Ishmael and Isaac

28 June 2007 Thursday of the 12^th Week in Ordinary Time
Genesis 16, 1-12, 15-16 War Crimes

During the time of Abraham and his wife Sarai, it was legitimate that the barren wife would suggest to her husband to sire a child from another woman. The issue of barrenness is pertinent to the woman. To child-bearing is the responsibility of women. In the olden days, when a woman was childless, it was seen as a curse. Thus, the stories of barren women in the Bible, such as Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah & mother of John the Baptist, held childlessness as a divine reproach. Thus, the arrangement for Abraham to have a union with Sarai’s slave girl, Hagar, was a legitimate solution. Hagar bore a son called Ishmael.

We ask however, why Abraham and Sarai would resort to such a solution, when we just heard yesterday, in the first reading, that God promised Abraham a child from him and Sarai. God promised Abraham an heir to whom Abraham could leave all that he owned. And that from his son a great nation would rise. The answer is in the time element. From the time God promised Abraham to Sarai’s proposition, ten to eleven years had passed, and there was no fulfillment of that promise.

But God would still say no. Ishmael, Hagar’s son, would not receive the promises of Yahweh. It took 13-14 years more, when Abraham was 100 and Sarai was 90, that Sarai would conceive and bore Isaac, the child of the promise.

There is something that we could learn from Abraham and Sarai’s story. God fulfills his promises, even if it takes years to fulfill it. When my father passed away in 1990, I thought that the best way to fend for my family was to leave the Jesuits. But God promised to take care of them in my prayer. On April 2007, God fulfilled His promise to me: I got ordained and my youngest brother graduated in UP two weeks after my ordination. Between those years, I became anxious. There were times I doubted if God would really keep His promise. In this time of quick and instant gratification, we want things done fast.

However there are problems that require time such as childlessness, the fulfillment of a dream, or reconciliation between two conflicting parties, friends or family. Wounds caused by relationships need time to heal. Forgiveness is hard to come by, but eventually, becomes possible after some time. One of my favorite TV series is called, The West Wing. When 9/11 happened, they came up with an episode called, “Isaac and Ishmael” tackling terrorists attacks and religious wars. A few weeks ago, I was reading a book called, “Three Cups of Tea” about an American climber, Greg Mortenson, who experienced the hospitality of a poor village in Pakistan, and then promised to build schools in the area. During the time of 9/11, he was in Pakistan fighting another war through education. Today, I am reading a book, “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini, about Afghanistan and its struggle over the forces of violence in his country. In these TV series and books, I often wondered when all these wars will end.

Perhaps, it will take time. In God’s time. In the Quran, Ishmael is a prophet. He is the ancestor of the Arab people, and thus, of Islam. Ishmael is in the “litany of remembrances” --- a list of Islamic saints whose exemplary obedience of Allah is for all Muslims to follow.

We trace our roots to Isaac; Islam to Ishmael. When will we come together in peace? When I taught high school students in Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City, my students come together for parties. My Muslim students would invite their classmates for a birthday party. I delighted in these parties, seeing all of them enjoying each other’s company.

To me, these are moments of peace. And thus, moments that remind us that peace is possible. In the Bible and the Quran, both Isaac and Ishmael, came together to bury their father, Abraham. If we look at what we both share like a common father as Abraham, we can bury the hatchet and eat together in peace. In The West Wing, a line became striking to me: “All wars are crimes.” Indeed, no one wins in conflicts. But come to think of it: Both Islam and Christianity is built on peace.

Domestic Strife

26 June 2007 Tuesday in Ordinary Time
Genesis 13, 2, 5-18, Matthew 7, 6, 12-14

The first reading today dwells on the domestic strife between Abraham and his nephew, Lot. When Abraham’s father, Terah, died, he left Haran for Canaan, and pitched his tent in Bethel where he built an altar to Yahweh. For Abraham, Bethel was the ‘house of God.’ But he had to leave Bethel because of a famine, and traveled to Egypt. After some time, Abraham returned to Bethel from Egypt with his wife, Sarah, and all his possessions and family --- including Lot’s--- thinking that things will be finally settled. However, Genesis 13 tells us that a quarrel ensued between the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot which led to a separation.

Domestic strife is not new to many of us. There are quarrels within our families. God’s holiest people were not even spared. Jacob would have preferred a problem not within his family as that of Joseph and his brothers. Or, David and his sons as Michael, Amnon and Absalom. Or Jesus and his family who thought that He was out of his mind. And just as God’s chosen people would have preferred to be spared from conflict, we find ourselves to be like them. You see, quarrels and strife within our families and church are not easy to bear because we are too involved in it. These type of conflict is more painful than conflict between two political parties we are not emotionally involved with. We would prefer trouble anywhere than our homes.

But conflicts allow us to ask what values are worth keeping. The importance of our families is highlighted by the decisions we make when this value is threatened. Here, we see how Abraham finds his family more important than his pride. Lot is Abraham’s nephew. Lot owes a lot of things from Abraham who gave him protection. But to preserve the importance of family and friendship, Abraham took the initiative and yielded to Lot. He allowed Lot to make his choice. If Lot chose the land to his right, he would go the left; if Lot chose the left, he would go the right. Lot eventually chose the rich and fertile Jordan Plain.

Abraham’s conflict management was conciliatory. He has to give way to preserve what was more valuable to him, the preservation of his family. The Gospel tells us that what is valuable and sacred to us should not be thrown to swine. Here, Abraham gave as an example how to keep our family intact and whole. This method, I believe, can also be applied to our life as God’s family.

*Joshua and James, my two makulit nephews and my sister, Jesselu.

John and Art

24 June 2007. Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist
Isaiah 49, 1-6; Psalm 139; Acts 13, 22-26; Luke 1, 57-66

The celebration of the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist today is unusual in the liturgical calendar of the Church. First, we celebrate John’s birth on earth. Except for the birthday of Mary Our Mother, all saints’ feast days are remembered on the day of their death. It is therefore an acknowledgement of the important role of Mary and John in the history of salvation. Second, the liturgical norm of the Church says that a celebration that has the rank of a solemnity supersedes the Sundays in Ordinary Time, thus, the readings are not the readings of the 12^th Sunday.

The role of John the Baptist in the history of our faith is profound and simple: He prepares the way of the Lord Jesus. His life points to Him. He said, the “One who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie” (John 1,11); the One “who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me,” (John 1, 30) and “He must increase, I must decrease” (John 3, 30). John’s role is thus to direct people to Jesus. This role, I believe is now ours.

But how do we direct people to Jesus? Let me take insights from Ronald Rolheiser's Secularity and the Gospel. First, we must know the present state of people to be effective. In ancient times, when we still had kings and queens, each year a good ruler was expected to walk around the circumference, the ambit, of his or her kingdom and bring back a report on the state of things. Our notion of a state of the union address --- as presidents do --- takes its origins from here. In Anthropology, it called, “walking the ambit” (inspecting the domain, the territory, the realm). All programs should be based on the present reality. Thus, it is good the engage the world. We are invited to have a certain biblical and Catholic attitude towards our world now, to love the world as God loves it. Biblically, we see that God loves us, not because we achieved it or we are free from sin, but because God is love and He cannot help it but love us. As Jesus says, “God lets His sun shine on the bad as well as the good.” Like the sun, he does not discriminate between the vegetables and weeds; it shines on all and on everything, including the sinners and the immoral. And therefore, to be like John the Baptist, we must mirror that nondiscriminatory love of God in this present world. Thus, the world today is not an enemy to be fought, but a child to be loved. A arrogant and unbearable teenager is not bad, but an unfinished work.

Second, we need artists and saints. We need to re-inflame the romantic imagination within our faith. In the past years, we have plenty of good theology books on scripture, moral theology, church history, liturgy, etc. But we lack imagination! We lack the fire, the passion, the romance, and the aesthetics that pertain to faith. This is not the job of the theologian; but the work of the artist and the saint. Francis of Assisi was not a theologian or was an excellent academician. Those who follow Francis do not follow him because of the books he wrote. His greatness is in his artistry. When he took off his clothes, the gesture was artistic --- To the imagination, this is what it means to live poor, to be poor: to be without the basic necessities even of clothing; to be without the clothing --- the pretenses --- that covers us. Even in cosmetics, there is what we call a concealer --- that which hides blemishes and imperfections. To know the person, remove the make-up!

Leonardo da Vinci painted the Last Supper. The supper of Jesus was not really like that, but we cannot imagine the Last Supper as da Vinci’s famous interpretation of that scene. Proof: we have this interpretation in our homes. Not that we should ban it because it was not realistic --- who actually would know? ---- but its greatness is in the fact that it fires our imagination, deepening our faith. Same thing with artists and saints such as Augustine, Ignatius, Thomas More, Clare, Therese of Lisieux, John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and Mother Teresa.

How many of us were inspired by music? Who were not led to tears listening to the Ave Maria by Gounod or Schubert. Who were not led to worship in dance? Yes, including King David who danced naked worshipping God! These artists and saints inspire us. They put color to our faith. They made our faith exciting and interesting. We first fell in love with Christianity because of art and artisans.

Morris West said, “All miracles begin with falling in love!” We don’t fall in love with something or someone who is ugly, boring, colorless and rigid. We fall in love because we see something beautiful. Thus, we need artists and saints: those that provide people something beautiful with which to fall in love with.

These two points are being John the Baptist today. The figure in the desert, in sack cloth and eating insects; the baptism in the river and the call for repentance are artistic images that suggest the romance of our faith. Let beauty point and lead us to Christ.

*colored glass at the Ateneo de Davao chapel.

Forgive Us Our Sins

21 June 2007 Thursday of the 11^th Week in Ordinary Time
Matthew 6 12, 14, 15 The Sense of Sin

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive our debtors...

There are many things to be said about this prayer that Jesus taught us, but for this mass, let us focus on sins. I believe that before we can even pray for forgiveness, we must have the sense of sin. This ‘sense of sin’ is slowly being eroded by the modern culture of relativism and consumerism. Sometimes we are just too used to the pervading culture that we miss out on sins.

Moreover, many of us in church may not belong to the ‘common’ group of sinners. We find the thieves, rapists, murderers, adulterers, cheats and corrupt officials sinners. Many of us are not like them: we live ordinary lives in UP, never appeared in court, never been imprisoned or never brought to the disciplinary board for prosecution. Many of us have been very conscientious Catholics, receiving daily communion and going to frequent confessions. Many of our lives have practically revolved around spiritual activities. And we sometimes think, that as we continue to be good and faithful churchgoers, we have been stained for only a few drops by sin, while, the others have been drenched by transgressions. And thus, since we say that we are better, let us take a second look.

There are several words that are used in Greek to describe sin: hamartia (missing the target), parabasis (stepping across), paraptōma (slipping out), anomia (lawlessness), and opheilēma (debt). Let me just take two of these words.

First, opheilēma. In the Our Father, the word used is opheilēma or debt. Thus, sin means the failure to pay what is due. At the very least, a person --- whether friend or foe --- deserve respect. When Jesus commanded us to love our enemies, He used the word, agape, which means that we accord another person what is due to human beings. He did not demand that we will love them as we love those who are intimate to us, or friend to us (eros or philia).

Second, paraptōma. Paraptōma means slipping out. When one walks on a slippery road and suddenly flips over, it is called paraptōma. Some sins are caused by being swept away by strong emotions or passions that has gained control of us that we lose all rationality and power over them. We hear this, “Nakalimot kami sa aming sarili. Nadala kami sa aming mga damdamin.”

When we pray, “forgive us our debts as we forgive those who sinned against us.” We are actually saying, “Forgive us our sins in proportion as we forgive those who sinned against us.” Thus, when we come to confession to ask for forgiveness, but when we say that “we can never forgive so-and-so for what he or she has done for me,” we are actually asking God not to forgive us. It is said that forgiveness and peace are one and indivisible. Human and Divine forgiveness are one. Forgiveness is both human and divine as peace is both human and divine. Forgiveness of our fellow persons and God’s forgiveness cannot be separated; they are linked; they are interdependent.

If one looks at it, forgiveness and peace is proper to human beings: we are human, but we also possess the divine because we are God’s children.

A Cheerful Heart in Prayer

20 June 2007. Thursday of the 11^th Week in Ordinary Time
2 Cor 9, 6-11 and Matthew 6, 1-6, 16-18

Both the first reading and the Gospel today tell us about prayer. The first reading gives us the underlying prayer disposition. It tells us that God loves the cheerful giver. It means that the person praying --- the pray-er--- comes to prayer with a cheerful and joyful heart. It means that those who come to prayer come willingly and happily. They are not coerced or forced. They are not under fear --- fear that God will punish them if they do not come to mass; fear that people will have an unfavorable impression about them. They are not doing it under obligation. They just enjoy praying. They eagerly come to mass. They like what they do. They seek God with all their heart, confident that they will find God. This assurance that God actually listens to our hearts is enough reason to be cheerful and happy in prayer.

You see, at the very core of the Christian faith is joy. It is the acknowledgement that Christ, who is alive, is Lord! At the center of our celebration is the spirit of the Resurrection: the reason for the Sunday masses. Without the Resurrection, there will be no Christianity. Our faith is centered on the reality that Christ alive. Thus the central disposition is joy.

There is a type of Christianity that is dark, sad and gloomy. A Christianity that takes joy out of our faith. A Christianity that believes that when we approach God in prayer, we have to rigid, stiff, and serious. They think that the center of faith is the suffering, trials, and pain. Proof? Look around you when you come to mass. Who among them look like Good Friday all the time?

Second, the Gospel tells us about the external environment. When Jesus said that we pray in secret, it means that we do not put premium on the externalities. The act of praying, fueled by the cheerful desire to pray, does not seek ‘the right environment’ for praying. The pray-er can pray under the mango tree, while riding the IKOT jeepney in UP, in the middle of a rubbish dump, on top of a building, etc. Wherever.

Moreover, prayer is not determined by the people who may ‘watch you’. You don’t pray so that people will think that you are credible and good --- like many people in media and in government who liked being photographed. These are the stuff of hypocrites!

When we pray we open our hearts to God. We expose to Him our vulnerability. We tell Him everything even our negative feelings. Even our tampo to Him. Because, there is no reason to pretend. He knows everything!

Praying is primarily feeling God accompanying us in our life. It is not just a person babbling thoughts, but presupposes that the one who babbles also spends as much time listening. It is a palpable feeling of presence.

So, did you come to mass of your own free will?

Being Filipino Abroad

17 June 2007. 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Being Filipino Abroad

Note: This is the homily I will give to the Filipino community here in Brunei. They will celebrate Independence Day at the Parish of Our Lady of the Assumption, Banda Seri Begawan, Brunei Darrusalam.

Filipino epics, legends and teleseryes (soap opera) have it that heroes are made after being pushed against the wall by obstacles, tragedies and villains. It begins with the reluctant hero being bullied and trampled under foot and ends with the hero mustering all his strength --- wielding his amulet --- and destroying his enemy. The strength of the hero is tested when it can survive the elements.

Many of our stories revolve around this pattern from legends, myths and epics. What glues the Filipino to the television set watching favorite soap operas and even a portion of Wowowee is the fact that we share each other’s stories, identifying ourselves with the contestants’ plight, and saying to ourselves, “Dinaanan ko na rin yan!” or “Nararamdaman ko yan at ng pamilya ko!” or “Kuwento ko rin yan!”

The story of our independence runs on the same storyline except on the part when the hero wields his sword and amulet. We are still on the inaapi than on the heroic. When General Emilio Aguinaldo declared Independence on June 12, 1898, the country had too much of abuses from the administration of Spain. When our independence was finally given by the United States on 4 June 1946, after being self-governing in 1934 (Tydings-McDuffy Act or the Philippine Independence Act), we faced political instability, unmitigated corruption and dictatorship, national debt, coup attempts, and a great financial crunch. If this is the stuff of legends, then this is the part when the would-be hero should slowly muster all courage and strength and take out his amulet to vanquish the enemy. Our amulet is the value system that carries our strengths as a people and as a country. This is the time to be heroes. This is not the time to focus on our weaknesses, but the time to focus on what we have best.

What do we have? There are many things to be said. But let me highlight some. First, the Filipino is known for its unique hospitality. We are not the only people who are friendly, warm and welcoming, but our brand of making a guest “at home” is said to be different. The family offers something to eat, will not complain about being disturbed, and will offer the best to the stranger or foreigner. The same way when we establish relations with other countries: in Brunei for example, our brand of hospitality is seen in our ability to care for strangers as if they are of our own family, living in our very own homes. Our ambassador and consul come to our gatherings and parties, wherever we are. That is personal care. The Filipino is someone whom others entrust to look after those who are dear to them, their child, their elderly and their home. That is strength.

Second, the Filipino has a strong sense of gratitude, loyalty and friendship especially to people who helped them in any way. We treasure our friendships in any circumstance; and our bonds are strengthened by the stories of our lives. How many times have we come to help a friend in need? Our friendship with other people are genuinely treasured and even celebrated with good food and music! Think of thoughtfulness when one celebrates birthdays and anniversaries. You get to receive a card, an email, a text message, a call or in very special circumstance, a surprise party!

Third, the Filipino is a like a bamboo who is flexible, enduring and harmonious. We bend with the wind, but survive a storm. We cope with destiny and do not fight against it. We are pliant and open to new ideas, but can stand up for our own beliefs.

So, what then should we do? I get some ideas from Mr. Alex Lacson. First, we share our stories. Teach your children and your friends from abroad about the Philippines. Let your children love our country and its people. Tell them about the province you came from. Let them taste the food from your home. Tell them how your mother and your grandmother cooked bicol express and laing if you’re from Bicol, kinilaw if you’re from the Visayas, empanada and papaitan if you’re from the Ilocos. If you can’t show them your origin, let them taste it. Let your spouse, if he’s not Filipino, hear what you love about the Philippines, eventually, they too will love and admire it. Sure, there are many things that dishearten us about our country --- like all other countries --- but there are many things to be proud of. In 2004, we heard of the story of Nestor Sulpico, a Filipino taxi driver in New York. He drove 43 miles to Connecticut, USA to return US $80,000 worth of rare black pearls to his passenger. We are a race capable of greatness!

Second, we patronize our own. TIME magazine said that the crucial factor for a country to prosper is not foreign investments, but national patriotism. It is when Filipinos buy Filipino products and appreciate Philippine-made items. It is when Philippine products disappear from the stalls faster than Giordano shirts!

Third, maybe we can sponsor a poor child back home. We are around 86 million people. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said that 53% of our population are poor, having no access to education. Most of them are children.

Our lives, therefore, are challenged to renew the spirit of the Filipino. Fr. Horacio de la Costa SJ said that we may be poor but we possess two precious gems: our faith and our music. As we celebrate Independence Day, we celebrate our being Filipino.

“Love one’s neighbors,” Jesus said. Our faith should help us transform society wherever we are.

“Love God with your entire mind, with all your heart, with all your soul,” Jesus said. Our music should sing of the glory of God shown in the beauty of a people called, the Philippines.

Indeed, this is the time to muster all our strengths. This is the time to bring out our amulets. This is the time to be heroes. This is the time be legends.

Being Made Worthy

13 June 2007 Wednesday of the 10^th Week in Ordinary Time
2 Cor 3, 4-11, Matthew 5, 17-19

The Gospel tells us that Jesus came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it. Meaning, Jesus came to bring out the real meaning of the law. You see, the scribes and the Pharisees interpreted the Law of Moses into many rules and regulations, that one can’t see the forest because of the trees. The Ten Commandments is about reverence --- the reverence we have for God and our neighbor. Jesus summarized it as “Love of God and Love of Neighbor”. This is the principle behind the law. Thus, if we give more importance to rituals, but forget to forgive those who have hurt us, then, we miss the point. God said, “It is not sacrifice I want, but mercy.” If we are legalistic, but forget to love, then we also miss the principle of reverence: the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. If our lives revolve around prohibitions (Don’t do this; Don’t do that), but does not instruct or explain it, then we also miss the point of the prohibitions.

Let us take the case of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. These are laypersons who help distribute Holy Communion during Mass. They are called extraordinary ministers because the ‘ordinary’ ministers are bishops, priests, and deacons. The Church document, Redemptionis Sacramentum, said that the creation of these ministers was “for those instances where there are not enough ordinary ministers to distribute Holy Communion.” Therefore, with the approval of the Church, to receive Holy Communion from them is legitimate.

However, there are people who do not receive communion from them for the reason that they are unworthy of their service. Many of these ministers are lay people from the community. On one hand, it is true that their function is secondary from the ordinary ministers, but on the other hand, who, even among priests, is worthy to render service to God? We, priests, are sinners too.

The first reading from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians gives us an insight to this question: if bishops, priests, deacons who are ordained are also sinners, and thus, like many extraordinary ministers of communion, are unworthy, what or who makes us worthy? Paul said, “Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything that come from us; rather, our qualification comes from God, who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of Spirit... the Spirit gives life.” Therefore, it is God who made all us worthy of such great service. It is not of our power to choose who is worthy or who is not. In fact, many of us priests --- including myself --- ask the question over and over again, “Why me, Lord? You know who I am.”

In the end, what matters is that we accord respect and reverence first to God who chose His servant to preside at mass, or to assist it; and second, to our fellow servants, who, like everyone else, knows his unworthiness. And that is why, many of us consider serving God a great honor and privilege. We do not deserve it, but we were chosen. That is why we say before communion, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word, and I shall be healed” --- I shall be made worthy to have You, to love You, to serve You.”

*Fr. Lester Maramara SJ, presiding at the mass for Ateneo de Davao faculty.

Amen

12 June 2007 Tuesday of the 10^th Week in Ordinary Time
2 Cor 1, 18-22; Matthew 5, 13-16 Amen

The first reading tells us that the response to the proclamation of the Gospel is always an “Amen” --- a ‘yes’ to God. In a way, it does not demand of a person to choose whether he should follow Christ or not. The demand is and only will be to follow Him. Our faith does not accept a ‘no’ for an answer. A ‘yes’ to God is freedom. A ‘no’ to God is imprisonment.

Let me explain. The Church affirms that human beings are free. But what is freedom for the Church? Freedom is choosing what is good. The more we choose what is good for others, the more we become persons. When the rear tire of my car blew up last Sunday (June 10, 2007), Mr. Jose Aguanta, a taxi driver helped me. By choosing to be good, Mang Jose has shown what persons are. People are basically good. On the other hand, when Seung-Hui Cho shot students and teachers at Virginia Tech last April 16, 2007, Cho did not show what persons should be. Cho was declared mentally ill, thus he was not in his right mind, his cognitive function was impaired, his emotional state was deregulated, and his behavior was maladaptive. In other words, he was ‘imprisoned’ by his illness. Thus he was not free. Mang Jose’s action was humane; Cho’s action was inhuman.

When we receive the Word of God, there is no way but to say, “YES”. There is no way but to say, “Amen.” Thus, Paul said, “As God is faithful, our word to you is not ‘yes’ and ‘no’. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed to you by us, Silvanus and Timothy and me, was not ‘yes’ and ‘no’ but YES has been in him. For however, many are the promises of God, their “YES” is in Him, therefore, the Amen from us also goes through Him to God for glory. (2 Cor 1, 18-20)”

The word Amen is a Hebrew word that had been unchanged in its use in the Church, by virtue of an exceptionally sacred example. Jesus frequently used this Hebrew word (Matthew, 28 times; John, 26 times). Amen is a derivative of the Hebrew verb, aman, meaning “to strengthen” or “to confirm.” Thus, to say, “Amen” is to say “Yes” to what has been proclaimed. Thus, every time that “Amen” is the response at mass, we affirm what has been proclaimed. For example, at mass the priest invites the people to pray, he says, “Let us pray....” The prayer is called a ‘collect’ meaning the priest ‘collects’ all the desires of the people, and thus, at the end of the prayer, the people responds, “Amen” --- meaning, yes to the prayer. It is like saying, “May it so be done as the priest has prayed.” Thus, when one neglects to respond, “Amen” during communion, the person misses to ratify what has been spoken.

Thus, when the Lord exhorts all of us Christians to be the salt of the earth, He is asking us to say “Yes” not just with our words but with our lives. He is asking us to say “Amen” to the Good News He proclaimed. As salt prevents and preserves food from being corrupted, Christians should prevent and preserve values, virtues, institutions such as the government and education from bad influences. As salt lends flavor to food, Christians should make our faith --- and the practice of our faith--- attractive, inviting and dynamic. To be salt to the earth therefore is to live out the “Amen” we say in response to the love of God.

Feast of Corpus Christi

10 June 2007 Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Genesis 14, 18-20; Psalm 110; 1 Cor 11, 23-26; Luke 9, 11-17

On 8 September 1264, Urban IV, published the Papal Bull, Transiturus, which introduced the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, to commemorate the institution of the Holy Eucharist. Though the commemoration of the Eucharist is in the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, the new feast --- celebrated after Trinity Sunday --- gave an opportunity to appreciate the Eucharist more deeply. The reason for the new feast is not profound, but practical: holy week is subdued and sad and our minds are set on the Passion of Jesus. Thus, in order not to lose sight of the importance of the Eucharist, the Church decreed that we focus on it more deeply on Corpus Christi Sunday.

The way we look at the Eucharist --- or the mass --- is influenced by how we look at our bodies. We do not regard a person as someone who HAS a body; but a person who IS a body. Let me explain. When we regard a person as someone who has a body, any part of the body is not important, because it does not constitute his person. We look at the person’s body as a system of muscles and bones and nerves where the soul resides. So when a hand is cut off, we just say that it is just a part that has been separated, and not that important --- like the hand of a doll or a part of a toy car.

But when we think of a body, we think of the whole person. A large proportion of amputees (50-80%) experience the phenomenon of phantom limbs. They feel the body part that is no longer there. They are that hand, so to speak. When someone is raped for example, they do not feel that it was only a part of their bodies that was violated, but the whole of themselves and their lives.

Thus, the consecrated bread and wine are not something, but someone. In communion, whether one drinks from the cup, or eats of the bread, they receive Christ fully. The intention then of the mass is not the production of the sacred species --- of bread and wine --- for keeping in the sanctuary or for adoration, but to create a united body of Christ which is the Church.

When we come to mass every Sunday, we do not attend for the sake of fulfilling an obligation; but in a greater sense, we come to celebrate with Christ himself; with the community who are members of the Christ’s body. Thus, each of us IS Christ’s body; and collectively as a community, we are HIS body too. We come to mass as a community gathering around the table.

Now our lives. When we come to mass like silent spectators, saying our individual prayers, watching the round wafer being lifted up for everyone to see, receiving communion if they would like to, impatiently cutting short the celebration by leaving during announcements, we become a collection of individuals (like a system of muscles, nerves and bones) watching something that was being done in our behalf.

But when we participate, each one contributing to a meaningful Eucharist, then we are experiencing Christ. We become one body. We become truly the Mystical Body of Christ.

Prayer in Distress

6 June 2007. Wednesday of the 9^th Week in Ordinary Time
Tobit 3, 1-11a, 16-17a; Mark 12, 18-27 Prayers in Distress

There are three desperate characters in the readings today. Tobit anguishes over his blindness. Sarah, Raguel’s daughter, had 7 husbands who died before consummating the marriage with sexual intercourse, and the hypothetical woman in the Gospel who mirrors Sarah’s condition. In their anguish and distress, both Tobit and Sarah --- or even if any woman will be in the position of wife in the Gospel --- turned to God in prayer. Who among us, in some time of need and distress, has not called upon God for assistance? With the devotion to our Mother of Perpetual Help is that cry of distress from our hearts.

Tobit asked for healing. Sarah asked for deliverance from the demon, Asmodeus, who killed her seven husbands before intercourse. The book, Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2559) says, “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.” Sa matinding pangangailangan, napapadasal tayo. We are brought to prayer by our cries for help. And when we pray, we raise our minds and heart to God.

How does this happen? When we unite our minds and hearts with someone, we do this by talking to them, spending time with them, sharing our thoughts, feelings, experiences, values, dreams with them. It also entails trust and openness. The more we spend time with them, the more we communicate and work with them, the more a closer relationship develops.

In a close relationship, we are happy just to be in the presence of that person whom we deeply love. They are the persons you want to be with in times of joy and they are the persons you want to comfort you in times of sorrow. Sometimes, you don’t have to articulate what you need --- or what they need --- for them to know that you need something.

The same way with God. When we raise our hearts to Him in prayer, His heart and ours become united that God knows our needs --- even before we kneel to pray. They said that the shortest distance to heaven is between your knees and the floor.

It is no wonder that the first reading ends with God sending an angel, Raphael, to cure Tobit’s cataracts ‘that he might see God’s sunlight again’ and to marry Sarah to Tobit’s son, Tobiah, by driving the demon away.

Because in the end, what matters is not whether one has misfortune or not. What matters is our relationship with God. That is why, in the resurrection, our status do not depend on human relationships (as married couples do), but on God’s. In heaven, we become brothers and sisters --- yes, our parents & grandparents become brothers and sisters to us; just as Jesus explained to us in the Gospel.

True Character

5 June 2007 Tuesday of the 9^th Week in Ordinary Time
Tobit 2, 9-14 True Character in the Midst of Suffering

Today we read from the Old Testament the story of Tobit. Tobit is a righteous Jew from the tribe of Napthtali. His particular work of charity was to provide proper burials for Jews who were killed by King Sennacherib. Thus, Sennacherib seized Tobit, took all his property and exiled him. After the death of Sennacherib, Tobit returned to Nineveh, but again, he buried a murdered man. Our reading begins from this point in the story. On the night of the burial, Tobit slept in the open and was blinded by bird droppings that fell on his eyes, forming a cataract. His blindness put a strain on his marriage. Later, he would pray for death. In the first reading, his wife Anna worked for hire weaving cloth. One day her employer gave her an extra goat apart from her wages. She brought home the goat, but Tobit refused to accept it. Anna explained that it was a gift. But Tobit doubted her. Anna then said to Tobit, “Where are your charitable deeds and your virtuous acts. Your true character is finally showing!”

Our crosses bring out the best and worst in us. Our sickness can make us impatient and distrustful of people. And like Tobit, it can also blind us to the truth. Our insecurities take hold of us, that we are unable to see the love other people have for us. When Tobit was able to see, he could recognize the dignity of a person, that he provided proper burial for the dead. Now that he was blind, he could not see the love of his wife for him, that he even accused her of stealing.

On the other hand, heroes are built at the worst and tragic moments. These are the heroes that we study in history. They make a great act of courage. Like Jose Rizal. Like Andres Bonifacio. Or, like Richie Fernando, my batchmate who died from a bomb attack, protecting his students.

But there are everyday heroes: those who braved the ordinary and drab episodes of life and patiently giving their whole selves to a cause --- whether they were our parents, or teachers, or workers dedicated to their families, students or clients. Mother Teresa’s heroism is not in those moments when the klieg lights were on, but when the world’s not watching. Think those who do volunteer work like the Jesuit Volunteers Philippines or Gawad Kalinga. Think of those teachers who go to the barrios to provide education to school children, despite their meager salaries.

Nevertheless, experience tells us that the cross --- our suffering --- could bring out the worst and the best in us. But our faith tells us what suffering should do --- it should build character, thus, it should bring us our heroism. Our worth is always tested in fire.

Parables for Listening

4 June 2007 Monday of the 9^th Week in Ordinary Time
Mark 12, 1-12 Parable of the Vineyard

The parables as we read today is actually meant to be heard; like a poem that is meant to be spoken and its meaning is what flashes out of our minds at first hearing. When Jesus uses parables to bring out His message, He used imagery that was familiar to Jews. The vineyard for example has been an image of the Kingdom of God and its people. The vineyard’s imagery has been used by Isaiah (5, 1-7) among others. Thus, the vineyard owner is God; the cultivators are the religious rulers of Israel; the servants of the owner are Moses, David or the prophets who were all called by God.

The parable speaks lengthily of the vineyard being provided of its necessary equipment, furniture, structure such as the tower, a press, and a wine vat. It also speaks of the unrest within the tenants themselves. During the time of Jesus, there has been similar political unrest.

One of the characteristic of the vineyard owner --- God --- is that the owner has provided everything to run the whole winery. Thus God has already provided all the necessary things for us to make our life and our work easier for us. The harvest is plenty, the victory is assured. The vineyard needs cultivators, who unfortunately took advantage of the owners’ absence. All that the cultivators should do is to till the soil.

At this point, we can ask ourselves in whatever state we are in: Do we cooperate with God in cultivating our talents and our abilities? Or do we use our abilities to cheat on others, to be complacent and lazy, to be selfish and self-preserving?

Second, the owner went away and left the cultivators run the whole venture on their own. The owner has put his whole trust on cultivators. Thus, whoever was appointed carries the whole program. God treats us similarly. He allows us to run our lives freely.

Thus, do we run our lives freely? Freedom in the Christian sense is not about the ability to choose to do anything, but to choose only what is good (to choose evil is imprisonment, not freedom. Simple: when one chooses drugs, he or she becomes addicted to it.).

Trinity Sunday

3 June 2007 Trinity Sunday
Proverbs 8, 22-31, Romans 5, 1-5, John 16, 12-15

The 1^st Reading and the Gospel focuses on the wisdom that our faith provides. The 2^nd Reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans tells us that this wisdom is a foundation --- or an anchor to a ship --- assuring us hope in a troubled and confused world.

First, the wisdom we have acquired is carefully placed on Creeds. For example, there were short creedal statements the early Church communities affirmed, such as “Jesus is Lord!” (1 Cor 12, 3; Romans 10, 9; Ph 2, 11; Col 2, 6). These statements of belief presupposes three more others: 1) God exists; 2) God rewards the just; 3) in God, there are three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The statement, “Jesus is Lord” is a creedal statement. The word, ‘creed’ derives it from the Latin verb, credere, meaning ‘to believe’. A creed therefore is a summary of the basic tenets of belief.

Two of the most ancient elaborations of “Jesus is Lord” are the Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed. In the Philippines, we traditionally used the Apostles Creed on Sunday; but most of the world uses the Nicene Creed. Church creeds are precious statements, each word in a creed in important; it is there a good reason. For example, the Nicene Creed profess belief in the resurrection of the flesh; thus it says, “We look for the resurrection of the dead” while the Apostles Creed say the same thing, “I believe in … the resurrection of the body.” These statements say explicitly and exactly what we mean by the resurrection of the body, a doctrine essential to our faith. Even the name, Pontius Pilate is important. Our faith tells us the Jesus suffered and died under the rule of Pontius Pilate. Therefore, this incident tells us that we were saved by the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus during the time of Pontius Pilate. Our faith then is historical --- not poetic or an imagery. It actually happened in time, in history!

Second, this faith becomes anchors in a very pluralistic and confused world. Here in UP, there are many Christian denominations that evangelize or proselytize. They come to convince many Catholics to embrace their own religion by confusing the young. There are even television programs that are dedicated to question the Catholic faith. Thus there are people who ask the question: “How do I know that I am still Catholic?” The best and surest way is look at the creeds. All the creedal statements in the Apostles creed are our basic belief --- thus, any disbelief in one may account one’s Catholicism.

Whenever we recite the Creed sincerely like the Rosary and other devotions, we are reminded that the Creed is the most important foundation of the faith. We are saying that the Creed has been the faith of our fathers, and by this we make our strong stance; and it what we all believe. In October 22, 451 at Chalcedon in Asia Minor, the Nicene Creed was formulated, and all present recited them in unison. These creeds, say what we believe, in a very precise way, --- thus when ask by someone about what we believe as Catholics, say the Apostles Creed because the creed says it best.

Thus, when we celebrate Trinity Sunday --- or other feasts and holy days --- we are celebrating --- and re-affirming --- some words in the creed: “I believe in God the Father. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe in the Holy Spirit: One God, three Persons.”