesus is the bridegroom. He is the voice and Jesus is the word.

May we know who we are, that we might know who Jesus is.

JESUS, OUR LIFE

2009-01-01T08:40:00.000+08:00

January 1, the octave of Christmas is the feast of the Society of Jesus, because it is the day when the name "Jesus" was given to the child born on Christmas day. And our Society is named after Jesus. Hence, today, I find these words from Fr Longhaye very appropriate as matter for reflection:

Love Jesus, strive to love his adorable person passionately everyday more and more even to your last breath. study, scrutinize, dig, bring to light without ceasing both for yourself and for others His unfathomable riches. Gaze upon Him stubbornly until you know Him by heart; better yet, until you become Him, absorbed in Him. may He always be more and more the center of your thoughts, the link between all of your understandings, the practical goal of your studies whatever they may be. Make Him the morally unique aim, the overriding argument, the triumphal arm of your apostolate.

Professor, preacher, writer, missionary, who knows what?... may you have, it please God, a great and noble renown; but, obscure or celebrated, occupied in the greatest of ministries or the most humble, at least be known in your sphere of action as a man filled and possessed by Jesus Christ, as a man who, when it seems appropriate and even when it doesn't - if that is possible - speaks unceasingly of Jesus Christ and speaks of Him out of the abundance of His Heart.

Jesus Christ contemplated, Jesus Christ known, Jesus Christ loved with an ever growing passion; this will be everything for you!

Happy New Year! Happy Feastday!

They Are Families Too!

2008-12-27T13:53:00.000+08:00

The "holy" family of Mary, Joseph and Jesus, does seem to be a difficult model to imitate and identify with. After all, Mary is full of grace. Joseph is the righteous man and Jesus, the Son of God.

But a closer look at their situation makes us realize that while they may be described as "holy", they are not "usual" or "normal" in the way we conceive a family... a child made by a husband and wife through their conjugal act. Mary got pregnant prior to their marriage, and not even by her husband Joseph (such a shameful thing to happen to a respectable woman, according to social norms). Joseph learns of the pregnancy only later. He is asked to take Mary and her child as his own (according to cultural norms for males, such a stupid thing to do; why get a "package deal" when you can get a certified virgin and make a child of your own with her). And the child, born in untimely of circumstances (while they had to travel to Bethlehem) and in the most unfavorable location, devoid of hygiene and sanitation. The child provoked conflict from the start, getting a threat from the King, and prophesied by Simeon to cause more conflicts and contradiction later on.

So what about families formed by women who get pregnant out of wedlock, ending up as single mothers, of men getting the jeers for having fallen for a woman with a child, of unwanted children, perceived as threats to security and comfort, and sources of problems and conflicts? What about families of single mothers, single fathers, childless couples, separated spouses, orphaned and abandoned children? and all those "unconventional", "un-usual", "ab-normal" families?

Happy Feastday to all families!

Silent Night, Silent God

2008-12-24T10:55:00.000+08:00

Indeed, "silent night" is an appropriate description of the night the Son of God was born, because He is the Son of a Quiet God who prefers to act, to work, to labor, in silence.

On that first Christmas night, Bethlehem must have been a noisy, crowded, busy place because of all the natives coming home for the census ordered by Augustus, which was why Mary and Joseph did not find a vacant room to stay. They ended up in a manger, somewhere perhaps at the outskirts of the city, at the backyard of the house, away from the chatter and banter of the people. There in the obscure corner of the kingly city of David, the "Son of David", the Son of God, was born.

God does seem to love the quiet places, the hidden corners, the silent nights... there He is born, there He is to be found... there He is... to find those left out in these hidden places, those lost for having made the wrong turns in the twisted corners of life, those screaming in silence during the dark nights of their souls.

May we find the hidden God this Xmas, or rather, may we, who are hiding, be found by this God this Xmas!

A Blessed Christmas, my friend!

How Can This Be?

2008-12-20T12:26:00.000+08:00

The iconography of the Blessed Virgin Mary usually portrays her as a demure, sweet, "Maria Clara" type girl, almost naive to a fault. She is described as a woman who readily submitted herself to the will of God that she be the mother of the Son of God.

But a close reading of the Annunciation narrative shows that she did not immediately, unthinkingly and passively just agreed to what God planned to do with her. She "wondered what this greeting meant". She thoughtfully inquired how God's plan was to be accomplished in her: "How can this be since I do not know man?" She dared to ask, to question, to probe into the ways of God. She was actively involved throughout the exchange with the angel. And all through her life as a mother, she would always be pondering, reflecting, perhaps continually asking, questioning, probing, even at the foot of the Cross. This makes her "fiat" not a blind submission to God's will, but an acceptance offered after an involved and intense 'discernment.'

May the Blessed Mother place us with her Son as we celebrate His birth this Christmas!

God Is Preparing a Place

2008-12-08T09:55:00.000+08:00

On this Advent season, we are exhorted to make preparations for the coming of the Messiah: for His second coming at the end of time (or at the end of our time here on earth, meaning our death), as well as for the commemoration of His first coming, on Christmas Day. We are given many suggestions for spiritual preparations, which we are supposed to undertake amidst the material preparations, like putting up Xmas lights and Xmas trees, buying gifts, booking tickets for Xmas break etc.

As we make all these Advent preparations, we celebrate the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, a feast specially celebrated in many parishes and chapels all over the country. The opening prayer for today's Mass says: "Father, you prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy mother of your Son. You let her share beforehand in the salvation Christ would bring by his death, and kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception. Help us by her prayers to live in your presence without sin. We ask this..."

This opening prayer reminds us how God Himself prepared the way, the place for the coming of His Son, the Redeemer. It is not the world that prepared itself or a way or a place for Christ. It is God who made the necessary preparations in the person of the Blessed Virgin Mary, so that Christ may find a fitting dwelling place when he comes to the earth.

Perhaps God does the same in our hearts. In the end, it is not we who will ultimately prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ, whether this Xmas or at the end of time. It is God who prepares a place... but we have to open our hearts and let Him come in so that He may undertake the cleansing, the healing, the washing, the purifying of our hearts, as He did to Mary.

A God Who Risks

2008-11-15T13:14:00.000+08:00

When a woman finally accepts a marriage proposal, especially if it comes from a "less than ideal man", she is usually asked by her friends, "Are you sure of that man? Aren't you committing suicide? Are you that desperate?" But despite all badmouthing and the backbiting of the man, or perhaps, honest concern for the woman, she goes on to tie the knot with the man she believes is her Mr Right.

Perhaps, or for sure, she knows his weaknesses and limitations, and that she could be wrong, and they could be right. But never mind, she accepts him anyway. She gives him a chance. She takes the risk, for the sake of the relationship, for the sake of the man, for her own sake.

In the Gospel, the King probably knew the third servant would do as he did: kept the money, buried it, not even put in the bank so that it could earn interest, never took the risk of investing the money so that it could grow. But still, the King went on gave him a chance, took the risk with Him. In the end, however, the servant was judged appropriately.

Our God, our King... a God, a King who risks, a God who gives us the chance, to grow, to explore, to risk... despite knowing that we could fail, we could sin; but He goes on anyway, for He loves, He is Love. And only those who truly love take the chance, take the risk. And He is that God.

An Angry Christ

2008-11-08T16:58:00.000+08:00

Can you imagine an angry Christ? We are told that the Gospel portrait of Jesus is that of a joyful and serene man. He has almost complete possession of Himself, his feelings and passions. But this Sunday's Gospel gives a another image of Jesus. It shows his other side, as it were, Jesus explicitly getting angry and being carried away by his anger that he overthrows the tables and whips the moneychangers and vendors away from the Temple.

Rather than subjecting Him to psycho-analysis, it's more beneficial to ask what triggered the anger of Jesus. The text says that the businessmen has turned the temple into a marketplace. In another Gospel, it says, the temple has been turned into a den of thieves. A Scripture scholar notes that whatr made Jesus terribly angry is that the place where the businessmen set up their tables and displayed their merchandise is the area where the poor may worship, thus depriving them of their place in the temple, a place which is actually already somewhere in the peripheries of the temple.

This connects to the second reading that says: "If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy." An affront, a deprivation, desecration of the poor, who are also temples of God, and therefore holy, will certainly invite the anger, nay, the wrath of God. We hope we don't get driven out by an angry Christ. Let's make space for the poor, not only in our places of worship, but in every area of our life.

Saints with Small S

2008-10-31T14:14:00.000+08:00

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us” (Heb 12:1).

It is said that solemnity honors the saints with a small “s”, meaning, those who are not officially recognized or canonized by the Church as saints, but are truly saints because they, too, have lived according to the Beatitudes. They, too, while on earth, were spiritually poor, merciful, pure of heart, peacemakers, agents of justice. Hence, though uncanonized, they are saints, too. We, therefore, believe that they are now fully united with God in the joys of the heavenly Kingdom.

For me, those people who have touched my lives and have been partly responsible for who I am now are also included among the cloud of witnesses who inspire me to run the race with joy and enthusiasm. Among those I remember on this day are:

- Lola Pining, Lolo Isko and Lolo Julian

- Fr Lorenzo delos Santos

- Jesuits Frs Bonoan, Rooney, Sanz, Dolan, Phelan, Gaa

Who are your small saints?

Measuring Love

2008-10-25T13:43:00.000+08:00

This Sunday's Gospel gives a tall order: to love God with all of one's heart, soul, mind and strength. We might ask whether this is possible at all when, in fact, we can not even love those around us, even our loved ones, with all our mind, soul, strength etc. Most often, our self-giving in love for them would measure up to 90 or 95% only? Indeed, as St John says, "How can you love God whom you do not see when you do not love your neighbor whom you can see?"

Precisely, that is the point. The second greatest commandment is love of neighbor, which is inseparable from love of God, for the former is the measure of the later. The first reading gives concrete guidelines regarding this: defending the orphan and the widow, lending without interest, not taking advantage of the poor.

Love of God is measurable after all. They, the poor, the needy, the widow and the orphan. They hold the measuring rod. May we not be found wanting when measured.

What More Do You Want?

2008-10-04T06:24:00.000+08:00

"What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done?" (Is 5:4a) This is also the Lord's question to Israel in Micah 6:3 when He laments: "O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me!"

If there is anything else which the Lord has not done for His people and Israel asks for it, the Lord is willing to do it, if only to strengthen their covenant relationship. But we know the answer, the Lord has done His part. He has chosen Israel, He has freed them from Egypt, brought them to the Promised Land, defended them from their enemies and the list goes on.

The Lord has done everything, while Israel has done... nothing. Instead, they killed the prophets and the rest of God's messengers. Even the Son has not been spared by their envy and greed.

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We Can Be Saints, Too!

2008-09-27T20:08:00.000+08:00

This is a tribute to San Lorenzo Ruiz, the Phil's one and only (officially canonized) saint. While Japan, China and other non-Christian countries already have countless of martyrs, the Philippines, the only Xtian country in Asia, has only 1.

San Lorenzo Ruiz was a lay man; he was not a priest or a religious. Hence, he is one like most of many Filipino, a lay man who has a family, but was nevertheless active in Church activities. But while we only 1 officially canonized saint, don’t we have hundreds, perhaps thousands of un-official/ un-canonized saints...like Mothers praying fervently each day for your perseverance, or your lola and/ or lola who wake up much earlier than our 5 AM rising time to walk to the Church amidst the dark and cold early morning to attend Mass! Or of the kaabags and katekistas who serve your parishes gratis, without any pay! And you can multiply the examples…

If only for this, many of our lay people, more than our own selves, qualify to be called saints for they meet Lawrence Cunningham’s definition of a saint “one who is so grasped by a religious vision that it becomes central to his or her life, in a way that radically changes the person and leads others to glimpse the value of that vision.”

Onthis feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz and companion martyrs, this is our call! This is our…challenge!

Is This All There Is For Me?

2008-09-20T20:41:00.000+08:00

"Is this all there is for me?" is the question we ask when what we receive is less than what we think we should receive. Perhaps a compliment, or a word of praise, or a pat on the back, or an applause, or a bonus. The frustration is greater and the grumbling louder when we look over the shoulder of our neighbor and discover that this guy next to us who spent less hours and energy and talent (of which we think we have more, hmm, perhaps we do!) received the same, and worse, more praise or appreciation or bonus than we did. In effect, what should have been a happy occasion of receiving from the bounty of the Master becomes a recitation of a litany of complaints and gripings against, not the injustice of the Master, but His generosity.

This is the drama of this Sunday's Parable of the Hired Tenants. The question addressed to those who complained is for us, too, "Are you jealous that I am generous?" May this Sunday be truly the Lord's Day, a day of resting in and counting of (if we can) the blessings of the all-generous Lord, whose ways may be strange, but never unjust.

The Cross is the Cure

2008-09-13T16:22:00.000+08:00

The "cross" is usually used as a metaphor for a problem. For example, a wife will say, "My husband is my cross." Or a student, "Physics and Trigo are my crosses." However, the readings for this Sunday, the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross, show us that the Cross is not the problem. On the contrary, it the solution, it is the cure.

In the first reading, the bronze serpent mounted on the pole is the cure for the impatient Israelites who were bitten by the snakes. The serpent on the pole is a type of Jesus who would later be fixed on the Cross. When we look at the cross, we see an ever patient God who bears with all our grumblings and murmurings and complaints, many of them too petty to even mention.

As we gaze on the Cross on the feast of its exaltation, may we realize more deeply its healing power in our lives, especially for our impatience, our pettiness, our lack of faith.

We adore you, O Christ and we bless you, because by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

The Stinging Ointment of Wholesome Sorrow

2008-08-30T18:38:00.000+08:00

Still fresh from the feastday of St. Augustine, our patron saint here in Cagayan de Oro, I quote these 2 passages from the "Confessions" which capture the message of the 1st reading and Gospel of this Sunday.

The first reading speaks of the Lord's Word burning in the heart of Jeremiah, disturbing, distressing, directing Him to speak it out. Augustine also experienced how the Lord had disturbed him "with inward stings."

But you, O Lord, abide forever, yet thou art not forever angry with us, for you have compassion on our dust and ashes (Ps. 103:9-14.) It was pleasing in your sight to reform my deformity, and by inward stings you disturbed me so that I was impatient until you were made clear to my inward sight. By the secret hand of your healing, my swelling was lessened, the disordered and darkened eyesight of my mind was from day to day made whole by the stinging ointment of wholesome sorrow (Bk 7, Ch. 8).

And the Gospel tells how a disciple of Jesus must lose his/her life that s/he might gain it. Augustine relates how he had been freed from the sweetness of trifles that had chained him, and how it brought him joy.

How sweet did it suddenly become to me to be without the sweetness of trifles! And it was now a joy to put away what I formerly feared to lose. For you cast them away from me, O true and highest Sweetness. You cast them away, and in their place you entered in Yourself--sweeter than all pleasure, though not to flesh and blood; brighter than all light, but more veiled than all mystery; more exalted than all honor, though not to them that are exalted in their own eyes. Now was my soul free from the gnawing cares of seeking and getting, of wallowing in the mire and scratching the itch of lust. And I prattled like a child to you, O Lord my God--my light, my riches, and my salvation (Bk 9, Ch 1).

Happy Weekend!

Augustine, Patron of Backsliders

2008-08-27T18:31:00.000+08:00

Another excerpt from St Augustine's "Confessions" (Bk 7, Ch 17) which some of us can identify with, and which can give us hope and encouragement as we seek to love the Lord and only Him, but find ourselves being weighed down by our old habits.

And I marveled that I now loved thee, and no phantasm in thy stead, and yet I was not stable enough to enjoy my God steadily. Instead I was transported to thee by thy beauty, and then presently torn away from thee by my own weight, sinking with grief into these lower things. This weight was carnal habit. But thy memory dwelt with me, and I never doubted in the least that there was One for me to cleave to; but I was not yet ready to cleave to thee firmly. For the body which is corrupted presses down the soul, and the earthly dwelling weighs down the mind, which muses upon many things.

... And I saw thy invisibility understood by means of the things that are made. But I was not able to sustain my gaze. My weakness was dashed back, and I lapsed again into my accustomed ways, carrying along with me nothing but a loving memory of my vision, and an appetite for what I had, as it were, smelled the odor of, but was not yet able to eat.

Happy Feast day!

Monica, the Peacemaker

2008-08-26T18:11:00.000+08:00

August 27 is the feastday of Santa Monica, the mother of St. Augustine. She is more popularly known for her constant prayers and gift of tears by which she obtained from God the grace of the conversion of her husband as well as of her son, Augustine. But the following excerpt from the Confessions (Bk 9, Ch 9) of her son, Augustine, shows how she can teach how to be peacemakers, especially in the present context of fighting in Mindanao:

This other great gift thou also didst bestow, O my God, my Mercy, upon that good handmaid of thine, in whose womb thou didst create me. It was that whenever she could she acted as a peacemaker between any differing and discordant spirits, and when she heard very bitter things on either side of a controversy--the kind of bloated and undigested discord which often belches forth bitter words, when crude malice is breathed out by sharp tongues to a present friend against an absent enemy--she would disclose nothing about the one to the other except what might serve toward their reconciliation. This might seem a small good to me if I did not know to my sorrow countless persons who, through the horrid and far-spreading infection of sin, not only repeat to enemies mutually enraged things said in passion against each other, but also add some things that were never said at all. It ought not to be enough in a truly humane man merely not to incite or increase the enmities of men by evil-speaking; he ought likewise to endeavor by kind words to extinguish them. Such a one was she--and thou, her most intimate instructor, didst teach her in the school of her heart.

The Stranger

2008-08-23T20:16:00.000+08:00

I feature for this weekend's reflection the (unedited) essay of Mark Elloren, a second year theology seminarian here in St John Vianney Theological Seminary. This was submitted as a weekly reflection for our Christology course. This also appears in his own blog/ multiply site. This Sunday's Gospel has Jesus asking the disciples, "Who do you say that I am?"

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He became stranger to me.

It was like the silence of two best friends who meet each other in the morning after making love for the first time the night before. They became strangers after exploring deeper the realities of themselves and found out that there was something more in their friendship.

It was like the awkward distance of lovers who meet in an unexpected circumstance after breaking up for many years. They became strangers after realizing they still love each other and that silent love created distance.

It was like that. Jesus became stranger to me.

Talking about Him deeply in our Christology class, I came to realize that there is something more about him. I thought he was just my best friend whom I could share my thoughts, my problems, my heartaches, my frustrations and my joy. I thought He was the Jesus who would take care of me in my loneliness, who will fight for me everytime I lose, and who would run for me like the father in the prodigal son after I make mistakes in life.

No, there is something more to him than just being a friend.

I thought my love for him would make me closer. No, my love for him creates space. Yet that space is a consoling space, a healing space and a loving space. I could not understand this thoroughly. But my point is: after loving him, Jesus became stranger to me. Love, then, is a paradox- it is close yet distance.

Is this the experience of the two disciples walking to Emmaus? They thought Jesus would save Israel from slavery. They thought Jesus will fulfill their desire for a Messiah. Jesus became stranger to them. Yet, the hope was that, the stranger made their hearts burning within. (Lk 32:24)

No words attached, with mystery, with unfamiliarity and with longing, the presence of the stranger somehow made my heart burning within.

It was like the moment, being with your beloved for long- no words attached, with mystery, with unfamiliarity, with longing- and realizing that your beloved becomes stranger to you.

Soon, I'll Be There

2008-08-14T14:16:00.000+08:00

The Solemnity of Mary's Assumption has always gives a sense of quiet joy... because that is what hope brings... quiet joy. The Assumption of Mary gives us hope that like her, after our earthly pilgrimage, will also be brought to the Kingdom of Heaven, there to be forever with her Son, Jesus. For that is what heaven is, not a place somewhere out there, but full and unending union with Jesus Christ.

Indeed, while we are here on earth, we are beset by forces that hinder us from experiencing full union with Christ: our human weaknesses and limitations, our wayward and deceptive desires, our misdirected passions and attachments. And most of these are experienced in our bodies... this body of ours which is at once an instrument of grace as well as of sin.

For this reason, the Assumption of Mary gives us hope, that our bodies, yes, our entire person will be glorified one day, like that of Mary. Hence, we say to Mary, "We look to you, our model, our forerunner. Soon, I'll be there with you."

The Waves and Winds of our Lives

2008-08-09T15:12:00.000+08:00

The sea is a double faced creature. At one time, it can be very calm and peaceful. Other time, it is like a monster that devours people mercilessly, as was the case during the MV Princess od the Stars tragedy. Even the best trained sailors and navigators are no match to the raging waters whenever the sea turns mad and murderous. Not even their skills and experience could keep them calm and confident in such precarious situations.

In the Gospel, even the veteran fisherman that Peter was easily lost his courage when he saw the strong winds shaking the ground (or water) under his feet. And it was already Jesus standing before Him. Yet He still doubted.

How similar to our experience! With all our catechism and religious education and theology, teaching us who Jesus is, how it is to put our faith in Him, we still easily get discouraged when the waves and winds come smashing our well built convictions and beliefs. Yet how consoling it is to see the Lord stretching out His hand to catch us just before we fall, as He did to Peter. Only then did He chide him for his doubts and discouragement.

May we also see the hand of the Lord stretched out to us in assistance. May we see and grasp it and rejoice in a God, always there to save us, but also gently rebukes us, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Stumbling Upon the Treasure

2008-07-26T17:32:00.000+08:00

The Gospel for this Sunday says "A man found a treasure hidden in the field... A man found a fine pearl..." The Gospel does not say that they were looking or searching for the treasure or the pearl. {The merchant was in search of fine pearls, but was nonetheless not expecting he would find one such fine pearl}. Hence, it could be that while they were going about their daily routine of ploughing the field, or sowing the seeds, or throwing their nets or rowing their boats, they unexpectedly stumbled upon the treasure or the pearl. Hence, their great joy their valuable find. Had they not gone through their daily tasks patiently, boring or tiring though it might have been, they would not have found the treasure or the pearl.

Great and valuable treasures, therefore, are not to be found in some special times or places other than in the daily, ordinary routine of our lives. Happy weekend!

http://picturepost.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/fishermen.jpg

Wheat among the Weeds

2008-07-19T18:03:00.000+08:00

The more popular title of this parable from Matthew 13:24-43 is "Weeds among the Wheat." I wonder whether it is possible to call it instead, "Parable of the Wheat among the Weeds." The former title seem to presuppose that there are more wheat than weeds. Well, because as the parable says, it was what the owner of the vineyard planted.

If we are to grant the explanation that the wheat are the "good" people, and the weeds are the "bad" people whom God has allowed to exist alongside the good people, aren't there times when it seems that there are more bad people than good people. And amidst the growing numbers of bad people, it seems more and more difficult to be good. It's difficult to be a wheat among the weeds, especially if the weeds grow faster than the wheat.

With this feeling, we find the St Paul's very consoling:
"The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
And the one who searches hearts
knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
because he intercedes for the holy ones
according to God’s will."

Take courage, then, wheat of God.

Seeds of Prayer and Silence

2008-07-12T12:49:00.000+08:00

Sunday, July 13, I am giving a day of recollection to some nuns of the Religious Sisters of Mercy in Camp Philips, Bukidnon. I surfed the internet to get an idea who they are. I found out who their foundress was, Catherine McAuley. And she has some beautiful words worth pondering on. I decided to offer these quotations as recollection points for the sisters. Like the Sunday Gospel, Catherine makes use of the image of planting.

Prayer is a plant the seed of which is sown in the heart of every Christian, but its growth entirely depends on the care we take to nourish it.

Retreat Instructions, p. 90

Thus we go on…flourishing in the very midst of the Cross, more than a common share of which has latterly fallen to my lot, thanks be to God. I humbly trust it is the cross of Christ. I endeavor to make it in some way like his by silence.

Letter to Frances Warde May 15, 1838

Happy Sunday!

Isn't It Heavy?

2008-07-05T19:07:00.000+08:00

Don't we sometimes want to ask the Lord, "You said your yoke is easy, and your burden light. But actually, what you are asking me to do, the tasks you are giving me, the challenges you are asking me to face, the cross you are asking me to bear are not at easy or light! Under the weight of all these, I fall to the ground, I hurt my knees, I see sweat and blood on my skin. What made you say it is easy and light?"

But to ask this question is to miss to hear what the Lord says before these words. He says: "Come to me all who labor and are heavily burdened. Learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest." Only if we come close to the Lord and learn from Him will our yokes and burden be easier and lighter. And there close to Him, we shall find His hand extended to us in assistance, His shoulder offered to us to lay our heads, His heart open in welcome and acceptance.

May this experience of the Lord's assuring presence inspire to say in response: I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

Doubters' day

2008-07-03T05:56:00.000+08:00

Many Catholics ask whether doubting the existence or the presence of God is a sin. Today's feast of St. Thomas, popularly known as the "Doubting Thomas" should answer that question. In the encounter between the Risen Christ and Thomas, our Lord granted Thomas' request: that he probe the nailprints and put his hands on our Lord's side. Jesus welcomed the doubts of Thomas and helped him through it and invited him to faith. Thomas' doubts, then, became a stepping stone to faith. And we are told that his profession of faith in Jesus as Lord and God the sums up all the other all previous professions of faith of the other characters in John's Gospel.

We are, then, in good company! Happy feastday, doubters!

What Makes a Pillar

2008-06-28T18:33:00.000+08:00

Saints Peter and Paul are called the pillars of the Catholic Church. Peter is the "rock upon which the Church is built" (Mt 16:18) and Paul is the "chosen vessel through whom the Gospel is proclaimed to all nations" (Acts 9:15).

We usually think of a pillar as a rock, strong, sturdy, heavy. Are these the reasons why Peter and Paul are called pillars of our faith? Because they are strong, sturdy?

On the surface, it seems they were strong, but we know that their weaknesses got the better of them too. Their being "pillars of the Church" must be for some other reason.

In the post-resurrection encounter between Jesus and Peter, Jesus asks him: “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” And Peter confesses his love for Christ, knowing fully well how he failed the Lord.

Paul, for his part, declares: “Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If any other man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ” (Phil 3:4, 7-8)

Hence, it is their love, their love for Christ that made them pillars of our Church; their strength comes from their love for Christ.

What's the source of your strength?

We pray that like Peter and Paul, we may find in Christ our pillar of strength.

As Certain as the Dawn

2008-06-07T18:24:00.000+08:00

The first reading this Sunday answers the question: Why is our Hope In Him Alone?

“Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD; as certain as the dawn is his coming, and his judgment shines forth like the light of day! He will come to us like the rain, like spring rain that waters the earth.”

In Him alone is our hope because only in God can we find certainty, security. Human hopes, human loves, as we know and have experienced it are ultimately fragile, conditional, transitory. This the prophet Hosea also illustrates by saying:

What can I do with you, Ephraim?
What can I do with you, Judah? Your piety is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that early passes away.

Let us, on this Sunday, reaffirm our hope and trust in the Lord as we sing:

In Him alone is our hope. In Him alone is our strength. In Him alone are we justified. In Him alone are we saved. [refrain of the song "In Him Alone" by MVFrancisco, in the album "The best of Bukaspalad vol. 2]

Through the Fire

2008-05-10T12:42:00.000+08:00

A few beautiful lines from Pope Benedict's Spe Salvi, in connection with Pentecost, the coming down of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and Mary as tongues of fire:

47. Some recent theologians are of the opinion that the fire which both burns and saves is Christ himself, the Judge and Saviour. The encounter with him is the decisive act of judgement. Before his gaze all falsehood melts away. This encounter with him, as it burns us, transforms and frees us, allowing us to become truly ourselves. All that we build during our lives can prove to be mere straw, pure bluster, and it collapses. Yet in the pain of this encounter, when the impurity and sickness of our lives become evident to us, there lies salvation. His gaze, the touch of his heart heals us through an undeniably painful transformation “as through fire”. But it is a blessed pain, in which the holy power of his love sears through us like a flame, enabling us to become totally ourselves and thus totally of God.

Let the psalm response in the Mass for Pentecost be our prayer too:

Lord, send forth your spirit, and renew the face of the earth!

(pix from http://home.indy.rr.com/legionofmary/images/HolySpirit2.jpg)

Langit sa Piling Mo

2008-05-03T14:01:00.000+08:00

Langit ang buhay
sa tuwing ika'y hahagkan.
Anong ligaya sa tuwing mamasdan,
sa piling mo, ang gabi'y tila araw.
Ikaw ang pangarap, ikaw lamang.

what shall we say about heaven? What is heaven?
If we want a theological treatise on it,
we can consult various theologians and scholars. Can we maybe
summarize their point by saying that heaven is none other than

being with Christ (sa piling mo...)
, with Him is profound joy, (anong ligaya sa tuwing ika'y mamasdan)
for He is all we desire, (ikaw ang pangarap, ikaw lamang)
and with Him, nights are as days. (ang gabi'y tila araw)

May we experience the Risen Lord, the Unconquerable Sun,
transforming our nights into days, thereby allowing us to experience
heaven even while here on earth.

Orphans No More

2008-04-26T19:07:00.000+08:00

The Gospel for the 6th Sunday of Easter reminded me of this verse from the song "So the Love of God".

Once we were lost
orphans of night
left but to wander
longing for the light
found by a love
that would not let us go
we are God's children
family forever.

Jesus promises His disciples that He will not leave them orphans.
The Holy Spirit will be their defender (the traditional task of the father of the family) and their teacher (the traditional task of the mother in the family).

At times when we feel orphaned, left alone, literally or figuratively by our biological or surrogate parents, or by those who are supposed to be our defenders and teachers, we can draw strength from the words of Jesus in today's Gospel, and of these lines from this song: "we are God's children, family forever."

pix from: imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/AGF/933...

A Place For Us

2008-04-19T15:58:00.000+08:00

SOMEWHERE

There's a place for us,
Somewhere a place for us.
Peace and quiet and open air
Wait for us
Somewhere.

There's a time for us,
Some day a time for us,
Time together with time spare,
Time to learn, time to care,
Some day!

Somewhere.
We'll find a new way of living,
We'll find a way of forgiving
Somewhere . . .

There's a place for us,
A time and place for us.
Hold my hand and we're halfway there.
Hold my hand and I'll take you there
Somehow,
Some day,
Somewhere!

music by Leonard Bernstein; lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

This song just came to my mind as I was reading the Gospel for this Sunday,
the fifth of Easter: Taking the office of consoler, as Ignatius says of the Risen Lord in the 4th week of the Spiritual Exercises, Jesus assures us of a place, not just somewhere or anywhere, but in the house of his Father, who is our Father, too.

May these words of Jesus truly console us, that even if we find no place in this world, or in the hearts of the people of this world, even in those we love, there is always a place for us, especially made and prepared for us, in the house of the Father, in the Heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, our only Hope.

Shepherd of Hope

2008-04-12T19:37:00.000+08:00

The theme of this Sunday's Gospel (Good Shepherd) continues last Sunday's theme (Walk to Emmaus). Picking up again from Pope Benedict's Spe Salvi, we get to know more deeply the source of our hope, Jesus, our Good Shepherd. And understand why He is our only hope:

“The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want ... Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, because you are with me ...” (Ps 23 [22]:1, 4). The true shepherd is one who knows even the path that passes through the valley of death; one who walks with me even on the path of final solitude, where no one can accompany me, guiding me through: he himself has walked this path, he has descended into the kingdom of death, he has conquered death, and he has returned to accompany us now and to give us the certainty that, together with him, we can find a way through. The realization that there is One who even in death accompanies me, and with his “rod and his staff comforts me”, so that “I fear no evil” (cf. Ps 23 [22]:4)—this was the new “hope” that arose over the life of believers (SS 6).

What comfort and consolation indeed it is for us to realize that the roads we are afraid to tread, the mountains we are scared to climb and the rivers we are reluctant to cross, to all these Jesus Christ our Shepherd had been, and has come back to accompany us as we walk these roads, as we climb these mountains, as we cross these rivers...

"...and to assure us that together with Him, we shall find our way through."

*pix from Von größter Schönheit

"But We Were Hoping..."

2008-04-05T12:34:00.000+08:00

"But we were hoping that He would be the one to redeem Israel" (Lk 24:21).

The walk to Emmaus is really a walk of Hope. Two men who had hoped, who seemed to have given up hope, walk away from Jerusalem, the place where their hope had been crushed. Then suddenly, the risen Jesus walks with them to rekindle the flame of hope in their hearts. It is the accompanying presence of Jesus that awakens their hope. Because Christ is with them, they have hope. Pope Benedict makes this point in Spe Salvi, his encyclical on Christian Hope. He quotes from a letter of Paul Le-bhao-tin, a Vietnamese martyr who was imprisoned for the faith:

In the midst of these torments, which usually terrify others, I am, by the grace of God, full of joy and gladness, because I am not alone —Christ is with me ... (SS 37)

May we perceive Christ present in our journeys awakening the flame of hope in our hearts.

graphics from: www.jsmatt.com/custom4.html

The Rays of Divine Mercy

2008-03-29T14:08:00.000+08:00

The image of Jesus King of the Divine Mercy shows our Lord pointing to His Heart where rays of light shine forth. Pope Benedict, in Spe Salvi, his encyclical on Christian hope speaks of the transformative power of this rays of light or fire of love:

Some recent theologians are of the opinion that the fire which both burns and saves is Christ himself, the Judge and Saviour. The encounter with him is the decisive act of judgement. Before his gaze all falsehood melts away. This encounter with him, as it burns us, transforms and frees us, allowing us to become truly ourselves. All that we build during our lives can prove to be mere straw, pure bluster, and it collapses. Yet in the pain of this encounter, when the impurity and sickness of our lives become evident to us, there lies salvation. His gaze, the touch of his heart heals us through an undeniably painful transformation “as through fire”. But it is a blessed pain, in which the holy power of his love sears through us like a flame, enabling us to become totally ourselves and thus totally of God (SS no. 47).

May the flame of love and mercy from the heart of Jesus, King of Mercy truly transform us as it did St Thomas, from a doubter to a believer.

Painting by Bernardo Strozzi; Oil on canvas, 89 x 98.2 cm

He Descended Into Hell

2008-03-21T18:38:00.000+08:00

On Black Saturday, when we recall the day Christ was in the tomb, we also reflect on the phrase in the Creed, "He descended into the dead." Pope Benedict offers the following reflections from his latest encyclical Spe Salvi:

Christ descended into “Hell” and is therefore close to those cast into it, transforming their darkness into light. Suffering and torment is still terrible and well- nigh unbearable. Yet the star of hope has risen—the anchor of the heart reaches the very throne of God. Instead of evil being unleashed within man, the light shines victorious: suffering—without ceasing to be suffering—becomes, despite everything, a hymn of praise (SS 37).

Pope Benedict spoke of these points when he talked about suffering as setting for learning hope. To illustrate what hell is like, he used the experience of Vietnamese martyr, Paul Le Bao-Tinh, who amidst all the violence and cruelties of the prison, was able to find hope... precisely in his faith in Jesus Christ.

May, we, too, experience Jesus descending into the "hells of our lives" and transforming our darkness into the light of Easter!

Praying these Holy Days

2008-03-19T16:44:00.000+08:00

These next three days, the Paschal Triduum, when we remember the great events of our faith, the mysteries of our faith, the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord, we are asked to pray more intensely. Hence we see many Christians, as individuals or in groups, flocking to Catholic Churches to spend time in quiet prayer before the Lord, especially during the Visita Iglesia or Vigil before the Blessed Sacrament Holy Thursday night.

Pope Benedict says something beautiful and worth noting when we pray these next three days and all throughout our life:

"To pray is not to step outside history and withdraw to our own private corner of happiness. When we pray properly we undergo a process of inner purification which opens us up to God and thus to our fellow human beings as well.

We must learn that we cannot pray against others. We must learn that we cannot ask for the superficial and comfortable things that we desire at this moment—that meagre, misplaced hope that leads us away from God. We must learn to purify our desires and our hopes (Spe Salvi 33).

Indeed, may we truly be purified by our prayers these days and be mindful of the needs of others and lift them up to God together with our own.

Eternal Life... What is It?

2008-03-08T17:24:00.000+08:00

What kind of life is Jesus offering when he says, "“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die”?

Pope Benedict helps us reflect on this question with these excerpts from his latest encyclical Spe Salvi:

Obviously there is a contradiction in our attitude, which points to an inner contradiction in our very existence. On the one hand, we do not want to die; above all, those who love us do not want us to die. Yet on the other hand, neither do we want to continue living indefinitely… To continue living for ever —endlessly—appears more like a curse than a gift. Death, admittedly, one would wish to postpone for as long as possible. But to live always, without end—this, all things considered, can only be monotonous and ultimately unbearable (SS 11).

To imagine ourselves outside the temporality that imprisons us and in some way to sense that eternity is not an unending succession of days in the calendar, but something more like the supreme moment of satisfaction, in which totality embraces us and we embrace totality—this we can only attempt. It would be like plunging into the ocean of infinite love, a moment in which time—the before and after—no longer exists. We can only attempt to grasp the idea that such a moment is life in the full sense, a plunging ever anew into the vastness of being, in which we are simply overwhelmed with joy (SS 12).

Each of us has a desire waiting to be fulfilled, a wish waiting to come true, ultimately it is the desire for this eternal life being offered by Jesus Christ. But oftentimes, these are buried deep in our hearts, under our earthly, carnal and fleeting desires which we often mistake to be the lasting and truest desires. Like Lazarus in the grave, this desire for eternal life, for that supreme moment of satisfaction in which totality embraces us and we embrace totality…is waiting to be called by Jesus,. O

n this last week of Lent, as we come closer to Holy Week, let us allow Jesus to visit our graves, and call to life our deepest and truest desires by breathing the Spirit of life into our hearts, for He is our only hope and by this hope in Him, we are saved. Spe Salvi factus sumus.

From our Own Little Corner

2008-02-25T21:32:00.005+08:00

Being geographically distant from Manila, it is a real temptation for those of us in
Mindanao not to be bothered by the turn of events in the capital city of the country, and dismiss the mass actions as mere political noise of disgruntled
citizens. But it can not be the case if one takes seriously the Filipino saying
'ang sakit ng kalingkingan ay sakit ng buong katawan' (the ailment of the pinky
finger is the ailment of the entire body) and the Pauline treatise on the Body of Christ, one can not simply remain indifferent to the socio-political situation of the
country, especially when it involves the blatant suppression of truth and shameless
greed and corruption in government.

Hence, it was a consoling and encouraging experience to see Catholics, and perhaps non-catholics also gathering at the Gaston Park, in front of the CDO Cathedral attending the Mass for Truth and the brief program that followed. I hope that this will not be the last of such activities, but simply the beginning of a series of
activities that will involve not just Catholics, but all people of good will and not just during elections, but all throughout the year, monitoring the public officials and demanding from them accountability, honesty and integrity while they are in office.

From our little corner of the archipelago, let the light of truth shine!

What makes you shine?

2008-02-16T16:49:00.000+08:00

The transfiguration story presents Jesus' face and clothes shining and dazzlingly white. We are told that this episode is a preview of his resurrection which will occur after his passion and death. So what brought about the Resurrection which raised Jesus to an entirely new life and made him shine and dazzle in all glory. The answer lies in the event following the transfiguration and preceding the resurrection: the passion and death of Jesus. Jesus is proclaimed "SON" by the Father in the transfiguration. But he claims this sonship as his identity as he hangs on the cross and says: "Father, into your hands I entrust my Spirit." On the cross, Jesus proclaims God as His Father, thereby sealing the indissoluble love between the Father and the Son. A love so powerful it overcame death. And so we say, "Dying, you destroyed death. Rising, you restored life. Come again in glory."

What makes you shine?

Temptations...temptations

2008-02-09T08:45:00.000+08:00

The Gospel for First Sunday of Lent on Year A is the Temptation of Christ in the desert. It shows Jesus triumphant over the devil who wanted to trip him off into choosing the easy way out, the popular way, the highest way. But Jesus would not let himself be deceived by the devil. He ultimately placed his trust in the Father who will fill his hunger, who will protect him, whom He alone adores. May we learn from Christ to put our trust entirely on the Lord, and not be deceived by the empty promises of the devil.

Bible Sunday 2008

2008-01-26T18:20:00.000+08:00

Word of God: Source of Reconciliation, Justice and Peace. This is the theme of this year's celebration of the National Bible Week. I think it has been fittingly chosen especially in the light of the just concluded Year of Social Concerns in the Catholic Church. Our society and our world badly need these three gifts from God: reconciliation, justice and peace. And this theme invites us to consider the treasure and potential of the Word of God to bring about reconciliation justice and peace. By a daily reading of the Bible, may we discover and be inspired by its stories, poems and narratives and become, with God's grace agents of reconciliation, justice and peace!

God Bless Our Families

2007-12-29T12:54:00.000+08:00

Oftentimes we have the tendency to romanticize the first Christmas, what with the carols and poems composed to commemmorate and celebrate the unique event of the becoming man of God. Indeed the awe and wonder evoked by the mystery can not be expressed in mere prose. It always appeals to the poet in us. But the harsh realities surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ must not escape us, for they carry as much significance as the mystery of the incarnation.

And the Gospel on the feast of the Holy Family illustrates the danger and threat the child Jesus had to face right after his birth. Herod, perceiving him to be a threat to his throne, plotted to have the child killed. And in his anger at being deceived by the magi, he ordered all male children 2 years and below to be killed. Thus, the slaughter of the Holy innocents. How ironic it is that a small helpless clueless innocent child be considered a threat by a king who has at his disposal all the elements of earthly power. Which goes to show us how pathetically insecure he is even with the greatest and strongest of armed troops and high fortress. Translated to our times, how terribly threatened one is even with one's millions in the banks and mansions in gated subdivisions.

May this Christmas season lead us to the true treasure which is found not in the king's palaces or the banker's chest, but in the lowly manger of Bethlehem, in our time, in the quiet place before the sacred host of the blessed sacrament, as well as in the poor and downtrodden in the margins of society.

Happy Feast of the Holy Family!

Emmanuel... God with us

2007-12-24T10:20:00.000+08:00

Christmas comes every year... it repeats itself, but the magic, er, the mystery
does not wane away. For it is not simply a thing like any other.

It speaks of what is deepest in the heart of the human being... the desire to be close to, to be united with, to be associated with another human being. Hence, no person wants to spend Christmas alone. Not the OFWs, not the soldiers in duty at Basilan and Jolo, not the security guards at the MRTS stations, not the priest in the convent or the nurse in clinic. Right where they are, they have cellphones in hand to greet their loved ones.

Because that was what happened on the first Christmas, God throught to be far away, far on high, far above us, has come to be with us, in Emmanuel. Hence, no person can ever claim to be alone, to be disconnected, to be unrelated, for whereever he or she is, God with with him/ her.

"If I go the high heavens, or the lowest earth, you are there with me" (Psalm 139).
"Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil for you are with me"
(Psalm 23)

Merry Christmas!

The Forgiving King

2007-11-24T21:26:00.000+08:00

Christ the King is a strange king. While kings are usually seated on an ornate throne, surrounded by heavily armed guards, Christ the King hangs on the cross, flanked by two thieves. Instead of applauses and praises, he gets mockery and insults. Do we want to be followers of this kind of king?

And he is a forgiving king! He grants forgiveness to the repentant thief, welcomes rather than condemn him, assures him of a place in His kingdom. Who of us do not wish to be forgiven by God for our many sins against Him? If only for this, let us approach the throne of grace, as St. Paul says, and receive mercy from Christ, the King of Divine Mercy.

Long live Christ the King, the King of Divine Mercy!

Saints with a small "s"

2007-10-31T15:11:00.000+08:00

A retablo in any antique Church (that is, built during the Spanish era) around the country is can be a treat for hagiographers, people who study saints. A group touring these churches can come up with guessing games: Who is this saint? Who is that saint? These saints who have been given the privileged of being venerated in our Churches are called saints with a BIG S. This means that they have been recognized by the Church as saints by canonizing them. This, of course, after a tedious process of researching about their exemplary and holy lives, the great things they did for God. And a miracle attributed to them is required for them to be finally canonized.

But I wonder whether your lola or my lola, or your mother, or my grade school teacher, all of whom have already passed away, also deserve to be venerated as saints, because they, too have lived equally noble and God-centered lives. The only difference is that they are ordinary folks who have not been noticed by those who begin and carry out this process of saint-making. But they can not be as less holy as San Isidro or San Pablo.

They are the saints with a small "s". They are the ones we honor on November 1, All Saints' Day, of course, including the saints with a big S. In the end, it is God whom we honor and adore for giving us these great cloud of witnesses (Heb 12:1). It is our hope that we too will join them when our time comes.

Rosary for Peace

2007-10-01T16:50:00.000+08:00

The longing for peace continues to blaze in the heart of each Christian, of each Filipino. Both in and out of the country, war rages and casualties of war suffer the unnecessary horrors brought by the war. Hence, on this month of the Rosary, we pray for peace, for that is what the Rosary is, according to John Paul II:

“The Rosary is by its nature a prayer for peace, since it consists in the contemplation of Christ, the Prince of Peace, the one who is "our peace" (Eph 2:14). Anyone who assimilates the mystery of Christ -- and this is clearly the goal of the Rosary -- learns the secret of peace and makes it his life's project. Moreover, by virtue of its meditative character, with the tranquil succession of Hail Marys, the Rosary has a peaceful effect on those who pray it, disposing them to receive and experience in their innermost depths, and to spread around them, that true peace that is the special gift of the Risen Lord (cf. Jn 14:27; 20.21)” (John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, #40).

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!

Triumph of the Cross, Triumph of Love... Sept. 14

2007-09-13T13:22:00.000+08:00

An interesting question raised in our Christology class goes like this: "what if Jesus died another way, like lethal injection or decapitation or electrocution? Would we honor the electric chair or sword or the syringe used to kill him?" An amusing and thought provoking question indeed!

I guess the main question is: Is it the cross or the man hanging on it that is the object of our worship? Certainly, the man Jesus, or rather, the God-man, Jesus Christ, who hangs on the cross is the object of our worship. It is he who gives the wood of the cross its significance as the instrument of salvation. It's certainly weird to imagine venerating a syringe or a sword, but these are all hypothetical thoughts precisely because it is not what actually happened in history.

The triumph of the cross, in the end, is the triumph of love... a love that was not afraid of death. It is this love that we remember on this feast and on every Good Friday when we venerate the cross and say, "We adore you O Christ, and we bless you, becuase by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world!"

2007-09-06T14:03:00.000+08:00

DANCING WITH THE WAVES, IN THE DARKNESS AND THE DEPTHS (Thurs, 22nd wk, Lk 5:1-11)

Today’s gospel made me wonder why Jesus chose fishermen to be among disciples?
Could it be because they were men who were not afraid of waves, of darkness and of depths. Jesus must have known that his ministry which he would later on entrust to these men would mean sailing through rough seas. If a fisherman wants a big catch, he has to put out into the deep, and he has to do it at night. And there in the deep, in the darkness, he encounters the waves that will challenge his capacity to maneuver his boat.

The life of a priest, as we know, is no different from a fisherman’s. If a parish priest wants a big catch, he may not stay in his kumbento, in the centro, among the CWLs or KofCs. He has to go to the barrios, 12 rivers and 7 mountains away from the poblacion, passing by Muslim or NPA settlements. But when he arrives there, he finds 20 people: 10 children, 5 mothers, 2 alagads, 2 sacristans and himself; 30 pesos halad, but with 3 upo, 4 kalabasa, 2 basket mais. He introduces livelihood programs, successful on the first year, but because of conflicts among the lay leaders, it fails on the second year. He tries again, to no avail. He repeatedly asks for a parochial vicar. When his request is finally granted, he is given a retired priest who could take only the first of 6 Sunday Masses. There’s the darkness of frustration. The depths of loneliness? the barrio parish is 200 kilometers from the city, no cell site, the old priest is asleep by 7pm. And there amidst the darkness and depths come the overwhelming waves of temptations: to get a kitten (?) to play with on cold nights. Anyway, “people understand; the Lord is merciful.” So we are no longer surprised, but are deeply saddened when priests, within 5 years after ordination, esp if they are our alumni, are sent to Assist program and Bob Garon. But we are also inspired by diocesan/ parish priests who, like our boatman, could navigate through the waves, the darkness and deep sea of priestly ministry with calm and confidence. (Some of them right here with us.) And we wonder what their secret is.

I asked the boatman, “Bakit parang wala lang sa ‘yo kahit anlaki ng mga alon, andilim na ng paligid at anlalim na ng dagat?” He said, “Bata pa ako, sanay na ako sa dagat. Pinag-aralan ko na noon pa kung paano makisayaw sa mga alon, magsagwan sa dilim at sumisid sa kailaliman.” What about you brothers, future fishers of men, are you learning (or are you willing to learn), in this little ocean called SJVTS, to dance with the waves, to paddle through the darkness and swim through depths?

Disturb us, Lord

Disturb us, Lord when we are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord,
when, with the abundance of things we possess,
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
and having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity;
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

attributed - sir francis drake -1577

What's It all About, Augustine?

2007-08-26T22:57:00.000+08:00

"What's it all about, Augustine?" This line, of course, sounds familiar to many people, the original being "what's it all about, alfie?" It is a song that
confronts one with a simple, yet deep question. It must have been the question
St. Augustine asked of himself while he begins to reflect on the wayward and dissolute life that he was leading. An intelligent professor, a good looking man, a well to do family... what else is there to ask for?

But amidst the questioning and the searching, he hears the word, "Tolle et lege"... "Take and read." He did take and read, and his life began to make the 360 degree turn from the world to God. And he found out, "You have made us for yourselves and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."

May St. Augustine's story inspire us to ask the simple yet difficult question, and heed the voice that speaks from deep within, "Take and read"... "come and rest in me..." Happy Feastday to all of his devotees!

Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.

2007-07-11T18:25:00.000+08:00

Gospel for July 12, 2007
Thursday of 14th Week of Ordinary Time

What is it that we have received without cost that we can give? As I look at my life and all that I have, whatever I have, material things, talents, skills, money... all these things I have received from God, through people of good will who have loved me since the time they knew me. And so, what can I give? Anything and everything that I have. The main question really is whether I am willing and ready to give these things. My prayer today is St. Ignatius' Prayer for Generosity:

Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as I should.
To give and not to count the cost.
To fight and not to heed the wounds.
To toil and not to seek for rest.
To labor and not to ask for reward.
Save that of knowing that I do your most holy will.

A Week Ago

2007-04-13T15:24:00.000+08:00

A week ago, we remembered the crucifixion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are truly grateful for his self-sacrifice which has ransomed us from death.
Now we are assured that God truly understands our fears of death, our anxiety
over the frustrations and failures in our lives, for He himself has undergone
these painful experiences.

And the resurrection is our assurance that everything does not go to waste.
Our life stories do not end in meaninglessness and death, but in life, new life,
by which we understand everything that has gone wrong. We are able to move on
and look forward with strength and hope.

Happy Easter!

Jesus Our Light

2007-02-02T13:13:00.000+08:00

Midway between Christmas and Holy Week, we celebrate the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. This is also popularly known as "Candelaria"... following the theme of Jesus as the Light of the world, as proclaimed by Simeon. Indeed, Jesus is the light of our life. Without him, we would not see our way clearly, just as the absence of a lamp post makes it difficult to see the road ahead of us. Moreoever, the absence of light makes us afraid of the dark. So it is when Jesus is absent in our life, we are afraid because the immensity of our problems do weigh us down. And because we are afraid, we just stop moving, moving on, with our life. But with Jesus with us, we can move, we can do almost anything that we thought we could not do if he were not with us.

On this day of His Presentation, we say: Thank you, Lord, for your light. May we follow your light always...

Led by a Star

2007-01-06T21:28:00.000+08:00

The wise men found their way to Jesus, the promised Messiah through a star which they had observed in the skies. How can this make sense to us today? Are the horoscopes the way to find our destinies? Certainly not, because no one can predict what exactly will happen tomorrow or next year. What we can make are simply educated and informed guesses.

What is it that will lead us to Jesus today, in the absence of a big bright star in the sky? Perhaps it could be the star of our dreams, the deepest dream which we cherish deep within our hearts...

...the dream of a better life for our families, not just material satisfaction, but unity, understanding, love
... the dream of a better life for our country, not judt economic stability, but peace, honesty, integrity
... the dream of a better world, not just the absence of war, but solidarity among peoples...

These are our dreams, our stars, which will lead us to Jesus, not when we have achieved them, but even as we work towards the realization of these dreams.

Happy Epiphany!

Greeting the New Year with Hope

2006-12-28T13:59:00.000+08:00

A few days from now, 2006 comes to a close, and 2007 comes in. It's difficult to feel optimistic and excited when we know that it is election year in the country (May 2007), when the Charter Change campaign will be resurrected again, when the Bikolanos suffering terribly from the destruction of supertyphoon Reming have hardly recovered from the traumatic tragedy.

But perhaps this is precisely the meaning of hope, which differentiates it from optimism and excitement. Hope springs from a deeper source than optimism. While optimism simply looks forward to a situation better than the present, hope is that, but more. It is hoping "IN SOMEONE", rather than just waiting "for something".

And we know that this someone is not one who has not come. He is one who has already come, who has been with us all these years, in our sufferings and pains, experiencing the same helplessness and vulnerability as we do, as He was born amidst the poverty and misery of the manger. He is with us, for He is Emmanuel, God-with-us.

And thus, even though we are facing another chaotic election season, we are not afraid to what we can to make this country a little better, and move it a step forward, for we are not doing it alone. We are doing it with Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of Mary.

May we, like Mary, ponder these things in our hearts, and greet the New Year with A NEW HOPE IN HIM.

Indeed Not Impossible

2006-10-28T23:02:00.001+08:00

Two Sundays ago, Jesus said the things we think are impossible are actually possible for God. The Bartimaeus episode in today's Gospel is but a proof of this. Perhaps Batimaeus had given up hope of being able to see again. But when he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, a ray of hope was kindled in him, and he tried as loud as He can to call His attention. And Jesus did notice, asked him what He wanted and gave him what he desired. Indeed what Bartimaeus and perhaps even the people around him have given up as impossible was actually made possible by Jesus.... with Bartimaeus' persistent, persevering prayer.

What do you want Jesus to do for you?

The Mind of Christ

2006-10-21T16:36:00.000+08:00

In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus teaches His disciples another way of greatness,
and that this by becoming a servant. It is a totally different way path, unknown and perhaps unacceptable to the disciples. That is why they were reserving for seats in the Kingdom of Heaven. Their idea of greatness is being seated in places of honor. But Jesus' idea, his mind (Phil 2:5) is different. His way, His mind, is that of a servant. It is:
- the way of suffering (first reading),
- the way of sympathy with the weak (second reading), and
- the way of serving others (gospel)

Are you of the same mind...the same way as Christ?

INA in our Hearts

2006-09-17T15:53:00.000+08:00

"Can a mother forget her child? Even if she forgets, I would never forget you!" These are Yahweh's words through the prophet Isaiah. But it is very much the words of INA, too, Our Lady of Penafrancia, to her Bicolano children scattered all over the Philippines and the world. For on this weekend, Bicolanos all over are united in celebrating the fiesta of INA.

Last Sunday, we had our own here in Cagayan de Oro, complete with a fluvial procession, in the Cagayan River. After the fluvial was the Mass in Bikol, over which I had the privilege of presiding. Then there was a fellowship dinner and program afterwards.

Truly, one need not be in Naga to honor Ina, forever, she is not only in the Basilica or in the Naga Cathedral, but in the hearts of every Bicolano.

Viva la Virgen!

Follow Me

2006-09-17T15:45:00.000+08:00

It's striking how Jesus puts it in today's Gospel: "Take up your cross and follow me." He does specify where He is going or where He is leading the person who will follow Him. Of course, we know that He is going to Calvary to die. But in the concrete, in our lives, that Calvary can take many forms. Oftentimes, it is not where we would have wanted to go, if we had the choice. But precisely, Jesus says 'follow me.' He will lead the way. Or He is THE way. Where the destination is is not important. What is important is that we are with Jesus, we are following Him, and not carrying our cross and going our own way.

Have a nice week ahead!

God Provides

2006-07-28T11:41:00.000+08:00

The Gospel (John 6:1-11) on Sunday, July 30, narrates the Feeding of the Multitude. Three things are worth noting here:

First, Jesus knows of the needs of the people. They had been with him for several days now. He taught them because He saw that they were like sheep without a shepherd. He knew that they were hungry. He is not oblivious to the situation and needs of the crowds. Jesus knows the needs of His people.

Second: And so, he decided to provide them with food. Jesus made use of the little that was presented to Him to provide some food for the people. Jesus did not stop at knowing what the needs were. He acted on the problem. Jesus provides for the needs of His people.

Third, the food that Jesus provided went beyond what was needed. There was more than what was needed. They were able to fill several baskets of left-overs. This shows that when Jesus provides, it is always more than what we need, more than what we expect.

Thank you Lord, for knowing our needs, providing for us, more than what we need. May we always be grateful to you, o Lord!

A Sleeping God?

2006-06-24T15:44:00.000+08:00

"Natutulog ba ang Diyos?" asks Gary V. in his song which became popular some years back. If we look at this Sunday's Gospel, the answer is "yes! the Lord is asleep!" and as the apostles asked, "don't you care that we are drowning?" The experience of the apostles is very much our own too. Oftentimes, we ask whether the Lord cares at all, especially when we are beset with problems that seem like strong waves that hit the boats of our security one after the other.

Yes, the Lord may be sleeping, BUT He is PRESENT nonetheless. And WITH Him in our midst, there should be nothing to fear. After all, as the Lord says in the first reading: "it is who sets the limits of the waves."

O Lord our God, strengthen our faith in our presence!

My Precious Blood

2006-06-17T13:13:00.000+08:00

When blood is involved in a discussion, whether it be coughing or vomiting blood
or unceasing flow of blood from a wound, or donating blood, it always means a serious matter. It can not be triviliazed, as when we say, "I've purchased and worked on this land with my sweat, tears and bloo!" It's no small thing!

Hence, it must be the same when Jesus speaks of shedding his blood. When He says, "This is my blood which will be shed for you and for all." He is talking about something precious, something of great value, which we can not trivialize. In saying he is shedding his blood, Jesus means that He is giving His all, His everything, holding back nothing, for us and for all. His is a giving that leaves nothing for Himself. And in the process, He gains everything. In his total self-offering, the Father gave Him back the gift of Himself, of the Spirit, in His resurrection.

May the feast of Corpus Christi inspire us to love as Jesus loves...

The Trinity and Independence Day

2006-06-12T10:14:00.000+08:00

Yesterday's solemnity of the Trinity may help us recapture the meaning of Independence Day of our country. In many ways, our country is not yet fully free. We are prey to many forces that continue to enslave us...poverty, graft, corruption, culture of mediocrity, palusot, ignorance etc. And one of the possible causes of these is the absence of sharing among our people, especially the "haves" to the "have-nots".

The life of the Trinity is characterized by sharing. The Father shares everything to the Son, and vice versa. They share their love for each other, which is the Holy Spirit. Everything is shared, nothing held back. If there is genuine sharing among our people, then maybe we can come closer to freedom which is every Filipino's cherished treasure.

May the Father, Son and Spirit bless us!

The Spirit of Freshness

2006-06-03T08:20:00.000+08:00

In most schools, classes open on Monday, Juen 5. New students are especially excited about going to school, what with their new bags, new notebooks, new raincoats! They look forward to knowing and meeting new teachers, new classmates. They expect many new things!

Isn't it a happy coincidence that the beginning of the new schoool year is preceded by Pentecost Sunday, the feast of descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the disciples gathered in the Upper Room. With the coming of Holy Spirit preceded by the blowing of a strong wind that shook the place and startled the disciples. The windows flew open and a breath of fresh air blew upon them and they felt like new creatures. They suddenly felt brave and courageous and began to preach the Good News! Thus, the Church was born!

Come Holy Spirit, blow in us, refresh us, encourage us!

What is your Name?

2006-05-08T21:30:00.000+08:00

The fourth Sunday of Easter is usually called the Good Shepherd Sunday,
and the readins for tat Sunday and for the new few days are about Jesus as
the Good Shepherd. One striking thought in Jesus' discourse about the Good
Shepherd is his calling each of his sheep by name.

We don't call just anyone by their first names. We call by name only those we know personally and with whom we are related in one way or another. And with those
with whom we are closer, we have names of endearment, which only we and the person
to whom we have given the name can appreciate. For every person in every kind of
relationship, we have a name. The closer the relationship, the more special the name.

Perhaps Jesus has a special name for each of us? What could be Jesus' name for you?
And what is your name for Jesus?

THE PRIESTHOOD AND GOD’S FIDELITY

2006-04-12T09:23:00.000+08:00

Homily for Fr. Angelo Silerio’s Thanksgiving Mass
Christ the King University Church; Ateneo de Naga University
11 April 2006

If face value and good looks were to be basis for admission to the priesthood, you will all agree that Fr. Boboy qualifies unquestionably. Because as you can see, he has that angelo-ic innocent looks that have caused the hearts of ladies and (hrmm) gentlemen beat faster than usual, at the mere sight or smell of Fr. Boboy. Even that receding hairline, they say, makes him even more desirable and delectable.

Or if intelligence and were to be the basis of admission to the priesthood, again Fr. Boboy qualifies undeniably. Both in Naga Parochial School and Ateneo de Naga, Fr. Boboy was always in the honors class and graduated with honors in all of grade school, high school and college. And in Loyola School of Theology, like our two other new priests, he recently finished with the distinction Magna Cum Laude.

If capacity and endurance were to be the basis of admission to the priesthood, again Fr. Boboy qualifies undoubtedly. He has these qualities; otherwise how could have survived the long years of preparation for Jesuit priesthood which started way back in 1995 and, in one sense, ended three days ago on his ordination day? How could he have stood triumphant through the various tests and trials he had to face throughout those years of formation?

But if we reflect on the readings for today, we realize that there seem to be another set of criteria by which the Lord chooses His servants, other than good looks, intelligence and endurance. And while Fr. Boboy has been fortunately gifted with these, he has been chosen by the Lord to be His priest by way of another standard. And these are: God-centeredness, availability and fidelity.

First, God-centeredness. The prophet says, “Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, Yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God.” In the responsorial psalm, the psalmist says, “For you are my hope, O Lord; my trust, O God, from my youth. On you, I depend from birth; from my mother’s womb, you are my strength.” The Servant of Yahweh, then, is one who centers his life on God. The famous song “In Him Alone” beautifully expresses the prophet’s view of his identity and mission: “In Him alone is our hope. In Him alone is our strength. In Him alone are we justified. In Him alone are we saved.”

Focusing on one’s good looks, intelligence and capacity puts the self at the center of one’s concern. The self becomes the capital, the motivation and the reward for one’s efforts and strivings. And if an endeavour does not boost the ego, one leaves that project for another more popular, more affirming, more rewarding work or task. This does not seem to be the tendency of Fr. Boboy. My experience of 10 years with him in the Society tells me that Fr. Boboy is a quiet yet hardworking fellow. He does not mind being at the background, doing supporting roles. Yet when called hold leadership posts, he stands to take up the challenge, like being the area and cluster head in our apostolate in Payatas.

Second, availability. In the first reading, Yahweh says: “You are my servant Israel through whom I will show my glory…to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations…” It is Yahweh who determines what the mission of his Servant will be. It is Yahweh sends Him wherever He wishes to. It is God who will dispose of His servant however, wherever, whenever He wants. The Servants needs only to be available, to be at the pleasure of His Master. St. Ignatius expresses this in his prayer, Take and Receive: “Do what thou wilt, command, and I obey.”

And this is probably what the Lord saw in Fr. Boboy: the spirit of availability, of willingness to be His servant, however, wherever, whenever the Lord wishes. If I am not mistaken, at one point in his journey, Fr. Boboy considered pursuing another way of life, or another way of being a priest, one that will allow Him to design His life the way he wants it, the way He likes it. But that was not to be the case. The Lord has prevailed. He wanted Fr. Boboy to be a Jesuit priest. Through Fr. Provincial, the Lord has expressed His will that Fr. Boboy goes to the far-flung barrio parish of Cabanglasan in Bukidnon to minister to the indigenous peoples of Bukidnon and Agusan. There it will be the culture and the needs of the people who will determine how Fr. Boboy will serve them. He needs only to be available to them.

Third, fidelity. In today’s Gospel, we see the two disciples whose discipleship are put to the test by the turn of events in Jesus’ life. Judas, as we know, have turned traitor. He has failed in returning the fidelity of Jesus to Him. Peter, similarly, was to fail in his fidelity to His Master. Hence, the remark of Jesus, “Where I am going, you can not follow me now, though later, you will.” And Peter proudly says to Jesus, “Master, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” And Jesus answered, “You will lay down your life for me, will you? Amen. Amen. I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times.”

Fidelity, then, is the third, and perhaps the most important virtue the Lord looks for in His servant. Fr. Boboy’s fidelity, especially to people who have been part of his life in varying degrees of intimacy and intensity, is probably evidenced by the presence of many of his friends during the ordination, coming as far as Davao, Aklan, Bulacan and, of course, Camaligan. When Fr. Boboy becomes your friend, it is for keeps. It is forever, for life, but always relative to his primary commitment as a chaste celibate Jesuit priest.

God-centeredness, availability and fidelity. These, then, are the virtues that the Lord may have seen in you, Fr.Boboy, that made Him call you, choose you, to become His servant. Not that you possess them in their fullness and totality, but that the potential, the seed is there in your heart. And in the generosity and sincerity of your desire, you responded to the call by pronouncing the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience on May 30, 1997, and receiving the gift of the priesthood just last Saturday, April 8, 2006.

I wonder, Fr. Boboy, whether last Saturday, when you said “I do” to all the questions of the Bishop, you fully understood what you were talking about: what this awesome gift of the priesthood is all about, what it means, what it takes, what it costs. Looking back to my experience of being a priest for one year and two days has made me wonder whether I knew what I was saying on the day of my ordination. Maybe I was like Peter who did not fully understand what Jesus was saying to Him, much less what he himself was foolishly saying to Jesus. Only later on, when he had actually denied knowing Jesus, when he had cowardly fled to save His skin, when he would weep bitterly at his shameful predicament, would he understand how unfaithful He had been. And only later, later on, after the Resurrection, when Jesus gives Peter another chance, when He allows Peter to make up for his denials, by professing his love for Jesus three times, only then does Peter realize how faithful His Master, His Lord, His friend had been despite and amidst his infidelity.

To my utter shame and embarrassment, I realized that the priesthood is not about me and me alone. Your parents, Fred and Conching, and the married people here present would probably agree that this can be said, too, about marriage. It is not just about the husband and wife period. In the priesthood as well as in marriage, it is not about working at it with all your might to make the relationship or the celibacy work. It is not about having successful projects and six or eight-digit salaries or stipends. It is not about up to what age you have lived, or to how far a continent you have travelled to, or to how many fan texts you have received for a well-delivered lecture or homily.

Rather, it is primarily about God and His fidelity to His promises. Our priesthood is about how God has been faithful to us, even in our unfaithfulness. I think this is what “being a priest forever” means: that once God has given His word, He means it and He will do it. He will not take it back. You, Fr. Boboy, are a priest forever, because the God who has called from among His people, and for His people, is a faithful God, who invites you to center your life on Him, to be available to Him, to be faithful to Him. This is what we are giving thanks to the Lord for, today in this Eucharist, and in every Eucharist that you will offer all your life: the fidelity of God. This fidelity of God is what are celebrate this Holy Week: the God whose Word has became flesh, to live among us, to die for us, to rise again for us.

So when you travel along that long and winding, bumpy and shaky road to your parish in Cabanglasan, Bukidnon, imagine that road as the version for you today of that ancient road to Calvary, a road that will test your God-centeredness, availability and fidelity. But do not be afraid! Many of our Jesuit forebears have taken that road, following the Call of the Christ the King. Foremost of them are our first companions whose jubilee we celebrate this year: Loyola, Xavier and Favre. Our Jesuit giants here in Naga whose edifying lives of God-centeredness, availability and fidelity have inspired and nurtured our own vocation are certainly praying for you as they join us from above: Frs. Rooney, Phelan, Bonoan and Dolan. Living Jesuit giants, yes, there are: Frs. Sanz, Belardo, Carretero and Tabora, and the rest of the brethren. We wish you all the best. Please pray for us as we shall do for you.

Welcoming Jesus Christ Today

2006-04-09T11:37:00.000+08:00

On the first Palm Sunday, people gave Jesus a royal welcome proclaiming Him the Son of David. By calling 'Son of David', the people were pinning on Him their messianic hopes...that He is the one who will free them from their enslavement under the Roman powers. But Jesus's Messiahship was not according to their perspective. He was a Messiah that would suffer and die. Only later on, after His resurrection would everything make sense.

Today, Jesus comes to us in the poor, sick, suffering and marginalized. Ought we not to give Him the same royal welcome that He was given two thousand years ago. Would he not feel much honored if we feed the hungery, clothe the naked, etc,
as he himself has said, "whenever you do this to the least of my brethren, you did it to me?"

We pray that this Holy Week may truly be a blessed one for all of us!

The Cross That Heals

2006-03-26T23:56:00.000+08:00

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son...
that all who believe in Him might not perish but may have eternal life."

Because of the 10th World Youth Day, and perhaps even before the event, this has
been one of the most loved lines in Scriptures. For in a way, it sums up the entire history of salvation. This lines from John 3 are preceded by the comparison of the lifting up of the Son of Man with the lifting up of the serpent by Moses. Those who were bitten by the serpents and would look at the bronze serpent would be healed and would live. In the same way, those who would look at the crucified Lord would be healed and would live.

Hence, the comparison points to the healing power of the cross, which does heals us not from snake venom, but from the venom of sin, which will certainly kill us if we are afflicted by it. All of us have been attacked and penetrated by the venom of sin, both by the acts of others and by our own. But we are not in a totally hopeless condition. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son...
that all who believe in Him might not perish but may have eternal life."

O Crucified Lord, hear us, heal us!

When Tempted As Jesus Was

2006-03-04T17:43:00.000+08:00

Temptations are all around us. Even if we don't look for them, we are bombarded by them. And oftentimes, we find ourselves just seemingly powerless to resist them. In our Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent, we see Jesus tempted by the devil. But unlike us who have succumbed to temptations, Jesus emerged triumphant in the struggle between Him and the devil. What is His secret?

The short account of Mark does not give the details of the temptations. Matthew and Luke do, and they tell us what Jesus did before he was tempted. Jesus fasted and prayed before He was tempted. Perhaps this is Jesus' secret. Why prayer and fasting?

In prayer, we acknowledge that our strength comes from God alone. Without Him, we would not have life. Only with God's help can we really fight and triumph over the many temptations in our life. This is certainly very clear for Jesus. In key moments of His life, He prayed. Thus, He came out victorious over the many trials and tests throughout His life. For He knew where and from whom to draw strength.

In fasting, we complement God's assistance by practically guarding the gates of our senses, through which temptations usually come into us. We refrain from the things and activities which potentially lead us to sin. In saying "No" to things that usually preoccupy us, or even enslave us, we already declare victory over the usual tactics of the evil spirit.

But prayer and fasting should be accompanied by works of mercy. This is not explicitly mentioned in the Gospel. Implicitly, it is alluded to when Jesus proclaims the Kingdom. The Kingdom comes when the Good News is preached to the poor. To believe in the Good News is to preach it to the poor, for whom the Kingdom must be a concrete reality. And works of mercy is the way to do this. We deprive ourselves of things, only so that we can give these to the poor.

Hence, prayer, fasting and works of mercy should come together.
For prayer without fasting and works of mercy is individualistic emotionalism.
For fasting without prayer and works of mercy is self-centered stoicism.
For works of mercy without fasting and prayer is condescending philantrophism.

When tempted and even when not, during Lent and beyond Lent: prayer, fasting
and good works.