To Be Rich You Have to be Empty

27 January 2010. Wednesday of the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time
2 Sam 7, 4-17; Psalm 89; Mark 4, 1-20

In 2 Samuel 7, we see a turn-about. Establishing peace among the nations in his kingdom, King David now has the time for internal concerns, such as establishing a house for the Lord for public worship. The ark of the covenant is in a tent, the way when Israel was in the desert. To them, God is formally installed when a dwelling place is constructed.

But the Lord through the prophet Nathan said that it is He who will build a house for David. God will not just build a building like the Temple of Jerusalem built by Solomon, but a dynasty that will last forever. Thus the word, “house” in the reading has multiple denotations: a palace (v.1), a dwelling (vv. 2,5,6,7), royal dynasty (v. 11, 16) and a temple (v. 13).

To make things clear, the turn-about is a paradigm shift. As a king, David knows that it is within his own power to build a house for God. In this angle, when you build a house for someone, you are more financially capable; you are more powerful. However, God reminds David that the truth is the other way around: it is God who has the power to build David a palace, not just a dwelling place, but a royal dynasty and a temple that will live forever. The power is from God.

In the next passage, after the text of the first reading, King David will acknowledge his “littleness” compared to the Lord’s greatness (2 Sam 7: 18, 19, 22). In gratitude, David will recall how God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt and praise Him for having Israel as His favored people.

So in the succeeding years, this promise God entered with David and with Israel in general will be fulfilled. The Temple of Jerusalem will be built by David’s son, Solomon. It will be destroyed by the Babylonians but restored again. The Temple of Jerusalem will fall under the Roman empire in 70 AD. When it will happen, change in the notion of the “temple” as the Body of Christ comes about. When the disciples remembered Jesus words to the Pharisees that He would build the temple in three days, they realized that He meant His body who would resurrect on the third day. Thus, Paul in his letters will refer to people as Temples of the Spirit. And if we are indeed the Body of Christ, then this Temple is eternal.

Moreover, in and through Jesus, the royal dynasty continues at baptism when every person is anointed king and claimed by Christ as a child of the eternal God.

The affectionate reminder of God that it is He who is the source of power and leadership is in effect saying that everything, including David’s life and kingship, is gift. In our lives, it is the honest truth: all that we have has been given. Whatever we “offer” to God is not actually ours, but still God’s. This is ultimately the truth: we are poor. We have nothing to claim as ours. And thus whatever we have and possess, whatever we do, as St. Ignatius says, is to “praise, honor and glorify God!”

A heart and soul that acknowledge our emptiness, however, is paradoxically the “rich” soil needed for the seeds of the Gospel to grow. Just as the Gospel parable reminds us that God, as the sower, sows seeds, the lives of the seeds depends on the soil that receives them. A soil that is “empty” absorbs water and nutrients that the seed needs. A soil that is fertile is a soil that can retain just enough moisture to sustain growth. The analogy is consistent: an empty cup will be able to receive more water for the thirsty to drink.

Think of the greatest men and women of our time. The value of realizing our poverty makes us better. A brain that empties itself of prejudices and pre-conceive notions understands things and people well. Studying is a self-emptying just as listening to a friend’s woes. A person who is open is pliable and malleable. It survives harsh challenges and adapts well to change. A heart that is vulnerable to the elements loves truly and deeply. Remember, seeds that fall on a ground that is shallow dies shortly, so conversely, a seed grows to maturity when a soil has depth.

Think of Gandhi who lived simply. Think Mother Teresa. Think of all other saints who gave up everything, only to gain what matters. Jesus, when He emptied Himself of His being God to become like us, saved the world.

On the other hand, think of the most evil or the most corrupt. When they begin to believe that they own whatever power they have, the result is devastating to everyone else; and the word, “devastation” is an understatement.

Pope Dares Us

26 January 2010 Memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus
2 Tim 1, 1-8 or Titus 1, 1-5; Psalm 96; Mark 3, 31-35

We commemorate today St. Paul’s partners in his missionary work in the early church, namely Timothy and Titus. And incidentally, in this Year of Priests, we are having the 2nd National Congress of the Clergy at the Philippine World Trade Center in Pasay City. In this gathering, more than 5,000 priests will revitalize their vocations as they respond to Pope Benedict XVI’s call for their sanctification.

First, let’s talk about the two saints. Both Timothy and Titus were bishops serving the communities of Ephesus and Crete respectively. They were St. Paul’s trusted and closest friends. Timothy started out young when he began to assist Paul. In fact, Paul encouraged Timothy not to be encumbered by his youth when even talking to elders. Titus too shared a deep friendship with Paul. Below is an excerpt from Paul’s letters to the Corinthians:

“When I went to Troas...I had no relief in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.... For even when we came into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted in every way—external conflicts, internal fears. But God, who encourages the downcast, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus...” (2 Corinthians 2:12a, 13; 7:5-6).

At the core of these friendships was a deeper fellowship in service: they both shared in the apostolic missions of Paul. They were often sent to smoothen out challenging issues in the local churches that Paul founded. Timothy worked for Paul in the founding of the church in Corinth for 15 years. At some point, he was with Paul in Rome when Paul was arrested, and, like his mentor, Timothy was also imprisoned (Hebrews 13, 23). In addition, Titus too was sent by Paul to carry his letter to the Corinthians when the community was having great difficulties. It was said that the letter Titus bore to the Corinthians was one of St. Paul’s harshest. It was Titus’ personality, described as a peacemaker and administrator, that the issue in Corinth was solved.

Today, we can draw out from these ordinary men, an extraordinary pattern to help us live in holiness. They are united by a one and only love for Christ. It is what binds them. It is what inspires them. But the personal friendships that they share are not exclusive. It is a unity in dispersion: Their deep love for each other becomes the source of strength when they are dispersed, when they do their mission. They draw nourishment and strength, as St. Paul wrote, from each other in order for them to preach the Good News and to build a community. What makes us brothers and sisters is not so much that we are related by blood, as we are related by a common love and concern. Jesus says in the Gospel today, “Whoever does the will of God is brother, sister and mother to Me.” (Mark 3, 35) This, indeed, is a path to holiness.

Every saint is a “path” to holiness. As many as there are saints, they give us a thousand-and-one examples to lead a God-loving life. On the 23rd of January 2010, the Pope called Filipino bishops to work for the sanctification of priests so that they may be able to fulfill their mission in the church, in the modern world. Now, we are challenged to find do-able ways to be holy.

But we have to bear in mind that this is a universal call too: not only the clergy are called to holiness. We all are. And we are all “priests” by virtue of our baptism: we share the common priesthood of Christ. Just as Paul, Timothy and Titus developed means to preach the Gospel in their own specific and particular time, we too are to find new ways to evangelize and to build communities here and now. Thus, the path to holiness which Timothy and Titus took centuries ago can be adapted by all.

Pope Benedict XVI recently encouraged the priests to use the internet as a venue to practice their priesthood. He encouraged the clergy to particularly blog. And in order to practice what he just preached, the Pope opened a Facebook account, a website called Pope2U, and a Youtube channel so that we will be able to converse with him. New wine in new wineskins. [You'll all find the links here. ]

I believe that we should not be afraid to explore new ways to make our faith relevant today. Many people in the church are often afraid to try out other ways. Because of this crippling fear, we just do the tried and tested. We have lost Jesus’ sense of radicality and daring. Just as Jesus observed: if the sons of evil find many ways to do evil, why can’t the good discover creative ways to do good?

Try this exercise: list as many as you can, how you want to exact revenge on someone who hurt you. And then, in a separate sheet, write down as many as you can, how you can show your concern for the victims of Haiti.

Some Tips on Living Our Lives Well

24 January 2010. 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Nehemiah 8, 2-10; Psalm 19; 1 Cor 12, 12-17; Luke 1, 1-4; 4,14-21

The readings today can teach us two important elements on how to live our lives well. First, the importance of our roots: where we grew up, where we came from. We should not abandon our backgrounds because it is what made us who we are today. In the first reading, the Jews listens to the priest Ezra read the Scriptures. They have just returned from their exile, and they are back in Jerusalem. They are to rebuild their home, and the first thing that they do is to build their spirit. Their faith is the heart of their lives. The Gospel is also about that. Jesus returns to Nazareth, where He grew up. Nazareth is His home, and upon His return, He goes to the synagogue as was His custom. In the synagogue, He reads from a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. And the “eyes of all looked intently at Him.”

There are many slogans today that suggest this return to where we came from. During Vatican II, the Church urge all of us to return to the foundations of our faith. This return makes us appreciate the importance of Scripture so that many Catholics now go into bible studies and pray using Scripture. In addition, many religious congregations and organizations reflect on the primeval inspiration of their founders so that they will always be faithful to the very purpose of their existence. Moreover, psychology tells us that to re-orient our lives, we have to “go back to our roots” and retrace our steps to the past. We do this to be free from our issues and traumas that determine our decisions and our reactions in the present. To be free from the clutches of our past, we have to face them. Furthermore, lifestyle magazines also urge the homemaker to ‘go back to the basics’ --- to find joy and inspiration in the simple things in life. In other words, if we are to update our lives, we are to return to the very foundations.

What then do we do? In our lives, this return is experienced especially in many homecomings and reunions. In these events, we return and relive memories. The bible is the memory of all Christians. When we read, explain, understand and pray using Scripture, as Ezra and Jesus did, we become truly part of the whole Christendom. Wherever we are in the world, when we meet a Christian there are memories we share. We all know the story of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, or Joseph. We have the story of the birth of Jesus and how He died. We keep in our hearts Paul and the letters he wrote about the expansion of our faith. What builds our relationships are our memories. Our shared stories and customs is what strengthens the bond between persons and communities. Case in point: you will know if you belong to a group of persons if you know and share their stories. Thus, homecomings enrich our lives.

Second, the importance of building communities. The second reading affirms our uniqueness, because we possess different gifts and abilities. Our return to the past will help us discover our individuality and our cultural backgrounds --- as “Jews and Greeks, slaves or free persons” during the time of Paul. But Paul tells us that in this diversity, we are all one because we have been baptized in the same Spirit. And thus, these talents and cultural differences are given by God in order to enrich the Body of Christ. St. Paul writes to the Corinthians: “As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.” Our individual gifts are meant to be at the service of a community, both specifically (as your religious organization or parish) and generally (as the whole Christian community or our global world).

Scripturally, we call these Spirit-given talents, ‘charisms’ --- or gifts of the Spirit. And when these gifts operate or are used to build our communities, they are, as a matter of fact, called ministries. If you belong to a ministry, such as the music ministry in the parish, then it presupposes that your musical talents serve a specific congregation at mass, and generally, the whole parish community. In fact, when a choir chooses a song to sing at mass, they have to take into consideration, the demography of the congregation (culture, age, educational background ie. academic, urban poor, village, etc.). Can the congregation sing the song? This is called the pastoral judgment. If we want the mass to be participative, we sing songs that people can sing. Therefore, when serving using your God-given talents, the question is not so much what you want to sing, but what song will better help the congregation pray and appreciate the Word of God more. The same thing with the different ministries in the Eucharist: the Lectors and Servers, the special ministers of the Eucharist, the Ministry of Hospitality in which the lay Mother Butlers and the greeters belong.

In the third week of Ordinary Time, we reflect on our regular and daily lives. Today, the Lord puts into the fore the importance of being rooted and at the same time of being reaching out in the community. Think of a tree: the leaves and branches cannot reach out to the sky unless it is rooted deeply into the soil.

How To Kill A Giant

20 January 2010. Wednesday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time
1 Sam 17, 32-51; Psalm 144; Mark 3, 1-6

There are many things that overwhelms us. Our debts and financial difficulties hover on us on a daily basis. Especially among trauma victims, disasters unsettle us. The uncertainty of our future makes us insecure. Our illnesses limit and causes us pain. There are many others that bullies our lives that we believe that we will never overcome them. Or we will never be totally happy and at peace as long as they dominate us. These are the giants in our lives; the Goliaths that we have to face.

In the first reading, the enemy were the Philistines. But to David, the first giant that he had to face is the discouragement from the king himself. Saul said, “You cannot go up against this Philistine and fight with him, for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior from his youth.”

We all know what it means to be discouraged. Before the battle, the evil spirit will do all within its power for us to lose heart. To the bad spirit, we are to be defeated even before the duel. To think that we can’t make it before the exam. To be haunted by our humble beginnings before mingling with the who’s who of society. To think that we have less abilities in a talent contest.

There is a movie on cable called “Akeelah and the Bee” written and directed by Doug Atchison. It tells the story of Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer), a black 11-year old girl who participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. She enrolls in Crenshaw Middle School where she doesn’t quite fit in with the students, but she never commits a mistake in spelling tests. She wins at a spelling contest in her school, that catapults her to compete at the nationals.

But it isn’t easy for Akeelah to reach that level. She has to convince her mother (Angela Bassett) to allow her. Her mother doesn’t want her to join because she doesn’t want Akeelah to be one of the losers. Moreover, she asks the help of Dr. Joshua Larabee (Laurence Fishbourne); but Dr. Larabee turns her down. She has to memorize 5,000 words before the nationals. Eventually, the whole neighborhood contributes to coaching her. At the end of the movie, she and another friend of hers, Dylan Chiu, wins. Akelaah cannot have gotten the prize if she didn’t face the Goliaths that became obstacles to her dream.

It is true: to hear words that crush our spirit from our very own families and friends is more hurting than anything else.

Furthermore, David answered Saul in the first reading that it would be God who would be the source of his victory. And when he did set his heart on God alone, Goliath fell. But when he focused on the “Goliaths” in his life, he is the one who fails. For example, when he succumbed to his giant lust for Bathsheba, he murders her husband.

In other words, we are to face our giants. We have to make a decision to overcome them. We cannot run away from them. We cannot devise ways and means to escape from them. They will always find us. Our maturity is measured by the number of giants we have defeated.

Scripture contains the strategy. First, we keep our gaze on God alone, just as David did. Case in point: we are puzzled by the joy poor people have. Many of these simple people come to pray. They will tell you that their faith and trust in God inspire them to continue with their lives and maintain a happy disposition. If they receive more than what they have, they become very, very grateful.

On the other hand, take the example of many who are in the corporate echelons of society. In the hustle and bustle of the city, many live empty lives. They battle the giants in high rise buildings, but remain lonely after the battle. No victory can cheer them up.

I heard in one meeting that we have to add another deadly sin: the sin of haste. When people rush to and fro, they neglect the people who matter. Caring for their aging parents becomes a burden because they have work to do. Keeping track of their family members becomes a nuisance because they do not have time. For many who let Work, the Giant, dominate and determine their lives, they have eventually lost their relationship with their children. When our lives are focused on these giants, we fail.

Second, we should know what we are good at. David was good with sling and stone, not with a bow and arrow. Know your powers. A warrior carries his or her weapons well.

So how then do we defeat our giants?

Keep your gaze on God and God alone. Then pick up your stones and aim.

Making Choices

19 January 2010. Tuesday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time
1 Samuel 16, 1-13; Psalm 89; Mark 2, 23-28

What course in college should I take? After graduation, should I pursue a Master’s degree or accept a job offer? Is this person the right one to marry? Should I help another who is not related to me, or should I help my family first. And the most relevant this year, who should I vote? Decisions always perplex us because many of our options are not about good and evil. If it is between darkness and light, the decision is clear: we choose what is good. But the harder is choosing between two good things --- though to some, three or four good things. Choosing a degree in college can be a daunting task. A student once said, “Economics or Business Administration or Management is good for the family business. But I will be happy if I take BS Biology because I want to be a doctor.”

We can take from the readings today how to discern. Making choices is a skill that is learned. It is an art, in which we discover the best possible way to respond to God in our life. St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Rules for Discernment help many people make wise choices and sound decisions. When God instructed the prophet Samuel to choose another king, other than King Saul, He continually reminded Samuel that “Not as man sees does God see, because he sees the appearance, but the LORD looks into the heart.”

St. Ignatius of Loyola reminds us that “our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to God’s deepening life in me.” And therefore, the first principle is to choose what is good. Among all the options, what leads me towards a deeper service to God? It is hard for Samuel to accept the fact that God has now rejected King Saul whom he has anointed. Samuel is particularly attached to Saul, and the more painful truth is that God is determined to seek a replacement. But Samuel obeys God, because obedience deepens his relationship with Him.

Moreover, the rules of St. Ignatius helps us make choices from among equally viable options. It tells us that in order to make decisions with regards attractive alternatives, we must be sensitive to the inner movements of our spirit. Ignatius gives us a disciplined system to reflect on our feelings as we respond to God with each alternative. Take for example the anointing of David. Before David came to the scene of the banquet, Jesse, his father, presented all of his sons to Samuel. Each son, whose appearance were attractive, were all rejected. The reading says, “Do not judge from his appearance or his lofty stature.” This suggests that every single son of Jesse has those qualities, and Samuel is inclined to choose any of them. But in Samuel’s heart, Yahweh responds in the negative.

Look when David arrives. God affirms the choice, and Samuel anoints him with his horn of oil. David also has a pleasing personality: “He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.” But what made David different from the rest? David was God’s chosen.

The same thing when we look at the Gospel. The real servant of God is the one with a great heart, who chooses charity above the law. The disciples are hungry. And despite the Pharisaic Sabbath laws that prohibit them from taking from a field of grain, Jesus disregards the law in favor of feeding his disciples. Just as David has been a good shepherd, Jesus too feeds his hungry flock above all else. He knows which is important; which is more important; which is the most important.

God can speak to us directly. But we have to learn how to pray in silence. It is in praying that we become sensitive to God in our lives. It is in quiet prayer that we develop the eyes to see and ears to hear the voice of God. The prophet Elijah said that God speaks in the gentle wind. St. Ignatius will ask every person who discerns: What do you feel? Why do you feel that feeling? What are the patterns of consolation and desolation? Are you at peace? Are you moved towards loving God more than anyone else? These questions need answers in order for one to discover the best way to respond to God’s will.

It is just sad that many do not know how to maintain silence in prayer. We have become noisy both exteriorly and interiorly. That is why it is harder for many to discern genuinely. Reflect on many retreats and recollections. Parish recollections are talks, not strictly recollections. A recollection will give you time for quiet reflection and prayer. It will give you time to “collect” or to gather your experiences, so that we re-experience them in prayer with more sensitivity to God’s presence. In these so-called retreats or recollections, we try to “fill in” the gaps or call the animators to prevent people from getting bored. Or in some cases, the retreat participants socialize because they reason that the retreat time is their only time to update each other. This is my personal opinion: then don’t call the event a retreat or a recollection when it’s not. You’re just fooling yourselves.

My point is this: if we do not train ourselves to be quiet in prayer, how can we even choose rightly the person who will some day be our president? Case in point: the alternatives are attractive enough for us to be star-struck with tons of ‘stars’ or mesmerized when the person starts giving a house. When we are in “high spirits” it is always prudent not to decide. We might choose the wrong king; because we will never hear the voice of God saying “not him” -- because the noise is already overpowering.

Ketchup and the Sto Nino

17 January 2010. 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; Luke 2, 41-52

We do know that ketchup is a condiment best used on top of hotdog and burger sandwiches, or as a dip for potato fries and fried chicken. But our ever-present favorite has other unusual uses. It can help remove the chlorine smell of your hair after your dip at the pool, or restore the shine of your copper or silverware.

What has this to do with our devotion to the Child Jesus? Well, we will try to find new twists on a tradition. Like an update or a make-over. Like ketchup. We will not let you debunk the ketchup from your chicken, but we will try to see if ketchup is also good with crackers, so to speak.

Let’s begin with what we have: the ketchup for fried chicken. Popular devotion to the Child Jesus is global. We have the Infant Jesus of Prague, The Child Jesus in Egypt, the Santo Niño de Atocha, the Bambino de Araceoli, the Holy Child of Remedy and our Santo Niño de Cebu. In the Philippines, we celebrate the Santo Niño with pomp and pageantry. We dance on the streets at the Ati-Atihan Festival in Aklan and the Sinulog in Cebu.

Despite the great show, the root of these activities is religious. We celebrate the coming of Catholic Christianity to the Philippines. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan came to the island of Cebu. King Humabon and Queen Juana accepted him warmly. In the event of Queen Juana’s baptism, Magellan gave the wooden statue of the Santo Niño to her. As a token of friendship, Magellan and the Spaniards fought side by side against a common enemy of King Humabon. Magellan died in that battle. On the second return of the Spaniards to the Philippines in 1565, the Cebuanos fought against the Spaniards fearing the foreigners return was to avenge Magellan's death. In the battle that ensued, a Spanish soldier found the wooden statue of the Child Jesus. Since many miracles were attributed to the statue, the Sto Nino became the patron saint of Cebu.

As it is today, the devotion to the Child Jesus is mixed with all other things. Many come to ask for favors since the statue is miraculous. In the Basilica de Sto Niño de Cebu in Osmeña where the core of the celebration lies, middle-aged women are willing to dance the favors you ask --- in exchange for a few pesos. But many in the crowd do not come with a request to ask the Child, they come to be part of the pageantry.

But ketchup, as we discovered, can also remove chlorine-damaged hair, and brighten up your copper and silver implements. The same thing with the devotion. As a religious event, our main focus is always Jesus. But the truth is, the “child” Jesus is not anymore a child: He died at 33 years old. The One source of all these miracles attributed to the Sto. Nino, is a mature adult. Once we become aware of the root of the revelry, we begin to be aware of several unusual purposes.

The devotion to the Child Jesus is always in view of adulthood and maturity. That faith is a process; we continue to grow in the wisdom of God. Like Jesus when he was young, the Gospel tells us, “Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.” (Luke 2, 52). While acquiring the childLIKE qualities that constitute maturity, he grew in wisdom and age.

First, if our faith has been introduced centuries ago, has it developed into a faith that transforms our society? Why is it that the Philippines which is the only Catholic country in Asia continues to be one of the world’s most corrupt? The leaders are mostly Catholic. If we have this genuine devotion to the Sto. Nino, this is the time to assess our faith. Our faith is truly sincere and simple. It is genuine and strong to create a distinctively Catholic culture, but it has not transform us. We keep the faith through popular religious practices, but many of us Filipinos are not able to account of what we believe. This religious ignorance makes Filipino Catholics vulnerable to the teachings of aggressive groups. In this sense, our faith continues to be infantile. We need an informed faith.

Second, if our faith has been with us and permeating our culture and society, why is it that it has not been sufficiently social. It is true that our faith has created communities. Look at the Sinulog and the various Eucharistic celebrations, novenas, fiesta celebrations and Catholic organizations. They are “forms of community togetherness” (PCP II).

But our faith does not move us to BUILD Christian communities. In some areas, the parishes are not experienced as a Christian community, but as a service station that caters to individual’s religious needs. For example, baptism, weddings and funerals. In fact many of those who attend these events, rarely come to Sunday mass.

Moreover, the faith has not served as a moving force to motivate the sharing of possessions and action for justice in society. The Church does not say much about pertinent issues, or else any preaching about issues is seen as an encroachment to Church and state. In the Philippines, the effect is thus the Church is seen as a power block in politics than as a teacher of Christian truth in political matters. In this sense, the faith that was introduced more than five hundred years ago remains infantile and childish. If the faith has to mature, it should become a social faith.

Let me end with ketchup. We need to shift paradigms. Ketchup with fried chicken is fine. But ketchup with other uses makes ketchup more important and relevant. If ketchup can clean our hair and brighten our silverware, perhaps, faith too can repair our damaged system and brighten up our lives.

Sayaw ng Sto. Nino

17 January 2010. 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; Luke 2, 41-52

Note: This post appears in Sambuhay today. Sambuhay is a publication of the Society of St. Paul. The missalette is used to help people participate more in the mass.

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 annibersaryo, mainam na makita ito sa tamang konteksto.

Isang malaking bulagta ang katotohanang si Kristo ay hindi na bata. Lumaki na siya. Tatlumpong taong gulang siya nang nagsimula sa paglilingkod sa publiko. 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 galaw ng paa sa sayaw sa Sinulog ay dalawang hakbang pa-sulong at isang hakbang pa-atras. Two steps forward, one step backward.

Two-steps forward. Sa annibersary ng Sto Nino, nakaharap tayo sa ating kinabukasan. Sa kahit anong annibersaryo, sinusuri natin ang layo ng ating narating at ang abot-tanaw ng ating pupuntahan. Halimbawa, sa mga annibersaryo ng kasal, tinatanong natin kung nakamtan na natin ang 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. Noong unang panahon, nasa murang-edad pa ang ating pananampalataya. Ngunit, pagkalipas ng ilang daang taon, nagbago ba ang ating bansa dahil sa isang buhay-na-buhay na pananampalataya?

Ngunit, hindi magkahiwalay ang mga hakbang ng pasulong at pa-atras. Isa itong sayaw. Pinapakiramdaman ang mga hakbang. Ginagamit sa tamang kumpas at bagsak ng tutog. Ito ang buhay nating mga Kristiyano: umuunlad, umuusbong at lumalago; ngunit natututong magbalik-tanaw, magnilay o manalangin para makita ang pinatutunguhan ng ating buhay. Mahalaga sa pag-unlad ang pagsusuri.

Isang pagre-respeto ng proseso ng paglaki at paglago ang debosyon ng Sto. Nino. Nauunawaan natin na ang bata kailangang unti-unti ang pagtanda. Hindi maaaring madaliin ang anumang pagtubo. Pinagpaplanuhan, pinagtiya-tiyagaan at pinagsisikapan ang kahit na anong paglalago, tulad ng isang magulang na nagpapalaki ng anak. At tulad nang sinabi sa Ebanghelio, tuloy-tuloy ang paglaki ni Hesus habang natututo ito sa tunay na buhay.

Pangalawa, pinapahalagahan ng debosyon sa Sto. Nino ang mga katangian ng bata. Paalala: katangian ng bata at hindi asal-bata. Childlike and not child-ish. Sa panahong ito, hinahamon tayong mga Pilipino na pag-isipan ang ating paraan ng pamumuhay lalung-lalo na sa gitna ng mga sakuna. Pag-isipan ang mga tanging pangangailangan at iwasan ang mga luho sa buhay. At sa kabila ng ating pag-hihirap, pinapaalala sa atin na sana hindi tayo mawalan ng pag-asa at sigla dahil nangako sa atin ang Panginoon. May tiwala ang bata sa kanyang mga magulang.

Nang masalanta ang marami ng bagyo at baha ng Ondoy, inipon ng ERDA Tech sa isang silid-aralan ang mga donasyong damit. Limang damit lamang para sa bawat bata. Habang hinahanap ng karamihang bata ang kanila lamang na sukat, isang bata ang pumili ng iba’t ibang size ng damit para sa kanyang kapamilya. Wika niya, masaya siyang magbibigay sa kanyang mga kapatid.

Naalala ninyo ang inyong pagka-bata? Walang makakapigil sa ating pagiging masaya. Kahit anong nasa paligid ay maaari nating gawing laruan: bato, tsinelas, dahon, kahoy, atpb. Madali tayong mapasaya. Tawa lang tayo nang tawa. Ibig sabihin, hindi kailangang palakihin ang ating mga anak sa mamahaling laruan. Isang payak na pamumuhay at simpleng kasiyahan ang makakaligtas sa ating pagkabaon sa hirap.

Subukan natin kung simple pa rin ba tayo: 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?

Did You Pray for Something You Realized You Didn't Want?

15 January 2009. Friday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time
1 Sam 8, 4-22; Psalm 89; Mark 2, 1-12

Have you asked the Lord something which He granted, and then realized that you don’t want it? That is exactly the story in the first reading. The Israelites demanded for a king. In the past, they were led by charismatic leaders called “judges” like Joshua, Deborah and Samson. These chosen heroes led the Israelites against their enemies. Now they wanted to replace the old system of governing Israel. And so they prayed for a new king.

Samuel was indignant. He warned the Israelites about the price of kingship. If some leaders already took bribes, the king would take everything they valued including their freedom. All of them would be subjected to the king and his wishes. And once they had a king, there was no way for them to turn back. It would be useless to complain. And in addition, Samuel always regarded the Lord as the one and only king who cannot be replaced by a human being. But the reading repeated the answer of the Lord to Samuel: Obey the people. Let them have what they want. Appoint a king.

Now, we all know the effect of kingship when Saul and his successors became Israel’s kings.

The story of the olden days finds its relevance to the present as we elect the leaders of our country. By putting them in power, we also pledge our allegiance. We will be subjected to them. And if we do not like our leaders whom we have, in the first place, chosen, we suffer the consequences of incompetence and inability to govern with righteousness and justice. It is said that many of our leaders act like local chieftains who are concerned not about the larger country, but their own tribes.

The Gospel though presents a different model of kingship. Jesus conducted his ‘business’ in his ‘office’ at Capernaum. But his leadership was that of pure service. People gathered around Him as He taught. He spoke to an SRO crowd. He was definitely charismatic like the judges of yore. We could not deny that a magnetic personality helped Jesus in His ministry.

Moreover, Jesus did what He said He came for. He healed the sick. He addressed the many hungers of individuals and the society at large. Take for example the paralytic. He dealt with him in different levels. First, Jesus cured him of his physical illness and He addressed the desire of the paralytic’s friends. Second, He healed his inner troubles. Forgiveness of sins deals with one’s past. It pacified the paralytic’s feeling of guilt. And then, Jesus restored him to society. In Jesus’ time, sickness was regarded as God’s punishment of past sins. Jesus’ gift was the paralytic’s return to wholeness and normalcy. He had a sincere concern for people and a sensitivity to the different levels of people’s aspirations.

Having presented two models of kingship, we are asked to carefully choose who among the aspiring candidates approximate the type of leadership we truly want. We sometimes have ourselves to blame. We deserve the leaders we get.

Remember, EDSA 2? Many of us were there. Many of us prayed for our present leaders, only to realize we don’t want them.

Now, we have a chance to correct our decisions. But how much do we really desire a change?

Were there Tensions among the Disciples?

11 January 2010. Monday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time
1 Sam 1, 1-8; Psalm 116; Mark 1, 14-20

Yesterday, we celebrated the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. The event marked Jesus’ first appearance in public, the beginning of His mission. Today, Mark’s Gospel narrates how Jesus calls his first four followers at the beginning of his ministry. His invitation to them is direct: “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men.” And their response is also immediate: they abandon their boats and follow Him. These fishermen, Simon (later Peter), Andrew, James and John, totally leave their families and their livelihood for a life of discipleship. Jesus’ preaching --- and I assert, His personality --- must have been very powerful for them to drop everything. Among these four, three of them (Peter, James and John) will be at crucial events in the life of Jesus.

Allow me to say more in view of the whole Gospel to coax out a deeper reality and meaning. In the succeeding years, Peter, James and John will be present in four important events in the life of Jesus. Often, these three are the only ones present. The Collegeville Bible Commentary supplies us with these events, “in which he [Jesus] most clearly reveals the power and purpose of his life (healing and giving life in Mark 1, 29-31 and Mark 5, 37-43), the glory-filled Transfiguration, in Mark 9, 2-13; the message about the future times in Mark 13, 1-37.”

But Peter, James and John will also be the ones who will misunderstand him like Peter at Caesarea Philippi in 8, 27-33 (in which Jesus said to Peter, “Get away from me, Satan!”); James and John seeking “to be first” in 10, 35-45; all three of them at the Garden of Gethsemane in 14, 32-42; and Peter’s denial in 15, 66-72.

In other words, Jesus’ relationship with these disciples will be marked by tensions and difficulties along the way. For Mark, he precisely invites the readers to consider what discipleship brings. To respond to God’s call is not enough; tensions will build also among those who followed Jesus. Their journey will be marked by both joys and sorrows, clarity and confusion, inspiration and dis-edification. Discipleship then is a continuous struggle. Later, Matthew the tax collector (pro-government) and Simon the Zealot (a rebel) will join the ranks. It is not impossible to imagine arguments coming from both of them.

I often hear the remarks of many people within or outside the Church about those who serve in the church. They tell us how they became disillusioned. When they enlisted themselves in a particular ministry or organization, they thought joining religious organizations was like being in ‘heaven’ when everyone is likable and lovable; they had the impression that people in religious associations work in harmony and peace. Many of them were therefore surprised to find that the negativities of the world are also present within the church. The Gospel today tells us that the closest friends of Jesus were not exempted. The tension within and outside of the ranks were also real.

But we also get from Jesus and the disciples how to keep people together despite their differences. First, they have been united by their only one love: Jesus. It is their affection for Him that brought them together. Second, Jesus also expresses his affection towards them whether through his words or his actions. He calls them, friends. Affection builds people as individuals in a relationship because it is how we care. Third, their journey together as a team is filled with excitement and exhilaration as well as sorrows and pains. They make memories together. When Jesus resurrected, they continued to remember fondly these events. They wrote about these experiences (as we see in the New Testament) and passed them on to the next generation. Memories strengthened the bond between individuals and groups.

The Gospel today tells us that discipleship is a continuing tension and struggle as well as an experience of excitement and meaning. One’s assent to the call of Jesus may be marked by a commitment done in a few minutes (as religious vows or marriage vows) but the journey living them out is worth the ride.

The Many Hinges in Our Lives

10 January 2010 Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord
Isaiah 40, 1-11; Psalm 103; Ti 2, 11-14 - 3, 4-7; Luke 3, 15-22

On the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, it is not necessary to reflect on our baptism --- to many of us, we hardly remember it since we were infants. The Baptism of Our Lord marks the beginning of Ordinary Time in the Liturgical Year when we reflect on different aspects of the Lord’s daily life. Therefore the context of this feast can be our own general life. I have three points.

First point. In our lives today, there are definitive stages and turning points. These are the times when we take a turn in our life’s journey. These events are like hinges. Graduations, weddings and ordinations are prime examples. It can be the time when we begin to forge our own paths apart from our families; when we start pursuing our dreams and our missions. It can be a career move with a fair amount of risk and dare. It can be entering into a serious relationship with the intent of settling down. It can also be retiring from work or getting into widowhood.

When Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan, he was thirty years old. Prior to this story, Jesus was twelve when he was found by Mary and Joseph at the Temple talking to the elders. No one knew what exactly happened in the eighteen years between these two accounts. In the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius called this period as the hidden life of Jesus. Though hidden, St. Ignatius urged every pray-er to meditate on this aspect of Jesus’ life and to derive meaning from it. The hidden life was part of Jesus’ growing years. He was an ‘ordinary’ boy; a carpenter by trade like Joseph; unknown by most people. His baptism could thus be regarded as a turning point in His life. It was His first public appearance.

Second point. Taking great risks involves an instinct. It is something that cannot be taught or predicted. You just know that it is the right time. We just don’t resign from work when we feel that it is not the right time to plunge into another career. We just don’t enter into a new stage in a relationship when we are not sure or we feel we are not yet ready. The time just comes.

Did Jesus need John’s baptism when His baptism was of the Holy Spirit? John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He was urging the people to start anew. He called people to reconcile with God by turning away from their sinful selves. John’s appearance during the time answered the needs of many who were disillusioned by the moral degradation in the Roman empire. And thus there was a spiritual movement.

Jesus found that moment as the right time for Him to begin his mission. In his growing years, He gradually discovered his uniqueness. He knew that eventually He had to leave Nazareth. By allowing John to baptize him, He would identify Himself more with the people who have been baptized. Jesus was one like us; God’s word with us.

The movement towards God that characterized the climate of His time was the right time for His first public appearance. The soil was fertile for the Good News to take root and grow.

Finally, God was always involved in every hinge in the life of Jesus. The Gospel said: “After Jesus had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” Many theologians explained that this was an inner vision, something that happens when we pray. It was God’s confirmation of Jesus’ decision to commence his mission as Messiah. In Scripture, the image that the ‘heavens are opened’ means that God visits His people (Is 63, 19). And the descent of the Holy Spirit tells us that the Spirit of God had resided in Jesus.

Today, we need to involve God in every single decision that we make, especially the crucial ones. We need to discern whether what we plan to do is indeed God’s will for us. We take these plans to prayer and present them to God. St. Ignatius says in his rules of discernment that we get to know that God has confirmed our decisions when we experience peace in our prayers. We are at peace when our hearts are totally aligned with God’s heart. Discernment thus is done always in quiet prayer. Many spiritual mystics say that we can only hear God’s voice in the silence of our hearts.

We pray that we grow in appreciation of the many turns in our lives. At the same, we pray that we will always hear God’s voice affirming that we too are His children.

Looking Back and Looking Forward

Fr. Jose Cecilio Magadia, SJ
Provincial Superior of the Philippine Jesuits
January 1, 2010

Note: I am reprinting Fr. Jojo Magadia's homily for Jesuits on the evening of January 1, 2010. Every January 1st, we, Jesuits, celebrate our titular feast (The Holy Name of Jesus). We spent an afternoon of silent reflection (this year's points was given by Fr. Rene Javellana SJ), a mass presided by the Provincial, and dinner. This homily is published in our website. Here is the link. You might find some articles in our website worth reading like Fr. Jojo's homily.

It is January again, the month of Janus, the two-faced Roman god of gates and doors (Latin, ianua), beginnings and endings, able to look backward to the past and forward to the future. So now, let us simply do that – look back to 2009, and look forward to 2010.

First, we look back...

Like all years, the year 2009 brought good news and bad. Worldwide, it was a difficult year as the financial meltdown that began in 2008 continued till the middle of 2009, before the start of some recovery. The AHIN1 virus showed up in over 200 countries and alarmed many peoples. The violence in Afghanistan and Gaza intensified. A gathering in Copenhagen for climate change ended ambivalently at best. It was the year Obama took over as the first African American president of the US. It was the year of Slumdog Millionaire and Susan Boyle. It was the year of the passing away of Michael Jackson and Farah Fawcett.

Here in the Philippines, 2009 was the year of chacha’s HR1109, GMA’s 20-thousand dollar dinner in New York, Maguindanao’s shocking massacre, Western Mindanao’s many kidnappings, and the revolting scandals of Katrina Halili and Hayden Kho. A few weeks ago, Mayon began to heat up, even as it continues to stay deadly still to this day. It was the year of Ondoy and Pepeng, which hit some of our own Jesuit families and many of our friends. But it was also a great year for heroes, from Manny Pacquiao, to Efren Peñaflorida, to the much loved and respected Cory Aquino, to the many little heroes who gave their lives to save those who were trapped by the floods. It was the year of Santino, telling us about how to talk to Bro and to believe na May Bukas Pa!

For us Jesuits of the Philippine Province, in 2009, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the return of the Society of Jesus to the Philippines after the suppression, and the sesquicentennial of the Ateneo de Manila University. On this occasion, Father General, himself, blessed us with his presence last July. Exactly a year ago, Joey Fermin was in his last days, and Rey Ocampo and Tom Green were still with us for the January 1 gathering. Now they have passed on, as have Mike Bernad and Jim Mckeough and Ignacio de Moreta. Six men have died, and we accepted four men into the novitiate, and ordained six baby priests and seven deacons. We discussed the futures of our presence in Mindanao, our work with the Chinese-Filipino communities, and our responsibilities in basic Jesuit formation. We are still bleeding financially, and yet we are strengthened and encouraged by many of our friends who have continued to support the Province and our works.

Through these peak times, we struggle with our daily routines, as we work through our classes and papers, our meetings, our planning. We do our best to live our vows. We face whatever challenges and crises come our way. We resist the fatigue and the weaker knees and the more frequent senior moments. Things happen, at a time and in a manner we only frequently just slightly understand, and only in hindsight do we discover the wisdom behind it all – truly, the Lord’s inscrutable ways.

Every year, we say that we have to give thanks to God for the blessings of the past year. But really, as I get older and become more pragmatic or even cynical, I find it more and more difficult to see God’s hand in everything, and often, giving thanks can become so routine and banal. More frequently, I have the experience of Moses who hears the thunder and the lightning and the trumpet blast, who has a sense of a powerful presence, who sees the fire and the cloud, but when he comes near, all he sees is smoke. (Exodus 19)

God revealed is also elusive and mysterious and ungraspable. Why has it gotten so much more difficult to see God’s hand in everything and so, give thanks?

One author (Mark Galli) provides an answer by comparing our relationship to God with his experience of falling in love with his wife.

“As I started to fall in love with the woman who was to become my wife, I became increasingly fascinated with her. I wanted to know what books she liked, what hobbies she enjoyed, what her favorite color was. I wondered what her family was like, if she had previous boyfriends, and what goals she had for her life.

“The more I probed, the more I became curious…. Each time I found something out, I wanted to know why and how. And I could not get enough of her. I was madly in love.

“We got married. And the years passed. Little by little, things changed. There came a time in our marriage when, sadly, my wife no longer seemed a mystery to me. I thought I pretty much had her figured out. I knew her so well, she began to grate on me—her opinions, her habits, her turns of phrase were all so predictable! Instead of longing to be with her more and more, I wanted to get away.

“The problem was not that she had become boring; it was that I had put her in the Barbara Box, a neat little container that defined who Barbara was.

So it is with God. We do fall in love with Him. But time does pass, and things change.

“A little knowledge of God is a dangerous thing, and after a while, we think we've got him figured out. And we put God in that neat little container.

“Then one day, we go to get God out of that container—we expect him to answer a prayer or bless a venture, or we look for an answer to some tragedy we face—and we open it and find he is not there. Just when we needed him, he's up and gone! And we are angry.

“We stomp around the room in a fury, and we pout, and we vow never to be so naïve again about religion. And then we start to cry.

That’s what has happened. So every now and then, it is good to look back to the early days. We remember our first love, and those days “when our desire to love God was far stronger than our desire to manipulate Him. More than wanting to merely use God, we simply want God.”

And so for now, let us look back to the early days of loving God, and maybe we might be able to really give thanks to this God who very quietly moves in our lives. But if you cannot say thank you yet, I invite you to do as Mary did … and to just keep these in our hearts for now, and wait and pray, and ask for the grace of that moment when we can truly say from the depths of our hearts, thank you!

Now let’s look to the future. Let’s look to 2010...

Since none of us here are fortune-tellers, we cannot do this second task with great detail, as we did the looking back. But maybe, what we can do is to try to provide an optic to help us live the coming year, in fidelity to who we are and what we have been called to do.

Last June 2009, the Holy Father led the Church in opening the Year for Priests, which is ending this June 2010. So I invite you to look at the coming year, as members of this priestly Society of Jesus. In an article he wrote in 2002, Father Michael Buckley points out that as Jesuits, our priesthood is not mainly cultic, nor mainly pastoral. These belong more properly to our bishops and our brother diocesan priests. For Jesuits, our priesthood is mainly prophetic...

(This reflection was intended mainly for Jesuits, but all Christians, by virtue of our Baptism are called to be priests and prophets...)

...and this involves speaking God’s Word to people, and making men and women hear this word, and assimilate it into their hearts, and incarnate it in their lives. In short, it means telling the world in a powerful way, something that we often only half-believe most of the time – that yes, we can be holy, and that yes, it is possible for us to be saints.

St Hippolytus writes: (On the Refutation of All Heresies, Office of Readings for December 30):

We know that by taking a body from the Virgin he re-fashioned our fallen nature. We know that his manhood was of the same clay as our own; if this were not so, he would hardly have been a teacher who could expect to be imitated. If he were of a different substance from me, he would surely not have ordered me to do as he did, when by my very nature I am so weak. Such a demand could not be reconciled with his goodness and justice.

No. He wanted us to consider him as no different from ourselves, and so he worked, he was hungry and thirsty, he slept. Without protest he endured his passion, he submitted to death and revealed his resurrection. In all these ways he offered his own manhood as the first fruits of our race to keep us from losing heart when suffering comes our way…. He was truly Word made flesh, and …

The saying "Know yourself" means therefore that we should recognise and acknowledge in ourselves the God who made us in his own image….

So let us look forward to 2010, not knowing what it will bring. For some of us this year will be a year of transitions, for some a year of major shifts and decisions, for some a time of crisis and difficulty, for some a time of facing debilitation or diminishment or death, in our families, in our selves. For many, it will very well be more of the same. We do not really know how it will end, but as Jesuits belonging to this priestly Society of Jesus (and as Christians baptized into Christ), we are called to be prophets, and to tell all those around us that through it all, we can be holy. We have it in us to be saints, and recognize that we are creatures, dependent on the unfathomable power of God.