Is it possible to see God's grace outside of our walls?

23 February 2011 Memorial of St. Polycarp, bishop and martyr
Sirach 4:12-22; Psalm 118; Matthew 9: 38-40

The readings today is particularly important in evaluating our 'exclusive' tendencies. This closed mentality is what Jesus calls the "yeast of the Pharisees." The disciple John complains about other people who do not belong to their group, but nevertheless perform miracles by driving out demons in Jesus' name. To John, no one, other than those within their circle, has the right to do what Jesus commanded.

Jesus took the opportunity to teach the disciples to veer away from the closed and ancient mentality of the "chosen people" - to be the chosen people was seen as an exclusivity, a monopoly of God.

But Jesus responds, "You must not stop him; no one who works a miracle in my name could speak against me. Anyone who is not against us is for us." (Mark 9,40)

Jesus widens our horizons. He wants us to realize that God's grace also operates outside of the walls of our groups, organizations, congregations, political views. That God's grace is not bound by our own categories.

To me this has some implications.

Within the Church, what is your attitude towards people who are also Catholics, but do not worship the same way as you do? For example, if you like the Latin rite, do you look down on those who prefer the vernacular? If you like pre-Vatican liturgical music, what is your attitude towards pop liturgical music that makes the young sing?

On certain gray areas in terms of our moral lives, what is your attitude towards co-Catholics who may not agree with your stance? Do you make a general and sweeping statement that they are of the devil? What if they have decided on a clear conscience a stand which is not the same as yours, do you condemn them to hell?

The stance of Jesus also has ecumenical implications on exclusivity. In the Church's document on dialogue with our Christian brothers and sisters, do you reach out to them also, or are you hostile to them - even if they have hostile tendencies to Catholicism? Even if they have openly criticized our practices on public television? Is it possible to still see that they too do good in Jesus' name?

I admit that the Church lacked proper catechism. The 2nd Plenary Council of the Philippines said that our faith is uninformed. Though genuine, our faith has been maintained by popular piety. There are many who have not had bible studies. When some Catholics transfer to another sect, where they get the biblical studies that we have not offered to them, and in turn, they lived a good Christian life according to the teachings of Jesus, who are we to judge that that is not God's grace?


- Posted by Jboy Gonzales SJ using BlogPress. Copyright 2011.

Location:Allende,Mexico City,Mexico

How to Love An Enemy

20 February 2011 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lev 19:1-2, 17-18; 1 Cor 3:16-23; Matthew 5: 38-48

On 15 December 2010, Sr. Angelita receives the news of the murder of her mother and sister in their house. Her sister worked in a labor union in Mexico. But she doesn't know who actually killed them. She said that in Mexico, you will never know who kills people. There are many cases that crimes are committed by the police or those they protect.

One of the hardest commandment to live by is to love our enemies. To Jesus, loving our enemies is the mark of the Christian. It would distinguish us from the others. But it is not without difficulty. It is radical and violent to our natural tendencies of self-preservation. It is almost impossible. I really mean the adverb, almost. Because, if it is impossible, then Jesus is unrealistic.

The objective of loving our enemies can be seen in the word Jesus used for 'love' - agape. Agape is the love we accord to someone because of their humanity. It is different from eros or philia when love is intimate. Agape is to give the person what is due. It is not expected, therefore, that we love our enemies as we love our closest friends and family. If you were given the grace of loving them like family, then praise be to God!

If we find it almost impossible to love our enemies, what do we do? What do we do when someone betrays us? How do you handle a painful situation? How do you forgive? If you are in Sr. Angelita's shoes, would you pray for the perpetrators? These are the questions we have to face squarely if we are serious in following Jesus. These are the questions in the mind and heart of Sr. Angelita.

Let me begin with a personal knowledge of God: He is extremely intelligent. So He will not ask us to do the impossible, without giving the grace for us to perform it. In Jesuit circles, we call it 'the grace of office' - God will give you the grace you need to do His mission.

So first thing to do is to ask for the grace of forgiveness. Usually, we do not want to ask for this grace because our natural tendency is NOT to pray for them. I know what this mean, it is easier just to ignore them even in prayer; we would feel guilty if we wish them evil. Deep in our hearts, we also know that if evil befalls them, we would rejoice or, to the prim and proper, smirk and say, "That's God's punishment" or "That's what they deserve."

But Jesus does not want us to ignore them, because He himself prayed for them at the cross. In the very midst of suffering by His enemies, He said, "Lord, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." This same Jesus who gave us the command to love our enemies gives us the grace to obey His command. All we have to do is to ask for it. Do you want to ask for it?

When I was a teacher, I used to bring my class record to prayer. In all honesty, some students you like, some you don't. Some like you; some also don't. Nevertheless, you have to treat them as equally as possible. There are students who are unruly. So I would focus on the students whom I find difficult to deal with and then pray for their welfare. Somehow in praying for their good, I began to like and eventually love them. It became easier to understand them and then to treat them well.

This is the second thing we can do. When we want to change a negative attitude toward a person, we pray for their well-being. Somehow their dislikability changes.

The third is something I particularly experience as a priest, but not exclusively for us. When people I don't understand come to confession, I get another perspective on them. And they seem to be different to me after the Sacrament. When people begin to share their inmost thoughts and personal stories in venues like a prayer group, somehow our negative reaction to them changes. We see them in a different light.

When we are able to do these three things, we would see enemies, not as foes, but as human beings. And thus, love them as agape. We see them as God sees them.

When Ninoy Aquino said, "The Filipino is worth dying for" - he meant all, including those who wished his death. When Jesus died on the cross, He also lived the same thing: all, including those who persecute Him, are worth dying for.

The Power of Kindness

13 February 2011 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sirach 15:15-20; Psalm 119; 1 Cor 2:6-10; Matthew 5:20-37

Carlos is 52 years old. He is a recovering alcoholic and drug dependent. He has been in the streets of Mexico for 22 years. What has pushed him to leave home is resentment. As a child, his mother didn't show any affection to him. His father, a drunkard, was violent. The streets of the city has given him peace more than his home. But it has also destroyed his life.

Anger has wrecked many relationships and fueled many to throw their lives into the pit. Listening to various stories in that sharing group in Mexico City, I realize that many, if not all of us, have been in a situation of anger. The resentments we continually carry have scenes of being insulted, bullied, betrayed or hurt. And these forms of anger show their ugly heads in situations we are unaware of. Take for example the rage in the middle of a traffic jam. Rage is not commensurate to the situation. Take another example: we flare up and lose our cool when a partner in the office forgets to clean up at the snack room. What we don't know is that our over reaction is a cumulative effect of past angers.

Why is there so much anger around and in us? Why do we spend so much energy on rage? What if we expend these energies on kindness than on anger? Can kindness be the answer to many problems in our lives?

The Gospel today is taken from the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus urges us to show kindness to one another. He even suggests to 'turn the other cheek' when someone treats us barbarously. Jesus, as we all know, walks his talk. He shows kindness to sinners. He is compassionate and merciful to his enemies especially on the cross.

Kindness blesses the person to whom we are kind. It even has a greater power to change us and to change others. Look back and zero in on an act of kindness you've shown to others. What do you feel remembering it? Focus on a friend who has shown kindness to you, what feelings do it evoke? Memories of kindness give us satisfaction. They bring a smile to our faces.

Now let us focus on the positive changes in our lives. Many of our achievements and growths have been wrought by a collective cultivation of people who cared for us. What do you think would have happened if Carlos grew up in a loving and caring home? Kindness not only brings happiness to those involved but can even work miracles in our lives. Kind words are like magic: it can make you do the things we are too lazy to do.

Furthermore, kindness is a power we all have, rich or poor. It is a resource that is at the disposal not just of a single person but also of organizations and nations. It is a supply that is unlimited.

I met Marta at the park of Indios Verdes also in Mexico City. She was homeless. She told us that she left home when her husband cheated on her. His only biological son was in a mental facility. In the park, she took care of her 'son' - another homeless man she met in the park. Juan, who also attended the sharing group with Carlos, had been on the streets for 34 years. He said he had been sober for 5 months. His foot, rotting from gangrene was regularly cleaned by Marta. Her kindness had helped him avoid alcohol.

Carlos and Marta are the poorest of the poor. But they discovered that they have a supply of kindness that continually overflows. What is more amazing is that the more we give of kindness, the more there is to give.

On the day before Valentines, let us focus on this one great aspect of love by asking ourselves how much kindness is present in our lives and how much of it is manifested in our relationships.

Can food make you sinful?

9 February 2011 Wednesday of the 5th week in Ordinary Time
Genesis 2: 4-17; Psalm 104; Mark 7: 14-23

Catholics have abandoned diet restrictions for religious reasons. Pork that was associated with pagan rituals in the Old Testament has been allowed for us for many centuries, while some religions have maintained it. The conversion of many people from different races and culture has petered down any uniform rule on what not to eat. The Gospel tells us why.

Jesus said that what defiles us is not what comes into our mouths, but what is in our hearts. Pork or blood from different animals considered unclean will not make us unworthy of worship. Genesis in the first reading tells us that everything God made is good. Every single creation is meant to nurture life.

We are challenged by the Lord today to look into the very roots of our sinful patterns. He challenges us to discover how our inordinate attachments to people, career, status, needs, desires, or material things lead us to sin. Our unexamined interior life contributes to the undesirable aspects of our character. Eventually they affect the very relationships that matter. Including the bond we have with God.

Be as Christ's Light

6 February 2011 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 58: 7-10; 1 Cor 2: 1-5; Matthew 5:13-16

There are ways in which we become witnesses of Jesus. We can let His light shine through us. We can live out His teaching. And we can suffer for Christ when His teaching is ignored or attacked by people around us.

One of my favorite teachers did not teach me in class. He couldn’t speak because he suffered a stroke and he was paralyzed. Most of his words were “yes,” “no,” “Ok!” Before his heart attack, he was teaching at the Loyola School of Theology. He was a musician; he responded to the liturgical reform of Vatican II in the late 60s. He composed many mass songs in Filipino. He was Fr. Eduardo Hontiveros SJ. I played his compositions at mass when I was in high school. Realizing the songs was composed by a Jesuit, I was intrigued.

Years after, I encountered him at Loyola House of Studies after taking my vows in the novitiate. But then, his speech was already impaired. Nevertheless, he was audacious: he did not allow his physical disability to stop him from composing. He used a computer to articulate his heart and his faith. When I was working at the Jesuit Music Ministry, he would stop by and give us a copy of his songs. What moved me most was a serene surrender to the Lord. I cannot remember an encounter with him without a smile.

Fr. Eddie Hontiveros SJ’s life is a good description of what Jesus means when He called us to witness to him. We are the light of the world. We are the salt of the earth. The light shines brightly for everyone in darkness. Salt gives taste to bland food.

His life is like Paul’s in the second reading. Fr. Eddie’s life is a “demonstration of Spirit and power” (1 Cor 2). To me, it is a witness that his “faith does not rest on human wisdom but on God’s power.”

When we were baptized, our parents and godparents held candles to symbolize the light of Christ. In succeeding sacraments, candles are used to remind us that it is the light of Christ in our lives that we illuminate before others. With Christ’s light, our lives are not to be kept hidden. Through us, Christ gives taste to our otherwise bland and banal lives. This is the meaning of AMDG (ad majorem Dei gloriam) which Jesuit-trained students traditionally write above the top margin of an exam paper: whatever we do, it is for God’s greater glory!

Moreover, we also witness to Jesus when we stand up to His teaching when it is threatened and rejected.

In the halls of government, only a brave few would not succumb to the peer pressure of accepting bribes. A fresh graduate came to me regularly for spiritual direction. He said that he was very much disturbed by the corruption that had become an acceptable norm in his department. One day, he did not accept an “extra payment” to speed up the resolution of a land dispute in favor of a government official. His officemates accused him of being “holier-than-thou” pretending that he was far righteous than them. Eventually, the incident earned him their ire.

That is the same thing when a student does not allow friends to copy answers in an exam. Peer pressure often bullies a good student to become a cheat.

Fr. Al Nudas SJ was also one of my best teachers. He taught me English and composition in Juniorate in 1991-1992. He was articulate and a very persuasive speaker. He taught at the University of the Philippines. But he died losing his voice. It must have been great suffering. Another life of surrender. However, his words became a guiding tenet to me: “To provoke people to think by our works and our lives is already great service.”

So today’s readings challenge us to question the extent of our witnessing to Jesus. To what extent are we letting Him shine through us? By witnessing to Christ, we also strengthen and encourage those who are also struggling to be better. The Responsorial Psalm says that the “The just person is a light in darkness to the upright.” (Psalm 112)

Do we suffer for Him and His teaching? Or, do we weaken the ability of others to witness to Christ? Do we make the good suffer?

Let Mutual Love Continue

4 February 2011 Friday of the 4th week in Ordinary Time
Hebrews 13: 1-8; Psalm 27; Mark 6: 14-29

"Let mutual love continue... Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment, and of the I'll-treated as of yourselves, for you also are in the body." Hebrews 13: 1-3

Eliseo worked in the Middle East for 8 years as a construction worker. He sent his hard-earned income to his wife for their family. On one of his visits to the Philippines, he saw his wife in bed with another. In rage, he murdered his wife, but her lover was able to escape. Convicted now, Eliseo serves his sentence at the National Penitentiary where I served as assistant chaplain.

I do not have a similar experience as Eliseo, but I understand the deep pain and anger of betrayal. Our individual experiences are never the same. We respond to the environment differently. Our background and contexts are unique from each other. So it is said that our personal experiences cannot be contested.

But listening to Eliseo's story sure got me hooked and engrossed. I 'lost' myself in his sharing that I felt the layers of feelings in his heart as if they too were mine.

We are capable of empathy. We have the ability to understand the feelings of another. Such that we can share in each other's burdens and relief, sorrow and joy, sacrifices and successes. Thus, when someone is grieving over the loss of a loved one, we can deeply identify with them especially if we have analogous, though not the same, experience. This is how mutual love continues: when we share our hearts with one another.

When Jesus hears of the death of His cousin, John the Baptist, we can somehow read "between the lines" of Scripture. Not everything is written: but we can glean that Jesus is saddened by it. We can imagine the twitching and perhaps the welling of tears in His eyes. Maybe, He is speechless at first, then looks down, sits and covers His face. We can empathize with Jesus and perhaps the disciples of John. When we share the pain of Jesus, then we are able to know and love the person of Jesus. Our experience of Jesusbecomes truly personal.

But Jesus' experience of imprisonment is not superficial. He knows what it means to have a cousin, friend and precursor in prison. He knows the experience of a death sentence. He himself died as a criminal on the cross. He knows betrayal first hand from Judas and Peter. Thus, He is truly one with Eliseo, except sin.

The same thing in our lives. We can 'continue' our mutual love for each other if we listen and share each other's lives. We do not know individuals in Egypt, but we are affected by the violent protests there today. We are not physically present in Egypt, but we can genuinely say that the unrest must stop because many lives are in danger.

Thus, we can also participate with whatever we can do: raise awareness of the issue, express our opinions through social networks so that our voices are also heard and the more, not the least, that we can do is to pray. God is NOT the least and last resort. Jesus knows the mob and what it can do.