Letting Go of Our Possessions

27 February 2006: Monday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time
Mark 10, 17-27: The Rich Young Man

It is important to see how the young man approached Jesus. He came running. He threw himself at his feet and sincerely asked Jesus what he must do to attain eternal life. And Jesus directed the man’s attention to the commandments that contain the norm of conduct. The young man then answered that he had followed the commandments.

We do find ourselves much similar like the young man. When we attend retreats and prayer meetings, or when our prayers are answered and feel God’s blessings on us, our emotions overtake us. We literally throw ourselves at the Lord’s feet. And then we shower the Lord with promises of being faithful to him. And most of us have succeeded fairly well in following the Lord’s commandments. Indeed, the Lord looks at us the way He looked at the young man: with love and personal fascination.

And then, He gently challenged him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, give to the poor, and come follow me.” At that the young man went away sad for he had many possessions.”

Jesus has a way of looking at people. The eyes of Christ penetrate our hearts that he sees what we lack. The second reading notes that “everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of God.” Jesus knows us totally that He can tell us what are the things that would prevent us from giving ourselves selflessly and perfectly to Him. His first great commandment is to worship the Lord with all our hearts and there are no exceptions. We are asked to love God in all aspects of our lives. And thus, Jesus knows our obstacles to following God with all of our hearts.

We can be “rich” in a lot of things and not just wealth and material possessions. We can be attached to our reputation, our family, our intelligence, and our friends. To be personally attached means that we love them possessively and that these objects and relationships do not lead us to love God. Jesus’ challenge is to let go of all these selfish attachments so that we can love God with all of our hearts.

I remember the advertisement of Nestea in which different people, scorching from the summer sun, would fall into the swimming pool with a thirst-quenching “ahhh” on their faces. This image describes what it means to let go of all our attachments. We are invited to fall into the arms of Jesus in the same way. The Gospel tells us that we cannot fall freely into the arms of Jesus if we hold on to our wealth, family, reputation and friends. Sometimes we have to severe precious roots that do not help us to praise and worship God.

But letting go of all our selfish attachments requires a decision. And decisions do not come easily. We pray. We struggle. We weep. We go back and forth. We weigh things. To surrender is indeed difficult and often impossible to accomplish. However, Jesus assures us that “nothing is impossible with God.” And thus our relinquishment is a release with hope. In the first reading, the author of Wisdom says that after his choice over “scepter and throne, priceless gems and gold,” all good things came to him.” We are confident that if we fall, we will fall in the arms of God. St. Augustine said that “my heart is restless until it rests in Thee.” The saints know that to be at rest in the hands of God is indeed worth a hundred times than all the riches in this world.

* This is Neo Saicon SJ. I use his nice photographs for this blog. Thanks Neo!
** In the icon "The Narrow Gate" is a link to the books I use for these homilies. Click on "My Starting Place" for the references.

Jesus' Evolution: New Wine in New Wineskins

26 February 2006: 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 2, 18-22: New Wine in New Wineskins

There is in religious people a kind of passion for the old. Nothing moves more slowly than a church. The trouble with the Pharisees was that the whole religious outlook of Jesus was so startingly new and subversive, they simply could not adjust to it.

The mind soon loses the quality of elasticity and will not accept new ideas. Jesus used two illustrations. “You cannot put a new patch on an old garment,” he said, “The strong new cloth will only rip the rent in the old cloth wider.” Bottles in Palestine were made of skin. When new wine was put into them it fermented and gave off gas. If the bottle was new, there was a certain elasticity in the skin and it could handle the pressure; but if it was old, the skin was dry and hard and it would burst. “Don’t,” says Jesus, “let your mind become like an old wineskin. People say of wine, ‘The old is better.’ It may be at the moment, but they forget that it is a mistake to despise the new wine, for the day will come when it has matured and it will be the best of all. The Gospel is thus Jesus’ condemnation of the shut mind and a plea that men and women should not reject new ideas. It is not a condemnation of the old of age, but the old of mind.

Thus, I have two points: First, we should never be afraid of adventurous thought. We should be open to new ideas. If there is such a person as the Holy Spirit, God must ever be leading us into new truth. Since September is the Science Month, let me start with examples from science. In medicine, how would medicine fare if doctors were restricted to drugs and methods and techniques three hundred years old?” And yet our standards of orthodoxy are far older than that. The man with something new has always to fight. Galileo was branded a heretic when he held that the earth moved round the sun. Lister had to fight for antiseptic technique in surgical operations. Simpson had to battle against opposition in the merciful use of chloroform.

Some Jesuit saints are perfect examples of people with adventurous thought. Mateo Ricci went to preach the Gospel in China wearing a rich merchant’s garment. John de Brito in India became a swami, a guru wearing the orange saffron robes. And at that time, Mateo Ricci was opposed by Rome. Today, the Church pushes for inculturation which the Jesuits, such as Mateo Ricci were doing several centuries ago. Francis Xavier used music to teach catechism. Ignatius fought for the Jesuits not to be obliged to pray in choir, singing in choir, because of the urgency of its mission. Before the Jesuits were suppressed, secondary education was a new idea and at its helm were the men of Ignatius. As portrayed in the movie, The Mission, the Paraguay reductions among the Guarani Indians was a new method. And years later, Miguel Agustin Pro would preach by juggling. It is the charism of Jesuits to use the most effective methods to preach Christ, and to uplift the life of many.

How open are we to new ideas? In Ateneo de Naga, teachers in a department take turns in becoming department chairpersons. In Xavier University High School, should this idea be considered? Can we dissolve the honors or semi-honors section and make every class equal and heterogeneous? Are we open to use the class saints as categories, and not the letter sections? You see, by using the letters as sections, the mind is trained that all A’s are far better than the rest. And all in Section K are worst. We say that the letter sections are easier to remember. But we memorize concepts in Biology, Chemistry, Social Studies, or as teachers, we demand our students to memorize hundreds of terms. And so, why can’t we memorize class saints? It may not be the most practical and convenient, but it can be most valuable. Moreover, should positions of leadership be according to performance and not according to educational attainment? Furthermore, are we ready to have a principal or a Campus Minister who are lay persons? It is good, at least, to consider the possibilities.

Let us have a care that when we resent new ideas we are not simply demonstrating that our minds have grown old and inelastic; and let us never shrink from the adventure of thought.

Second, we should never be afraid of new methods. That a thing has always been done may very well be the best reason for stopping to do it. That a thing has never been done may very well be the best reason for trying it. We have been accustomed to doing some things in Xavier and have forgotten why we are doing it. Some things are obsolete and do not have the effectivity of new methods. No business could exist on outworn methods--- and yet we still do it. Any business which had lost as many customers would have tried new ways long ago--- but we tend to resent all that is new. You see, being educated or worked with Jesuits, does not guarantee that we have imbibed the spirit of St. Ignatius. During St. Ignatius’ time, the Spiritual Exercises was a new method of praying and reflection. And Ignatius was thought to be a heretic. To be open to new methods is one of the distinctive characteristics of Jesuits, and those whose spirituality is Ignatian. Last year, we have used rock music during the Monday assembly as a new method of presentation. And it was branded as very informal and not fit to the occasion. There was a time when the swing, the boogie and the cha-cha were banned from formal occasions. Now, they are categorized as ballroom music (read: formal music). Moreover, the samba, tango and rhumba are sensual dances that require gyrating hips and bodies close to each other. Today, they are taught in ‘formal’ gatherings such as the Juniors’ Prom.

Once on a world tour, Rudyard Kipling saw General Booth come aboard the ship. He came aboard to the beating of tambourines which Kipling’s orthodox soul resented. Kipling got to know the General and told him how he disliked tambourines and all their kindred. Booth looked at him. “Young man” he said, “if I thought I could win one more soul for Christ by standing on my head and beating a tambourine with my feet I would do it.” This, I believe, is the parameter: if a new idea or a new method would lead us to Christ, then we should adapt it. And if it doesn’t, we ignore it. In Ignatian terms, the criterion is the tantum quantum. Because I believe, the beauty of Christianity is in its dynamism and its openness to new things. Christians should be adventurous and open as Jesus said. Because He, himself, is adventurous and open. His ideas were radical. His methods were new. But they were effective.

Jesus’ ideas are subversive. They disturb. They challenge. They give us a kick. It is evolution. Let us have a care that in thought and in deed, we are not hidebound reactionaries when we ought, as Christians, to be gallant adventurers.

* photo by Neo Saicon SJ.
** I have given this homily to the community of Xavier University High School. Thus, the examples are about XUHS. But I think the point is very much clear.

What we lose is what stays

17 February 2006: Friday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time
Mark 8, 34 – 9, 1: Finding Life by Losing It

There are certain things that are lost by being kept, and saved by being used. The essence of life is in risking life and spending life, not in saving it and hoarding it. There certain things in us Filipinos that marks us. Here is a list.

1. The book, “What makes you Filipino”: the new sofa is covered with plastic.
2. When newly-acquired equipment such as the LCD projector is kept displayed at the Audio-Visual Room, and hardly used because of very strict rules. Some appliances are mostly underutilized.
3. Talents that we possess: if we use it, talents develop into something greater. If not used, the person loses it in the end.
4. Heroes, saints and martyrs: People who risked their lives for our sake, have gained freedom and independence for us. By losing their lives, we have kept them alive.
5. Love: How do I find true love? By doing it, as 1st Reading from James: what is faith without work. If you say you love another person, but you do not show it, it is useless. If you say you care about workers and their plight, but do not concretely act on it, you are then a liar. Love is about doing and expressing it in action. St. Ignatius said that love ought to find expression more in deeds than in words. It means that love should be spent to save it.

Here is a personal experience: an excerpt from my journal.

“Some things change. Two thousand five hundred years ago, Heraclitus said, “All is flux, nothing stays still." Recently, two choirmates bid us a temporary goodbye. A few hours ago, FEU students about to take their PT Board Exams wept when they realized that the five years were over and the inevitable was about to take place. A few hours ago, our choir wished our former choir coordinator, a safe trip abroad and years well spent in the US studying children's literature.

This is a good lesson about loss and goodbyes. Only a week before I got ordained, the bus from Baguio burned. In that burning bus was a black sweatshirt I hardly used, saving it for special occasions. Perhaps the only way we get to keep anything is to use it up. From then on, I formulated my room rule: If an item isn't used for a year, it belongs to someone else.

I remember the movie, With Honors. Monty (Brendan Fraser) learned about life from Simon Wilder (Joe Pesci) who collected stones to remember the experiences he wanted to keep. Perhaps to keep my friends is to spend time with them.

Indeed, some things do stay. And all I get to keep are my memories.”


*photo by Neo Saicon SJ

Our Image of God

16 February 2006: Thursday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time
Mark 8: 27-33: Who am I? Jesus asked Peter. “You are the Lord.”

Today we focus our reflection on our image of God. We ask these questions to help us focus our attention to our image of God: Who is Christ for you? What is your image of God?

The reasons for focusing on our image of God are the following. First, it will define our relationship with God. For example, if God is punishing and punitive, who seeks revenge when we do wrong, then our life is wrought in fear. We hide from God. We do not go to Church, because we know we have done wrong. Or, life is full of anxiety, because at some point in the near future, I would be faced with misfortune, fail, or something worse might happen as a punishment for my sins. However, if God is a loving Father. Then life is wrought in love. We seek God. We go to Church, even if we know we have done wrong. And life is full of forgiveness and mercy. We come to back to God and ask for forgiveness, knowing in one’s heart that we will be forgiven and God will accept us as we are.

Second, it will determine our actions. If God is punishing and punitive, then we will be punishing of ourselves. We will be self-inflicting. If we have committed a mistake, we would punish ourselves through many forms. A familiar way of being self-inflicting is working till you drop. In addition, we would not forgive others who have hurt us. We will seek revenge, if not, we celebrate when they undergo pain. We say: Mirisi, Gaba, Karma, Buti nga. On the other hand, if God is a loving Father. We would be appreciative of ourselves and our gifts. We would be accepting of our limitations. A person who fails picks up the pieces with a happy disposition. We would be caring and charitable towards other people and we would be at home with being loved.

Third, it will determine our prayer. If God is punishing and punitive, prayer becomes a list of achievements and good things about ourselves (we do not include the bad things). Conversely, prayer is all about our big sins. However, if God is a loving Father, we tell Him what we need, we thank Him for the graces we received, or simply be undisturbed when resting in the hands or embrace of the Father.

When we begin to know who God is for us, and we are able to label our relationship with him, it is like finding God. Fr. Pedro Arrupe SJ, our former Superior General wrote this which illustrate what happens to a person who finds God, who knows who God is in His life.

Nothing is more practical than finding God,

That is, than falling in love

In a quite absolute, final way.

What you are in love with,

What seizes your imagination,

Will affect everything.

It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning,

What you do with your evenings,

How you spend your weekends,

What you read, who you know,

What breaks your heart,

And what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in love, stay in love and it will decide everything.

* Loyola House of Studies. Photo by Neo Saicon SJ

The Importance of Process

15 February 2006: Wednesday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time
Mark 8, 22-26 Gradual Healing

Saliva or spittle in ancient times was considered a medicine. It is not strange. Our instinct tells us that when we bruise or burn our fingers, we put our fingers in our mouth. Saliva has indeed cleaning properties that help reduce or eliminate bad breath caused by oral bacteria such as S. mutans, S. gordonii, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and L. salivarius. Thus a reduced production of saliva causes bad breath. However, all of saliva’s cleansing action is relegated to throat and mouth diseases such as strep troat, gum disease, plaque, or mouth and throat cancer. But nowhere in scientific study can you see saliva being used as medicine for blindness.

If this is so, why did Jesus used spittle to cure? I guess a great doctor begins from where people are. My mother who is a pharmacist told me that people prefer certain medicines over another because they believed it better than the rest. Medicine for common headache is a case in point. She said that a large component for healing is belief. The great doctor is able to enter into the mind and heart of his patient, to understand his fears, difficulties and stumbling blocks to cure. Jesus used a method for the blind man to understand. It is like explaining hard technical concepts in lay man’s terms.

However, the Gospel today is unique and teaches us an important lesson in life. This miracle is the only miracle in the Gospels that can be said to have happened gradually. The blind man first sees people like trees until they become clearer and clearer.

I believe this is particularly important. In an age where things are done efficiently quick and suddenly, like any instant brands, the truth about things happening gradually often makes us impatient. But indeed things develop slowly. Relationships grow little by little. Physical stamina increases periodically. Anyone who declares that Christ is the center of his life does not automatically make him a mature Christian: it comes with regular prayer and action. Scientific discoveries are incremental and cumulative, built on previous discoveries and theories. And thus healing also happens gradually. And patient waiting and constant medical cure is needed: for diabetics and hypertensive individuals like me, maintenance medicines are taken every day constantly. Virtues are built up habitually.

Thus there is no 360-degree change: change happens steadily and constantly. And the rise and fall that is part of life and of faith, as all of us experience the tides of sin and starting anew, rams into our very consciousness the lost Christian virtue of respect for process.

*picture by Neo Saicon SJ (in yellow shirt)

When We Fail to Learn

14 February 2006: Tuesday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time
Mark 8, 14-21 When we fail to learn from our experiences

The Gospel is best approached with a background. Yesterday, we heard that the Pharisees were looking for a sign. Here the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee, and forgot to bring loaves of bread with them --- except for one loaf. And they told Jesus. Probably Jesus was exasperated or disappointed, “Do you not see though you have eyes?”. The truth that the Messiah was already with them --- and therefore there was no reason to worry about food --- did not still sink into their consciousness. So Jesus reminded them, “Do you not remember?” He brought back to their memory the miracle of the loaves: five loaves for five thousand, twelve baskets were leftovers, and from seven loaves for four thousand, seven were leftovers.

In other words, the disciples have not learned from experience. How many times have we failed an exam, and didn’t learn from that experience? How many times have we been hurt, and never learned from it? We have continued our patterns of behavior or our bad habits and we have seen their effects, but we refuse to abandon them.

It is said that all of life teaches us lessons. We just didn’t learn from them. I guess we breeze through life without evaluation. We are intimidated by all of forms of evaluation, because we cannot separate our actions (or work) with our person: to criticize our work is to criticize ourselves; a comment about our action is seen as a personal affront. And therefore, if we shun evaluation, there is little chance that we would learn from our experiences. And at worse, the much needed creative change and a faster development towards a better person and quality service are not met. Learning from life is like fertilizers: they improve on growth. An unexamined life, Socrates said, is not worth living.

* picture by Neo Saicon SJ

Signs

13 February 2006: Monday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time
Mark 8, 11-13: The Unexpected Sign

The Gospel tells us that those who expected the Messiah looked for extraordinary signs: a lightning comes from the east and the west (Mt. 24: 27), the coming of war and astonishing salvation by the Messiah, and signs that defies the laws of nature. Even in our present age, there are extreme groups predicting the end of the world --- the second coming of Christ in the end of days --- with extraordinary events: a ‘chastisement’ worse than the flood & fire from heaven (Marian Movement of Priests, 15 September 1987), three days of darkness (American Traditional Catholic Church), a ring of fire eclipse in Europe and the Middle East (ProphecyKeepers.com), major catastrophes, etc. For Jesus, they were looking for the Messiah in the wrong places: that the best sign for the Messiah was right before their eyes. To Jesus, the proof of the presence of God is everywhere: literally, right before our eyes.

Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ said of the world: It is charged with the grandeur of God. And another poet, John Charles Earle (1601-1665) wrote the following to affirm that God is indeed everywhere.

Wide fields of corn along the valleys spread;
the rain and dews mature the swelling vine;
I see the Lord is multiplying bread;
I see Him turning water into wine;
I see Him working all the works divine
He wrought when Salemward his steps were led;
the selfsame miracles around Him shine;
He feeds the famished; he revives the dead;
He pours the flood of light on darkened eyes;
He chases tears, diseases, fiends away;
His throne is raised upon these orient skies;
His footstool is the pave whereon we pray.

Ah, tell me not of Christ in Paradise,
for He is all around us here today.

Thus, St. Ignatius exhorts all of us: See God in all things. Finding the extraordinary in the ordinariness of life.

When Was the Last Time You Loved Forever

As promised.
A Valentines Homily on a Sunday
12 February 2006

When was the last time you loved forever? Pope Benedict XVI, in his encyclical letter, Deus Caritas Est (God is Love) on Christian Love, said that the heart and summary of Christian faith is expressed by St. John, “We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. We have come to believe in God’s love. In these words the Christian can express the fundamental decision of his life. Being a Christian is not a result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but an encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. “God is love, he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16). And therefore, today, as we celebrate Valentines Day, we re-affirm the very essence of who we are, and what we should be: love. I only have two points from the encyclical.

Benedict XVI said, “There is a certain relationship between love and the Divine: love promises infinitely, eternity --- a reality far greater and totally other than our everyday existence.” (#5). One of the most beautiful songs about love is the theme from the television series, Beauty and the Beast. The song is:

The First Time I Loved Forever

Lyrics by Melanie Safka; Music by Lee Holdridge

The first time I loved forever

Was when you whispered my name

And I knew at once you loved me

For the me of who I am

The first time I loved forever

I cast all else aside

And I bid my heart to follow

Be there no more need to hide

And if wishes and dreams

Are merely for children

And if love's a tale for fools

I'll live the dream with you

For all my life and forever

There's a truth I'll always know

When my world divides and shatters

Your love is where I'll go

The second point comes with the poem that goes with that song. Benedict affirms that “Love is indeed ‘ecstasy’, not in the sense of a moment of intoxication, but rather as a journey, an ongoing exodus out of the closed inward-looking self towards its liberation through self-giving, and thus towards authentic self-discovery and indeed the discovery of God.” Thus anyone who loves finds God. Les Miserables, at the end of the story, tells us, that ‘to love another is the see the face of God.” The poem made famous by the song, The First Time I Loved Forever, is:

somewhere i have never traveled

e.e. cummings

somewhere i have never traveled, gladly beyond

any experience, your eyes have their silence:

in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,

or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look easily will unclose me

though i have closed myself as fingers,

you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens

(touching skillfully, mysteriously) her first rose

or if your wish be to close me, i and

my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,

as when the heart of this flower imagines

the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals

the power of your intense fragility: whose texture

compels me with the color of its countries,

rendering death and forever with each breathing

(i do not know what it is about you that closes

and opens; only something in me understands

the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)

nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands.

And with these two points, those who love promises forever, promises to journey with each other to eternity. Kaya, banal ang lahat ng ating mga pangako: isang simbulo na nagpapahiwatig na meron mas mahalaga sa ating buhay, maliban sa atin. Ito’y isang misteryong bumubuhay ng isang katotohanang may ibang taong bumubuhay sa ating puso, sa ating kaluluwa; nagbibigay kahulugan at kulay sa ating mga pangarap. At sa bawat pangako, tulad ng lahat ng sumpaan, mayroon itong sariling panahon, sariling dahilan, at sariling kahulugan, na ang nakakaalam lamang ay ang mga nag-iibigan, ang magkaibigan, ang magka-ibigan.

Kailan tayo nangangako? Nangangako tayo sa bawat panahon ng ating buhay. Ang salitang paalam, nangangahulugang may pinapahiwatig, pina-paalam: na ang pagkakaibigan ay hindi napapawi sa paghihiwalay. At ang bawat paalam ay isang pangakong hindi mamamatay ang pag-ibig kailanman.

At bakit tayo nangangako? Dahil hindi maliwanag ang kinabukasan. Kaya mahalaga ang lahat ng alaala: ang mga litratong tinatago natin habang lumilipas ang panahon. Ang mga alaala ng unang tagpuan, ang unang halik, ang unang yakap. Ang alaala ng unang pangako at ng unang sumpaan. Ang mga alaalang nagbibigay ng pag-asa. Kaya tayo nangangako: sa pangako nagkakaroon ng pag-asa ang kinabukasan. Sinasabi natin, “huwag kang mag-aalala, ako na ang bahala sa iyo.” With another’s promise, the journey to eternity becomes real and true.

Nagiging posible mangako dahil may nanguna nang nangako: “Sasamahan kita magpakailanman.” Ito ang pangako ni Hesus sa atin. Ang kanyang pag-ibig ay kasama natin sa ating paglalakbay, hanggang matagpuan natin ang magpakailanman, ang langit. Hindi ba ito ang dahilan ng pag-sisimba. Ang misa ay isang alaala, a memorial, na bumubuhay sa atin, nagbibigay pag-asa.

When was the last time you loved forever? Kailan ang huling panahon na minahal mo ang magpakailanman? Being a Christian means loving forever, every day, every moment of our lives. And thus, if God is love, then love is who we are.

A Valentines Homily

Mark 1, 40-45, the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

This Gospel was the Gospel last Thursday, 12th January 2006. Open the January Archives, and look for the title, The Lepers in Ourselves.

I have not done a homily for this Sunday (12 February 2006), which is close to Valentines Day, but perhaps my homily last year on Valentines (though the Gospel was about the Temptations of Jesus) might be of help to those who would like to read, reflect or use a Valentines theme for this Sunday. Anyways, compassion and love are one and the same theme. And to push the Gospel further, the importance of touch in the healing of the leper, is the same as comforting gestures we give when our beloved needs it. Touch is one of the best expressions of Love.

And just in case I will be able to do something for this Sunday, I will post it soon.

The Temptations of Jesus and Love

The importance of the Gospel today is to see that Jesus was choosing his method of teaching: the values that he is going to promote, the characteristics that distinguishes a follower from those who are not, and the way that leads to God. The devil tempts Jesus to choose material possessions, power and popularity, but instead, Jesus chose the words of God, the adoration of God, and the primacy of God over His own. In other words, Jesus chose the principle of love above all else: love God with all your heart, with all your strength. To those who are truly in love, it is easier to understand Jesus’ words.

First: “Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Pablo Neruda has a poem called, Tu Risa (Your Laughter) about why it is fine to deny ourselves of anything else, but never the laughter and voice of those whom we love.

Tu Risa (Your Laughter)

Pablo Neruda

Laugh at the night, at the day, at the moon, laugh at the twisted streets of the island, laugh at this clumsy boy who loves you, but when I open my eyes and close them, when my steps go, when my steps return,

deny me bread, air, light, spring, but never your laughter for I would die. niégame el pan, el aire, la luz, la primavera, pero tu risa nunca porque me moriría.

Second: “The Lord, your God, shall you worship and Him alone shall you serve.” We all say that God is a mystery. And that love is a mystery. All we know that there are things that cannot be explained, thus we worship He who has given us such grace. We wonder why among all other girls, or all other boys, or all other persons, it is this person who has captured our hearts. All indeed is grace, gifts of God.

Sonetong Hindi Kailangang Nasulat

Cerilo Rico Abelardo

hindi kailangan na nariyan ka pero nariyan ka nga at nakangiti pa hindi kailangan na kilala kita pero heto at nag-uusap tayo hindi kailangan na ibigin ka pero ikaw lagi ang laman ng aking alaala

hindi kailangang ipagtapat ang damdaming ito pero ipagtatapat ko dahil totoo hindi mo kailangang umoo pero tumugon ka sana kahit paano may mga bagay na hindi kailangang narito pero totoo at nasa harap ko kaya’t kailangang galangin katulad ng pag-ibig ko sa ‘yo.

Finally: “You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” The meaning of the word, temptation in Hebrew is to test. Thus, in the Bible, to tempt has the idea of testing, to test one’s loyalty and obedience, to test one’s strength. Thus, temptation is not designed to make us fall. Temptation is designed to make us stronger and better persons. Temptation is not designed to make us sinners. It is designed to make us good, and to make us holier. We may fail the test, but we are not meant to. We are meant to emerge stronger, with much dignity and worth. Temptation is not so much our penalty, but our glory. If a metal is to be used for bridges, the metal is tested at stresses and strains far beyond those which it likely has to bear.

So too with love. Many things have changed in the course of our loving. We have a long history of heartbreaks, of rejections, and of being abandoned. We have our pasts: those people whom we met, we found, and we lost. And yet, despite all the changes in our hearts, one thing remains constant: that we are worthy of love, that we have been truly loved by God. We are made by the love of God, and thus it is our nature to love and to continually love. That is the reason why we wear red: the color of passion, the color of blood, the color of life itself. It is the color of the fire of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love. By wearing red, we tell everyone that as long as we live, we will nurture this fire in our hearts. The final poem.

Mangyari Lamang

Cerilo Rico Abelardo

mangyari lamang ay tumayo ang mga nagmamahal nang makita ng lahat ang kagandahan ng mukha ng pag-ibig ipamalas ang tamis ng malalim na pagkakaunwaan sa mga malabo ang paningin. mangyari lamang ay tumayo rin ang mga nagmahal at nasawi nang makita ng lahat ang mga sugat ng isang bayani ipadama ang pait ng kabiguan habang ipinagbubunyi ang walang-katulad na kagitingan ng isang nagtaya. mangyari lamang ay tumayo ang mga nangangambang magmahal nang makit ng lahat ang kilos ng isang bata ipamalas ang katapatan ng damdamin na pilit ikinukubli ng pusong lumaki sa mga engkanto at diwata.

mangyari lamang ay tumayo ang mga nagmahal, minahal, at iniwan ngunit handa pa ring magmahal nang makita ng lahat ang yaman ng karanasan ipamalas ang mga katotohanang nasaksihan nang maging makahulugan ang mga paghagulgol sa dilim. at sa mga nananatiling nakaupo mangyari lamang ay dahan-dahang tumalilis papalabas sa nakangangang pito umuwi na kayo at sumbatan ang mga magulang na nagpalaki ng isang halimaw. at sa lahat ng naiwang nakatayo mangyari lamang ay hagkan ang isa’t isa at yakapin ang mga sugatan mabuhay tayong lahat na nagsisikap na makabalik sa ating pinagmulan. manatiling masaya at higit sa lahat magpatuloy sa pagmamahal.

Desires for God

9 February 2006: Thusday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time
Mark 7, 24-30: The Syrophoenician Woman

The Gospel today can be read as indicating our desire for God whatever or whoever we are. The Syrophoenician woman was Greek, and thus she was a stranger, a Gentile, someone who does not belong to the Jewish nation. And yet, the woman in her need cried out, “Lord, help my daughter. Cast the demon out of her!” Her cry for help stirred from her deepest desire to be whole, and her deepest desire for her daughter to be healed. And this is what makes the incident moving and extraordinary in the life of Jesus. For Jesus the deepest cry of the human heart is primary, its response to the deepest need and want is not dependent on differences whether race or creed. We are all one in our deepest desires.

Julian of Norwich once wrote about desires in her Revelations of Divine Love: “Then we can ask reverently of our lover whatever we will. For by nature, our will wants God, and the good will of God wants us. We shall never cease wanting and longing until we possess Him in fullness and joy. Then we shall have no further wants.” St. Augustine of Hippo, who in his Confessions, wrote: “The thought of you stirs him [a human being] so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises you, because you made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you”.

Thus, the question for us is this: Do you have this deepest longing for God? When do we cry in the very depths of our hearts, ‘Lord, help me’?

This leads us to the second point about casting demons. The point of the miracle is that Jesus was able to cast out the demon from the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman. The daughter was therefore healed and made whole, which is the very desire of the woman. Thus what are the things in ourselves that needs healing?

You see if we look closely into ourselves, we find ourselves wanting: no one is worthy of his or her profession. The teacher finds herself in a tension between what she teaches and how she practices it. The doctor finds himself not fully equipped because there are things which he does not know. The leader knows pretty well that she has limitations. The father knows that it is difficult to raise children. The priest who is very much in touch with his sinfulness admits that his being chosen by God to lead people to pray is unworthy of the honor. We are not complete individually, by ourselves. We complete each other, the way healing happened to the Syrophoenician woman: the daughter needs the deepest desire and faith of her mother, and the healing power of Jesus.

There is a song by the Indigo Girls called the “Power of Two”. The refrain goes this way:

So we’re ok, we’re fine

Baby I’m here to stop your cryin’

Chase all the ghosts from your head

I’m stronger than the monster beneath your bed

Smarter than the tricks played on your heart

Look at them together and we’ll take them apart

Adding up a total of a love that’s true

Multiply life by the power of two.

The power of two dispels the pain, the anger, the rejection and the wanting. It dispels our limitations and we then become whole and complete. The teacher teaches with the guidance of other teachers. The father raises children in partnership with his wife. The priest hears confessions conscious that it is not him who forgives but Christ.

Each one finds joy in the power of two. There is a shoulder to lean on. There is someone to cry on to. There is someone to laugh our demons away. The relationship of love allows healing. It drives demons away. Then we become ok. Then we become fine. We multiply life by the power of two.

*photo by Neo Saicon SJ

Examining our Hearts

8 February 2006: Wednesday of the 5^th Week in Ordinary Time
Mark 7, 14-23: What makes things defiled.

Verse 15 is attributed to Jesus: There is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him. It is attributed to him because it is very Aramaic. The Gospel passages show the reason why many Christians do not have food restrictions. After declaring all foods being clean, he teaches us that what makes us morally unclean is not what enters our mouths, but what is in our hearts. And because of this saying, we can say that we can eat anything and we cannot be considered unclean. On the other hand, the heart is also the source of our goodness.

Examples: Our health department has warned us about eating isaw in street corners because of its high risk for Hepatitis B. Or our hands are dirty. Or we eat dinuguan which is abomination to the INK. Or our favorite lechon, a taboo to our fellow Muslims. We believe that these things will not make us evil. As much as those who come to church daily, or those who recite their rosaries and novenas faithfully, guarantee us that they are undefiled.

Jesus corrects us by saying that the source of our evil --- or goodness--- is not the external things we do or take, but our hearts. We therefore can examine our actions. Do our actions mirror what is in our hearts? Do they reflect our basic identity as children of God?

I suggest that we make a list of things we do. Categorize these in three columns: Column A: a list about the things that mirrors our goodness. Column B: things that does not reflect our true nature as good, and Column C with things that are ambivalent (e.g. our hearts affirm the goodness of studies, and we study, but we also see some impure motivation such as competition). We continue what is in Column A, discontinue what is in Column B, and the most challenging, is to continually discern and purify what is in Column C.

*photo by Neo Saicon SJ

The Marriage between Form and Content

7 February 2006: Tuesday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time
Mark 7, 1-13: Rules and Regulations

For the devout Jews, the Law was the Ten Commandments, and in an expanded form, the Pentateuch which contains several detailed regulations and instructions, and series of moral principles which one ought to interpret and apply for himself. In the 4^th- 5^th BC arose a class of legal experts called the Scribes who took upon themselves the expansion, amplification, and break down of these principles into thousands of little rules and regulations called the Oral Law of the Elders. The elders were not the officials of the synagogue, but the ancients like Himmel. In 3 AD, all of these little rules and regulations were compiled in a book called, “Mishnah” containing ways to wash hands, vessels, kettles, etc.

In other words, the essence of religion for the Jews is legalism: rules and regulations, rituals, ceremonies. The issue about the washing of hands was not about health or hygiene or even propriety, but about ceremony and ritual.

It is true that rules and regulations govern our worship and our identity. They are our “ways of proceeding” creating community and a shared culture with a set of values. These set ways and rituals that protect these values give palpable and external identity to the community. However, the essence behind these rules and regulations should not be forgotten or overlooked. Or else, they become empty and meaningless gestures. The essence does not change, but how things are done can be adapted and changed.

This is important for those who ‘perform’ the ceremonies and those who witness them. There is a danger for many of us to be pharasaic (like the Pharisees and scribes). For the priests, the altar servers, the Eucharistic ministers, the choirs, we should not remove our gaze on the reason of all our actions at mass and in other liturgies. This includes an intelligent approach to ritual performance: getting to know the meaning of the mass, the logic of the structures of liturgy, the specific roles one plays as a choir or as a lector, the meaning behind the symbols and gestures we use. To be pharasaic is to be like many rigid liturgists who are concerned about the externals, and often are too extremely disturbed by mistakes at the altar, and eventually forget true worship. We should not forget that people assimilate our actions more than our words. They imbibe our ways of doing things and our thinking. If we are more concerned about the performance of rituals but do not take time to explain the reason behind these gestures, the people might begin to value ritual and ceremony over and above the values of charity. No wonder many Catholics come to mass mechanically.

And for those who take part in these liturgies such as massgoers, we must be educated Catholics --- to grow from a devotional practice of faith to an informed and intelligent observance of our beliefs. I am not denying the importance of these rituals and traditions. Tradition is important. But I am insisting that the meaning of these gestures should be taught; or else, our religion will be more of form than content. Traditions embody a lot of wisdom and hard-earned knowledge and when it is used, it preserves our culture and provides a continuity to our lives and the generations after us.

However, tradition can become rigid and irrelevant, and prevents us from creative renewal. There must be a marriage between substance and medium. And in the event that our symbols are slowly being eroded (eg. the cross is now worn as a fashion accessory), it now extremely important to regain them before we also lose everything.

As I continually discover the meaning and profundity of our symbols and gestures as a priest in liturgy, I often find myself dreaming of explaining each to people. Because, when one begins to see how reasonable our faith is, how beautiful the essence behind these rituals and ceremonies, we begin to genuinely love the Church and experience God.

*picture by Neo Saicon SJ

The Mad Rush at Gennesareth and the ULTRA Stampede

6 January 2006: Monday of the 5^th Week in Ordinary Time
Mark 6, 53-56: The Insistent Demand for Jesus

The Philippine Star’s headline yesterday, Sunday, 5 February 2006 read: "Wowowee stampede: 73 killed, 359 injured.” In grabbing the chance to escape poverty by winning cash prizes to up to 1 million pesos, people were killed in a mad rush to watch the popular noontime game show of ABS-CBN. Many of them have camped days before the stadium opened, and when it did, hordes of people at the back tried to get inside, crushing those in front of the gate. The Philippine Star tells us about Alberto Herrera, 39, who had lost his mother. He says, “We only wanted our lives to get better.”

We can make a simple analogy with the Gospel today. It tells us that as soon as Jesus disembarked from his boat, large throngs of people in great need came to him. It is said that as soon as the people recognized him, they literally ran towards him, hordes of people almost at a stampede. Just like the Wowowee victims, many of them came from the countryside, villages, and towns.

Let us compare both stories. First, we recognize the great desire of people to escape from poverty. Those from the Wowowee stampede had hoped for prizes that would be given during the show: jeepneys, houses, tricycles, cash prizes. The crowd in the Gospel also hoped to escape from their illnesses. Second, we have people who madly shoved, pushed, and rushed in their insistent demand to get what they wanted. In Wowowee, the pushing resulted to 73 dead, and 356 people injured. In the Gospel, the insistent demand of the crowd would have made Jesus tired. Third, we have icons of hope. The Star told us that one man pinned his hopes on Willie Revillame, the host. He said, “Willie always said that no one would go home weeping when he invited everyone to the show’s first anniversary.” Annabel Pabilona and Loida Abinez who lived as neighbors in a shanty in Sampaloc, Manila said that despite the tragedy, they would continue participating in game shows hoping for that one chance to escape poverty. The Gospel today has Jesus as an icon of hope. Those who came to him or those who were able to touch the tassel of his cloak were healed.

There are things nonetheless that should be brought to our attention. In both stories, the crowd came to get something out of Jesus or Wowowee. I perfectly agree that it is natural that we should come to get what we actually need, but there is something shameful in human nature that should be brought to our attention: that of inconsideration. Let me give you some examples.

For many young people, their homes have become boarding houses, a place that should cater to their needs and comfort. And for those especially with househelps, there is a pervading attitude that their house is a place to eat, sleep and getting things done for them. But try to request them to help in some way at home, whether to wash the dishes, do the laundry, or even fix their rooms, many of the present generation would complain. Surely to make a house a home, we have to ask what we can contribute.

In terms of friendship, some people become our friends when they need something from us, and when we become not so much of a use to them, we cease to be their buddies. In terms of our faith, many people come to the church to have their children baptized, married, or buried; or for students in helpless cases like being at the brink of a board exam. Other than that, the church has no place in their lives. In other words, the church becomes a safe house, just in case there is such a thing as heaven, hell, God or failure.

And in terms of our relationship with God, we can be people who use God: our prayers remain supplications of our personal need. We expect from God to fetch anything we request of Him, anything that we need. Prayer practically means demanding God what we want.

What difference it would have made if people have been considerate of WHAT others need. If those who were lining up at the ULTRA have been considerate of others, there would have been no deaths. If we could have been more selfless, then perhaps many needs of people could have found their solution: poverty or sickness for that matter. The sad thing about all these is the realization that to some extent, we are all guilty of what had happened. We all have contributed to a culture of selfishness and inconsideration. All that matters is that what we want and what we need are met by hook or by crook.

All you need to prove this is to go out and drive in Philippine traffic. This shameful attitude is embedded in our language: it is called, gitgitan. And it has to go.

Jesus' Time Management

5 February 2006: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 1, 29-39. Jesus’ Time Management

As promised: a new homily for this Sunday.

Today, we hear about a typical day in the life of Jesus. St. Benedict summarizes it with his motto, Ora et Labora (Work and Pray). First, Ora (a time to pray). Jesus’ schedule was hectic, rising early in the morning (the Gospels says before dawn) to pray wherever he can. He looks for places where he can be alone. The Gospel calls it a deserted place. Second, Labora (a time to work). His work revolves around teaching in venues like the synagogue and open places, healing the sick and expelling demons. Even in the evenings, he was in demand: the Gospel said that the whole town was gathered at the door even when it was already evening. In addition to all these, he also took time to teach and spend some time for his disciples. The demand of Jesus' work is described by this: Even if he looked for a place to be alone, his disciples pursued him, telling him that “everyone is looking for you.”

If we desire to pattern our lives with Jesus, then it is also possible that our lives can revolve around St. Benedict’s motto: Ora et Labora. Today, I will not delve into Labora because it is one familiar to us. Nevertheless, I still find it necessary to begin with Labora in order to arrive at the main emphasis today, Ora. We begin, by way of introducing the importance of Ora, with our daily tasks which is Labora. As we should know, authentic prayer simply begins from where we are: in our families, on our jobs, with our friends, with our colleagues, and in our most ordinary junctions of daily life. These are the stuff of prayer.

Nowadays, we are pursued differently, not like the disciples during Jesus’ time. But we are pursued nonetheless. Our work is texted to us. Our boss places a stack of paper to pore over during the day. A teacher gives us an assignment to keep ourselves busy during the weekend, not knowing that all other teachers think the same way, and so we find ourselves spending sleepless nights at the dorm, than spending Friday nights partying. A friend of mine once said that we will never be able to escape from work. They will constantly pursue and occupy our lives --- like the mob of Jesus demanding his entire attention, his entire day, his entire life. And while in the midst of work, we all become bruised and broken by the pressures of life, scarred and crest-fallen by the disappointments from unmet demands. And in all our busyness, we yearn for a time to calm ourselves down, to relax and recoup our energies. I guess, we are no different from Jesus: if he tried to find a deserted place to pray, to calm and recoup his energies before he dives into the pressures of ministry, we too should not deny the desire to find a place to pray and de-stress ourselves (in today’s business, it is the spa concept).

Then Ora becomes a serious matter. I remember when I was a child. I was a precocious, fussing, talkative, and energetic little kid. My father would scoop me up in his arms, holding me close to his chest, and then, I would begin to calm down and fall into sleep. It is still my idea of rest --- and I guess, the idea for each member of my family: when in the midst of a problem my brothers and sisters would just seek out our embrace (literally!). This is prayer to me. I can imagine Jesus talking to his Abba, Father. And in the intimate conversation, His father calms him down and embracing Him.

To go to a deserted place, a setting secluded from our ordinary activities of daily life, in order to pray and to reflect, is the concept of a retreat. We literally ‘retreat’ from ordinary lives: withdrawing from one’s ordinary affairs in silence and solitude, in personal prayer, and discerning the presence of the Spirit in our journey. Time magazine has it that those who spend some time meditating before plunging into work, physically transforms their brain’s cerebral cortex. And scientific study affirms the importance of a balance life: a time to work, and a time for relaxation and recreation (in Christian terms it is Ora, a time to quiet and calm down, a time to pray). The brain needs to recuperate, and it can only do so when it is rest. Ergo, nakakabobo din ang puro trabaho. I got the following from email. The title is, The Difference:

I got up early one morning
and rushed right into the day:
I had so much to accomplish
that I didn't have time to pray.
Problems just tumbled about me,
and heavier came each task.
"Why doesn't God help me?" I wondered.
He answered, "You didn't ask."
I wanted to see joy and beauty,
but the day toiled on, gray and bleak.
I wondered why God didn't show me.
He said, "But you didn't seek."
I tried to come into God's presence;
I tried all my keys at the lock.
God gently and lovingly chided,
"My child, you didn't knock."

I woke up early this morning,
and paused before entering the day;
I had so much to accomplish
that I had to take time to pray.

And so concretely, we should look into our organizers, date books, time management schedules and examine our lives: First, daily. Do I spend some time in quiet and prayer? Do I give God some of my attention even for a minute daily? Second, weekly. Do I have a day for rest? Do I take advantage of Sunday as a time for God and for those I love? Third, yearly. Do I spend a time to look back at the year inorder for me to re-align all that I do towards God? Finally, in a lifetime. Did I ever go on a retreat at some point in my life?

And just in case, you find that your life has been the exact opposite of the work horse, then perhaps ask yourself the opposite of the above questions, by concentrating on the Labora. The idea is balance between work and prayer. Nonetheless, the important object of Ora et Labora should never be undermined: God. St. Benedict has this to end, “That in all things God may be glorified.”

Liwanag ng mga Gumaling

5 February 2006: 5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Job 7, 1-4.6-7, Psalm 147, 1 Cor 9, 16-19.22-23, Mark 1, 29-39

Note: This is the same homily last Tuesday, January 11, 2006. The English translation is in this blog: please check January 11, 2006, the title is Taking Each Other's Hands. This is in Filipino, and I guess, some of you will find this useful.

Wika ni Victor Frankl, isang bantog na pilosopo, "Kailangang masunog muna ang nagbibigay-liwanag." Sa katunayan, ang mga sugatan ang siyang magaling magpagaling. Ang mga nakakapagpapaalab ng damdamin ang siyang nasakmal ng kawalan. At ang kaibigan ng kalungkutan ang lumiliyab na mangingibig.

Ang tema ng pagbasa ngayon ay hindi hungkag sa larangan ng kahirapan. Sa rurok ng kanyang sarili, dumadaing si Job, pumuputok ang puso sa matinding paghihinagpis. Bakit, aniya, kung kailan kita minahal, lalung sumisidhi ang kamalasan.

At sa kanyang pagdaing, idinadaing din ni Job ang pakikisumamo ng mundo--- ang mundong unti-unting naaagnas ng apoy ng kawalang-pag-asa. Sa lahat ng uri ng pababalita, maririnig natin ang iba't ibang uri ng pagpatay: taggutom sa Africa, digmaan sa Iraq at terrorismo sa Asya. Simbilis ng pagkalat ng apoy sa tuyong kogon ang pagdanak ng dugo sa buong daigdig. Walang niisa man sa atin ang ligtas--- ang yaong malayo sa digmaan at taggutom, sinisilaban ng panloob na suliranin.

Subalit batid nating may mga taong naka-igpaw sa mga suliraning nagbabanta ng kamatayan. Dumaan ang mga taong nanumbalik ang sigla at pag-asa sa isang uri ng karanasang mahirap ipaliwanag. Isang karanasan ng pagpapagaling. Tulad ng kuwento sa Ebanghelio ngayong araw.

Isinasalaysay ng Ebanghelio ang pagpapagaling sa biyenan ni San Pedro. Nakituloy sina Hesus, Andres, Santiago at Juan sa kanila. Subalit, dahil may lagnat siya, hindi sila maaasikaso. Madali itong maunawaan. Likas sa kagandahang-loob ng Pilipino ang igawad sa bisita ang pinakamarangal na paglilingkod. Iniaalay ng maybahay ang lahat-lahat mabigyan man lamang ang natatanging bisita ng nararapat na pag-aaruga. Kaya mahihiya ang maybahay kung hindi nito maasikaso ang mga panauhin--- lalung lalo na kung dumalaw ang mahal sa buhay.

Sa gayon, likas sa lahat ng nagkakasakit ang mangarap na gumaling. Samakatuwid, nagkaroon ng pag-asang gumaling ang biyenan ni San Pedro, hindi sa pananampalataya sa sariling kapangyarihang gumaling, kundi sa pakikiramay ni Hesus.

Sa ebanghelio ni Marcos, ang pagparam ng sakit ng biyenan ay nagkatotoo sa pamamagitan ng tatlong hakbang na mistulong isang kuwento ng muling pagkabuhay: "Lumapit si Hesus, inabot ang kamay, at ibinangon." Hindi nagtagal, "pinagsisilbihan ng biyenan sina Hesus." Naligtas siya sa isang malaking kahihiyan.

Samakatuwid, isang pagtugon sa kahirapan ang ginawa ni Hesus. Marahil kailangan nating isapuso ang katotohanang una tayong nailigtas ni Kristo sa putik ng kasalanan. Siya ang unang nag-abot ng kamay sa atin lahat. Nakikiisa sa bawat hagulgol sa dilim; nakisabay sa ating mga krus. Kaya, makakaasa tayo na sa ating paghihirap nauunawaan ni Hesus ang ating kalagayan.

Ganito rin ang ginawa ni Pablo sa ikalawang pagbasa. Siya'y naging alipin upang sila'y makalaya. Siya'y naging isang Hudyo upang ang kapwa Hudyo ay mailigtas; naging mahina upang ang mahihina'y magkaroon ng lakas sa pamamagitan ng pamamahagi ng Mabuting Balita. Tulad ni Hesus at San Pablo, ang maysakit upang gumaling ay kailangang lapitan, puntahan, haplusin. Nagsisimulang gumaling ang sugat kapag yayapusin ng bawat panig ang bawat isa. Aniya Luciano de Crescenzo, "Tayo’y mga anghel na iisa lamang ang pakpak. Makakalipad lamang tayo kung kayakap natin ang bawat isa."

Upang makalipad, tunay na kailangan natin ang pakpak ng bawat isa. Batid natin kung ano ang nagagawa ng marahang haplos at tapik sa balikat. Ang haplos ng Diyos ang nakakapagbigay-buhay. Nakakagaan ng loob. Nakakagamot ng sugat. Naaalala ko nang sumakabilang buhay ang aking ama. Batid naming lahat na ito ang pinakamalungkot na yugto sa aming buhay. Ngunit nailigtas kami ng mga yakap at halik ng mga kaibigan at kamag-anak na nakiramay. Ang pakikiisa pala sa kapwang naghihinagpis ang tugon sa nakakagulat na katotohanan ng paghihinagpis. Sa pakikiisa, nanunumbalik ang buhay ng mga naaagnas. Gumagaling ang mga may karamdaman. At umuusbong ang binhi ng pag-asa.

Gayunpaman, hindi nagwawakas ang pagpapagaling. Ang nahahaplos ni Kristo ay gumagaling. Ang taong gumaling, naghahangad na paggalingin ang iba. Likas sa tao ang tulungan ang nangangailangan. Ang ating Ebanghelio nagtatapos nang ganito: "At sila'y pinaglingkuran niya." Ang paglilingkod na ito ay higit pang mas malalim: ang sinumang gumaling nagkakaroon ng panibagong buhay. Ang utang na loob na kaakibat ng umaapaw na pasasalamat sa Panginoon ay hindi mababayaran kailan man. Ang pagsisilbi sa Panginoon ay paglilingkod nang buong katapatan. Ang pag-aalay ng buong sarili ay nagbibigay-buhay sa kapwa. Sila ang mga nasugatan at nasaktan, nasilaban ng apoy ng kadalamhatian. Ang mga umigpaw ang ngayong umaalab, mga sulo ng mga nawawalang-pag-asa.