Astonishing Words

1 February 2009 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Dt. 18, 15-20; Psalm 95; 1 Cor 7, 32-35; Matthew 1, 21-28

There are times when we find the Lord’s words refreshing as waters from a brook. These are the times when the weariness of life’s takes its toll on us. When our heavy workload or the lack of tranquility in our lives, whether due to our own choices or our sinful lives, pushes us to yearn for something new; to hear something that would comfort us. In the experience of death, our grief does not need a scientific explanation of death, but words of consolation. In the experience of empty promises like words from politicians seeking election, we need to hear people who can speak of our woes and whose person we can identify with. We do not need the usual speeches that has lost its luster and credibility. But we need someone who speaks sincerely and credibly. And for many of us in these situations, we yearn for someone who can speak the words of God to us to give us strength, courage and hope. This is what the Lord promised the Israelites in the first reading. The Lord will send a prophet, like Moses, from their own kin, whom they will listen to. He will speak the words of God fearlessly. Whoever listened to Him, gains life. Whoever doesn’t, dies.

When Jesus taught at synagogues in Capernaum, people were astonished at his teaching. We do not know what He taught, but we know how He taught them: with authority. We also know the effect of his words: astonishment, amazement, and powerful. His words are strong: when He commanded the spirits, they obeyed Him. The words He spoke was refreshing and new. He did not teach like the scribes who would mimic the words from other people --- just imagine a speaker who quotes this and that person, but you would not hear what he has to say. When Jesus taught, He knew the basis of His teaching: He would recall the Scriptures and the decisions of the great patriarchs and prophets of history. But He would put His mark on it.

In composition writing, great writers acquire a license. They often break the rules of grammar and account for their own style. I was taught by one of these great writers like Doreen Fernandez, Frs. Joe Galdon SJ and Al Nudas SJ. They said that to break grammar rules, one must first master them.

The same thing, I believe, when we have to form our own opinions about our lives and our faith. Before we open our mouths to say what we think, we must first reflect if what we are about to say is solidly based on facts. We can be credible if we actually know our stuff.

There was a time when what distinguishes a Catholic from other Christian sects is the knowledge of Scripture. Catholics were ignorant of Scripture, while the others could actually quote books, chapters and verses of the bible. Remember that many Catholic bibles are covered and stored; but, I know of friends from other faith traditions, whose bibles are marked, highlighted and creased. We sometimes forget that what makes a book, a book is when it is used. What makes a bible, a great book, is when it is read, reflected on, studied and lived. I believe, the worn bible is the most sacred of all.

If we are to become Christ in the world today, we must have a worn bible whose pages we have flipped and prayed over time. Because, when we are asked to preach the Gospel, the written Word of God comes naturally from our mouths. But we just don’t quote, we offer our own personal experience. This is what is refreshing: the Word of God applied to real life today. When we are able to do this, we participate in the grace of the Holy Spirit. Then our words would be as powerful and as astonishing.

But I pray that the words we speak touches lives.

Our Damascus Experience

25 January 2009 Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul in this “Year of St. Paul”
Acts 22, 3-16 or Acts 9, 1-22; Psalm 117; 1 Cor 7, 29-31; Mark 16, 15-18

Conversion is intrinsic to our faith. John the Baptist and Jesus began their ministry with a proclamation: “The time has come; the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1, 15). And in Acts, Peter said, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2, 28). And of course, Paul have the same battle cry. But today, we will focus on the conversion of St. Paul who was the preeminent apostle to the Gentiles.

Paul’s conversion was a spectacular story. That is why many of us would use the phrase, your “Damascus Experience” to mean a radical change of mind about almost everything. It is a sudden shift. For example, a politician supports a system that was opposed to what he held before. There are many ways to interpret Paul’s conversion or his Damascus Experience. First, an alternation: a gradual change of life that grows out of the past. Second, a transformation: a change of life that re-conceives the past. Third, a conversion: a sudden change of life that rejects the past and takes a new direction. Paul rejected some aspects of his Jewish past, theology and practice that he was considered an apostate in the eyes of the Jewish leaders. All of these would account to a sudden and radical change that turned Paul from persecutor to preacher.

For many of us, we have always regarded St. Paul’s experience as a conversion. His radical shift was due to his vision. And because of this we have interpreted Paul’s experience like Michelangelo’s painting, The Conversion of St. Paul (1542-1545). He had the heavens opened with God and his angels on its fore and a light directly aiming at Paul, that the horse and soldiers fled in fear. It is God directly intervening into history.

But there is a quiet interpretation of his vision which is the interpretation of Caravaggio’s painting, The Conversion of Paul (1600). The painting is simple: it had Paul on the ground with eyes closed, his horse and the caretaker. The horse is just there, the caretaker do not see what Paul sees, and so, they don’t flee. Nothing is happening to the horse and the caretaker, but something interiorly is happening to Paul. Paul is receiving God in his very depths. The painting, unlike the spectacle in Michelangelo, does not have God bursting into the sky; but the viewer sees that God, though not visible, works in the heart of Paul. From his conversion, Paul will incorporate the call to a change of heart; that we who hears the Word of God are summoned to a metanoia.

The remarkable experience of Paul as interpreted by Michaelangelo is not normative for many of us Christians. Many of us have experienced a conversion, but without the sky opening and Christ appearing to us. However, many, including myself, will have the conversion experience --- our Damascus experience --- as interpreted by Caravaggio where God works in the depths of our hearts and changes us.

In our lives, we do have analogous experiences of change. The most of common is a change that involves time and effort and a lot of prayers as an alternation. We reflect on our past and from the past, we learn little by little, tediously moving with difficulty, sometimes like an uphill climb. There are those who have undergone therapy, counseling or spiritual direction that they have re-interpreted the past, and found new meaning in their traumatic experiences as a transformation. And some a sudden conversion after an accident or a deep meaningful retreat. Amidst all these, we acknowledge two very important angles. Whatever change that happened to us has been wrought not only by our sheer will --- or else, we have done our New Year’s resolution easily --- but, as seen in the paintings of both Michaelangelo and Caravaggio, God has largely been working from outside and inside of us.

The Eternal Priesthood

22 January 2009 Thursday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time
Hebrews 7, 25-8,6; Psalm 40; Mark 3, 7-12

In the first reading from Hebrews, there are three “priesthoods” being referred to. The first is the priesthood of Melchizedek, an ancient figure in the time of Abraham. Who is Melchizedek? We do not know his birth nor his death; but they said that his priesthood is forever (Psalm 40 and Hebrews v.3). What we know is that Melchizedek blessed Abraham and that Abraham gave a tenth of his spoils of war, a ‘tithe’ to Melchizedek. The gesture showed his superiority, and therefore, it was interpreted that all those who descended from Abraham like the Levitical priests are also blessed by Melchizedek. Thus, his priesthood is perpetual --- it forever blessed generations of Israelite priests. And thus, Psalm 110, 4 states that all priests are like Melchizedek, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” The second is the priest of the Israelite tribe of Levi called the Levites (remember the parable of the Good Samaritan?). The tribe of Levi was legislated in Numbers 18 as priests. Thus they take charge of the services at the Temple.

And finally, the priesthood of Christ. His priesthood is forever like Melchizedek and performs the functions of the Levitical priests who offers prayers and sacrifice at worship in the Temple. But Christ was not a Levite because He descended from the tribe of Judah, the tribe of David (Heb 7, 13-14). And thus Christ’s priesthood was not appointed by a law of physical descent (Numbers 18), but by the living Word of God addressed to Him in Psalm 110, 4 (Heb 7, 15-17). The basic deficiency of the Israelite priesthood is that it is dependent on mortals whose priestly activity is terminated by death. But Christ’s is Eternal, because he exercises His priesthood in heaven continually and forever. And thus, Christians are lucky because we have Christ, the eternal high priest.

When we became Christians in baptism, we became priests (along being prophets and kings). We participate and share in the priesthood of Christ. This is called our common priesthood. Within this common priesthood, there are those who are called to the ordained ministry, who preside over in worship. In the New Testament, there are legitimate offices (officia) in the community of the faithful. Only one office was regarded as of ‘divine law’ --- that of preaching, a duty of every believer. There is also a ‘distinction’ between office and community. There are particular officeholders who are called by the Holy Spirit and ‘ordained’ by those having authority in the community, as being inducted into their office with petitionary prayers for the sake of public order in the community. The Council of Trent in Chapter 1 said that those who are in this “new, visible and external priesthood” are “given the power of consecrating, offering and administering His body and blood, and likewise, of remitting and retaining sins, which was given by Christ to the apostles and to their successors in the priesthood.”

Having said all these, whenever we offer prayers or intercede for a family, friend or a community’s needs, we practice our common priesthood. This becomes true especially at mass. The priest is now called the presider because He presides over the worship. He is not called the celebrant, because WE are all celebrating with him. That is why the format of the mass is a dialogue: there is a response involved in all the prayers like an Amen or a phrase. That is why we are encouraged to sing. If we respond, pray, and sing at the Eucharist, we are exercising our priesthood.

It is unfortunate that many people at mass are petrified like concrete statues. Sometimes, when people do not participate, I feel that they just want me to get it over with. It is my job to do the mass. Parang utang na loob ko pang pumunta sila doon. Participation is not just about making the mass lively like a show on television. Participation is far deeper: it is about being one with the community who worships, appreciating this privilege Christ’s bestowed on us, and sharing Christ’s priesthood. Little do many people know that when they come uninterested and unparticipative, they are refusing a great gift. You see, many of us come to mass with a long list of needs, the least that we can do to the One who can answer our deepest desires is to respond and sing. What’s an hour compared to the fulfillment of your petitions?

Our Radical Faith

20 January 2009. Tuesday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time
Hebrew 6, 10-20; Psalm 111; Mark 2, 18-22 (Monday) & 23-28 (Today)

There are many times when conflict situations arise in every Christian’s life. In fact, in many ways, the Gospel’s true meaning can be potent, jarring, shocking and threatening to our set ways of living. Indeed, the call of the Gospel is radical because Jesus challenged the system acquiring the ire of the many leaders of His time. In Mark’s Gospel, we have seen the conflict with the Pharisees over his dealing with the paralytic (about the forgiveness of sins), with His choice of Levi or Matthew for a disciple (about the choice of a sinner), with His eating habits (against the lifestyle of the Pharisees), and now, with the Sabbath (about the law made for people).

To follow Jesus means a shift of paradigms; a re-shaping of our mindsets; a destruction of our many prejudices; a change of heart. New wine into new wine skins. To take Jesus seriously, and thus, to take our faith earnestly requires a certain violence: a transition is always an experience of death. The experience is always painful and disorienting, the wound is often acute and severe. That is why if we have to move on, it would be better to make a clean cut, than to do it slowly as torture. It cannot be that new or young wine (called technically, a must) is placed on old wineskins or else, the old wineskins, which have lost its flexibility, will not be able to hold the new wine. In making wine, we need yeast, a single cell organism. Yeast causes fermentation, a process that converts the sugar in the fruit to alcohol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide escapes into the air and what is left is wine. The wineskin should be flexible and expandable to carry the escaping air.

Let me give you an example when we have to shift paradigms: The challenge to be inclusive than exclusive. Exclusivity is a natural tendency for social groups and organizations. We want to belong to a solid group of friends apart from the general public. Every association claims an autonomous government, a set of goals, a manner of proceeding and for many, a lifestyle. It is what sets them apart.

But there are times when exclusively becomes discriminating and selfish. I have personally experienced this attitude among choirs. It is often a challenge in parishes or universities to organize a grand choir (meaning, having all choirs participate in one particular celebration). They could not sing with other choirs, because they want their voices heard only. They could not play with other musicians because they want their particular instrument dominating the whole sound. I know of a particular choir who does not practice diligently, but they still feel entitled asserting that the mass, where they sing, is theirs. This to me is contrary to Gospel values and even to the Church’s teaching on Liturgy and Music. For Jesus, in the Gospel today, who asserted the value of charity over the law of the Sabbath, this attitude is contrary to what He taught. Choirs such as these need a 360-degree overhaul in values. Charity is an attitude of inclusion. It is welcoming another who also wants to serve just as Jesus welcomed Levi into His circle. And most of all, the mass is not owned or controlled by a group of people, it is a communitarian celebration. As said in the letter to the Hebrews, the priest, lectors, servers, choirs, eucharistic ministers, greeters make up the ministry, meaning, the people who are at the service of the community.

Allow me another example. When I was in UP, I experienced the opposite. Two students from the College of Music volunteered to play at the Chaplaincy’s mass on Sundays at 11 AM. After them, followed other musicians who played the violins, violas, cellos, and flutes. Many of them also have academic demands. They get paid as part of their professional fee. Some devote their free time to practice. But every time a musician joins, one never hears a complaint, but a welcoming attitude. And in addition, they volunteered to arrange our mass songs for free which takes a lot of time apart from their work and their study (a choral and a musical arrangement for one song is around Php 20,000). This group of musicians is now known as Musica Chiesa (Church Music in English). Moreover, when a choir was assigned in the 11:00 AM mass, they invited other members of other choirs to join them whenever they were present. I saw members of UP-CLC, UPSCA, ICTUS, CYA or YFC happy when other members sing with them. Why is it that UP, whose reputation as a university without faith, is more Catholic than those from Catholic institutions or churches?

When Galileo said that it was the earth who revolved around the sun, contrary to the popular Copernican view that the earth was the center, he got himself excommunicated. It took years before we realized that he was right.

Sometimes we are Pharisaic. Remember, it was the Pharisees who got Jesus killed. And if you are one of those who challenge the system, be prepared. Crucifixion is not a far possibility.

How To Show Devotion to the Child Jesus (Sto. Nino) (Filipino)

18 January 2009. Feast of the Sto. Nino de Cebu
Proper Feast in the Philippines: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 9, 1-6; Psalm 97; Ephesians 1, 3-18; Mark 10, 13-16

Note: English version below: in previous post.

Pinagdiriwang natin ngayon ang kapistahan ng Sto. Nino. Sa kapistahang ito, nagpupunyagi tayo sa Panginoon bilang pasasalamat sa ating pananampalatayang Kristiyano: ang debosyon sa Sto. Nino ay isang pagbabalik-tanaw sa unang pagdating ng Kristiyanismo sa ating bansa. Ngunit sa bawat pagbabalik-tanaw sa nakaraan, mainam na makita ito sa tamang konteksto.

Kailangan nating lahat na makita na si Kristo ay hindi na bata. Lumaki na siya. Nagsimula ang kanyang paglilingkod sa publiko nang siya ay 30 years old. At dahil hindi na siya bata, ano ang kahulugan ng ating debosyon sa Sto. Nino? Ano ang tamang paraan na pagpapakita ng ating debosyon --- o pagmamahal --- sa ating Panginoong Hesukristo.

Unang-una, makikita ito sa sayaw ng Sinulog. Ang steps ng sayaw sa Sinulog ay dalawang hakbang pa-sulong, at isang hakbang pa-atras. Two steps forward, one step backward. Though now you have different styles. See video. 

Two-steps forward. Sa tuwing annibersaryo tinitingnan natin ang ating pag-unlad, our progress. Sa mga wedding anniversaries: ano na ang ating narating mula nang tayo’y pinagtaling-puso? Ano na ang naabot ng ating mga pangarap? Umunlad ba tayo sa ating buhay? Lumago ba ang ating mga negosyo? Lumalapit na ba tayo sa katuparan ng ating mga pangarap? Lumalalim na ba ang ating pagmamahalan?

One step backwards. Ang debosyon sa Sto. Nino ay isang pagbabalik-tanaw sa nakaraan: sa unang pagdating ng Kristiyano sa Pilipinas. Nagbubunyi tayo dahil isa itong napakalaking biyaya ng Diyos sa atin. Sabi nga ni Fr. Horacio de la Costa SJ na ang tanging yaman ng mga Pinoy ay ang musika at ang pananampalataya. Totoo: ang pananampalataya natin noon ay bata pa, nasa murang edad pa. Ang tanong: hanggang ngayon ba, bata pa rin ba ang ating pananampalataya? At dahil dito, tinitingnan natin kung tapat pa rin ba tayo sa pananampalatayang ito?

Ngunit, itong two-steps forward at one-step backwards ay hindi magkahiwalay. Ito ay isang sayaw. Alam mo dapat kung kailan hahakbang pa-una, o kailan hahakbang pa-balik. Ito dapat ang buhay nating mga Kristiyano: umuunlad at umuusbong at lumalago; ngunit natututong magbalik-tanaw, mag-retreat para makita ang pinatutunguhan ng ating buhay --- may mga hakbang tayo na parang pa-unlad, pero ang katotohanan pala ay, sabi nila, lumalaking pa-urong.

Ang debosyon ng Sto. Nino ay isang pagre-respeto ng proseso ng paglaki, ng paglago. Isang pagtanggap na ang pag-unlad sa ating buhay ay hindi maaaring madaliin. Pinagpaplanuhan ito. Inaalagaan ang bawat tamang hakbang. Natututo tayo sa tamang pamumuhay at pakikitungo sa kapwa. Lumalalim ang ating pagmamahal sa Diyos.

The Gospel says that “the child continued to grow, increasing in wisdom.” Tuloy-tuloy ang paglaki ni Hesus; increasing in Wisdom.

Pangalawa, pinapahalagahan ng debosyon natin sa Sto. Nino ang mga katangian ng bata na ipinaalala ng Panginoon. Ang mga katangiang ito ang dapat nasa ating mga Kristiyano. Paalala: katangian ng bata, at hindi asal-bata. Childlike and not child-ish. Hindi ko na babangitin ang lahat ng katangiang ito. Iisa lamang, dahil tamang-tama sa panahon ng paghihirap, dahil sa tinatawag nating global recession. Hindi lamang ang Pilipinas ang makakaranas ng higit na pag-hihikahos, kundi ang marami pang mga bansa. Marami ang mawawalan ng trabaho. Maraming magugutom dahil maraming ekonomiyang babagsak.

Sa panahong ito, hinahamon tayong mga Pilipino na pag-isipan ang ating paraan ng pamumuhay o ang ating lifestyle. Pag-isipan ang mga tanging pangangailangan at iwasan ang mga luho sa buhay. Paanong makatipid. At sa kabila ng ating pag-hihirap, pinapaalala sa atin na sana hindi mawalan ng buhay ang ating diwa, sana matuto pa rin tayong ngumiti at magsaya.

Naalala ninyo ang inyong pagka-bata? Kahit anong nasa paligid ay maaari nating gawing laruan: bato, tsinelas, dahon, kahoy, atpb. Madali tayong mapasaya. Mababaw ang ating mga kasiyahan. Tawa lang tayo nang tawa. Hindi kailangan nating palakihin ang batang nag-iisip na kailangan ng mamahaling laruan upang maging masaya o sa mga video games na kailangang bumili ng token.

Kaya niyo pa bang sumaya sa mga laruang tumbang-preso, patintero, at piko? Sa jack stone at chinese garter? Sasaya ka pa ba sa laruang papel?

How to Show Devotion to the Child Jesus (Sto. Nino)

18 January 2009. Feast of the Sto. Nino
Proper Feast in the Philippines: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 9, 1-6; Psalm 97; Ephesians 1, 3-18; Mark 10, 13-16

Today we celebrate the feast of the Sto. Nino. In this celebration, we praise our Lord as a sign of our gratitude for the Christian faith. Today we remember the first time when the Catholic faith was introduced to our country.

Let us put this celebration in its proper context. We need to accept that Jesus is not anymore a child. He already grew up: when He was baptized and began His public ministry, He was 30 years old. We ask this question today: If Jesus then is fully grown, what is the meaning of our devotion to the Sto. Nino or to many forms of devotion to the Child Jesus? What is the proper way of showing our devotion --- or our affection --- to the Lord?

First, we can see this in the dance of the Sinulog. The dance steps involve two steps forward and one step backwards.

Two-steps forward. Every anniversary is a celebration of progress. For example, in wedding anniversaries, we reflect on our advancement from the day the couple got married. Were they able to fulfill their dreams? Did their relationship deepen through the years?

One-step backwards. The devotion to the Sto. Nino is also a reminiscing of history. We are very happy for this great gift of faith. Fr. Horacio de la Costa SJ said that the Philippines has two treasures: our music and our faith. True, we are celebrating that time when our faith was at its beginning, when it was as young as a child. And so we ask: are we still faithful to this faith that was introduced to us in the 1500s?

But two-steps forward and one-step background is the dance itself; the movements cannot be separated or are independent of one another. This should be what we do in our lives. Our celebration of the Sto. Nino is a respect for the process of growth; an acceptance that growth in our lives is a series of changes and progressions. We plan our lives to have direction. We take good care of each step as Scriptures say about Jesus, “the child continued to grow, increasing in wisdom”. We celebrate every successful stage such as a graduation or a promotion. You see, the child does not mature quickly --- maturity requires a number of stages.

Second, the devotion to the Sto. Nino reminds us that we are called to have the qualities of a child. To be childlike but not childish. There are many traits of children that are laudable Christian virtues, but let me focus on only one: simplicity.

Simplicity is practical and appropriate at this time when many of us will feel the effect of the global recession. There are those who lost their jobs. And many people are increasingly becoming hungry. Thus, this is the time to challenge our way of life or our lifestyle. To take seriously what are necessary and not what is ostentatious.

But in the midst of our difficulties, we should not forget our sense of humor; to find ways to still enjoy and celebrate. There are many ways to do it. Do you remember when you were a child? Any object around us were potential toys. We did not have to spend; we did not have the computer and video games that needed some amount of money. Remember tumbang-preso, patintero and piko? Remember jackstone and chinese garter? Can you still find happiness in toys like paper planes?

The Faith of Friends

16 January 2009. Friday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time
Hebrew 4, 1-5; Psalm 78; Mark 2, 1-12

The faith of friends is the focus of the Gospel today. I remember the question of one of my students. He said, “Will our prayer for a friend of ours who is ill be effective when he has declared he does not believe in God?” And so I gave this passage to him and told him that the paralytic was cured, not because of his faith, but because of his friends.

Many of us sometimes use our ways and apply it to God. If a person does not believe in God, we think that God will not care about him. We think that a sinner deserves to be punished; and therefore any sinful person does not deserve God’s love. We think this way because this is how we operate: we punish the offenders and no mercy is given to those who has wronged us. In fact, many of us started off in faith in this kind of paradigm: be good or else you will be punished. And so many of us live in real fear of God (note: this is not the holy ‘fear of the Lord’ we find in scripture). Fear of God here is like the fear we feel about our parents. If our grades dipped, our parents punish us; so we are afraid of them. I know many students would wish to conceal their plunging grades. Thus many of us develop a fear conscience also known as a scrupulous conscience. God is someone to be afraid of.

But God’s ways are not our ways. The four friends would like the paralytic to be cured. And so they have devised means to bring him closer to Jesus despite the crowd. They had this crazy idea of opening up the roof where Jesus was teaching. But they were good friends, and so they did everything in their power for the paralyzed. So when Jesus saw their faith, He took away the paralytic’s disability.

So it is for us. We should believe in the power of prayer. It’s effectivity does not lie on the status or ‘state of grace’ of the recipient of our supplications. What matters is that WE who love pray for them. And we can be assured that God will not deny even those who do not believe in Him, the healing they need. Why? Because this is what God is: He is merciful to all and so He sends the rain both on the weeds and the wheat.

Afraid of What God Wills

15 January 2009. Thursday of the 1st Week of Ordinary Time
Hebrew 3, 7-14; Psalm 95; Mark 1, 40-45

What strikes me today in the Gospel reading is that the leper said that he wanted to be cured IF Jesus would will it. And thus, Jesus declared that He did will it. So the leper was cured.

First, the leper approached Jesus and told him what he wanted. It is like asking for the obvious: of course, a leper wanted to be cured. You see, lepers were ostracized by the community. Anyone who got in contact with them became impure. Healing did not only mean physical and emotional well-being, it granted them entry into normal life with the community. The leper had to articulate what he most desired.

If we look closely at our relationships, we have friends whose need is obvious to us, but they are not convinced. Or, it could also be about ourselves. For example, we somehow feel that we have to let go of a relationship, but we continue to deny and bargain. Our inmost desires may not be as clear to ourselves --- but may be clear to others. Many counselors say that in their practice, they have to wait for their client to see what they need and to articulate what they realized. They cannot be helped unless it is expressed in words. In prayer, this is important. We have to say what we want, even if God already knows what is good for us. Ignatius of Loyola said that we must specifically ask the grace we need from God; so that we would also know whether God has granted them in prayer.

Second, I admired what the leper said to Jesus: “If you will it.” I was talking to a couple whose daughter was in the operating room. They said that they found praying the Our Father difficult because they have to say, “Your will be done.” It was difficult because they were afraid that God’s will was different from their inmost desire for their daughter. Here, their desire for their daughter is definitely good.

Many desires of people are for the good of their loved one or their community. We desire safety and protection for our families. We desire meaning and happiness in our lives. We pine for financial stability. These are not evil desires. But to surrender them sometimes create a certain uneasiness --- there lurks at the recesses of our hearts the fear that God’s will may be different and painful. For example, we would like to be always with the people we love. But sometimes, the people we love needed some ‘cooling off’ or some space for themselves. That would be painful and difficult, sometimes this ‘need’ is what we dreaded. Another example: many parents have been comfortable with the college course their children chose --- until they begin to decide for themselves.

The leper, however, surrendered to God his most wanted need and thus gave God the prerogative. The attitude of the leper was that of deference: a humble submission and respect for the One who can heal him. Perhaps this is the attitude we learn: God will not want evil to happen to us but we to humble ourselves in deference to the Giver of our desires.

Finally, cure happens when there is a meeting of both our desires and God’s will. This is when we are attune with the heart of God. We are peaceful when what we will is also what God wills. In addition, Jesus also needs to articulate His desire for the leper and thus confirms the desire of the leper: “Yes, I will it.”

This is the reason why we discern. We would like to be clarified that our will is also God’s will. However, if we discover that God’s will is contrary to what we want, we, in great trust, obey Him nonetheless, knowing that God knows what is best and where we should be.

After the Amazement, What's Next?

12 January 2009. Tuesday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time
Hebrew 2, 5-12; Psalm 8; Mark 1, 21-28

I would like to say something about the Ordinary Season. The liturgical seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter focus on a specific aspect of the life of Jesus. Ordinary Time is that season of the liturgical year where we celebrate the mystery of Christ not in one specific aspect but in all its aspects. The readings in this season instruct us how to live our Christian life in our ordinary, day to day life.

In Mark’s Gospel, the first chapter is an introduction of Jesus, therefore, focuses on His identity. Therefore, our Gospel today shows to readers who Jesus is. Jesus has set his office in Capernaum and He has taught in the synagogue. But we don’t know what He taught, but we know how He taught the people: He taught with authority. He also did not just teach with words, He did what He taught and His words were just as powerful. And so He showed the power of His words by driving the demon out of the man with an unclean spirit. And what is the effect of His powerful teaching and action on the people? They were amazed and astonished. Thus, Jesus did not just teach with authority, but He also taught with much power! Because of this extraordinary and spellbinding power, His reputation and fame spread.

However, it is this popularity that brought Him to the cross. And so, Jesus is challenging us today. Shall we also follow Jesus even if it hurts? It is easy to follow someone at the height of his fame! It is easy when we are amazed, astonished, spellbound, thunderstrucked, speechless as in being star-struck. Those of us who love show business know what it means. Will we still remain fans when the going gets tough, when the following entails some sacrifice, when loyalty and faithfulness is challenged by ridicule? But the Gospel is clear in its challenge: those who are convinced to follow the One who was astonishing should also follow the way Jesus went.

This is precisely the difficulty in our daily lives. We are amazed and spellbound once in a while: perhaps in a beautiful mass or a great homily, or a truly meaningful retreat, or a great experience of God’s grace as winning a competition or being accepted in a dream university, or having achieved an item on our wish list. This is the time when Jesus’ words becomes true: “I will not abandon you till the end of time!” This is the time when we actually feel that God has done something for us. This is the time when God’s presence is palpable and real to us. This is the time when we are inspired!

In as much as we would like these overwhelming events to happen in our lives, our experiences tell us that there are more days when everything is like a desert: lifeless and parched, boring and drab, uneventful and ordinary like many of our days. Mother Teresa and many of the saints have felt desolate for many years. It is when we feel God’s absence; when we feel abandoned; or our life is becoming meaningless and empty. It is when the cross becomes true to our lives. This is the time when God is not “doing” something to us (meaning: we cannot FEEL it), but this is the moment when we are asked to identify with Him: we feel condemned just as He was condemned by the authorities and the people He served; we feel distressed just as He was distressed at the Agony in the Garden; we feel abandoned just as He was abandoned by His friends on His way to crucifixion; we feel crucified just as He was nailed to the cross!

I believe we are called to identify more with Jesus, to be LIKE Him in our day to day life. We should therefore reflect whether we are stuck with the amazement, or we are already moving towards being really like Him by identifying with Him in our desert experience and in His carrying of His cross. This is how we are stuck: we keep coming back to re-experience the good feelings but forget that Christian life is not just about feeling good!

This is my personal experience when I was moderator: many who have entered the Days With the Lord in 1995-97 keep returning to refresh themselves to the point of intimidating our high school leaders (the returnees were therefore college students). After all, these retreats were very affirming of us --- and who won’t (?!) with all the inspiring letters from family and friends! Plus the emotional songs and the constant hugs! Unfortunately, some (not all!) of these returnees remain the same as the first time they went to the retreat. Don’t get me wrong: I think these retreats should be initial experiences. That is why they are necessary. But there is the angle that life is not all about having inspirations, good feelings, or being amazed! We also have to advance and mature, perhaps, by finding a constant and daily style of prayer.

Sometimes we can get addicted to the good feelings and forget that these initial experiences should lead us to study when we feel so disappointed with ourselves; to remain faithful when we are tempted; to continually strive to serve even when we are uncomfortable; to come to mass even if the priest is boring (unfortunately!). It means to remain faithful to who we are and what we are as Christians even when the gasoline runs out or when the well runs dry. It means that we continue to choose what is good (or what is better!) inspired or not!

Baptism Is About Identity

11 January 2009 Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord
Isaiah 42, 1-7; Psalm 29; Acts 10, 34-38; Mark 1, 7-11

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is about an inauguration to a new identity. The Gospel of Mark introduces Jesus to us. Having established John the Baptist in the previous passages, the Gospel today announces that a coming figure will surpass his own ministry (“One mightier than I is coming after me, I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals”), and that this messenger will baptize in the Holy Spirit. Thus the stage is now set for the appearance of Jesus. Mark presented John the Baptist as the prophetic messenger who prepares the way for God’s new work. The expectation is set for the One who will come in the power of God’s spirit.

When we introduce a person, we usually begin with a short background, hoping that details of his background will begin establishing connections. The information that “Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee” brings him in proximity to John, and offers a summary of His prior life. The same thing when we introduce someone to our friends: “She is from Kalibo, Aklan” or “She studied at the Ateneo de Manila University”. We hope that someone from our friends will pick up the information and relate it to them: “My parents are from Aklan too” or “I am an Atenean, from what batch are you?” Conversations begin thereafter.

Second, Jesus then is identified with the “movement and baptism” of John. We are identified by the affiliations and organizations we belong to. For example, many of us belong to various charismatic movements. Some of us are working together to advance our shared political, social, or artistic ideas such as poverty alleviation, environmental awareness, equality, etc. And this can be observed by others.

However, we are deeply identified by those who love us. This information is sometimes personal, and not available to bystanders. The crowd in the Gospel of Mark does not see the vision of Jesus. When Jesus rose from the baptismal waters, Jesus sees the heavens opened and observed the Spirit descending upon Him (1. 10). As Jesus rose from the waters, divine signs come down to earth. In ancient times, the tearing of the heavens is a sign of a new era. God has irrevocably ripped the heavens, never to shut them out again. It also means that communication is now being established from above to below (see Gen 7,11; Ezekiel 1,1; Revelations 4,1). This new creation is what the prophet Isaiah announced in the first reading (Isaiah 42, 1-5). The identity of Jesus is confirmed in the voice of God whom Jesus hears: “This is my beloved Son.” Jesus is the beloved Son of God!

Unless we announce it, we are identified by our relationships. We are the son of so and so; the husband of Ms. X; the best friend of Y; or negatively, the archrival of Z. But what is more endearing is about our uniqueness in the way people call us. Isaac is the beloved of Abraham (Gen 22, 2); despite Abraham having other children. Jesus as “the beloved” enhances His dignity. And the final phrase, “with you I am well pleased” further tell us of the quality of Jesus’ relationship with the Father.

Having introduced Jesus to us, Mark begins telling us about Jesus and His ministry. With the knowledge of who Jesus is, we are led to the story of Jesus’ public ministry or how Jesus is all that has been claimed for Him by God: He is the Christ, the Son of God (v. 1), the Lord (v.3), the Stronger One (v.7), one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit (v.8), He is filled with the Spirit (v.10) and finally, we, the readers, are assured that He is the beloved Son of God and God is well-pleased with Him (v. 11).

Let us reflect on two groups of questions. You can just choose any of these:

First, If you were to identify yourself, how do you want to be introduced: by your origins, by your affiliations, or by your relationships? And what is the truest and deepest identification that you have, based on a loving relationship?

Second, are you faithful to who you really are? Are the things that you do consistent with how you know yourself?

An Issue of Loyalty

10 January 2009. Saturday after the Epiphany
1 John 5, 14-21; Psalm 149; John 3, 22-30

The issue in the Gospel today is loyalty. Jesus had been baptized and He was drawing larger crowds to his baptism. John’s disciples were jealous that their former followers had moved to Jesus. And so John reiterated what he said about Jesus: that he was not the Christ, that he was sent before Him, that his work is to call people to repentance for Christ’s coming. He gave an analogy: he was the best man of the bridegroom. At weddings, the best man assisted the groom. Scripture used this image to describe Jesus. Jesus is the groom, and the Church, His bride. Thus, if the Church is Christ’s bride, then we, who are members of the Church, should pin our loyalty to only one. This is our absolute loyalty: solely to Christ and no one else. The rest follows.

Let me give you examples from my personal experiences. First, there are rivalries among choirs in parishes. Choirs compete with each other. Why can’t we see that we are all working together in the ‘vineyard of the Lord’? All those involved in music in liturgy are music ministers. Ministry means that our talents and charisms are used at the service of the community. Therefore, when we choose songs for the liturgy, we consider the people who come to our specific masses. This is called the Pastoral Judgment. Ideally, the choir sings what their specific congregation can sing, so that there is full, active and conscious participation in worship (Vatican II, Sacrosanctum Concilium). If the congregation are young people, then the songs should be adapted to them; and if the congregation is made of senior citizens, then perhaps the old songs will be appropriate. So, there is no reason to compete: a choir adapts to their particular massgoers. But there is reason to improve: God and His people deserve quality service. We are all serving the Lord; but serving in different ways.

Second, there is a turf culture among groups and organizations within the Church. They cannot handle another group with almost the same charism. Two charismatic groups will compete with each other. A Philippine parish will have more than 20,000 members, and many of them are not personally ministered to. Why can’t they seek out these members, than compete with those who are already churched? A university within a parish is also the same. Parishes complain that university masses get their parishioners. In the larger picture, there are still others in the parish who still need personal care. Why can’t we seek them out? Or maybe improve on service within one’s territory: there is always a reason why people prefer other masses than ours. On the other hand, university masses minister to university personnel including students, faculty, and alumni. Nevertheless, people have a right to choose the masses they would like to go to. Why can’t we rejoice that there are others who are already working in one area of the Lord’s vineyard?

One of the great privileges I had when I worked in UP was to work with an Opus Dei priest. Fr. Mike Milan would hear confessions for long stretches, which I could not do because of my schedules. The Opus Dei also have a very effective ministry, keeping study centers for many students, which Jesuits here don’t have. They helped a large number of students, and I am glad I was able to compliment their ministry in UP. We were able to work together, contrary to what people think about both of our groups. Eventually, Mike and I and my friends --- others of his group --- remember ourselves in each other’s prayers, especially now. As I transfer to another work, Mike would also be assigned to Indonesia beginning another center there. You see, there are many people who are helped in one way, and there are those who best fit another way. The Opus Dei way, the Jesuit way, the Dominican way, the Benedictine and Franciscan ways with all other myriad of spiritualities all lead to Christ. We should work together because we belong to one Church and the vineyard is vast. There is always work to do. There are always people who need our specific service.

Church leaders should take their cue from John: we are to prepare people for God’s coming to our lives, or to lead them to God. This includes seeking out those who are astray. And there are thousands of them. Why compete with those who are within the fold? The objective is to bring people to the Lord; and we should welcome those who are able to help.

This final example is personal. Many of my students ask me about my attitude towards Catholics who have transfered to another Christian sect, many of them have become born-again Christians. It is true that I am sad that many of my fellow Catholics have found their faith outside of the Catholic church. I am saddened by their transfer because I think it is a result of misconceptions about the teachings of the church. And therefore points to the lack of catechism; thus the fault of many priests. It is our job to teach, and not just to teach, but to teach correctly --- including updating ourselves with new developments. If doctors and engineers update themselves so that they will be excellent in their particular fields, why don’t priests? Admittedly, we are not able to teach sufficiently and effectively. Many transfer to another sect because they have been traumatized by the scandals in the Church or the attitude of many church leaders.

But on the other hand, I have seen these former Catholics greatly changed. They have become more interested in Scripture. I have students who were once very indifferent about religion, now, they carry their bibles and read them regularly. We cannot deny that many of them know their bibles more than Catholics. They have become more interested about faith life. They are now more optimistic about the world. They are not anymore as despairing as others. They have found the kind of worship that best suits them. If they have found Christ in another, then I rejoice with them, at the same time, I am challenged to respond to our neglect.

Perhaps with the Church’s endeavor to dialogue with people of different faith traditions (Interreligious Dialogue) and those within Christianity (Ecumenism), the challenge is to emphasize what unites us, than what divides us. To share what is common among us is to achieve unity and peace. Remember the apostles. Matthew was pro-Roman government while Simon was a Zealot. It would not be difficult to imagine arguments since they were of different political affiliations. But what united them was their love for Jesus. We too can be one because we all love Christ --- to whom we owe our sole loyalty. Jesus must increase, while we --- and all our temporal groups --- should decrease.

Giving What We've Got

6 January 2009. Tuesday after the Epiphany
1 John 4, 7-10; Psalm 72; Mark 6, 34-44

In the Gospel today, the Lord trusts in our capacity to help. He fed their spiritual thirst with His teaching; and their physical hunger with the multiplication of the loaves and fish. The feeding of the five thousand begins with Jesus being moved with pity for the vast crowd who followed Him. So when the disciples aired their concern to Jesus, He said, “Give them some food yourselves.”

This is surprising. For the disciples, to feed 5,000 was an impossibility: they were in a deserted place, it was getting dark, and if they were to feed them it would need a large sum of money (200-days’ worth of wages). In other words, only a miracle can feed them. But, Jesus said that they --- not Him --- should feed them instead.

Physical hunger, in today’s reading, is an important need. Thus, faith does not concern itself with just ‘spiritual matters’ but aims to bring food to the hungry. Let us put the reading in our present context. In countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, around 500 million people are living in “absolute poverty” (World Bank), and every year 15 million children die of hunger. And an estimate of 800 million people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition. Our faith should be able to bring food to their mouths.

The Gospel remains clear. Jesus challenged them to exhaust all means. Did you use all means? What do you have? And they answered, “five loaves and two fish.” And Jesus worked His miracle with “what they’ve got”. We know the rest of the story: they were able to feed the people --- and with baskets of leftovers.

In many ways, we are like the disciples. First, we automatically think when certain conditions are not met, we need a miracle --- even if there are other things we can do. When we do not have money, we say we can’t celebrate Christmas or whatever special event we’re supposed to celebrate. Maybe with the economic crunch, we can have an alternative but meaningful celebration. When we deal with national issues such as graft and corruption, peace and order, or poverty, we tend to be overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenge, that we easily say that we can’t do anything about it considering our lone voice.

Second, many people complain or blame God about many things. Why does God allow suffering in the world? Or, why did God allow this thing to happen to my life? Some have blamed God for their expulsion from the universities. I hear this from many of the learned, from students and scholars, from skilled and the talented, from those who are financially stable and those whose careers are flourishing. Ironically, they are the ones who have more loaves and basketfuls of fish. Meaning, we, who can contribute to the alleviation of poverty do not see that we can help, and so we don’t. It is more convenient to point our finger at someone else than to claim personal responsibility. There is a chapel in Europe where the cross has Christ’s body, but without His arms. The arms were destroyed during the war. The people did not restore the arms, but in its place is engraved that we are now Christ’s arms in the world today.

We may not be able to solve all of the world’s problems, but we can contribute with whatever we’ve got. Malcolm Gladwell used the image of a virus in his bestselling book, “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference”. He said that a single sick person can start a flu epidemic. Thus, a small and single idea can spread like wildfire and cause a fashion trend, or the popularity of a new item. A loaf and a fish can feed millions. A melodic line can make up the peak in a pop song. A marketing strategy can popularize a clothing apparel. If you’ve got an idea, such as a creative way to raise awareness about an issue, then go for it. Let it spread like wildfire.

We should never underestimate the power of a single idea.

About God Wanting Us To Find Him

4 January 2009. The Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus
Isaiah 60, 1-6; Psalm 72; Eph 3, 2-6; Matthew 2, 1-12

As the Church continues to discern its life in the present age, she also modifies and changes certain things, hoping that the change will deepen and correct certain practices of the faith. Today is an example. The Epiphany of Our Lord is now a movable feast, celebrated on the first Sunday after January 1st. We are used to remember today as the “Three Kings” set on January the 6th. The change is reasonable: the Church wants us to focus on the real meaning of the feast --- to keep our gaze on the child Jesus. Like the shepherds, the three Magi from the East sought Jesus with the aid of the star. They found Him with Mary and Joseph. Epiphany means “manifestation of the Divine” and thus the change of “title” straightforwardly focuses on two things. By identifying with the shepherds and the Magi, we reflect on our search for God in our lives; and reflecting on the ‘discovery’ of Jesus, we see God’s initiative. We realize that God wants Himself to be found and thus makes Himself reachable and discoverable to us. This reason is worthy to be remembered on a Sunday, with the community palpably experiencing God’s manifestation of Himself in our daily, practical lives.

Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ wrote that the world is charged with the grandeur of God. And the Roman poet, Seneca, said that every single thing that we see, everything in the world has the scintilla, a spark of God. St. Benedict discovered God away from the cities; St. Ignatius found God in it. If the world is a palpable manifestation of God, why do we seldom encounter God? What do we need to see God?

First, the beatitudes say that those who are single-hearted will see God. The shepherds were not educated, nor do they belong to the who’s who of society. Their primary concern were the flock they tended. They were not burdened by the concern of business or their minds were not confused by conflicting ideas, theories and principles. They had less distractions and they could see clearly.

The great mystics advise many who embark on a prayer journey to clear their minds and their hearts. Often, our lives have become complicated by many inconsequential things; and we forget what is valuable. This is my own general experience: In my personal friendships with the poor and university students, there is a great difference in how fast they believe. It takes few explanations for the poor to be convinced, while a university student would process longer, consulting philosophical and scientific ideas, before they finally concede. The Gospel said that a bigger star could convince shepherds and the Magi that something great was happening while Herod’s advisers and the Jewish religious leaders --- the educated --- failed to notice the star, undermined the obscure town of Bethlehem, and therefore, missed out Jesus. To them, the Messiah should come from the who’s who of society. Our pre-conceived ideas, biases and prejudices can therefore obscure our vision.

We are therefore challenged today to think clearly and discern properly. To distinguish the inconsequential from the important; the sieve through the distractions to find the valuable. The realization that the things or people we need are right in front of our eyes is common. Because we are looking for them somewhere else. The same thing with God. We think that we find God only in the most familiar and expected places and events: in churches and sacred places, in recollections and liturgies. However, we can also find God in the unfamiliar and the most uncommon of places. We just have to open our eyes.

Second, the Magi were searchers; they continually thirsted for the Truth and in the discovery of a lead, they pursued it relentlessly. They read about the star and the King, so they followed their intuition by traveling great distances with the hope of finding the veracity of what they read. The child whom they found will later confirm what they had done: Jesus said, “Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened.”

We find God when we sincerely seek Him out. He is discoverable. He also wants to be found like a flower who blooms splendidly for everyone to notice. The busiest one with a million thoughts in his head will never notice. But busy or not, we all experience a lead. Musicians acquire an instrument and find their heart there. Basketball players fall in love with the game the first time they played it. Some find science interesting and pursue them single-heartedly. Later on these initial discoveries will eventually lead them to where they are meant to be.

Vocations are discovered this way. They said that vocation is the crossroad between our deepest desires and the need of the world. It is when we discover our innermost desires, and find our niche in the greater scheme of things. I am enjoying my Jesuit priesthood because my gifts and my desires that come from God find their home and their use in the needs of the young. The same thing with my friends who are very happy with their families. They discover that their lives find meaning when they are able to find themselves needed by their partners and their children. The same thing with my friends who are unmarried. Their single life finds meaning because they can be available to many.

When we reflect about these desires and passions that initiates any life searches, we discover that the impetus cannot be attributed to ourselves, not even to our genes or the chemical processes that work in our bodies. It is like inspirations. They come from an external source. They come at any place, at any moment. They can come while we take a shower or as we listen to a lecture or while walking to the grocery store. Try to repeat all factors again in that one moment of inspiration --- take a shower again, listen to that lecture, walk on the same spot --- we discover that it does not return. It is not an accident that the word inspiration comes from “in Spirit”, meaning that our desires find its source from the Spirit of God, the breath that gives us life. The beginning of our search comes from God; the end of our search is God Himself. The Epiphany therefore is not about the three Magi who found God; but for us to see that God is the One who wanted us to find Him.

A Reflection on our Name

1 January 2008. A New Year’s Homily
Luke 2, 16-21 The Holy Name of Jesus; The Circumcision of Jesus; the Holy Mother of God; World Day of Peace

On the first day of the year, the Catholic Church does not celebrate the ‘new year’ since her calendar begins on the first Sunday of Advent. However, this day is also very significant to the Church’s liturgy because it commemorates several feasts of Jesus and Mary: The Holy Name and Circumcision of Jesus; The Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Holy Mother of God; and the World Day of Peace as proclaimed by the Pope. Let me try to put all these things together, but using the Holy Name of Jesus as its structure. We, Jesuits, are celebrating its feast because we are named after Jesus (Society of Jesus).

Name-giving for the Jewish boys were given during circumcision usually done eight days from birth. This practice signifies his dedication to the Law of Moses. The name of the child becomes important. To signify lineage, he is named after anyone from his clan. When Zechariah named his son, John, he meant several things. First, John means Jehovah’s gift or God is gracious, an acknowledgement of the truth surrounding John’s birth. Second, it is a discreet way of showing gratitude to God. Finally, it is obedience to God: it is the name which God asked Zechariah to name his child. Despite the people’s expectation to name the child after his father or ancestors, Zechariah defied convention if it was God’s will. Zechariah then proved his trust in God’s word, and finally regained his voice. Because of this, people began to wonder what the child will turn out to be. The same thing with Jesus. When he was circumcised, he was named in obedience to God as the angel instructed them. And the whole of John and Jesus’ life will be in obedience to the will of God.

What’s in a name? The primary purpose of giving something a name is that, when it's not around for you to point at, you can refer to it by name. It gives you an identity. For example, even if you don't know what a pencil sharpener looks like, you can still figure out what it is or does. The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names.  Giving a name to a person, a module, a class, or a method is a sign that you truly understand what it’s supposed to do.

A name in the Philippines can also identify one’s roots and where they come from. On November 21, 1849 (Philippine History), Governor General Narciso Clavería ordered a systematic distribution of family names for the natives to use. The Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos was produced and approved names were assigned to families in all towns. In the province of Albay, the first letter of one’s surname indicates what town they belong to. If you’re surname begins with A or B, you’re probably from Tabaco; the Gs to Ms from Camalig; the R’s from Oas, Albay. The same thing with the towns in Iloilo. Moreover, it can also indicate one’s social class. Certain names bear the old names of tribes: Lakandula, Sulayman, Maglaban, Magtanggol, Mangahas, etc. They were retained because of their ‘fighting names’ and perhaps, they were members of the ruling class.

But some retained Filipino names are unfortunate. GMA 7’s I-Witness once featured a documentary called, “Sa Ngalan ng Pangalan”. Howie Severino featured two clans, one of them are the Bagongahasa clan in Paete, Laguna, where two generations have been debating the option of changing their name legally. [Bagongahasa means in Tagalog, “newly raped” from bago (new) gahasa (rape)] Whatever their differences of opinion, they all agree that it does have recall. But when Howie asked them if Gloria Arroyo would win any elections if her name was Bagongahasa, they also agreed that she probably wouldn’t.

Who is Mr. Bagongahasa? In Paete, Laguna, he is a retired US Navy man who is proud of his name and has it emblazoned all over his house. His cousin, however, is a Barangay Captain who desperately wants to change his name. The women of the family feel particularly aggrieved; the younger ones are eager to marry in order to shed the Bagongahasa surname.

In Mindanao, I baptized a child named, Sixbam. When I asked the parents, they told me it is a conjugation of their names. The father’s name was Sixto; the mother was Bambi! I had them change their daughter’s name. Elza Dinwiddie-Boyd, who wrote 1994's Proud Heritage: 11,001 Names for Your African-American Baby, says that a name is important because it begins to give a person an identity. She says that a name is not all that you are, but it is certainly what you are first known by. "Parents do need to take into consideration, certainly in elementary school, that historically kids have been teased when they had unusual, different or odd names. Kids get teased about names.

Second, a change of name marks a change of identity and lifestyle. Scriptures are filled with people who changed their names and thus, their life. Here are examples.

Abram to Abraham “father of a multitude.”
Jacob to Israel “God’s strong one.”
The apostle of Elijah called himself Elisha, “the small Elijah”.
John the Baptist “God’s Graciousness” or “God’s Gift”: Yehohanan.
Simon to Peter “the Rock”
Saul of Tarsus to Paul: from a persecutor to a disciple of Christ.
Even today, many religious congregations change their names or add a saint’s name (called a vow name): My vow name is Ignacio Maria.

A change of name is also a change of image. Town officials in Sexmoan, Pampanga decided to change their town's name, while residents of Barangay Baliw (Baliw in Filipino means deranged) in Ilocos Sur refuse to do so.

Hector Santos writes in his blog: “As we planted our roots in the U.S., we started calling ourselves by more popular American names. Pedring is now Peter; Carlos or Carling is now Charles or Chuck, German is now Gerry but not Germs and Marcelina is now Marsha. I do not fault these name-changing, perhaps, it’s our way of discarding the old ways and announcing their new found life by making our names more adaptive to the people we will be living with from hereon.” Here are some names in a relatively old list:

Remigio Batungbacal: Remington Steel
Leon Mangubat: Tiger Woods
Maria Pascua: Merry Christmas
Ligaya Añonuevo: Happy New Year

Our names also changed as we grow older. We may be called by our ‘baby names’ when we were toddlers; our first names in grade school; another name by our group of friends; and another by lovers. The names they call us indicate how close they are to us, or how far they are to us (as names bullies tease us with).

This new year, we may reflect on the names people have called us in our lives. What name is very significant to you? What name do you want to hear? I know mothers who yearn to hear “Mama” or “Mommy” from their children. It is one identity they love to be.


Or, if names give us identity and tell us about our life and history and if a change of name is necessary for a change in lifestyle, perhaps we can ask the following question. If I were given a second chance to mark a new ME, what would I call myself?

In baptism, we were marked with the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. And with the grace of baptism, as the second reading tells us, we become adopted children of God, and thus children of Mary. Do we bear in our lives the name of Jesus?