The Place of Honor

2 September 2007 22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 14, 7-14 The Place of Honor

The meaning of hospitality is clearly seen in the Gospel today. The word, hospitality, comes from the Latin word, hospis, meaning host and guest. Hospital means a ‘friendly welcome to a stranger.’ When Jesus suggested to his host to also invite the ‘poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind’ and those who will be unable to repay the gesture, He is basically telling him to be hospitable.

The Greeks extremely value hospitality. A stranger who passes by their house can be invited inside. The host washes the feet of the stranger, offers his food and drink, and only then can he ask the stranger’s name. In Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad and the Odyssey, we hear the story of Telemachus, the son of Odysseus and Penelope. After 20 years since Odysseus went to fight in the Trojan War, Telemachus searched for his father. He became a guest of Nestor, the King of Pylos, who was a great admirer of Odysseus. Only after Nestor’s hospitality to Telemachus that he discovered he was Odysseus’ son.

It is also valuable in the Middle Eastern culture. In Genesis, Lot was very hospitable to a group of men who were actually angels. A mob tries to rape them, but Lot goes to the extreme as to offer his own daughters as substitutes instead. Lot says, “Don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof” (Genesis 19,8). A bond is formed between the host and the stranger when salt is eaten under the roof. There is an Arab story of a thief who tasted something to see if it was sugar, and on realizing that he tasted salt, he returned all he had stolen and left.

Hospitality takes on a more Christian character when seen with the element of the stranger. In Matthew 5, 44, Jesus said that if we love those who love us, what reward will it have on us? The tax collectors and the sinners also do the same. But if we love our enemies, that would mark the Christian. Therefore, loving one’s enemies has a ‘hospitality’ aspect in it: Jesus demands that we love the stranger in our midst. Thus, the stranger might be people outside of our circle of friends --- enemies do not belong to our intimate links. There are many who may feel very alienated: the first-year students, fresh from high school and the provinces; the eccentric like the geeks in the High School Musical fame.

Hospitality would be easier for Filipinos to come by. People find us hospitable and welcoming. Serving other people the best of what we have is an honor. We tell our guests to ‘feel at home’. We give the stranger the place of honor.

We pray that people may witness our Christian faith through our hospitality. We should have hearts that is inclusive, NOT exclusive. We are able to open our hearts and our homes even to those who belong to other faiths. And it is done with genuine enthusiasm and the smile that made Filipinos famous.

Presence and Wisdom

30 August 2007 Thursday of the 21^st Week in Ordinary Time
1 Thessalonians 3, 7-13 Paul's Prayer

“Night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith.”

Paul sent Timothy to the Thessalonians to establish and encourage them in their faith. And Timothy returns with good news. The first letter of Paul to the Thessalonians have been written in Corinth where he too faced great difficulties (1 Cor 2:3). Amidst these difficulties, the good news which Timothy brought gave him much joy and relief. The Thessalonians kept their faith strong, “standing fast” to God.

Overjoyed, Paul prays for them exceedingly. Night and day. He has two intentions in his prayer: that he see their faces personally; and fill in what is lacking in their faith.

First, Paul would like to see the community in Thessalonia personally. Face to face. He believes that his personal presence would be of great help. We call it the apostleship of presence. The post modern world often believes helping others mean doing something big like organizing a fund-raising event or building houses. Little do we know, that our mere presence in a hospital bed consoles the patient and their families too. The presence of leaders in an activity boosts the morale of the members. Being with our friends in their time of grief consoles them. In other words, when we experience great physical and emotional stress, we don’t need a preacher. We need a friend at our side. Presence is important.

Second, Paul did not hesitate to call their attention to what is lacking in their faith. In recent years, the 2^nd Plenary Council of the Philippines did the same thing. They pointed out what is insufficient in our faith. PCP II said that we do have a genuine faith. We have created a distinct Catholic culture. But it has failed to be a “leaven of transformation” in Philippine society.

We choose one of these deficiencies. Many Filipino Catholics are ignorant of the doctrines of the faith. If we have kept the faith, it is because of the rites and relics, rosaries and religious items. Our precepts has been colored by animistic and fatalistic tradition. For a family member: no one should not take a bath while a relative or a family person has died. The Sto. Nino who walks and dances. The Nazareno who resists being moved. The Virgin who cried blood and tears.

However, many of us are not able to account of what we believe. If one of the aggressive evangelicals would ask us about certain practices that we have, we could not answer them. Only 20% of Catholics regularly participate at Sunday mass, supposedly to be catechized by preaching. But many preachers are unprepared and not updated with their theology. That is why many of us are vulnerable to the teachings of fundamentalist and evangelical groups who are aggressive and insistent. Furthermore, the Philippine Church has contributed to this deficiency too. We need catechists and we need to educate and form these catechists. We may need to professionalize catechism and not just rely on volunteers whose work will be during their extra time.

Therefore, two things are important in the practice of the faith. When we attend mass, we are not just present, but we must know why we are there. Conversely, it is not enough that we know why we are there, but we are also able to experience and participate through our presence.

The Truth is Risky Business

29 August 2007 Memorial of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist
Mark 6, 17-29 The Truth is Risky Business

Speaking God’s truth is still a dangerous business. The prophet Zechariah, John the Baptist, and Jesus died doing it. Many heroes and saints paid the price with their lives.

Last Monday, Chris Anthony Mendez, 20 years old, a graduating BS Major in Public Administration, died of hazing. He bore bruises in his arms and thighs. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Veterans Memorial Hospital. He was a councilor of the student government of the National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) and was running for honors. One of his friends said that he would accompany them to their dormitories when their activities ended at night. He was a true gentleman.

Members of fraternities, sororities, athletic teams, military and secret societies who have hazing rites say that hazing is supposed to promote loyalty through shared suffering (dinaanan namin itong lahat!). In many cases, this is part of their ‘bonding’ experience. Nevertheless, there is no justification for death. In the Philippines, hazing accompanied by any form of temporary or physical injuries (resulting to death), sexual abuse or any act that leads to mental incapacity are punishable by law.

To speak up against hazing is difficult. Study says that those who experienced some form of hazing in initiations which includes spanking or paddling do not recognize hazing when they are involved. Statistics are an underestimate of actual hazing incidents because of the strong code of silence amongst the members of the fraternities. Dr. Susan Lipkins said in her book, Insidehazing, said that 46% of those she surveyed said that the most important thing is to “keep the code of silence.”

Speaking up against hazing is also risky business. The fraternity could gang up on you. Friends, especially those who belong to organizations with hazing initiations could withdraw their friendship. It may cost you your head, like John the Baptist. The hazards of living with the truth is undeniable. That is why, lying often becomes easier; and in some institutions, deception has become an acceptable system.

But it will soon catch up on us when someone gets killed, the mystery that shrouds Chris’ death will continue to haunt us. Like Ninoy Aquino and numerous victims of political killings. John’s beheading, for instance, is political in nature. The key figure in the issue between Herod Antipas and John the Baptist is not Salome, but John’s speaking of God’s truth. John accused Herod of ruling unjustly and immorally, calling him to repent. And Herod was afraid that John’s speech will cause an insurrection. So he arrests John, and with the suggestion of his new wife and stepdaughter, orders John’s execution.

Our intellectual lives have enlightened us about injustices in our systems. We have numerous complaints about the government and the system in our universities. We are a people of shoulds and don’ts. But often, we do not lift a finger to do something to change it. Apathy is now the scourge of the new generation. A student once said that speaking the truth is risky: if he catches his friend cheating in the exam, he would rather keep it to himself, than losing their long-lasting friendship. So, should we just ignore Chris’ death and continue with our lives?

Hope for Late Bloomers

28 August 2007 Memorial of St. Augustine

Having made the homily for the day, I decided to make another for St. Augustine (354-430 AD). In my past reflections, I have mentioned Augustine along with Sts. Mary Magdalene and Ignatius of Loyola. They were the saints I gave as examples of the greatest sinners turned the greatest saints. But there was more to Augustine. It was easier for me to identify with him.

I have with me a journal of my spiritual life. Augustine has his “Confessions,” a very honest account of his spiritual journey. In his Confessions is the following:

“Too late have I loved you, O Beauty of ancient days, yet ever new! Too late I loved you! And behold, you were within, and I abroad, and there I searched for you; I was deformed, plunging amid those fair forms, which you had made. You were with me, but I was not with you. Things held me far from you—things which, if they were not in you, were not at all. You called, and shouted, and burst my deafness. You flashed and shone, and scattered my blindness. You breathed odors and I drew in breath—and I pant for you. I tasted, and I hunger and thirst. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.”

Augustine admitted that he was a late bloomer. His love of God was ‘late’. He had a dark history, a past away from God when he ‘plunged amid those fair forms’. In his younger years, he lived a hedonistic lifestyle. In Carthage, he had a relationships with a young woman for 15 years. During this period, he had a son named Adeodatus. Although raised as a Catholic, Augustine left the Church to follow the Manichaean religion, much to the despair of his mother, St. Monica. Moreover, he was an intellectual whose academic pursuits included Latin literature, philosophy inspired by Cicero’s dialogue, Hortensius, and rhetoric. At age 30, Augustine won the most visible academic chair in the Latin world. Such post gave ready access to political career.

Many of us are like Augustine who described it as the time when God was with us, but we were not with God. When we were younger, we were busy with our minute quests, as the Pharisees who focused on the details of the law. We were busy pursuing our academic careers, or running after our dreams. We were tracking events and chasing our crushes. Augustine said that we “go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and [we] pass by [our]selves without wondering.”

Late do we actually come to love God. Only after all these pursuits and this restless running, when we find ourselves tired and empty, searching our identities and our place in the sun, do we finally stop, look and wonder. The God we were looking for, we find in our hearts, closer to us than we to ourselves.

In our childhood, we may have parents like St. Monica to teach us and insist on faith. There are times when we get to inherit wrong notions of God like the God who punishes and the God who controls our lives. We get to know God from what people say He is. Only after God’s calling, shouting, flashing, and scattering our blindness through the pains of life like death and failure, or loneliness and separation, or being stripped of everything we have in personal and family tragedies, or positively being inspired by a mentor like St. Anselm to Augustine, do we begin to listen. We begin to look for a genuine relationship with God and thereby finding our very self. We find our peace.

But there is one thing that strikes me with Augustine. One of my students wrote me, “Isn’t it late when a person, after spending a wayward life, returns to God only at his deathbed?” Augustine would say, “It isn’t too late.”

A Religion for Show

28 August 2007. Memorial of St. Augustine of Hippo
Matthew 23, 23-26 A Religion for Show

The Gospel today is part of Matthew’s seven woes of the Pharisees (Luke has six). These woes are Jesus’ criticisms of the Pharisees, Scribes and Teachers of the Law. Teachers of the Law includes those who instructed children in the law, who wrote legal documents for others and those who took upon themselves the role of interpreting the law according to the teachings of earlier Pharisees. There are two strong words in the Gospel today: He called the Pharisees, “Blind” and “Hypocrite”. To be a hypocrite is to be a fraud, a deceiver, a fake. He puts on a show. They have concerned themselves with the minute interpretation of the law (50 volumes!), but they neglected the more important matters of faith as justice, love of God, and mercy. In their mistaken passion for the law, they lost sight of God and the purpose of the law.

Jesus first example is in verse 24, “You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!” Leviticus 11 said that if an insect fell into one’s drink, they should be removed from the cup before it dies, or else it contaminates the drink. But any animal smaller than a lentil (eg. Garbanzos, chickpeas, etc.) like a gnat (common name for non-biting flies, looks like a mosquito and comes swarming like flies) are exempted. Although for many of us, we do not want a dying insect in our drink! The point of Jesus was that the Pharisees concern themselves with the smallest detail of the gnat, but did not mind swallowing a camel. The camel was explicitly unclean under biblical law (Leviticus 11, 4), but were the largest animal in Palestine. By focusing too much on minute matters, they neglected the weak and the needy. With all the rules and regulations they put unnecessary burdens on others while neglecting charity. The essence of the Law is love, justice and the mercy of God. The law without love is empty. In other words, they missed the mark.

Someone who misses the mark mistakes the externals as the most important than the human heart. Like giving more attention to the outside of the cup than its insides. Like fashion. Michael Bergin mentions in his book, The Other Man, how he felt like a commodity in the fashion industry when he was starting as a model. What matters is what they want to get from you, and not who you are. The photographer took a picture of his abs without even looking at his face. American author and social columnist, Fran Lebowitz said that “All God’s children are not beautiful. Most of God’s children are, in fact, barely presentable.”

Presentable means how we look. We judge by what we see. The clothes we wear. How long the reader’s skirt should be. Is our religion for show?

Quite the opposite with God. It is desirable that what people see externally is a reflection of who we are. There is no pretension when what we are and how we appear are consistent. What you see is what you get. Like mothers who see the truth in us. The ideal then is best said using a 20^th century Chinese proverb: There is only one beautiful child in the world; and every mother has it.

Discipline

26 August 2007 21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Hebrews 12, 5-13 Discipline

We have been grounded for disobeying them. Our allowance have been shaved off. Or our behind have been whacked. The Letter to the Hebrews is important for all of us, sons and daughters of God. It tells us not to despise the discipline of the Lord or lose our hearts when reprimanded by Him because He disciplines whom the He loves. The reading illuminates parental discipline.

While uneducated birds and beasts knows how to regulate their lives, human beings endowed with intelligence cannot. Discipline is vital to every living being. Discipline are negative sanctions imposed by parents as part of rearing their children. We were disciplined when we were noisy in church or in a public gathering. We were disciplined if we took something that did not belong to us. We received a whack in our behinds when we lied or when we ate with our mouth full. Discipline then embodies love. It is supposed to prepare the child to become responsible adults in the future.

One thing we hate about discipline is the pain that is involved in it. But discipline is need for growth and development. We learn that certain behaviors are not appropriate for human persons. It is in discipline that we shed off our uncouth behavior. We acquire many values which would prepare us for something else. For those who would take the Licensure Exam for Teachers today, these future teachers underwent the rigors and discipline of studies. For those who will take the bar exams, they knew what they have given up --- a time to watch a movie and relax, a time with their families --- for their review classes. The Gospel tells us to pass through the narrow door. The narrow gate is Jerusalem’s “People Only” gate. It is fit enough for a single human being to enter. Discipline is passing through the narrow gate. One cannot pass through it unless he unburdens himself of his personal belongings; unless he unburdens himself of his attachments that would not help him achieve his goal.

When parents discipline their children in a normal and loving family, it is done out of love. It is painful, but it molds us into who we are. Just as rules and regulations protect and make us more ‘human’ in our behavior, values and attitudes, so too when God disciplines us. Our trials are suppose to discipline us, to form us into great people.

Faithfulness in the Book of Ruth

25 August 2007 Saturday of the 20^th Week in Ordinary Time
Ruth 2, 1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17

In many Protestant and Catholic weddings, the Song of Ruth is by far the most popular because it is about commitment. The Book of Ruth is an account of faithfulness and loyalty. In our short summary, we will put some attention to the meanings of their names.

It begins with the story of Naomi (“my pleasant one”), who was a Jewess who married a Moabite. During a time of famine, she moved to her husband’s homeland with her two sons. Naomi’s husband eventually dies, and her two sons married Orpah and Ruth, both Moabites. Eventually, both brothers die. And Noami, Orpah and Ruth were left alone to support one another. During this time, it was the men who supported their families; and women could not support themselves financially. Usually, the extended family supports the widow. Orpah (“back of the neck”) decides to turn her back on Noami and Ruth, to stay with her family.

But Naomi has no one to provide for her. She yearned to return to Israel and Ruth (‘friend’), faithful and loyal to her mother-in-law went with her to Israel. Ruth was young enough to marry, but she lost her chances because of her faithfulness to her mother in law. Facing destitution and poverty in Israel, Ruth met Boaz (‘strength is in him’) a rich landowner whom she married. Boaz redeems Naomi and Ruth in their poverty. They had a son, Obed (‘servant’), who was the “father of Jesse, the father of King David.” Israel’s kings were servants of Yahweh and their people.

The Israelites had a deep understanding of their responsibility to their kinsmen and the protection of the weak and the oppressed. To them, Yahweh has a great concern for the welfare of his people --- materially, emotionally, and spiritually. And this love of Yahweh is what the Israelites call, hesed. Hesed is a loving kindness that goes beyond what is required. It is not a kindness that is done measure for measure. Boaz went beyond the boundaries to acquire the inherited land, and thus ensuring Naomi and Ruth their future. God too becomes a model of hesed. The end of the first reading tells us that the son of Boaz and Ruth, Obed, was not only a gift to the family, but more than a gift because he would be the ancestor of King David, who will then be the fore-father of Jesus.

In a society where commitments are less honored and respected; when many marriages and vows are broken; when we move from one relationship to another especially when our needs are not met; perhaps, we can look at our loyalties. Can we actually promise forever to them, through thick and thin?

Why Do We Believe?

24 August 2007 Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle
John 1, 43-51 The Call of Bartholomew

There is a pattern of discipleship that the Gospel presents. Andrew brings Simon Peter, his brother to Jesus. Andrew tells Peter, “We have found the Messiah!” The Gospel tells us that Philip told Nathaniel, “We have found the Messiah!” and eventually brought his friend to Jesus. A disciple therefore is someone who brings another person to Jesus.

The first question for us today is simple: Who brings us to Jesus? We may look at our past history and name the people who introduced us to Jesus. My parents in baptism promised to rear me in the Catholic faith. They were my first disciples --- my Andrews and my Philips. They provided me the environment for the nurturing of faith. We prayed the rosary before we went to bed: even when some of us (including my dad) would doze off in the middle of the prayer. They made it a habit to go to Sunday mass at 8 AM as a family despite our “other mass schedules” (we were choir members and church organists).

Perhaps we can add another dimension to this first point: Who brought us to a deeper understanding of Jesus? Our friends, teachers, and organizations can bring us to a deeper knowledge of Christ. My teachers in religion taught me the life of Jesus and his teachings. My religious organizations --- our choir, the Ateneo Catechetical Instruction League (ACIL) and the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) ---- contributed to the growth of my faith.

In the Gospel today, Philip identifies Jesus as coming from Nazareth. Nathaniel retorted, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nathaniel was not skeptical about Jesus: Jesus himself said that he was a true Israelite, a man without guile. Nathaniel knew by heart the Old Testament. Nazareth was a small insignificant place, like one of our barangays or barrios. There is nothing in the Old Testament that mentions the Messiah as coming from Nazareth. The Messiah, the most awaited figure in all of Israel and God’s Chosen One, cannot come from an undistinguished place!

But Philip did not argue. He just said, “Come and see.” We have been attracted to our faith --- or to affiliating with religious organizations --- not by syllogisms but by persons whom we personally know. The Youth for Christ (YFC) for example constitutes the largest religious organization in UP, and many of them have been invited by members. Who are your present significant disciples who brought you to a deeper understanding of Jesus? Or, does your person attract people to the faith?

When Nathaniel believed, Jesus posed an important question, “Do you believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree?” The second question arises from this: What constitutes our faith? Why do we believe? Do we believe in God because we are afraid of hell? Do we believe because we are afraid that if we don’t, God will punish us and He will send us many misfortunes? Do you love God because you do not want the negative consequences if you don’t? Do we believe because our parents or our peers said so? Or is your faith largely about fulfilling your obligations, attending the rituals, without continually updating and studying the bible and the teachings of Christ? Do we believe because we need a big favor: like passing the board and bar exams or the healing of a terminal illness? Who then is better: the one who goes to daily mass but maltreats her house help, or the professor who fights for injustice, teaches his/her students well, but declares his unbelief in God?

Understanding the Queenship of Mary

22 August 2007 Wednesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time

The Memorial of the Queenship of Mary

I think it would be more helpful for us to think of “Queenship” in this feast of the Queenship of Mary in terms of the Queen Mother of the present day. The Queen Mother is the mother of the reigning monarch: as the Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Margeurite Bowes-Lyon to her daughters Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth II. In Jewish history, it is said that the institution of the Queen Mother began with King Solomon. In the Old Testament, we find the passage, “King Solomon had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right” (1 Kings 2, 19). The mother of the king often began to be a trusted confidant and advisor. Their importance is seen in the Old Testament’s listing of their names in the succession records of the kings of Judah (1 Kings 14,21; 2 Kings 12, 1; 14,2; 15,2 etc.). In 2 Kings 11, 1-3, we find that when the king died, the queen mother ruled for some time.

Jesus was born of a royal family whose ancestors can be traced to King David (Matthew 1; Luke 3; Rev 3, 7; Rev 5,5; Rev 19,16 and Rev 22, 16). Revelations 19, 16 says, “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, “King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Since Jesus is king as a descendant of King David, the practice to put a throne on which the Queen Mother sits at the right hand stands. And since Jesus is King of Heaven and Earth, then His mother rightfully sits on the throne as the Queen Mother of all Creation. As the mother of Jesus, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, we then call the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Queen.

The veneration of Mary started around the 1^st century during the Roman persecution of Christians. They would draw and paint the picture of the Virgin Mary in the catacombs, emphasizing her sanctity. Many saints like Ireneaus, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Ignatius, would stress her sinlessness. In 1854, these traditions were included in the dogma of the Immaculate Conception which held that God exempted Mary from the stain of original sin by making her immaculate at the moment of her conception in the womb of her mother. This freedom from original sin is in anticipation of her role as the mother of Jesus Christ. And in 1950, Pius XII proclaim another dogma, the Assumption of Mary. Since death is a result of sin and she was sinless, then her body must be incorruptible and thus she was taken physically and spiritually into heaven. This makes her different from the rest of us: she was assumed into heaven body and soul. And from this, her “Queenship” comes as a consequence. However, the Queenship of Mary is a doctrine, and therefore does not demand absolute belief as a dogma. Perhaps it is because many of us Catholics might have the notion that she is equal with God. We affirm that Mary is superior to all other creatures, EXCEPT God himself. Jesus Christ is God and King. Mary participates in this Divine dignity.

That is why in October 11, 1954, Pope Pius XII proclaimed this feast through his encyclical, “Ad Caeli Reginam” (To the Queen of Heaven).

One of the greatest implications of this feast is the great regard Catholic faith has for women. It is acknowledging the role of women in the lives of rulers and commoners. Many cultures too have a deep regard for women like the Nubia in Egypt or the Royalties of Britain. Today, let us pray for our mothers who have influenced our faith and our lives. Let us pray too for all the women of our lives who have become our advisors, counselors, teachers, and friends. The central person who effected the coming of the Lord as a human being was a woman.

Possibilities in Impossibilities

21 August 2007. Tuesday of the 20^th Week in Ordinary Time Judges 6, 11-24; Matthew 19, 23-30

Jesus tells us in the Gospel the truth that ‘it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” The hyperbole jolts us, that we too are compelled to ask Jesus as the disciples asked him: “Who then can be saved?” Jesus is speaking of eternal life as humanly impossible. But the hyperbole teaches us something else. He said, “It is hard” --- not impossible --- and it is easier for the camel to pass through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man --- meaning difficult for a rich man, but also not impossible --- to enter the Kingdom of God.

But the disciples were pessimistic when they asked, “Who then can be saved?” You see, in the olden days, there is a commonly held notion that those who are rich have with them God’s favor. Riches are seen as God’s blessings. And when Jesus presented the hyperbole, the disciples were surprised: if the rich have difficulty --- and God’s favor was with them --- would there be hope for anyone else.” But, Jesus was optimistic. He said, “With God, yes!”

In our life, we do have this notion that those who are rich have been favored by God. In fact, when we have gained some financial standing, we feel that God has poured His blessings on us. We thank him profusely with thanksgiving masses. We also can extend it to talented and intelligent people. They are often our objects of envy. In UP, we become envious of those who get high marks, but hardly studied. We become envious of popular and talented students whom people admire and want to be their friend. We envy the basketball players of Ateneo, La Salle, FEU because we all know that they have been pampered by the school and by their alumni. This notion that God supports the “rich” still is very much alive today. It seems it is impossible to compete with them, and much more to be like them.

But Jesus says, “With God, it is possible.” The first reading is taken from the book of Judges. Gideon is one of them. These judges are not like our judges today who settle disputes. The Judges in the Bible are warriors --- both men and women --- who were empowered by the Spirit to bring military deliverance to Israel. In Gideon’s time, a large army of Midianites and other nations united against Israel. The Lord told Gideon that he would be made strong and that he was to save Israel from the Midianites. Gideon raised 32,000, but after several tests, it slimmed down to 300 men. At night, Gideon and his 300 men, lit torches, blew trumpets and shouted, “For the Lord and for Gideon.” They stood up and watched as the enemy panicked. Midian never recovered and there was peace in the land for 40 years. The victory over the Midianites was remembered and celebrated to this day as the “Day of Midian.” With 300 men, they would have lost. But with God, they didn’t.

Let’s look at two Filipino ‘losers’. Aria Clemente did not make it to the Little Big Superstar competition in ABS-CBN. She was in fact eliminated. Mr. Reymond Sajor was #10 in the 1^st Season of Philippine Idol in ABC 5. But last 3 August 2007, they have bested entries from 40 countries in the 11^th World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Hollywood. Aria emerged as the Overall Grand Champion of the World (Junior). Mr. Reymond Sajor won the Grand Champion Senior Vocalist of the World with his rendition of “Anthem” from the musical Chess. The WCOPA is the Hollywood Olympics for performers and entertainers. Reymond is a personal friend of mine. Before all of this, he asked for our prayers. True, what seemed at first impossible, became possible with God.

*Mr. Reymond Sajor performing in one of the events of the Jesuit Music Ministry.

What Do We still Lack?

20 August 2007 Monday of the 20^th Week in Ordinary Time
Matthew 19, 16-22 The Rich Young Man

Many of us can identify with the rich young man. Many of us have not gravely broken the commandments. We did not kill nor have we stolen large sums of money. We come to mass daily and if not, we try to come to mass whenever we can. We have loved and honored our parents. For many of us Filipinos, we cannot think even of the possibility of putting our parents in homes for the aged. Our parents stay in our families until they pass away. In many ways, we are like the rich young man who basically followed the commandments.

However, what was the kind of commandment that the young man kept? Jesus mentioned the following: “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” All of these relate to interactions with one’s neighbors. The young man said that he kept all these things.

But what did he miss? He missed the kind of commandment that mentions putting God first. He did not mention the first and second commandment and the summary commandment to “Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with your entire mind, and with all your strength.” And this is the answer to the young man’s question, “What do I still lack?”

Thus, Jesus points out that what is lacking is his dedication and commitment to God. He said, “Come and follow Me.” Perfection is seen in one’s obedience: in our following Jesus.

It makes us realize certain things. First, Jesus points to us to look into our primary commitment. For us Christians, our primary commitment is to Jesus. It is to ‘fix our gaze on Jesus’ as the letter to the Hebrews (12,2) exhorts us. We are asked to look at our motivations. Many of those who are rich and influential have been very charitable. They have donated large sums for noble and honorable causes. We too can offer our services to advocate environmental reforms, support anti-poverty measures, or simply support the UP Maroons. But what propels us to do all these altruistic deeds?

When Jesus asked the young man to give everything to the poor (ie. his neighbors), he did not do it. Did he actually love his neighbor? There are those who donated buildings because their names will be printed on its walls; those who distributed goods as long as the cameras continue rolling; those who have shown their support for the environment to gain more voters in the coming elections. Jesus mentioned: from the first and primary commandment (loving God) comes the second commandment (loving our neighbors). Thus, our loving our neighbors finds its inspiration, source, meaning and purpose in God’s love for us and our response of love for Him.

Second, there is a difference in lifestyle. On one hand, there are people who love their neighbor, but do not trace its source and inspiration from God. These are philanthropists, scientists, patrons who support children with cancer, education in poverty-stricken countries, and medical research. Indeed, what they are doing is noble, good and heroic.

On the other hand, there are people who love their neighbor but find the source, inspiration, meaning and purpose of their selfless act from God’s love. These people will value prayer, recollections or retreats, worship and studying the teachings of Christ. These are the people who will continually learn about their faith and participate in liturgies. From worship and the teachings of Christ, they find joy in helping their neighbors whom they regard as brothers and sisters --- not just neighbors. Where do they get this sense of family and responsibility? In prayer, the Our Father says it all.

Finally, we learn two principles in the life of Jesus. In 1968, Pope Benedict XVI wrote a book, An Introduction to Christianity (Ignatius Press, 1990). In that book, he said that Jesus has two principles in his life: the principle of “the other” and the principle of “excess”. Jesus taught us to always love our neighbors in words and in deeds. But Jesus taught us that in loving, we must not give ‘some’ of what we have but all of it. When he made water into wine, he filled all of the jars not just some. When he died, he gave all of his life, not just some of it. Thus, in the Gospel today, we hear about these two principles again: he asked of the young man not just to give some of his possessions, but all of it. To give all, to surrender everything is the hardest part.

*UP students in GK Build in Bicol

Our Freedom Narrows Down our Choices

19 August 2007. 29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 38, 4-6, 8-10; Hebrews 12, 1-4; Luke 12, 49-53

The second reading from the letter to the Hebrews gives us the central idea of the readings this Sunday: “Persevere in running the race that lies before us, while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith” (12, 2). It exhorts us to ‘fix our eyes on Jesus’ in everything that we do. It tells us to commit ourselves to Christ. This is the primary commitment: all other commitments are subject to it. Our commitments to our families and our friends, for example, are secondary to this commitment. That is why, when responding to God’s will in a particular vocation, we may disobey our parents if they do not agree with it. Many priests pursued their vocations against their parents’ wishes. Many couples held on to their love for each other despite their families’ protests against their relationship. By doing so, by making a commitment to their loved one, they break their commitment to follow their parents. That is why Jesus said in the Gospel that He comes to bring division “a father against his son, a son against his father; a mother against her daughter, a daughter against her mother.” When we choose Jesus, we disregard the things that do not lead to Jesus. We do not choose which are against the teachings and values of Jesus. We do not choose what is against God's will.

Every commitment then is a choice. And in life, we have to particularize our choices in terms of who we are and who we intend to be present to. With an array of options, we narrow down our choices. In the Gospel of Matthew (7,13), Jesus said that we should “enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction” but the narrow gate and the constricted road, “leads to life.” In Jerusalem, the narrow gate is a “People Only” passage in which only those carrying no possessions and animals can enter it. This metaphor means that those who would like to live well have to make a decision that slims down options.

Take for example relationships. Let us name a couple: Rafael and Caroline. The beginning of a relationship is marked by spontaneity and shared interests, usually as friends. They invite each other when they feel like going out to the movies and having coffee together. Movies and hanging out in cafés are their shared idea of an unwinding. They go out together with other friends on a Friday night or when classes are suspended. They had other friends whom they go out with. Caroline had a crush on Brian; a date with Gabby here and there. No commitments. And Rafael had a thing for Cathy; a date with Andrea.

As Rafael and Caroline fall in love with each other, their movie and coffee routine becomes a choice. As an official couple, they now willfully choose to go to movies and coffee, not just because they like it, but because it is their weekly expression of their commitment. It is not anymore a matter of spontaneity or when they feel like it or the circumstances that surrounds them (Friday night, no classes!). They now choose to be together. They place Brian, Gabby, Cathy and Andrea out of their world. Even when there is work to do; when one is not feeling well; when one has to travel from Alabang to Quezon City (around 40 kms), their date stays. No matter the circumstances --- imprisonment as Jeremiah in the first reading, rain or shine, in sickness and in health --- their date is not determined by them.

Our freedom narrows down options to only one. Like a choose-the-best-answer in a multiply choice exam. The narrower the choices, the closer you are to the right answer. This is passing through the narrow gate. And by choosing they find the person who completes them. And when they find the right person in marriage, they find their happiness. Emotional and Spiritual maturation comes when we are able to make just one choice for eternity. For lovers, they call it forever.

When we are able to fix our gaze on Jesus and we are able to choose that which leads to Him, then we become committed to Christ. We reach our full maturity. Our freedom is meant to limit our choices; it should enable us to choose what is eternal, what is forever. And the choice boils down to only one. We cannot serve two masters at the same time.

Think about this: a person who cannot decide, we call underdeveloped. Indecision leads to destruction as the Gospel of Matthew said. A person who can decide and lives through it, we call mature. We become human when we are able to choose. We become God’s children, when are able to choose eternity. And who is eternal? God.

Forgiveness for a Happier and Healthier Life

16 August 2007 Thursday of the 19^th Week in Ordinary Time
Matthew 18,21 – 19,1 Forgiveness

If you watched Spiderman 3, you probably saw the underlying theme of forgiveness. Marko, the Sandman, was the killer of Ben Parker, Spiderman’s uncle (though in the comics’ series, Marko is not Ben Parker’s killer). In the end, Peter Parker would forgive Marko, because he was desperate in finding money needed to cure his dying daughter. Moreover, Harry who suspected Spiderman as his father’s killer would also forgive Peter and thus restore their friendship. Mary Jane too forgave Peter. And Peter would eventually forgive himself. The theme of forgiveness is surprising in an action-packed movie --- usually it is about revenge. To introduce the value of forgiveness in a superhero movie gives us the message that the stuff of heroes is a higher moral character. Revenge leads to an endless spiral of violence; the end of it is forgiveness. Mahatma Gandhi and Pope John Paul II forgave their assassins. Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu also belong to the list of peacemakers. To me, they are the real superheroes --- because they are real human beings, not figments of the imagination. If they can forgive their killers, so can we.

Most of the world’s religions teach forgiveness. Islam for example teaches that forgiveness is a prerequisite for genuine peace. Allah is the source of forgiveness. Buddhism values forgiveness because it prevents harmful emotions from destroying our mental states. And in the Gospel today, Jesus instructs that we should forgive those who wrong us “seventy-seven times” which means infinitely (since seven is an infinite number).

What then is forgiveness? Forgiveness is a process as we know from experience. It is a process of healing. Our feeling of anger, resentment and indignation against another person who has offended us dies down. When we forgive, we cease to demand retribution and repayment.

The result then of forgiveness is peace. Strained relationships are restored, and in many cases, deepened. Studies also show that people who forgive are happier and healthier than those who hold anger, grudges, resentments, and indignation (Campaign for Forgiveness Research, 2006). It also reduces depression and stress by leading us to positive feelings of hope, peace and compassion. It enables us to have healthy relationships. It makes our personalities attractive to people because forgiveness makes us kinder and loving.

I too have struggled with forgiveness. But there are certain things I do that help me lessen and reduce the anger. First, it is good to acknowledge our hurts. It is helpful that we are able to articulate our situation with a very trusted friend. Avoid telling everyone about it, like actors who call for a press conference. It aggravates matters. Second, commit to things that would make you feel better. They will keep your mind away from nurturing the hurt. Take time to relax. Watch a movie. Read a good book. Eat in a restaurant, either alone or with happy friends (avoid the negative or depressive ones: they will reinforce your hurt). Third, I always remind myself that the best ‘revenge’ is to be better. Live your life more meaningfully. The person who angers us controls us. So avoid focusing on your hurt; turn to more positive personal endeavors.

These are suggestions. You can have your own way. But you must want and desire forgiveness. As a process it takes some time. Nevertheless, look at the brighter side: if you are able to forgive, you become healthier and happier.

Assumption of Mary

15 August 2007 Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary
Revelations 11:19, 12:1-6, 10ab; 1 Cor 15, 20-27; Luke 1, 39-56

Let me first explain the celebration today. For Catholics, the Assumption of Mary flows immediately from the belief in her Immaculate Conception. First of all, we believe that death is the consequence of our sins. In his letter to the Romans (6:23), Paul said, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Since death and sin are the fruits of Satan, thus Mary’s freedom from the original sin of Adam frees her from the consequences of sin also: death. The second reading verifies this: “For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life.” Since she would not experience death like us, then her assumption to heaven is thus a result of God’s gift.

Second, the Immaculate Conception is a belief that through God’s grace, Mary was conceived without sin. If Mary was conceived without sin, then she would not experience death --- like us. Her assumption into heaven is thus a result from this freedom from sin: immediate union of her whole being with Her Son is given her at the end of her life. From the apocryphal treatise, De Obitu S. Dominae, in the 4^th-5^th century, the Assumption of Mary has been celebrated. In November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII declared infallibly ex cathedra: “Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul to heavenly glory.”

We do not know the exact time, date and manner of how she died. The same thing with Our Lord. December 25 is not exactly the birth date of Christ. But what then do we celebrate? We celebrate the belief that Mary was assumed into heaven; as well as on December 25 we celebrate the truth that Jesus was born on earth. It is like this: My mom’s birth date is January 24, but when it falls on a weekday, we celebrate it not on the day itself, but on the nearest Sunday. The essence of the celebration is still present.

Let us reflect on a certain aspect of the Assumption. The belief on the Assumption of Mary gives us a sense of our destiny. Through the grace of God, all those who are obedient and faithful to God will also be united with Him like her. We were meant to be united with God. To us, death is not an end or extinction but a transition to a better life. And second, Mary becomes an example to be imitated. If a human being, like Mary, is able to be faithful and obedient to the will of God, so can you and I. The life of the ‘cloud of witnesses’ (the saints) is evidence to this belief. The lives of many of the faithful who believed in the Assumption are testimonies of this. You get to see the truth in the lives of people. Just as the truth of love, which cannot be empirically tested, is verified by the lives of lovers.

Does your life attest to a truth? If you were asked to give a statement that would embody your life, what would it be? For example, some people adhere to the truth that “Family is first.” So, in conflicting schedules, they decide in favor of family time. They put primacy over coming to Sunday mass with the family, dinner together at home and finding time to pray together. They mark with a special celebration important events like birthdays and anniversaries.

Similarly, what truth in our faith do you live by?

Relinquishing our Pet Projects

14 August 2007 Tuesday of the 19^th Week in Ordinary Time
Deuteronomy 31, 1-8 Delegation

In the first reading, Moses is about to die when he delegates to Joshua the leadership of the Israelites. Moses’ task of bringing the Israelites out of Egypt was coming to an end. He will be able to see from the horizon the Promised Land, but he will not be able to set foot on it. On one hand, it seems that God is cruel: He did not allow Moses be there. On the other hand, God is reminding Moses that the whole project is His work. Salvation is the work of God. God takes the leading; Moses and Joshua are His assistants.

Let us look on a leadership technique from Moses. Moses accepts and recognizes that the central mover of this project is God himself. He takes the emphasis away from him; and puts the limelight on God. So, Moses doesn’t throw a tantrum asserting that going to the Promise Land should be granted to him after everything that he has done. The humility and surrender of Moses tells us of his mature faith: to surrender is to relinquish the control of the outcome of a certain endeavor. He lets God do His work too. And then, Moses lets Joshua take the reins and the gearshift. Joshua in turn receives both authority and responsibility and at the same time, acknowledging the role of Yahweh.

Many of us would rather work alone, than with others. We feel that working with others makes the work slower and less efficient: we spend more energy improving our working relationship, than accomplishing the tasks given to us; or our emotional investments in group work become an added burden. And so we would rather have the style of leadership that is centralized like a bureaucracy. We feel assured when we can control the outcome or output of a certain project. We feel good when the project takes on our personality, vision and direction. Some projects may begin as a response to God’s invitation like a foundation for children with cancer; and ends as an institution built around the personalities of the founding members. Wait for the founding members to die, and the institution dies with them. This becomes the problem of continuity.

The parish depends on the personality of the parish priest. The colors of the building and the spirit of the community mirror the favorite color and the energy of the priest. The programs are amended as the parish leaders are changed. There seem to be no proper relinquishment or turn-over; there is no program that is followed through. When I was sent to Xavier University High School as a campus minister on my first year as a priest, I designed a program for social and catechetical involvement for high school students. We were able to field students after their afternoon classes to teach English, Math, Science and Catechism to an elementary school in Cagayan de Oro. When I was called to another work, I thought that the next campus minister would maintain the program. Unfortunately, he did not. He had his own. We realize that whoever becomes campus minister, genuinely responds to the work of God. But the work often takes on the personality of the one in leadership.

In the end, the work is God’s work. And God is not limited to the persons sent to perform His work. The realization of the Kingdom of God is still achieved despite the people working in His vineyard. Despite the various personalities assigned in the parish or in the school, the work somehow moves on. We had good and bad popes; we had scandals and scams; we had good and bad leadership, but Church continues to move despite them.

As Moses teaches us the humility involved in relinquishment, we too must remember that our work is also God’s. We are able to delegate the tasks and the office to the next generation of leaders. We are able to turn-over completely the project or the program to someone else. We acknowledge that above all it is God who is the author of the things that we do. We accept the truth that our work is also God’s work. We are able to let go of our life's pet projects and trust the new generation to bring it to another level, and if not, to modify it to make it more relevant in their lives.

Just as Moses and Joshua recognize that Yahweh is the central character of their long journey, so should we. We give our best to a task given to us, but also remember that our work is also God’s.

How to Pay our Debts

13 August 2007 Monday of the 19^th Week in Ordinary Time
Matthew 17, 22-27 The Way to Pay our Debts

The Gospel tells us that upon the return of the disciples to Capernaum, they were asked whether they also pay the temple tax. The disciples said yes; and Jesus affirmed that they have to pay their debts so that they will not offend the tax collectors. And Jesus instructed Peter to “go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and [Peter] will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.” The coins will then pay their debts.

It would have been nice if we take the passage literally: In our financial difficulties, we can wait for God to give us a miracle. We have tried waiting for God to shower us with the money we need to pay our unpaid sum. But we know that money will not come down from heaven.

We can therefore read the passage with a little humor. How then should we pay our debts? Jesus tells Peter, who is a fisherman that his financial source will be the fish that he catches.

Thus, a lawyer will find his source of income from his law books. A teacher will find it in the chalk and blackboard. A musician with his or her instrument. A painter with his medium. A tricycle driver with his tricycle.

Hesiod (Ἡσίοδος Hesiodos), a Greek poet and writer, once said, that the immortal gods have put sweat in the pursuit of excellence; and the way to it is steep and long. This is how we pay what is due: Before making money out of his ‘fish’, the lawyer has to study his law books; the musician has to master his instrument. The road is long and steep, but not impossible.

Faith and Reason

12 August 2007 19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Hebrews 11, 1-2 Faith and Reason

Let us talk about faith. The second reading from the letter to the Hebrews (11,1) says, “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” ‘Realization’, as translated from the Greek word, hupostasis, means “a placing or setting under a substructure or foundation.” And ‘evidence’ comes from the Greek word, elengchos, meaning “a proof, or that by which a thing is tested.” In other words, faith is founded on truth, and comes from careful observation, using all available evidence and experience. Love for example is a truth in the realm of faith. The experience of friendships is evidence enough to testify to its truth.

Our modern notion of faith instinctively adopts the view of Immanuel Kant that faith begins where reason leaves off. It means that reality is divided into two. First, a world of quantifiable realities that can be covered by reason. In the University of the Philippines, for example, the idea of a ‘secular university’ means having nothing to do with religion: economics, anthropology, sociology, engineering, or literature are all autonomous and would like to pursue their own agenda without interference from religion. And second, the world of faith exists which no reason can say about. Thus, the practice of faith is looked upon as an activity of the uncritical, uneducated, superstitious and fatalistic.

We do not believe in this division of reality. We believe that both reason and faith are complimentary and are not contradictory. The Lutheran theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, has a book called, Ethics, which was left incomplete because of his arrest by the Gestapo in 1943. He said, “Jesus Christ is the center and strength of the Bible, of the Church, and of theology, but also of humanity, reason, of justice, and of culture. Everything must return to Him: it is only under his protection that it can live.” Pope John Paul II challenged the nations, “do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ. To his saving power open the boundaries of states, economic and political systems, the vast fields of culture, civilization, and development.” (Oct 22, 1978).

In other words, our faith loves and cherishes reason as the gift of all gifts from God. It is the most fundamental faculty which distinguishes us from all other creatures. The Church seeks to sustain reason and reason prepares the way to faith, and when faith is attained, reason helps the believer to understand what is believed. If you put faith and reason together, it enables us to pursue our dreams, to continually hope of a better and brighter future in the midst of decay and war, and never to stop searching for better ways to improve our lives.

For example, we all dream of peace and justice. We hope that the war in Sulu would end. But peace and justice cannot be done without the spirit of unselfish love and forgiveness. But unselfish love and forgiveness cannot be possible without a religious motivation. We all know that from experience: for those of us who are unable to forgive someone, we will not be able to move on faster and lighter in our lives. We are continually burdened by our heartaches. The principle of forgiveness, brought into the world by Jesus Christ, is offered as the solution to end all wars and division. Faith enables us to see a reality beyond what we see. When we discover the value of friendship and companionship, family and nationality, peace and order, then our faith has opened our eyes to what is meaningful and to what is eternal. In UP, the image of the oblation reminds us of self-sacrifice and service for the nation. Self-sacrifice & service are notions in the realm of altruistic love. That is religious motivation. UP’s vision, therefore, is founded on faith.

Has Our Image of God Matured?

9 August 2007. Thursday of the 18^th Week in Ordinary Time
Matthew 16, 13-23 Has our Image of God matured?

If you are asked today to describe your parents, would you use the same description as when you were 5 years old? When we were asked to describe our parents when we were five years old, we said, “I have the greatest mom in the world! I have the best Dad in the world!” However, as we grow older, we soon discover that our mothers are not the greatest: we get to see how impatient she gets; the spaghetti she cooks is not as great as Jollibee’s spaghetti. We soon discover that our dad is not the best dad in the world: we soon witness dad becoming grumpy and sometimes find ourselves witnessing other worse things about him; and there are other dads who do more honorable things than our own.

As we grow older, our images of our parents change. We develop as our images of them mature. But we do not deny the validity of our childhood descriptions: they were true during that time and we were sincere with what we said. We need to start somewhere. Even if we still use the same description like “our moms remain the greatest mother among all the mothers we knew in our lifetime” the description will still hold some deep experiences of our mothers. Thus, the truth about our moms would have become different by the added experiences we have.

Just as our description of our parents mature as we grow: Has our image of God changed and matured as we developed? For example, when we were young our image of God was Creator, who will protect us from all harm. It is true that God is Creator, but what happens when we meet an accident? Or some have died? Did He protect us from harm? If He was life-giver, then why is there terrible death?

Or this experience: At one time in confession, a penitent confessed one sin which she committed 20 years ago and which she confessed repeatedly. Indeed she still feels guilty about it, but I wondered about what her image of God was. It may be a God whom she feared and a God who has not forgiven that one sole sin she committed 20 years ago.

When we mature in age, we also must mature in faith. When we mature in faith, our image of God must also change. Like our parents. Who they were when we were 5 years old still remains to be true; and who they are today also remains to be true. However, there must be some change. Or else, our relationship with them remains immature, undeveloped, childish or juvenile.

So too with our image of God. When Jesus asked Peter and his disciples who He was after spending years with them in friendship, He was asking them whether their image of Him also changed. If others thought that He was one of the prophets, He was hoping that His disciples --- His closest friends--- would gradually move on to say that He was indeed the Messiah. That He was more than a prophet and more than what other people said about him. That is why when Peter remarked, “You are the Christ, the Son of God” Jesus was happy, knowing that at least Peter knew who He really was.

How about you? Who is Christ to you now?

Woman of Great Faith

8 August 2007. Memorial of St. Dominic
Matthew 15, 21-28 The Canaanite Woman

At the end of the Gospel, Jesus tells the woman, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

One of the most powerful scenes in the musical, Miss Saigon, is when Kim (played by Lea Salonga) sings to her son, “I’d Give My Life For You”, so that the father, Chris, an ex-GI would provide a much better life for the child. The show’s inspiration was reportedly a photograph which producer Claude-Michel Schönberg found in a magazine. The photograph showed a Vietnamese mother leaving her child at a departure gate at Tan Son Nhat Airport to board a plane bound for the US. This action was for Schönberg “The Ultimate Sacrifice” the central idea in the plot of Miss Saigon. An excerpt from the lyrics of the song goes this way:

You will be who you want to be.

You / can choose whatever heaven grants.

As long as you can have your chance

I swear I’d give my life for you.

No one can stop what I must do.

I swear I’d give my life for you.

A mother will do everything for her children. I have seen that with my mother. I have witnessed that with many mothers who have given all their love and their lives for their children. The Canaanite woman’s love for her daughter is no different from many mothers we know. She will do anything, pass through anything just to have her sick daughter healed. She cried out to Jesus, “Have pity on me, Son of David. My daughter is tormented by a demon.” In the time of Jesus, all illnesses were believed to be caused by evil spirits.

Let’s see what she went through:

First, Jesus ignores her. He does not say a word (v. 23) in answer to her cries. This is the first rejection. We are hurt when someone ignores us. Even in prayer: if we feel that we do not get an answer from God, we easily give up. The Canaanite woman does not.

Second, Jesus’ disciples are annoyed and would like to send her away because she keeps on calling out to them. This is the second rejection. We are deeply offended when the person we need pay no attention to us, and worse, when his or her staff joins the bandwagon. If you find yourself in this situation --- like an office or a bank--- what would you do? Would you walk out of the door, and completely give up? Even in prayer: after all your novenas and candles to all the saints, what if you didn’t pass the bar exams or the most desirable thing you prayed for was not granted? Some people I know stopped coming to mass. Would you harbor a grudge against God? The Canaanite woman does not.

Third, Jesus says, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (v. 24). You see, the Canaanite woman is a Gentile; she is not a Jew. If you are told that you cannot join a group because you don’t belong there, would you storm out of the room? Will you throw a tantrum and begin dropping names of influential people you know? The Canaanite woman does not.

Finally, Jesus said, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs” (v. 26). If someone calls or insinuates that you are a dog or says, “Hayop ka!” will you be insulted? And when insulted, will you finally resign and forget what you most desire? Having the insult as the last straw, the Canaanite woman would just have given up. After all, this was a great insult. She must have some self-respect left. But she does not.

The more the mother cries out, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” In other words, she was saying, “Yes, I can take that. I know I am unworthy. I am not at par with the others, but please, heal my daughter.” The Canaanite mother was willing to take insults for the sake of her daughter. Kim would sing centuries later, “I swear, I’d give my life for you.”

This show of great faith puts us to shame. We would have given up long before the final straw like ‘people of little faith.” That is why Jesus says in the end, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”

*My mom.

Nighttime

7 August 2008. Tuesday of the 18^th Week in Ordinary Time
Numbers 12, 1-13; Psalm 51; Matthew 14, 22-36

Just as the night turns to daybreak, Peter fails to walk on water. The time element is important. This is the time when fear comes to me and finds me most vulnerable. Some trivial concern unnoticed at daytime, grips me at the most restful hour. The venue reservation overlooked for an upcoming event. A text left unreturned. A call unanswered. Something I said that might have hurt a friend or a brother like Miriam and Aaron against Moses. The accounting job needed to close a project. The upcoming exam that we think would seal our fate. At nighttime, we get to face those things we ignored or fled from during our busiest hours. When everything is quiet and still, they haunt us. And some of them are important in maintaining meaningful relationships.

Even those who have protected themselves with locks and guards are still prone to undesirable elements. The McCann Erickson 2006 survey said that nowadays people, especially women, are afraid to become crime victims. Our fears control much of our decisions and actions. Fear in our relationships makes us cling or free from our beloved. Fear that what we worked for becomes immaterial makes us obsessed and uptight that it takes the pleasure out of our vocation.

Matthew gives us the ambience of the story: the disciples were separated from Jesus and their boat was threatened by the storm. Good if Jesus were with them; they knew Jesus could calm the storm. But this time, they were alone. And it was dark.

This is where we are most vulnerable when we are afraid: when we are alone and threatened by a bad dream, an imaginary ghost or an intimidating person. When we are terrified we plead as Aaron begged and Moses cried, “Please, not this! Pray, heal her!” or Peter prayed, “Lord, save me!” It is when a sinner, overcome by guilt cries as the psalmist, “Be merciful, O Lord, for I have sinned.”

God then comes to the rescue. God will eventually heal Miriam. Jesus would come to catch Peter before he totally sinks into the water.

The need to have someone who secures, calms and rescues us is important in our lives. We realize that we cannot be self-sufficient. Even in our personal lives, we do not want to be left alone especially in our darkest hours. Thus those of us who realize that no human being can be physically with us all the time, we turn to God and those who have passed away who can. I turn to my Dad (who died in 1990). I turn to God and pray: I grip either my holding cross or a rosary.

Will faith wipe away all fears? In real life, we will be afraid again and again and again. Moses, the prophets, Jesus’ disciples, the saints, were all confounded with fear again and again and again. But as surely as they feared, they knew whose name to call and whose hand will catch them.

So too with us. The spontaneous reaction to fear is natural: babies startle at a sudden activity suggests that it is deeply rooted in humans. Our fears can be real or ridiculous, acknowledged or denied. They are there. Faith does not banish all fears: even if we are used to this tenet! In real life, faith teaches us whom to call, who is always present to calm us down, who will catch us when we drown. As the Church does not deny the presence of evil spirits, faith teaches that there is Someone more powerful than the monsters that come to us at night.

Meaningless to a Meaningful Life

5 August 2007 17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Ecclesiastes 1, 2; 2, 21-23 Vanities

In the episode, “Homer, the Heretic” of The Simpsons, God tells Homer what the meaning of life is, but the one who really wanted to know is the viewer who is left disappointed. Here goes the dialogue:

Homer: God, what’s the meaning of life?

God: Homer, I cant’ tell your that.

Homer: Why not?

God: You’ll find out when you die.

Homer: I can’ wait that long.

God: You can’t wait 6 months?

Homer: No, tell me now…

God: Oh, OK… the meaning of life is … (at this point, the credits start to move. The author said that originally a commercial break would come after this scene to humurous effect.

If you’ve asked the same question in your life as Homer, then, you are not alone. What is the meaning of the things I do? Is the question ‘What is the meaning of life’ still meaningful?

The readings today has the theme of vanity. Ecclesiastes declares that those under the sun are absolutely vain. Anything that is worldly has temporary value, including our excessive care on how we look. It should be clarified, though, that biblical vanity does not only mean our ‘self-pride’ or overly conscious of how we appear to others. The understanding of vanity in the bible is beyond just merely indulging ourselves: it refers to the emptiness, senselessness, absurdity, fleeting, or meaninglessness in life. From the word, senseless (hevel in Hebrew) meaning vapor or breath, the author (Qoheleth) used it metaphorically. In the eyes of eternity, anything of earth and limited by time, is vain. Therefore, something is vain if it does not bring ultimate value. It is not a condemnation of things of this world; because many temporary things in life we need.

There are many ways in which we find the ultimate meaning in life. Paolo Coelho’s book, The Alchemist, it tells us that the meaning in life is found and experienced in our individual journeys which we take in our lives. Others would embark reading the Book of Genesis, and discover certain areas of concern: the propagation of humanity, the personal care and popular respect for the human race, “Be fruitful and multiply” as in the Old Testament sets the mood against vanity. There are others, however, find meaning in their achievements and their successes. Others would affirm that one finds meaning when one discovers their love of their life; or in having a personal relationship with God. Therefore, the parable in the Gospel tells us to value the things that are eternal.

Perhaps today, we shall look at the things we do: how many of the things we have are not necessary in our lives? And how many things we do are used for a different purpose except that which it was first created?

Accompanying People in their Journey

2 August 2007 Blessed Peter Favre SJ
Exodus 40, 16-21, 34-38 Accompanying People in their Journey

In unending detail, the remaining chapter of Exodus, including the first reading, tells us Yahweh’s instruction to Moses about his dwelling, the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. The Lord gave Moses the furnishing of the tabernacle in which He would dwell: like the Lifestyle channel giving us tips on how to refurbish our room. And finally, when the Lord dwelt in the tabernacle, He made His presence felt by the ancient symbols of the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.

Two points are made very clear. As the commandments given to Moses, God revealed the truth about himself to the Israelites. We know what God wants and what God wills because it is concretely written in the commandments. Thus, God wanted Himself to be accessible and available to everyone. In ancient times, the dwelling of the gods is in the mountains: as Mt. Olympus for the Greeks and the Romans, as Mt. Sinai to the Israelites. But this time, the climate has changed. God is transferring from the mountain to His people: He will dwell in their midst as they continue their journey to the Promise Land. For the Israelites, the presence of the Lord boosts their energy and their morale. You see, the journey from Egypt to the Promise Land took 40 years. In these forty years, we know from Scripture that they encountered disappointments, frustrations, helplessness, and abandonment. But it is understandable. Put yourself in their shoes, and you will understand. In the middle of these trying times, the presence of God --- and the people we love --- helps a lot.

Finally, verse 38, the final verse is crucial: “For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.” The tabernacle, therefore, becomes a portable sanctuary which accompanied Israel on its journey (Numbers 9, 15-23). The tabernacle in their midst becomes a great reminder and assurance to the wandering Israelite: that despite their bad track record, the Lord continues to love them; that despite the long journey, the very presence of God accompanies them.

The saint of the day, Blessed Peter Favre, is one of the first companions of St. Ignatius of Loyola. He is one of the founders of the Jesuits. His main attribute is his cura personalis or the personal care he gives to his fellow Jesuits. He would go on long journeys to visit and talk to fellow Jesuits assigned in different mission houses. In a way, Blessed Peter Favre’s life is like Yahweh who accompanies people by their abiding love and presence.

In our lifetime journey, we may reflect on the presence of God in our lives. Who among our friends and family embody the presence of God for us? When were the times when we felt His presence? When were the times when we felt that He was not with us in our journey?