Days of Absence

Dear Friends,

I will be away for two weeks. And so I blogged homilies which I already have. These articles will somehow keep you busy and interested while I am gone. Check each date and entry.

Please pray for me. I will be back on the 7th of April 2006.

Thank you very much for supporting this blog especially those who use this for prayer and reflection. I will remember all of you who read the articles.

Please click on the blog My Book Shelf to check on the sources of my homilies. It is under the Narrow Gate icon. Some books on my bookshelf have not been entered in the blog yet. My apologies.

Alin sa mga Mabubuting Gawa?

7 April 2006, Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent
John 10, 31-42

Note: I wrote this article for Simbahay, a Scripture Diary of St. Pauls Publications

"Maraming mabubuting gawa mula sa Ama ang itinuro ko sa inyo. Dahil sa alin sa mga ito at binabato n'yo ako."

PAGSASADIWA

Sa Piyesta ng Pagtatalaga sa Jerusalem (o Hannukah), tinanong ng mga Judio si Jesus kung siya nga ba ang Kristo. Sinagot ni Hesus na nagpapatunay ang kanyang mga gawa sa ngalan ng Ama sa kanyang tunay na pagkatao. At lahat ng kanyang ginagawa ay isang ganap na pagtalima sa Ama. Dahil dito makikilala natin siya kahit man lang sa kanyang mabubuting mga gawa.

PAGSASABUHAY

1. Nakikita ba natin ang kamay ng Diyos sa ating pang-araw-araw na buhay? O kaya'y nararamdaman ba natin ang Diyos bawat araw?

2. Madaling lumapit sa Diyos kapag tayo'y batbat ng paghihirap. Sa mga oras ng kasiyahan at biyaya, nakapagpapasalamat ba tayo sa kanya? Kung may utang na loob tayo sa ibang tao, may utang na loob ka rin ba sa Diyos?

3. Sa Piyesta ng Hannukah, pinagdiriwang ang muling itinalaga ni Judas Macabeo ang Templo sa Jerusalem pagkatapos lapastanganin ito ng mga Hentil, maaari din nating muling ibangon o italaga ang ating sarili sa Diyos. Maaaring gawin mo ito sa iyong simbahan, kapilya o sa harap ng altar sa bahay.

Hindi Ninyo Papansinin ang Kamatayan

6 April 2006, Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent
John 8, 51-59

Note: I wrote this article for Simbahay, the Scriptural Diary of St. Pauls Publications

"Talagang-talaga sinasabi ko sa inyo, kung may nagsasakatuparan ng aking salita, hinding-hindi niya papansinin ang kamatayan magpakailanman."

PAGSASADIWA

Sa Ebanghelio ni Juan, paulit-ulit itong sinasabi ni Hesus: Ang sinumang sumampalataya sa Kanya ay magkakaroon ng buhay magpakailanman (Juan 3); ang sinumang nananalig sa Kanya ay nakatawid na mula sa kamatayan tungo sa buhay (Juan 5). Kaya sa lahat ng ginagawa, nais ng Diyos magbigay-buhay at ang pinaka-dakila nito ay ang Muling Pagkabuhay ni Kristo. Ito ang karanasan ng mga taong hindi pinapansin ang kamatayan: kapag nagkakasala, ito'y nagbabalik-loob sa Diyos; kapag nadapa, ito'y bumabangon muli; kapag nasaktan, ito'y nagpapatawad. Kahit ilang beses nagkasala, nadapa, nasaktan, patuloy nitong hindi pinapansin ang sugat, at muli itong umaasa.

PAGSASABUHAY

Balikan ang mga karanasan ng kamatayan: mga panahon ng kawalang-pag-asa, pagkadapa, labis na sama ng loob, etc. Ano ang mga binigay ng Diyos na dahilan o inspirasyon upang magkaroon ng lakas upang bumangon uli, magpatawad, at magpatuloy sa buhay?

Kung Mamalagi Kayo sa Aking Salita

5 April 2006 Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
John 8, 31-42

Note: I wrote this article for Simbahay, a Scriptural Diary published by St. Paul Publications.

"Kung mamamalagi kayo sa aking salita, totoong mga alagad ko kayo, at maiintindihan ninyo ang katotohanan, at palalayain kayo ng katotohanan."

PAGSASADIWA

May kasabihan tayo na kung ano ang puno, siya ang bunga. Pinapakita natin sa ating mga gawa ang tunay nating pagkakilanlan. Sa ebanghelio, sinasabi ng mga Judio na ang kanilang ninuno ay si Abraham. Ngunit, sinabi ni Jesus na hindi ito nakikita sa kanilang mga gawa. Nakikita ang ating pinanggalingan kapag tayo'y nagkakasala. Inaalipin tayo ng kasalanan: habang tumatagal mahirap tayong lumaya dito, at paulit-ulit itong ginagawa. Halimbawa, kapag nalulong na sa droga, mahirap na itong lumaya.

At kung sino man ang nagnanais na lumaya sa pagka-aliping ito, kailangang mamalagi sa katotohanan, ang Salita ni Kristo. Halimbawa, ang unang hakbang sa pagbabangon ay ang pagtanggap sa sarili, pagharap sa sariling katotohanan. At ano ang katotohanan? Na tayo ay mga anak ng Diyos at hindi bagay sa ating pagkatao ang kasalanan.

PAGSASABUHAY

1. Ano ang mga bagay na umaalipin sa akin?

2. Ano ang mga katotohanan na hindi ko matanggap sa aking sarili? Bakit?

The Failure to Believe in Jesus

4 April 2006: Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Numbers 21, 4-9; John 8, 21-30

As we have just heard from the Gospel of John, the cardinal sin and root of all sins is the failure to believe in Jesus. And therefore to be saved, one must believe in Jesus both in words and in action. However, experience has it that it is easy to believe in Jesus when we are at the highest and lowest points in our lives. At our highest and happiest moment, our hearts are suddenly filled with thanksgiving: for passing the entrance exams in UP, for getting high grades, for answering difficult questions correctly, for making it in the bar or board exams, for graduating, for finding a good job, for closing a deal, for winning in a contest, for winning a girl or boy’s affection, for having found a good friend. We gush with gratitude. We are filled with joy. We believe, “Yes, there is a God!” On the other hand, at our lowest and saddest moment, we cling to the Lord: when we fail exams, when we lose a job, when someone dies, when losing someone, when our hearts break, when our hopes are gashed to death, when rejected, when beset by problems, when victimized by calamities. We put all hopes in God. We cry out for mercy. We still believe, “Lord, please help me!” In both cases, we affirm God.

Believing becomes challenging and difficult not at those extreme experiences. Believing becomes difficult when in the middle of these two extremes. It is like the experience of the Israelites in the first reading. They are in a caravan trudging through the desert. The thrill of the escape from Egypt has worn off and all they can see is sand. They have forgotten where they have come from, and they have lost sight of where they are going, then, they began to complain. They began to doubt God. They began to blame Moses for bringing them in the desert. Trusting in God and having confidence in Him in their journey has become difficult to come by.

Same thing with us. When we have forgotten all the graces the Lord has given and we have forgotten that the Lord has saved us in our lowest moments, and we cannot see anything on the horizon, when everything is sand, and we lose sight of where we are going, believing becomes all the more difficult. Often these are the experiences when one is in the 2^nd and 3^rd year in college: the excitement of passing UP has worn off, and graduation is far from being considered; when one has landed a job and is now just going through the regular times, and finding another job has not yet presented itself; when you are at the middle of your thesis and you do not know how it will end; trusting and having confidence in God and in oneself, often becomes difficult. At these times, you don’t feel excited; everything is “as usual”, “regular”, “fine”, “ganito pa rin”, “heto, what else is new”, “boring”, “walang kabuhay-buhay”, “colorless”, “loveless.” At these moments, we find ourselves complaining about this and that, and it is easy to see the faults of others, and then we, like the Israelites, blame God and others for our unexciting life.

Believing means remembering. There is a song that goes like this: “Do you remember the times of your life?” When I forget where I have come from and lose sight of where I am going, what thoughts and feelings rise up in me? How can I renew my sense of trust in God and confidence about my particular journey? Maybe as we spend Holy Week, let us begin to recount, rekindle, and remember God in the times of our lives.

Bakit Mo Kami Inilabas sa Ehipto?

April 2006, Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Numbers 21, 4-9

Note: I wrote this article for Simbahay, a Scriptural Diary published by the St. Paul Publications.

"Bakit mo kami inilabas mula sa Ehipto para mamatay sa disyerto."

PAGSASADIWA

Nagpapatuloy ng paglalakbay ang mga Hebreo patungo sa lupang ipinangako. Walang tubig at tinapay, at sawang-sawa sa manna na ibinigay ng Diyos. Nawala na ang tuwa na galing sa pagligtas nila sa Ehipto, at ang nakikita lamang nila ay ang walang-hanggang buhangin ng disyerto.

PAGSASABUHAY

May mga panahon ba na nakakalimutan mo ang iyong pinanggalingan at di mo makita ang iyong patutunguhan? Ano ang mga naiisip at nararamdaman mo sa mga sandaling ito? Paano mo maibabalik o muling pag-alabin ang pagtitiwala sa Diyos sa iyong paglalakbay sa buhay?

Ang Babaeing Naki-apid

April 3, 2006: Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
John 8, 1-11: Simbahay Articles

Note: Articles with a format like this is published in SIMBAHAY, a weekday diary of St. Pauls Publication. I am the author of these articles.

"Ang walang sala sa inyo ang unang bumato sa kanya."

PAGSASADIWA

Pinakita ng Ebanghelio ang magandang-loob at awa ni Hesus sa babaeng naki-apid. Ayon sa Deut 22, 23-24, binabato ang mga nakikiapid. Hinamon ni Hesus ang babae at ang mga nagbintang na isantabi muna ang tanong kung sino ang may sala o wala. At pumasok sa isang pananaw na ang batayan ng ating sarili at ng ating mga ugnayan ay ang awa ng Diyos. Kaya hindi hinatulan o isinumpa ni Hesus ang babae.

PAGSASABUHAY

Hindi tayo hinahatulan o isinusumpa ng Diyos dahil labis ang Kanyang pagmamahal sa atin. Ngunit kakabit ng pagpapatawad ay ang pangako ng pagbabago. Hinahangad ko ba ang tunay na pagbabago at pagbabalik-loob sa Diyos? Anu-ano ang mga kasalanan o nakasanayang gawain ang mahirap kong iwanan?

Ang Babaeing Naki-apid

April 3, 2006: Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
John 8, 1-11: Simbahay Articles

Note: Articles with a format like this is published in SIMBAHAY, a weekday diary of St. Pauls Publication. I am the author of these articles.

"Ang walang sala sa inyo ang unang bumato sa kanya."

PAGSASADIWA

Pinakita ng Ebanghelio ang magandang-loob at awa ni Hesus sa babaeng naki-apid. Ayon sa Deut 22, 23-24, binabato ang mga nakikiapid. Hinamon ni Hesus ang babae at ang mga nagbintang na isantabi muna ang tanong kung sino ang may sala o wala. At pumasok sa isang pananaw na ang batayan ng ating sarili at ng ating mga ugnayan ay ang awa ng Diyos. Kaya hindi hinatulan o isinumpa ni Hesus ang babae.

PAGSASABUHAY

Hindi tayo hinahatulan o isinusumpa ng Diyos dahil labis ang Kanyang pagmamahal sa atin. Ngunit kakabit ng pagpapatawad ay ang pangako ng pagbabago. Hinahangad ko ba ang tunay na pagbabago at pagbabalik-loob sa Diyos? Anu-ano ang mga kasalanan o nakasanayang gawain ang mahirap kong iwanan?

Homily 2: Unless the Grain of Wheat Dies

2 April 2006: Fifth Sunday of Lent
John 12, 24-26. Finding Life By Losing It

Homily No. 2 (Note: The previous post is an alternative)

There are certain things which are lost by being kept and saved by being used. The essence of life is in risking life and spending life, not in saving it and hoarding it.

1. Book by “What makes you Filipino”: when the new sofa is covered with plastic.
2. When newly-acquired equipment such as the LCD projector is kept displayed at the Audio-Visual Room, and hardly used because of very strict rules. Some appliances are mostly underutilized.
3. Talents that we possess: if we use it, talents develop into something greater. If not used, the person loses it in the end.
4. Heroes, saints and martyrs: People, who risked their lives for our sake, have gained freedom and independence for us. St. Laurence (deacon) which we commemorate today.
5. Love: How do I find true love? By doing it, as 1^st Reading from James: what is faith without work. If you say you love another person, but you do not show it, it is useless. If you say you care about workers and their plight, but do not concretely act on it, you are then a liar. Love is about doing and expressing it in action.
1. St. Ignatius: Love ought to find expression more in deeds than in words.
2. To put to action our lives, means to risk being hurt.

God gave us life to spend and not to keep. If we live carefully, always thinking first of our own profit, ease, comfort and security, if our sole aim is to make life as long and as trouble-free as possible, if we will make no effort except for ourselves, we are losing life all the time. But if we spend life for others, if we --- like the seed that dies --- forget health and time and wealth and comfort in our desire to do something for Jesus and for the men and women for whom Jesus died, we are winning life all the time.

It is indeed a very difficult dilemma for many people, especially parents who protect their children all the time. If a son or daughter asks permission to volunteer to help poor people in a barrio, would you give permission? On one hand, we are saved from anxiety by keeping them in our house, but on the other hand, we have lost the opportunity to help them learn the value of volunteer work, of caring for the poor. On one hand, parents claim it is to protect them from danger, but on the other hand, losses the opportunity to help their children risk their lives for others, and protect themselves from the more dangerous thing in life --- saving and hoarding life. It is no wonder when volunteer programs such as our Pahinungod, suddenly die.

The very essence of life is in risking life and spending life, not in saving it and hoarding it. True, it is the way to weariness, of exhaustion, of giving to the uttermost ---- but it is better any day to burn like a candle in the dark, than to rust like a metal chair in the stockroom without use.

Homily 1: Unless the Grain of Wheat Dies

2 April 2006: Fifth Sunday of Lent
John 12, 23-26: Unless the Grain of Wheat Dies

Alternative 1

I. On Death: Gospel: unless the grain of wheat dies = produces much fruit.

DYING – that produces life.

A. Death always has been and always will be with us. It is an integral part of human existence. Kubler-Ross: “The key to the question of death unlocks the door of life.”

B. This truth is glaring only if we open our eyes: to awake to all dimensions of life.

In fact, we teach it, not tragically, we are not so aware of this reality.

1. Biology: all divisions pave the way for new growth: a flower then is a product of death.
2. History: our present civilization is an off shoot of ancient centuries.
3. Literature: Thomas Mann said: without death there would scarely have been poets on earth. The 1^st epic, The Babylonian Gilgamesh and

The 1^st known lyric poem, by Sappho was about death

4. Music: The songs of Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Verdi, Mahler have death as a theme.
5. Relationships: the fear of the death of the friendship, of love both inspires us and determines our attitude towards life, and towards our love ones.

--the depth and authenticity of our friendship tested by the numerous “deaths” we have shared and endeavored.

--the depth and genuineness of love and determined by our selfless sacrifices for our loved ones.

--if one dies, we produce much fruit: growth and development—whether physically, continually, emotionally, socially—is made possible by death.

--- our heartaches, that is experienced like dying, has given us a bigger hearts. All heart pains expands our hearts; it has more room for more loves.

II. Commitment: to die in order to produce much fruit: we die for a higher value that giving meaning.

A. Story Pig and Chicken

B. My story of HS teachers: we forget the content of what our teachers taught, but we remember:

a. who sacrificed much in how they teach: we know who among them prepared their lessons well.

b. who struggled with us in school, spent time beyond school time.

c. taught by example, their values.

C. The best teachers are those who died for us—not “donated the chickens who taught out of mere work.

D. Dec. 27, Science Oriented High School, Aquinas University, Legazpi City-Reunion- we the students, preparing for a reunion inviting our memorable teachers. We are their products, the fruit of their labor

III. Prayers: reflect on one’s death: then you will know what good thing you should do now, lest you die alone and meaningless.

(viewed as catastrophic, as distinctive, as constructive, creative elements of culture and life.)

Relenting our Punishments

30 March 2006: Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Ex 32: 7-14; Ps. 106; John 5: 31-47

In the first reading from the Exodus, Moses is the intercessor of Israel. The episode of the golden calf is an occasion for Moses to step once again into the rift before God in order to save his people. Israel has made an idol and worshipped it. It has earned God’s anger towards his people’s hardheadedness and the coldness of their hearts.

In the Gospel, Jesus is our intercessor; stepping on our defense that we are more important that Sabbath laws. The call of human suffering is more important than following stiff structures. Jesus defends us, despite our sinfulness.

In life, we have experienced such mediation. The mother protects her children from the anger of their father; or the father protects his children from the possible judgment of others. We also have experienced friends coming to our aid, protecting us from possible bullying of others. We have experienced being mediators and intercessors.

In all episodes, in the Old and the New Testament, we have seen God’s love: despite his anger towards us, or his resentment because of our unfaithfulness, the Lord has relented in punishing us. In fact, he does not.

We too are called to relent and not to pursue seeking revenge or letting out our wrath on others, not just our enemies, but those our loved ones. In fact, most of us get more angry and hurt by people whom we love because they are closer to our hearts than anyone else. We are called to step back a little, because our burst of anger at people whom we love, do not yield a good result. Often, when we realized that we have committed a grave mistake, it is already too late --- the persons whom we loved, who have been hurt by our malicious comments and outbursts, have already decided to break away from us.

The Pool of Bethesda

28 March 2006: Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
John 5, 1-16: Healing at the Pool of Bethesda

The pool of Bethesda lies on the north side of the temple. It is a gathering place for the sick. They believe that an angel stirs the pool, and the first one to get there will be healed. The man was sick for thirty-eight years, and when Jesus asked if he wants to get healed, he evasively answered by blaming his condition on the fact that he could never get to the pool. Nevertheless, Jesus heals the man by saying, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” After being healed, the Jewish authorities asked the man why he violated the Sabbath. Again he blamed it on Jesus, the one who healed him. Thus, the man implicated Jesus and thus the religious authorities sought to kill Jesus with a two-fold charge: sabbath violation and blasphemy. The man was totally ungrateful to the one who has given him new life.

On close examination of our lives, we are not far from the character of the man at the pool of Bethesda. There are many times when we deny the goodness of the Lord, or do not give proper acknowledgement to the source of our fortune. Let us have a little quiz:

1. When we taste success, which comes first: a) the victory celebration or b) the eucharistic celebration?

2. When we are asked to share our talents, what question comes first: a) What can I get from this? or b) What can I contribute?

3. When you know you have stolen money from the pocket of your parent, and you are asked by them, what do you do say, a) No, I did not! or b) Yes, I am sorry.

4. When you know that the way your barkada thinks or does, is not proper for a Christian or a Catholic for that matter, what would you do: a) keep quiet and agree with them even if you don’t? or b) tell them what you believe even if your acceptance to the group is at stake?

5. When given a responsibility, and you have failed, what do you usually say: a) hindi kasi ako tinulungan ng mga tao, or b) nagkulang ako?

If you chose many a’s, then you are like the man at the pool. If you chose b’s, then you are close to be a good Christian.

However, we know there are other moments when we would rather protect ourselves or keep our unrealistic image of ourselves, by blaming others or the condition we are in. How many times we have blamed our parents or our past, for the things we do not have? For example, in UP, there are people who are far better than us, who do not study but still get higher scores; or people who are liked by others because they are handsome or beautiful, while we look very native. And we would like to be like them. However, we can’t because of givens in our lives: genes (our parents simply look --- you know), education (we came from schools that do not have facilities), economic standing (we are simply lower middle class), etc. But, we forget that we PASSED the University of the Philippines. And thus, we have all it takes to graduate from here. And if we simply begin to accept what we are and proceed from there, maybe we will gain more friends.

When we are faced by such insecurities, then, Jesus’ question to the man at the pool of Bethesda becomes relevant: “Do you want to be well?” If Jesus asked you that question, what part of you needs great healing? Let us reflect on this especially during this season of Lent.

Serpent on the Pole

25 March 2006: Fourth Sunday of Lent
John 3: 14-21: The Serpent on the Pole

The first verse of the Gospel today gives us a parallel, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.” What happened during the time of Moses? When the Israelites were on the way to the Promised Land, they complained against God and Moses. They regretted their having to leave Egypt. As a punishment, Yahweh sent serpents so that many of them died. In their distress, they asked for mercy and healing. And Yahweh instructed Moses to “make a fiery serpent, set it on a pole” so that “everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” Moses then made a bronze serpent, and those who looked at it lived (Numbers 21, 5-9).

This serpent scourge was interpreted therefore as a divine judgment upon the people’s rebellion. A footnote of the RSV Bible tells us that the Israelites remembered this incident; with the bronze serpent (Nehushtan) as a popular object of worship during the Israelite monarchy (2 Kings 18,4). William Barclay mentioned that they began to ask whether the bronze serpent was worshipping an idol. The rabbis said that the bronze serpent was not the source of healing, but it made the Israelites turn to God who instructed Moses to construct it. The bronze serpent therefore enabled them to focus themselves on God. The bronze serpent then was a symbol that reminded them of Yahweh.

This is the image Jesus painted of his passion and death. Just as the serpent reminded them of their suffering, it was also their salvation. And just as Jesus was lifted up on the cross, it would also bring us eternal life.

We therefore ask two questions: When can a cross be salvific? or When can suffering be healing? Verse 16 of the Gospel gives us a simple answer: For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. The nature of God is revealed in the cross --- God totally gives Himself for the love of us. Thus, suffering is meaningful and salvific when it is for someone whom we love, or for something of greater value such as faith (in the case martyrs) or the love of country (in the case of soldiers). The blessedness in all our sufferings, our hurts and aches in our hearts is that when we totally give ourselves, we find ourselves. When God gave Himself totally to us, we also get a glimpse of the nature of God: God is total self-giving. We invest our hearts deeply --- as marriage does --- though we know that investing our hearts to our friends and loved ones will cost us the price of sufferings and goodbyes. But we believe that the investment of our love for them is worth it. Think of the parents whose sons and daughters are graduating. Graduation is the triumph of their suffering. Think of the excellent marks a student gets, they are the triumph of their cross of discipline in studies. Think of the artists whose works dazzled the world, their applause is the triumph of years practice and self-giving. God so loved the world: for Him, we are worth all of it.

Second, the value of symbols. Bishop Chito Tagle said that symbols make present one who is already present. Symbols do not fill in an empty space: Jesus is already present. But in order for us to feel or experience him tangibly, symbols are essential. As Jewish rabbis explained of the bronze serpent on the pole, symbols direct our focus on God. Unfortunately, we are losing our symbols and the meaning behind the symbols. We have been influenced by the many sects that accuses us of worshipping idols because of the images we have in the Catholic faith. Here we see that we do not worship these images of wood, stone or paper. Think of the numerous symbols of God’s presence at mass --- the Book of Readings, the presider, the people who attends it. Let us surround ourselves with symbols: those that direct our minds to remember Yahweh. The Responsorial Psalm says, “Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget You.” As we placed our family picture so that we don’t forget them, we can also place pictures of God or saints to help us remember what God has done for us. As coffee shops puts pictures and objects that complete the theme and ambience of their cafes, we can also carry with us the symbols of our faith such as the cross and the rosary in our pockets. They lead our thoughts to God.

The Annunciation of the Lord

25 March 2006. Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Luke 1, 26-38: The Obedience of Mary

Mary's obedience to the will of the Father is lovely. Mary forgets the most common prayer--- "Let your will be changed" or "Let my will be done" ---- and prays the greatest prayer "Let Your will be done." Her Son, Jesus will pray the same thing at the Agony in the Garden: "Not my will, but Your will be done." Maybe, He learned the prayer from His mom. And it stuck that he taught it to his friends. And his friends in turn taught it to us: the "Our Father."

Mary's prayer teaches us three things. First, it teaches us that the greatest prayer indeed is simple and unadorned. And second, it teaches us that the simplest and greatest prayer is a prayer of commitment, a "YES" to the will of the Father.

First, the greatest prayer is simple and unadorned. Even if it is a cry of the heart in the midst of a scandal. You see, just as the family tree of Jesus contains saints and sinners, Jesus' birth is also surrounded by scandal. Mary is found to be pregnant before she has lived with Joseph. Joseph, who is a just man, decides to divorce her quietly. In other words, he will put her out of his life. Joseph is not open to scandal. The angel who appears to him entreats him not to fear scandal. Joseph should take Mary into his home. And thus, this story drives home the proper attitude toward the strange and scandalous: do not be afraid to take it into your home.

A disciple came to his Master at midnight. He was distraught.

"Master, I need to talk to you immediately. I am filled with anxiety and fear."

"Right this way," said the Master. The master opened a door that led down a long corridor. It was unlit, but the master had a candle in his hand.

"You go first," said the master.

As the disciple moved down the corridor, the master blew out the light.

Mary's prayer was simple. She said yes, though she was anxious of the scandal that that consent might bring her. Her attitude towards scandal was to bring it home. Her attitude towards fear is to enter into the darkness. They say "There is no other way to face fear, than to face it."

This is simple prayer. Richard Foster writes in his book, Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, "Most of us yearn for prayer and hide from prayer. We are afraid to pray because we want to have everything "just right" in order to pray. We used to think that we need to get all our motives straightened out before we could pray. We want to have our motives purified. We want to pray pure, without the scandals that mess our souls, without the fear that cripples our hearts.

But the truth of the matter is, we all come to prayer with a tangled mass of motives: other-centered and selfish, merciful and hateful, loving and bitter. We come with some parts clean and some parts messy. We come to pray, trusting God, like Mary, that He would work His way even in the midst of all this mixture. That the heart of God is big enough to receive us. To accept the scandals in our lives. In our families.

And so, indeed it is true: that we can pray like this: "I'm afraid Lord to face the darkness. But, I will trust." "I'm angry Lord at my parents." and so on and so forth. Tell him. He knows all things (1 John 3:20), so there is no reason for pretending. Ordinary people bringing ordinary concerns to a loving and compassionate Father. We open our hearts and make our requests.

Because, we will never have pure enough motives, or be good enough, or know enough in order to pray rightly. You see, Jesus said, that prayer is like children. They come with all their crazy requests, mean and selfish sometimes, like "I want Jollibee hotdog!" at midnight! But what matters is that we are glad they do come to us, mixed motives and all. What is worse is when they do not come at all.

We make mistakes, we sin, we fall down, then we begin again. We pray again. We seek to follow God's will again. And again, our selfishness comes in and defeats us. Never mind. We confess, and begin again. Again, and again, and again. What matter is that we come. Like children.

My final point. The prayer "Let Your will be done" is a prayer of commitment that involves our whole lives. It is not a one shot deal. Not a donation.

There is a story of a pig and a hen who lived with their Master. On the night of their Master's birthday, the hen asked the pig what gift they would give to their Master. The pig answered that the hen should know because "she was good at it." So the hen suggested that they would cook breakfast. "Sa akin ang itlog, sa iyo ang lechon." Sabi ng baboy, "Madaya ka, sa iyo, donation, sa akin commitment."

Note: Please check the sources under the blog "My Book Shelf" under the Narrow Gate icon to see the books I use for the homilies. Thank you very much.

The Hardening of the Heart

23 March 2006: Thursday of the 3rd Week of Lent
Jeremiah 7, 23-28; Psalm 95, Luke 11, 14-23: The Hardening of the Heart

The readings today especially the responsorial psalm talks about the hardening of one’s heart. In today’s reading, Jeremiah decries the persistent hardness of his people’s heart, the stiffness of their necks. Both expressions point beyond the symptoms of sin to its source in the very core of one’s self. As Jesus casts out demons in the Gospel, he encounters the stubbornness of some of his people. Some accuse him of being Satan’s agent; others test him by asking for a sign. And Jesus offers a parable. That the finger of God strips Satan who is fully armed of his power and sets free those in his possession.

The hardening or the freezing of our hearts is indeed experienced like one behind bars, being imprisoned and determined by it. The hardening of our hearts can be a result of many traumatic experiences: of being greatly hurt by someone whom we have loved, of being rejected or neglected in the cases of friends and family members, of relationships not well maintained or not given enough nourishment that it has turned cold, or in the cases of those whose security is in the thought that they are intelligent, their hearts have remained underdeveloped (we have people whom we call intellectual giants, but emotional dwarves). All those whose hearts are hardened and cold usually are unaware that their heart has imprisoned them and prevented them to love, and be warm persons. These people have the tendency of narrow-minded, selfishly exclusive, rigid and unloving.

The parable thus provides hope for our hard hearts and stiff necks. There is Jesus, the stronger one, who by the power of God can take booty from the Satan, the warrior and rescue the captives from a tyrant’s grasp. The prayer that we need is the Prayer of the Heart.

The Responsorial Psalm precisely exhorts us: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” (Psalm 95). The prayer of the heart is a prayer of intimacy. It is the prayer of love and tenderness of a child to a Father. It is the “Abba, Father”. It is the “Ama Namin.” Like the mother hen, who gathers her chicks under her wings, we, though the Prayer of the Heart, allow God to gather us to Himself--- to hold us, to coddle us, to love us.

It is a call to answer the call of God to warm our hearts. Jean-Nicholas Grou says, “It is the heart that prays, it is to the voice of the heart that God listens and it is the heart that he answers.” So to pray with the heart requires that we pray with simple love. Love is the response of the heart to the overwhelming goodness of God, so come in simply and speak to him in unvarnished honesty. Speak words of love and compassion to the Father. Often we find love language corny and unnatural, but love language is perfectly natural to those who are in love. Falling asleep in prayer is no problem: You can rest in God’s present. To be in the Heart of God is a good and safe place for sleeping. And still, if you cannot find the warmth of love, ask from God to kindle a little fire of love within you, to develop an ache in your heart, to get in touch with that warmth and thirst for love which has turned into embers. This longing and ache for God will draw you back to his loving presence.

Back to the Basic: Fulfilling the Law

22 March 2006: Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Lent
Matthew 5, 17-19: The Law

Lifestyle Channel promotes a going back to the basics. This is precisely what the Gospel asks of us today. Jesus makes a surprising statement at His sermon on the mount: “I have come not to abolish [the law] but to fulfill it. Therefore, whoever breaks one of these least commandments and teaches others to do so, will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven.” This is indeed surprising because we all know that Jesus was crucified because He broke the law. He did not follow the rules on handwashing, healed people on the Sabbath. His disciples did not fast when it was required. And yet Jesus in the Gospel speaks of the law with reverence and respect. Therefore this passage needs some clarification.

What law is He talking about? The Jews may refer to different types of laws: the Ten Commandments, the Pentateuch, the law and the prophets (the whole of the Old Testament), and the oral or scribal law which are rules and regulations deduced from the Law. The scribes have put upon themselves the task of reducing the great principles to literally thousands of rules and regulations. For example, the Sabbath is holy (3^rd Commandment). The scribal interpretation of keeping the Sabbath holy is to prohibit work during that day. How can we quantify work? Take a look at this items: food (weight of a dried fig), milk (enough for one to shallow), paper (2 letters only is allowed because to write is to work). The scribes therefore missed out on the great principle of the Law.

Jesus brought back the eternal character and meaning of the law. He did not come to abolish the Old Testament, but directed our attention to the basics. In the time of Jesus, the common understanding of the law was the scribal law. And Jesus referred them back to its primal value: the love of God and following His will, and the respect and love for people. Laws exist because it protects values which we all uphold.

Let me illustrate it with an example. Alexander L. Lacson has a small book, “12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do to Help Our Country.” The book lists following traffic rules as the first little thing. Why are we asked to follow traffic rules? Atty. Lacson says that it can save our lives on the road. It can bring us home alive and in one piece. It can save us from car repairs and the trouble we go through when we are pissed off with another driver who does not follow the rules. I know of one who, out of anger, shot another and was imprisoned for life. If we follow traffic rules, those who witness us, such as our children, will be led to think of basic values in life: right conduct, respect for people. By doing so, we form a culture of good manners and discipline, leading towards a better national identity as Filipinos.

But following traffic rules becomes meaningless unless we know why that rule has been there in the first place. Nation-building, national identity, discipline and safety as illustrated are the values behind that law.

In the season of Lent, we are asked to deepen our faith by re-thinking our laws and practices. What is the meaning behind the law of fasting and abstinence during Ash Wednesday and Good Friday? On the Fridays of Lent, why can abstinence be substituted by acts of mercy? Why do we bless palms on Palm Sunday? What is the meaning behind all of our Lenten practices? Why do we go to mass on Sundays? Why are there holidays of obligations? What are the values protected by these rules and practices. By knowing the reasons behind these laws, our practice of the faith will become more meaningful and relevant to our lives. But more importantly, we go back to the real focus and center of our faith: Jesus. Paul affirms this when he writes, “Christ is the end of the Law” (Romans 10,4).

Prayers for Forgiving Oneself & Approaching Another for Pardon

21 March 2006: Tuesday in the 3rd Week of Lent
Matthew 18, 21-35: On Forgiveness

Note:

I have two homilies on forgiveness using the same Gospel passage. Open the Archives to October 2005. There are two parts.

Part I: Kapatawaran: On Forgiveness dated 4 September 2005, 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Part II: Stages in Forgiveness dated 11 September 2005, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Part I describes forgiveness, Part II tackles how we can forgive.

Below are prayers for reconciliation. Use whatever helps.

Prayer for Granting Forgiveness to Myself

My God, You who perpetually pardon all who are sincere in their sorrow, help me as I seek to forgive myself.

I realize, my Lord, that unless I can forgive myself I cannot fully forgive those who have offended me.

Humble my heart so that I can embrace all that is hidden within me.

You, Lord of Creation, have divided time into day and night. My life is likewise divided between light and darkness, good and bad.

When these dark, negative needs are excessive and out of balance with the positive, they become destructive to others, and to myself as well.

I forgive myself for becoming impatient because I was too busy, too particular, or in a hurry.

I forgive myself for this failing as I forgive others who are impatient too.

I forgive myself for making mistakes, for being too quick to act or to speak, for not taking time to think; I forgive myself as well as others who make their own mistakes.

I forgive myself for being stupid in sinning, for falling into the same errors which injure others and myself.

I forgive myself for all those small sins that irritate others and cause me shame.

For a smallness of mind in my thoughts, for a narrowness of heart in my actions, I forgive myself and forgive others who act and think as I do.

Compassionate Lord, I know how I sin most easily; help me to understand and to correct this failing.

A pause for silent reflection may be used here.

I grant myself pardon and forgiveness so that my darkness may fuel the goodness within me, a goodness which You, my God, have placed in great deposit within me. Amen.

Prayer for One about to Approach Another for Pardon

Come, Lord of Healing and Unity, I am in need of Your divine assistance.

I need to approach another and to find a way to peace and understanding.

We are now separated, and the canyon between us is painful and empty of You.

Help me to be honest as I seek reunion.

Open to my vision the ways by which I have failed and have been lacking in consideration.

Let my heart be ready to see how I have sinned.

I will need Your help so that I may move beyond my own feelings to an awareness of the other who is also suffering.

You, Searcher of Hearts, know how both of us in our own ways are at fault.

Teach us to be humble as we seek reunion.

Come and stand between us so that all we say and do will be filled with the sacred medicine of heaven.

Remind us how short our lives are so that we will not delay this reunion of hearts.

Inspire us to see how this separation can serve to bring us even closer together, closer than we were before it happened.

Most of all, Lord of Compassion, let me be a servant of pardon, a minister of reconciliation, as I now pray for Your holy guidance.

Pause for silent prayer.

Lord, Divine Parent, make me a humble and healing as our mother the earth.

Make me as honest and defenseless as a child.

Make me a compassionate and loving as Your Son, Jesus.

And, Lord of Giver of True Strength, make me as forgiving as You are. Amen.

St. Joseph and the Experience of Fatherhood

20 March 2006: Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary
Matthew 1, 16. 18-21. 24

One of my most vivid experiences of St. Joseph is not only in the meditation of the Infancy narratives in the Spiritual Exercises, but most especially in the hidden life of Christ. What do we know about Joseph? We know his selfless acceptance to be the foster father of Jesus and taking Mary as his wife. We know that he loved Jesus as his Son. We know that he taught him his trade. Other than that, Joseph’s presence has always been at the background. However, in my meditation of Jesus’ hidden life, it was Joseph’s presence that came to the fore. I guess I was operating in the saying, “like father, like son.” The adult Jesus, his health, his stamina, his courage, his strength of purpose, his likeability factor, his charisma that attracted people to him, his experience of God, His Father, can be traced to his experience with Joseph. I can vividly see how Joseph was as a foster father, perhaps, an excellent parent to Jesus.

The experience of Joseph in the life of Jesus is a very intimate portrait of the role of my personal father to me. Who I am now --- the values and principles that I hold on to, and the joyful optimism that I found characteristic of me and especially the music that keeps me sane and young-at-heart --- can be attributed to how my father has brought me up as a child. And it was his words to my mother before he died that continue to reverberate in my growing up years in the Society. You see, there was a time he was against my vocation, but later he told my mother that I should follow my heart. And each time I encounter a difficulty or a crisis within my vocation, I dream of him. His presence has always been a source of strength.

The experience of fatherhood both in my personal life and in prayer has become the image of what I want to be as a priest and how I want to be a priest to people. I have always enjoyed being with the young: taking care of them, helping in the formation of their personalities and values, deepening their faith and love for God, sharing some precious quality time with them. Being present in their development --- which meant going out with them, watching movies together, becoming counselor, friend, parent, music instructor, whatever --- is my understanding of father. One thing is clear to me: I want to share to them that being a Christian is a happy vocation.

In the spirit of Lent, this is perhaps what we can reflect on in the feast of St. Joseph: our being father to the people entrusted to our care.

There are two ways to approach it, I suppose. First, to take the path of the son: the experience of being taken cared of by God our Father. And second, to take the path of the father. There is a story of a father whose son went away. He sent his messenger and begged his son to return. His son replied, “I cannot return any longer, Father. I am too far away from you.” Then, the Father replied, “Return as near as you can, and I will meet you the rest of the way.” How far have we tried to meet those of have lost hope? Or, those whom we do not like or we have a grudge on? In St. Ignatius’ words, how far have we cared for souls?

Reclaiming the Temple

19 March 2006: Third Sunday of Lent
John 2, 13-25: Reclaiming the Temple

During the time of Archbishop Romero, the national guards used a local church as their barracks. And when he tried to reclaim the Blessed Sacrament, the soldiers blocked him. So, he dons his stole and leads the local people in a procession back to the church.

This illustrates the feast we celebrate today. We emphasize the sacredness of the temple. In the Old Testament, the temple was a symbol of the presence of God. However, the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70 and Josephus, the historian, said that one million people perished, and 97,000 were captured.

In the Gospel today, Jesus reclaims the temple’s sacredness and announces its replacement. That the Temple of the Jerusalem, the symbol of God’s presence, will no longer be a concrete building, but would eventually be the body of Christ. The New Testament reading tells us then that we are now the body of Christ, and we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. Each one of us manifests the presence of God, and thus, each of us is indeed holy.

However, we seldom experience and see the presence of God in our lives. Why? Our lives are like business stalls in the marketplace; our pre-occupation is selling our wares and minding our own businesses.

Bishop Henri Nouwen tells us about the restlessness of our contemporary lives: First, our days are filled with things to do, people to meet, projects to finish, letters to write, calls to make, appointments to keep, prayers to recite. Second, though we are satisfied with many things at parang walang katapusan ang trabaho, we seldom feel satisfied and at peace. Ironically, we see that when we are filled, we become unfulfilled. There is never a space, a time to stand behind our own lives and reflect.

Jesus Christ tells us to drive and whip out all of our sheep and oxen, our daily businesses; to over turn our tables; to stop our work so that, the temple of our lives is reclaimed, and its sacredness becomes apparent again.

*photo by Neo Saicon SJ of a church in Cavite, Philippines.

The Gospel Within the Gospels

18 March 2006: Saturday of the 2nd Week of Lent
Luke 15, 1-3, 11-42: The Prodigal Son

William Barclay calls the Parable of the Prodigal Son the ‘gospel within the gospels’ because it summarizes the essence of faith. It tells the story of the Father’s great love for his son, the son’s return, and the elder brother’s self-righteousness and resentment towards his younger brother’s return.

The father’s great love is illustrated by his willingness to give his son’s inheritance almost without question: “So the Father divided up his property.” As mandated in the book of Leviticus, Jewish custom has it that the father appropriates to his eldest son two-thirds of his possession while the younger son inherits one-third of what he has. The younger son’s request is one of insensitivity; it would cause any father to be terribly hurt. By taking what he owns by legal right, the younger son is like saying “Give me what is mine as if you already had died.” After his son’s request, he nevertheless ‘divided up his property’.

However, nothing surpasses the Father’s waiting for his son’s return: “While he is still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was deeply moved. He ran out to meet him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.” Here we can see God’s attitude towards any sinner--- towards each one of us. First, He waits and watches for the sinner to come home. The son’s rehearsed dialogue was in fact unfinished: the Father will not let any sinner become a ‘hired servant’ in his household. He will not even listen to such a request! No matter how grave our sins. What matters is our return.

In Jewish society, the hired helper is the lowest in rank. They were hired by the day, and could be dismissed without reason. Most hired servants live in dire poverty. Second, He goes out to meet sinners, eager to throw his arms around our necks and to kiss us. We are accustomed to think that we long for God. And yet the opposite is also true: that God longs for us.

There is a story of a Father whose son went away. He sent his messenger and begged his son to return. His son replied, “I cannot return any longer, Father. I am too far away from you.” Then, the Father replied, “Return as near as you can, and I will meet you the rest of the way.”

Thus, the Father’s waiting should be a cause of great joy. God tremendously believes in humanity. Psalm 8 expresses this wonder: “What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him” (Ps. 8, 5). St. Irenaeus said that God became man that man might become one with him. It is hard for some religions to think of a God who, out of great love, abases himself for humanity, who comes down to us running.

The son comes home because he remembers his father. He was lost because he decided to part from his father. In Dostoyevsky’s novel, The Adolescent, Makar Evanovich Dolgoruky the stepfather of Arkady, the adolescent speaks about the restlessness of those who are lost: ‘They keep on reading...or talking...although they never find answers...and remain in darkness.’ Like the son, they are lost because they have given away their inheritance, they have lost their destiny. Makar adds ‘life without God is nothing, but torture.’ The plight of the son was indeed torture. But how fortunate that he ‘comes to his senses’ by the memory of his father. And thus, filled with hope, he repents and returns.

The attitude of the elder brother towards the return is unfortunate. But it mirrors a painful truth to us who are ‘proud’ because we ‘never disobeyed God’. The self-righteous regard themselves as faultless: they faithfully perform their duties to the letter, never missed Sunday mass, etc. This is a grave mistake: to regard oneself as faultless is the greatest illusion, the greatest fault. To be without sin is not to need God. To be without fault, is not to need others. It is not surprising why the eldest son cannot see the reason to celebrate with the Father who rejoices and the son who returns. No wonder the self-righteous will not regard the church as the home of the lost. No wonder the self-righteous will think that this parish belongs only to the students, and not of others. No wonder the self-righteous will think that this church belongs only to the parishioners and not the students. Everyone belongs to this church.

The character of the eldest son is an invitation to us who have been ‘faithful’: the real meaning of loyalty is always to be one in heart and mind with the beloved and will all whom the beloved loves. We are asked therefore to rejoice when sinners return, to treat them with equal dignity. After all, the Father has fully reinstated them as sons: he gave them the robe, the ring and a pair of shoes---- tokens of distinction, authority and freedom. Best of all, a banquet to celebrate the return to the family’s table.

*photo by Neo Saicon SJ at the Christmas party of our employees.

The Desires of the Human Heart

16 March 2006: Thursday of the 2nd Week of Lent
Luke 16, 19-31: The Desires of the Human Heart

Note: An alternative homily is also in the previous post.

Tonight, we talk about the human heart. The words of Jeremiah in today’s 1^st reading sound a theme that reaches back to Genesis: “More tortuous than all else is the human heart, beyond remedy,” the prophet declares. This was God’s conclusion too in the aftermath of the flood: “The desires of man’s heart are evil from the start” (Gen. 9:21). Second, today’s Gospel parable probes the mind and tests the heart of a rich man, for the instruction of Jesus’ hearers. The perversity of the rich man’s heart is revealed in his neglect of the poor man who lay at his door.

But, we also hear the “other side” of the human heart. The first reading tells us about the heart who must trust in the Lord. The responsorial psalm sings of the heart that hopes in the Lord. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, who hopes in the Lord. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretch out its roots to the stream.” And the Gospel tells us about the heart that yearns for food, and the heart that thirsts. This is the desire that yearns for God.

The desire for God cannot resist the man who desires Him ardently.

That is the reason why we do not find God: we do not desire Him ardently enough. Our lives are crowded with far too many other things and we can get on pretty well enough without God.

St. Augustine tells us of the restlessness of the human heart that cannot rest till it has found its rest in God. Without God, for whom we are created, we are like fish out of water. We do not find the agony of the fish because we kill the pain with a host of other desires and pleasures, problems which occupy our minds.

Getting Things Done

16 March 2006: Thursday of the 2nd Week of Lent
Luke 16, 19-31: Lazarus and the Rich Man

The Gospel is a study in contrast. First, there is the rich man, usually called Dives, which is the Latin for rich. He was dressed in purple and linen, the robes of the High Priests and feasted in luxury everyday. In today’s language, Dives was filthy rich: his clothes were expensive and he dined luxuriously, having taste for fine food and gourmet dishes. At the time of Jesus, there were no knives, forks or napkins. Food was eaten with the hands, and in the very wealthy houses, the hands are cleaned by wiping them on hunks of bread, which were thrown away. That was what Lazarus was waiting for. On the other hand, Lazarus was a beggar covered with sores and was so helpless that he could not even ward off the street dogs. The Latin word for Lazarus was a form of Eleazar which means, “God is my help.” Then, the scene changes when both Dives and Lazarus die. Dives was still the exact opposite of Lazarus but their fortunes were reversed: Lazarus was glorified while Dives was tormented; Lazarus was in heaven while Dives was in hell.

What was the sin of Dives? Dives did not order Lazarus to be removed from the gate. He did not object to Lazarus’ receiving the bread that was thrown away from his table. He did not harass Lazarus, and was not cruel to him. Thus, the sin of Dives was not that he did wrong things, but that he did nothing. Today, we call it the sin of omission. A beggar knocks on our window shield, we did not give anything. A dormer cries in her room, we did not do anything. We see a classmate cheat, we shrug our shoulders and say to ourselves, “That’s life”, and we never say a word about it to the teacher. There are certain things in life which we have accepted and tolerated: cheating in high school is considered normal, graft and corruption for government officials are regarded as common practice and apathy towards national issues are considered part of the landscape. Many of the worst things happening to our personal and national lives are attributed to us and our leaders for not doing anything; to not getting things done.

It would be best if we see some concrete examples. In the middle 1990s, the traffic jams in Bangkok were worse than in Manila. We started to build skyways at the same time. But ten years later, there are skyways crisscrossing Bangkok and going to the countryside. We have one small skyway to Bicutan. Second, the rice revolution started from IRRI in the Philippines and the Thai agriculturists were all trained in Los Baños and they brought in Filipino experts. Today, they have an abundance of food. For example, when Filipinos go to turo-turo in Bangkok, they are surprised that they get all the rice they can eat. Dr. Pepe Miranda in a talk he gave on the 10^th anniversary of Edsa 1, said that the difference is that the leaders of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia got things done. The changes did not happen all of a sudden, but slowly and steadily. Hinay-hinay pero kanunay. After 30 years, they are far ahead of us.

Thus, if the crime of Dives is not doing anything, and if the crime of our Philippine leaders is not getting things done, then we should be its opposite: as Filipino Christians, we should be leaders of execution, of getting things done. We Filipinos are well-known for being very good at planning workshops and at formulating resolutions and equally well-known for not seeing them through. Marami na tayong planong walang nangyari, kasi wala tayong nagawa o ginawa. Naunahan na tayo ng takot sa mga magiging problema. Paano natin maihahanda ang ating sarili? How do we prepare if we are to focus on executing and doing things done? We live in our lives in concentric circles. There is an outer circle were we live our roles, our work, our profession. There is an inner circle of family and close friends. If we are fortunate, we live our life there with much support, meaning and fulfillment. Their love is constant. There is an innermost circle which is God and us. God is intimior intimo meo, says St. Augustine, more inner to me than my innermost self.

In the years to come, I hope that we might constantly remind ourselves that who we are and what we are worth is ultimately not in the outer circle of role, achievement, economic status, but in the inner circles of family and God. If we learn this valuable lesson, mananatiling buo ang loob natin, and thus whatever tensions and conflicts may come in doing something--- unlike the rich man --- then we will be able to actively participate in the fulfillment of our plans.

*photo by Neo Saicon SJ

Ambition and Loyalty

15 March 2006: Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Lent
Matthew 20, 17-23: The mother of the sons of Zebedee

The Gospel tells us about what ambition is. In Matthew’s Gospel, the mother of the sons of Zebedee --- James and John --- approached Jesus requesting that her sons be distinguished: both of them would sit at the right and left of Jesus in His Kingdom. In Mark’s Gospel, it was James and John themselves who requested it. Whether it is James or John or their mother, the point remains that we often think about personal rewards and recognition. We are hurt when we are not recognized for what we have achieved: when we are not called by our titles or when we are not acknowledged for our positions.

However, the Gospel tells us that to “desire” to be with Jesus entails sharing His cross: the daily struggles of Christian life, the heartaches and the pains that follow discipleship. The request to be at Jesus’ side by either the disciples or their mother may annoy us, but they have indeed followed Jesus to the cross. William Barclay gives a detail that is interesting. In the list of those who were at the cross, we find these lists in different Gospels:

Matthew: a) Mary Magdalene, b) Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the c) mother of the sons of Zebedee (Matthew 27, 56).

Mark: a) Mary Magdalene, b) Mary the mother of James the Younger and Joses, and c) Salome (Mark 15, 40).

John: d) Jesus’ mother, c) his mother’s sister, b) Mary, the wife of Clopas, and a) Mary Magdalene.

Thus, at the foot of the cross, the mother of James and John (c) named Salome, followed Jesus to the cross. And we all know that James and John, the sons of Zebedee, became faithful disciples of Jesus. It is true that they, in their own capacity, shared in Jesus' cup. Perhaps, as we strive to become Jesus’ disciples, our ambitions or our wrong motivations are purified along the way.

Many choir members initially join the choirs for different reasons: to be popular, to be with someone they like, to belong to a group. Many of those who wanted to become priests have mixed motivations or begin with shallow attractions. I was first attracted by Jesuit food and music. But then, these motivations are checked and purified by the struggles and heartaches that are part and parcel of membership. When an organization faces challenges like poor attendance in practices or strained relationships affecting group activities, motivations are evaluated and deepened. Will the member remain loyal to the ideals of the organization? Or, will he/she withdraw once the going gets tough? God begins from where we are --- yes, impure motivations --- and leads us to devote our lives to a niche where we can serve Him well. Let us therefore examine our motivations in following Jesus.

*Getty Images

Learning till Death

14 March 2006: Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Lent
Matthew 23, 8-12: You have one teacher and all of you are students.

The January issue of Time reports that recent research confirms that the human brain retains an astonishing degree of plasticity and capacity for learning throughout life. We --- even scientists--- used to think that intellectual power peaks at 40 and then follows a downward trend as we age. Time reports that far from common belief, the brain as it ages brings new cognitive systems, despite some glitches in short term memory used in cramming and memorizing in younger years. Those who age, grow old with wisdom which is the ability to use all of the information we have in our brains everyday, ongoing. That is why many who are in midlife --- 40 to 60 years old --- have the ability to reflect and synthesize, accept the fact of ambiguity in life, and maintain relationships. Thus, our peacemakers, judges and theologians are old.

St. Ignatius in his autobiography wrote about his adult life that God dealt with him ‘as a schoolteacher deals with a pupil’. At age 33, he found himself studying Latin and its basics with 10-14 year-olds in Barcelona in order to prepare him entrance into university. Time tells us the story of Barbara Hustedt Crook, 60, and Robert Strozier, 65, who are collaborating on their first musical.

It is said that all of life teaches us lessons. And all of us are indeed students of one God. In other words, there is no reason for us to stop learning. The reward of learning life’s lessons is learning more.

In the season of Lent, we reflect on our openness and humility to accept instruction, to learn new lessons. We are always in danger to think that we know it all and that our ideas are always the best --- especially if we study in top universities and we have been achievers. Thus, we may also evaluate our ability to listen and be attentive to what others are saying. Perhaps this is a good sacrifice: to learn to listen to others, and suspend for awhile the habit of listening only to ourselves.

*photo by Neo Saicon SJ in one of their English classes. After two years in the Novitiate, the Jesuit scholastic is trained to communicate better in a stage called the Juniorate.

What Transfigures Us

12 March 2006: The 2nd Sunday of Lent
Mark 9, 2-10: The Transfiguration

We see in the Gospel today about the Transfiguration one of the greatest hinges in Jesus’ life. The event when He sets out to Jerusalem and the cross. Before this event, he asked his disciples who he was, and who they believed him to be. Peter’s answer was, “You are the Messiah, the Son of God.” But then just as anyone who would make a decisive step in his life, Jesus seeks the confirmation of God. A friend of mine will enter into a discernment retreat, seeking confirmation whether his decision of entering the seminary is the right thing to do. This is the same thing with Jesus: he would never take any step without the approval of God.

So Jesus went up to the mountain to pray. Mountains are believed to be the nearest place to God; a place when one meets God’s greatest men and women. Here Moses and Elijah, two great men of the Old Testament appear in dazzling white. Luke suggests that the Transfiguration was a fruit of Jesus’ prayer. And like anything very important that happens, prayer precedes it.

My first point: Prayer transfigures us; awakens us about who we are. It is during his prayer that Jesus is transfigured. Likewise, saints have often transfigured in their prayer and adoration. This is not surprising. Prayer is an encounter with the Father, it configures us to him, at least spiritually if not physically, as in the case of Jesus and the saints. If we remain faithful in prayer, it is certain that God will communicate to us already in this life something of his peace, of his joy and of his love.

My second point: Life has full of things than awakens us.

1. There is sorrow. There was a singer from this Star Search. She was technically perfect, but without feeling and expression. Walang kalatuy-latuy. And someone remarked, “She will be great when someone breaks her heart.”
2. There is love. There was a man and a woman who fell in love. One looked at the other, and the other looked at him. They fell in love, and suddenly life was filled with color and newness. Love awakens him to the beauty of Life and Love.
3. There is the sense of need. For long enough can we move in life like someone half asleep. But when we are suddenly beset by problems, or with quite a very unsettling question, or with some overmastering temptation, or with some sickness and a rare disease, and there is nothing that we can do, we cry and cling to God. That problem awakens him to God. That problem makes him what he is --- a child of God totally dependent on his Father.

My final point: All that enables us to be transfigured --- prayer, sorrow, love, the sense of need ---- should enable us to face our Jerusalems, our crosses and our sufferings in ordinary life. After the Transfiguration, the disciples once again found Jesus in his ordinary appearance, and normal life resumed its course. And only after the Resurrection did they again see Jesus in his glory. For us too, after great consolations, after beautiful liturgical celebrations, after uplifting retreats and prayer sessions which fill us with fervor, we find once again the grayness of ordinary life.

I believe it is not accidental that Filipinos love pictures. Any event --- birthdays, outings, deaths --- merits a camera and a flash. I believe we do not just collect photographs, but we collect memories that transfigure us. A picture of a father and a son reminds the son of being a “his father’s child”. A picture of a family reminds a daughter of what she is, a child of two wonderful parents, and a sister to her siblings. A picture of two friends, reminds one of what he is: a friend of another. Filipinos collect memories. It is not surprising that those who works abroad holds a picture of their families close to their heart. It is that same picture that becomes the source of strength in their loneliest night or in their harshest jobs. They are memories that transfigures.

So what transfigures you? What are the events that inspire or build you up? What are the things that strengthen you? If we persevere in Jesus’ company despite the crosses we may encounter on the way, then we will assuredly find Jesus once more some day, and this is an intimacy far more fulfilling than the one we sometimes experience on earth. For then, we will see him without any veil, as he is. Then we too will undergo a transfiguration which will last all through eternity. These events will enable you to face the future with much courage, and with the greatest hope.

*photo by Neo Saicon SJ

What Marks a Christian?

11 March 2006: Saturday of the 1st Week of Lent
Matthew 5, 43-48: Loving One's Enemies

The commandment of Jesus to love one’s enemies is indeed very arresting. In fact, many persons have argued that this is an extremely difficult command. Some say it is unrealistic and impractical. But far from being an idealist, Jesus’ command is urgent and necessary for our survival. In this day and age, when our nation is in a crisis, when our political institutions are in disarray, this commandment becomes the most important.

Let us first try to understand what Jesus meant by “loving one’s enemies.” We find this in the Old Testament: “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19.18)” and “You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; have the same love for him as for yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt (Lev. 19.34).” Our enemies are indeed like “aliens”. They do not share our beliefs, our likes and dislikes. They are not like us. They do not belong to our circle of friends who share the same experiences and points of view. We cannot please everybody. No matter what we do, there will be people who will dislike us.

In the New Testament, the Greek words for love are eros, philia and agape. Eros is passionate, romantic love. Philia is our love for those who are dearest and nearest to us such as our family and friends. Agape is the one that Jesus used in this passage. It means that no matter what a person does to us---good or evil---we always desire and do what is for his or her good.

Agape is not just some sentimental, emotional feeling. It involves the will. Love is creative, understanding goodwill for all persons. It is the refusal to defeat any individual. And thus, you love the individual who does the evil deed, but hate what the person did.

Agape is love in a social and moral sense. You only seek to defeat evil systems. We love the individuals who are caught up with the evil structure, but seek to destroy that structure. Agape is illustrated by our insistence that even war-torn Mindanao gets enough food to feed its famine-stricken people. It is illustrated by insuring that even drug-lords and criminals get a fair trial through our justice system. It is illustrated when we protect even the most hardened criminal from the death sentence. It is illustrated when we take personal responsibility to insure that mercy and fairness is imparted equitably to the rumormonger, to the blabbermouth, to the unreasonable boss even behind their backs, even when we don’t think they deserve it.

And so we ask, why is it that this commandment is very important today? Our country is in a crisis. And there are three ways to deal with this crisis. One is to rise up in arms, succumb to physical violence and hatred. But we do not want state terrorism to claim the lives of innocent victims. Or, take the road of resignation. But by doing this, there will be no change; oppression will never end.

However, organizing mass non-violent resistance based on this principle of love is the only method to face our national crisis. Love has a redemptive power. It is capable of transforming people. It is capable of evangelizing our culture. It is capable of defeating evil structures such as systematic graft and corruption infecting even the highest position of government. Agape for our enemies involves vigilance and an active participation in the struggle for justice and peace. This struggle is constitutive of our faith. This love assures the survival of the whole human race. This love acknowledges the dignity of all human beings whether friends or enemies, because we are all children of God. God’s love goes out even to the lost sheep. The Gospel tells us that God makes the sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Martin Luther King Jr. in his sermon delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church tells the story of Napoleon Bonaparte who, at the end of his career, looked back through all the years and said: “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have built great empires. But upon what did they depend? They depended upon force. But long ago, Jesus started an empire that depended on love, and even to this day millions will die for him.”

The cross is the eternal reminder of this great love that surpasses all differences. This commandment marks the Christian. Because “even sinners love those who love them (Lk 6, 32).” To love one’s enemies marks one as a child of God, because indeed God is “good even to the ungrateful and the wicked" (Lk. 6, 35). This is the way God loves.