Ika-23 ng Disyembre 2007 Misa de Gallo
Is 7, 10-14; Salmo 24; Rom 1, 1-7; Mt 1, 18-24
Inilarawan ni Mateo ang pagkapanganak kay Kristo sa Ebanghelio ngayon. Si Maria at Jose ay nakatakda nang ikasal, nang nadiskubre ni Jose na nagdadalantao si Maria. Nais hiwalayan ni Jose si Maria, ngunit sa pamamagitan ng isang panaginip, ipinasya niyang tanggapin at pakasalan siya. Nanganak si Maria at ipinangalanang Emmanuel, kahuluga’y “nasa atin ang Diyos.” Ang kuwento ng Pasko ay hindi na iba sa atin, at taon-taon binabalikan at ginugunita natin ang kuwento ni Hesus. Ngunit kahit pabalik-balik na ang kuwento taon-taon, naririto pa rin tayong namamangha at walang sawang nagdiriwang ng Pasko. Dahil dito, ipinasya kong bigyan ng ibang interpretasyon ang kuwento para maisabuhay natin ito.
Unang-una: ang kuwento ng Pasko ay tungkol sa panganganak. Kagabi’y nakatanggap ako ng text galing sa matalik kong kaibigan, na nanganak na ang kanyang asawa ng isang cute na batang babae na ang pangalan ay Sofia Maria. Ngunit lalawakan pa natin ang pag-unawa sa panganganak. Ano mang bunga ng ating pagpapagal ay isang panganganak: isang natapos na proyekto, isang awit na matagal nang binubuo, isang nakamtang pangarap, isang mahusay na performance, isang kumpletong simbanggabi. Ang lahat na karanasang ito ay tatawagin nating panganganak.
Pangalawa: ang kuwento ng Pasko ay ukol sa isang pangarap na nagsilbing gabay sa buhay. Sa kuwento ni Mateo, ang pagpasyang kupkupin at pakasalan si Maria ay galing sa gabay ng isang anghel sa pamamagitan ng panaginip. Hindi ito ang unang pagkakataong narinig natin ang kahalagahan ng ating mga panaginip: nakamtan ni Joseph ang luklukan ng gobernador ng Ehipto dahil sa isang panaginip; nakamit ni Daniel ang paghanga ng hari ng Babylon dahil sa panaginip. Naniniwala sila noong unang panahon na ang Diyos at tao ay nakapag-usap nang walang balakid sa pamamagitan ng panaginip. Ang ating pag-unawa sa panaginip sa pamamagitan ng Psychology at Dream Analysis, tunay ngang nagpapatunay na ang ating mga panaginip ay maaring magsilbing gabay sa ating buhay --- at upang magbunga ang ating mga pagpapagal at pagsisikap. Our dreams motivate us to pursue its realization. In the light of our dreams and our goals, we can evaluate our present situation.
Ngunit kailan tayo nananaginip? Kadalasan sa ating pamamahinga, sa ating pagtulog, sa gitna ng gabi. Sa gitna ng gabi, kapag tahimik na ang lahat. When everything is quiet, we are able to get in contact with the purpose of our work and our actions. Sa gitna ng katahimikang ito, lumitaw ang anghel at bituin sa kalangitan upang liwanagan ang nasa kadiliman. Sa kalaliman ng gabi, isinilang si Hesus. “Silent night, Holy night, all is calm, all is bright.”
Ibig sabihin, kung nais natin magbunga ang ating pinagsisikapan, kailangan ng katahimikan. Upang hindi magkalat at manatiling naka-focus. Upang hindi mawala sa ating isip ang layunin at kahulugan ng ating mga ginagawa. To evaluate whether the things that we do lead us closer to the completion and fulfillment of our projects, our dreams, towards excellence in our performances. But it also helps us see through all of them. That we are not discouraged when we are already close to success. Often, we quit a few minutes before succeeding, a few remaining efforts before a new experience.
I believe this is Christmas. Christmas celebrates what is already certain: we are assured of success. We are assured of God’s continual presence: Emmanuel, God is with us. But, how to get there, is up to us.
Pangakong Magpapatawad
Ika-22 ng Disyembre 2007 Misa de Gallo
Lukas 1, 46-56 Ang Puso Ko’y Nagpupuri
May karanasan na ba kayo ng labis na tuwa, na napakanta ka sa saya? Madalas ginagawa natin ito sa loob ng sasakyan, sa paglilinis ng bahay o sa paliguan. This is a spontaneous eruption of the human spirit, a way of expressing our satisfaction. Kapag sobrang inspired ka, kusang napapa-awit ka o napapasigaw bigla sa tuwa.
Ang Ebanghelio sa araw na ito ay isang awit ng tuwa, tinatawag na “Magnificat” --- galing sa Latin “Magnificat anima mea Dominum” --- my soul magnifies the Lord. Madalas tinatawag na Canticle of Mary o Awit ni Maria, isang awit ng papuri sa Diyos. Maraming dahilan kung bakit kusang napapa-awit tayo, at hindi pipitsugin kung Pilipino ang kumakanta: sobrang magaling ang Pinoy sa kantahan. Lalung-lalo na kapag naka-MP3 player o naka-KTV.
Binalikan ni Maria ang mga biyayang natanggap niya at sa bawat karanasan niya ng Diyos, namumukadkad ang kanyang puso sa pasasalamat. “Nagagalak ang aking espiritu sa Diyos na aking Tagapagligtas. Nilingap niya ang kanyang abang alipin, at mula ngayon, ako’y tatawaging mapalad… dahil sa mga dakilang bagay na ginawa sa akin ng Makapangyarihan.” Anong dakilang bagay? Tinupad ng Diyos ang kanyang pangako ng habag mula pa kay Abraham at sa mga sumunod na salinlahi.
Dalawang salita ang alalahanin ngayong araw: pangako at habag. We possess two innate capacities: ang kakayahang mangako (the capacity to promise) at ang kakayahang magpatawad (the ability to forgive or to be merciful).
Unang una, ang kakayahang mangako. Walang katiyakan ang hinaharap. Our future is unpredictable. So, covenants, agreements, contracts and promises are islands of stability in an uncertain sea. Tulad ng pagpapakasal. Sinasabi ng ikinakasal: “Before God and His Church, I stand here of my own free will, ready to bind myself forever to love and serve you. I promise that I will remain faithful to you all my life.” Nagkakaroon ng panibagong buhay ang ikinasal, puno ng panganib at walang katiyakan maliban sa pangakong binitawan.
Pangalawa, ang kakayahang magpatawad. Sa pagpapatawad, pinapalaya natin ang mga taong sanhi ng ating mga sugat. Pinapalaya natin siya sa paghihiganti; from the natural or spontaneous course of revenge. Ang paghihiganti ay isang cycle: paulit-ulit, pabalik-balik at walang kinahihinatnan. Revenge is predictable. Saktan mo ako, maghihiganti ako. He who angers you controls you. Ngunit ang pagpapatawad ay hindi: ito ay isang himala. Forgiveness is a miracle. It is a surprise. When Pope John Paul II and Mahatma Gandhi forgave their assassins, we were surprised: it was not the natural course of things.
Ayon kay Maria, dakila ang Diyos dahil tinupad niya ang kanyang pangako ng habag --- his promise of mercy. Lahat ng tao ay hinahamon maging dakila tulad ng Diyos. Kung tinutupad lamang ng bawat isa, ng ating gobyerno, ng ating lipunan ang kanilang mga pangako, magiging maunlad ang Pilipinas. Kung may habag at pagpapatawad, makaka-iwas tayo sa gulo at magkakaroon tayo ng kapayapaan. Palagay ko, kung umunlad ang Pilipinas at mapanatili ang kapayapaan sa ating bansa, mapapasigaw at mapapakanta tayo sa tuwa.
Lukas 1, 46-56 Ang Puso Ko’y Nagpupuri
May karanasan na ba kayo ng labis na tuwa, na napakanta ka sa saya? Madalas ginagawa natin ito sa loob ng sasakyan, sa paglilinis ng bahay o sa paliguan. This is a spontaneous eruption of the human spirit, a way of expressing our satisfaction. Kapag sobrang inspired ka, kusang napapa-awit ka o napapasigaw bigla sa tuwa.
Ang Ebanghelio sa araw na ito ay isang awit ng tuwa, tinatawag na “Magnificat” --- galing sa Latin “Magnificat anima mea Dominum” --- my soul magnifies the Lord. Madalas tinatawag na Canticle of Mary o Awit ni Maria, isang awit ng papuri sa Diyos. Maraming dahilan kung bakit kusang napapa-awit tayo, at hindi pipitsugin kung Pilipino ang kumakanta: sobrang magaling ang Pinoy sa kantahan. Lalung-lalo na kapag naka-MP3 player o naka-KTV.
Binalikan ni Maria ang mga biyayang natanggap niya at sa bawat karanasan niya ng Diyos, namumukadkad ang kanyang puso sa pasasalamat. “Nagagalak ang aking espiritu sa Diyos na aking Tagapagligtas. Nilingap niya ang kanyang abang alipin, at mula ngayon, ako’y tatawaging mapalad… dahil sa mga dakilang bagay na ginawa sa akin ng Makapangyarihan.” Anong dakilang bagay? Tinupad ng Diyos ang kanyang pangako ng habag mula pa kay Abraham at sa mga sumunod na salinlahi.
Dalawang salita ang alalahanin ngayong araw: pangako at habag. We possess two innate capacities: ang kakayahang mangako (the capacity to promise) at ang kakayahang magpatawad (the ability to forgive or to be merciful).
Unang una, ang kakayahang mangako. Walang katiyakan ang hinaharap. Our future is unpredictable. So, covenants, agreements, contracts and promises are islands of stability in an uncertain sea. Tulad ng pagpapakasal. Sinasabi ng ikinakasal: “Before God and His Church, I stand here of my own free will, ready to bind myself forever to love and serve you. I promise that I will remain faithful to you all my life.” Nagkakaroon ng panibagong buhay ang ikinasal, puno ng panganib at walang katiyakan maliban sa pangakong binitawan.
Pangalawa, ang kakayahang magpatawad. Sa pagpapatawad, pinapalaya natin ang mga taong sanhi ng ating mga sugat. Pinapalaya natin siya sa paghihiganti; from the natural or spontaneous course of revenge. Ang paghihiganti ay isang cycle: paulit-ulit, pabalik-balik at walang kinahihinatnan. Revenge is predictable. Saktan mo ako, maghihiganti ako. He who angers you controls you. Ngunit ang pagpapatawad ay hindi: ito ay isang himala. Forgiveness is a miracle. It is a surprise. When Pope John Paul II and Mahatma Gandhi forgave their assassins, we were surprised: it was not the natural course of things.
Ayon kay Maria, dakila ang Diyos dahil tinupad niya ang kanyang pangako ng habag --- his promise of mercy. Lahat ng tao ay hinahamon maging dakila tulad ng Diyos. Kung tinutupad lamang ng bawat isa, ng ating gobyerno, ng ating lipunan ang kanilang mga pangako, magiging maunlad ang Pilipinas. Kung may habag at pagpapatawad, makaka-iwas tayo sa gulo at magkakaroon tayo ng kapayapaan. Palagay ko, kung umunlad ang Pilipinas at mapanatili ang kapayapaan sa ating bansa, mapapasigaw at mapapakanta tayo sa tuwa.
Surprised by God
Ika-21 ng Disyembre 2007 Misa de Gallo
Lucas 1, 39-45 Ang paghahatid ng kagalakan
Nakakatuwang isipin ang pagtatagpo ng dalawang buntis: si Maria at si Elisabeth. Kapwa silang natutuwa dahil ang kanilang pagdadalantao ay isang malaking biyaya ng Diyos. Para kay Elisabeth, isang himala ang kanyang pagdadalantao dahil siya’y baog at matanda na, ngunit nagkaroon ng laman ang kanyang tiyan. Para kay Maria, isang himala ang kanyang pagbubuntis sa mismong anak ng Diyos. Kapwa sila sinorpresa ng Diyos; kaya’t pinagsaluhan nila ang labis na kaligayahan.
Ang pagsasalo o pakikibahagi sa tuwa ng bawat isa ay minsan mahirap gawin. Maaaring tayo’y nakangiti habang binabati ang kapitbahay nating nagtagumpay, ngunit ang ating puso’y may halong inggit. May pagkakataon na hinahaluan natin ng malisya o pagdududa: “Ay, natanggap iyan kasi may kamag-anak doon.” “Siyempre papasa siya dahil mayaman at nakapag-aral sa maayos na paaralan.” “Swerte yan!” --- para bagang ang kanyang tagumpay ay bigay ng tadhana, at hindi ng sariling kakayahan. Hindi kailanman nagiging ganap ang ating tuwa para sa iba.
Ang kuwento ni Maria at Elisabeth ay kuwento ng ganap na kaligayahan; na nasasaksihan sa ating buhay. Mayroon akong kuwento:
May dalawang ulilang magkapatid na may-ari ng isang bukid na iniwanan ng kanilang mga magulang. Araw-araw, sinasaka nila ang kanilang lupa, tinataniman hanggang sa pag-ani. Ang nakatatandang kapatid ay mayroon nang pamilya; at ang bunso ay isang binata.
Mahal na mahal nila ang isa’t isa. Kaya, sabi ng panganay sa sarili: “Nakaka-awa naman ang aking kapatid dahil wala siyang pamilyang nag-aaruga sa kanya.” Kaya tuwing lumalalim ang gabi, dinadala niya ang isang sakong bigas sa kamalig ng bunso. Sa kabilang banda, nag-iisip ang bunso: “Kawawa naman ang aking kapatid. Marami siyang pinapakain.” Kaya tuwing madaling-araw, kumukuha siya ng isang sakong bigas at dinadala niya sa kamalig ng kanyang nakatatandang kapatid.
Pagkaraan ng ilang ani, pareho silang nagtataka dahil parang hindi nababawasan ang mga sakong bigas sa kanilang kamalig.
Sa isang gabi ng Pasko, natagpuan nila ang isa’t isa sa gitna ng kanilang bukid. Naunawaan na nila ang sagot sa kanilang pagtataka. Ibinaba nila ang kanilang dala-dalang sakong bigas at niyakap nila ang isa’t isa.
Sa gabing iyon, inilagay ng mga anghel ang Bituin ng Bethlehem (The Star of Bethlehem) upang ilawan ang magkapatid sa gitna ng anihan.
Nasubukan mo na bang sorpresahin ang isang minamahal: pamilya, kaibigan o ka-ibigan? Subukan mo: walang nakahihigit na karanasan ng tuwa ang may halong pagkagulat at pagkamangha sa pag-ibig ng iba sa atin. Di ba ito ang tuwa ng magkasintahan kapag nag-propose na ng kasal? Di ba ito ang tuwa kapag sinorpresa ka ng buong pamilya at kaibigan sa iyong kaarawan? Christmas is a season of surprises. God surprised us when the impossible became possible: the Virgin and the barren with child. Isang birhen at isang baog na kapwa buntis. The same way, we are touched when others surprise us with their thoughtfulness and love.
Lucas 1, 39-45 Ang paghahatid ng kagalakan
Note: This is a dawn mass homily for ABC 5 and ABS-CBN.
Nakakatuwang isipin ang pagtatagpo ng dalawang buntis: si Maria at si Elisabeth. Kapwa silang natutuwa dahil ang kanilang pagdadalantao ay isang malaking biyaya ng Diyos. Para kay Elisabeth, isang himala ang kanyang pagdadalantao dahil siya’y baog at matanda na, ngunit nagkaroon ng laman ang kanyang tiyan. Para kay Maria, isang himala ang kanyang pagbubuntis sa mismong anak ng Diyos. Kapwa sila sinorpresa ng Diyos; kaya’t pinagsaluhan nila ang labis na kaligayahan.
Ang pagsasalo o pakikibahagi sa tuwa ng bawat isa ay minsan mahirap gawin. Maaaring tayo’y nakangiti habang binabati ang kapitbahay nating nagtagumpay, ngunit ang ating puso’y may halong inggit. May pagkakataon na hinahaluan natin ng malisya o pagdududa: “Ay, natanggap iyan kasi may kamag-anak doon.” “Siyempre papasa siya dahil mayaman at nakapag-aral sa maayos na paaralan.” “Swerte yan!” --- para bagang ang kanyang tagumpay ay bigay ng tadhana, at hindi ng sariling kakayahan. Hindi kailanman nagiging ganap ang ating tuwa para sa iba.
Ang kuwento ni Maria at Elisabeth ay kuwento ng ganap na kaligayahan; na nasasaksihan sa ating buhay. Mayroon akong kuwento:
May dalawang ulilang magkapatid na may-ari ng isang bukid na iniwanan ng kanilang mga magulang. Araw-araw, sinasaka nila ang kanilang lupa, tinataniman hanggang sa pag-ani. Ang nakatatandang kapatid ay mayroon nang pamilya; at ang bunso ay isang binata.
Mahal na mahal nila ang isa’t isa. Kaya, sabi ng panganay sa sarili: “Nakaka-awa naman ang aking kapatid dahil wala siyang pamilyang nag-aaruga sa kanya.” Kaya tuwing lumalalim ang gabi, dinadala niya ang isang sakong bigas sa kamalig ng bunso. Sa kabilang banda, nag-iisip ang bunso: “Kawawa naman ang aking kapatid. Marami siyang pinapakain.” Kaya tuwing madaling-araw, kumukuha siya ng isang sakong bigas at dinadala niya sa kamalig ng kanyang nakatatandang kapatid.
Pagkaraan ng ilang ani, pareho silang nagtataka dahil parang hindi nababawasan ang mga sakong bigas sa kanilang kamalig.
Sa isang gabi ng Pasko, natagpuan nila ang isa’t isa sa gitna ng kanilang bukid. Naunawaan na nila ang sagot sa kanilang pagtataka. Ibinaba nila ang kanilang dala-dalang sakong bigas at niyakap nila ang isa’t isa.
Sa gabing iyon, inilagay ng mga anghel ang Bituin ng Bethlehem (The Star of Bethlehem) upang ilawan ang magkapatid sa gitna ng anihan.
Nasubukan mo na bang sorpresahin ang isang minamahal: pamilya, kaibigan o ka-ibigan? Subukan mo: walang nakahihigit na karanasan ng tuwa ang may halong pagkagulat at pagkamangha sa pag-ibig ng iba sa atin. Di ba ito ang tuwa ng magkasintahan kapag nag-propose na ng kasal? Di ba ito ang tuwa kapag sinorpresa ka ng buong pamilya at kaibigan sa iyong kaarawan? Christmas is a season of surprises. God surprised us when the impossible became possible: the Virgin and the barren with child. Isang birhen at isang baog na kapwa buntis. The same way, we are touched when others surprise us with their thoughtfulness and love.
Freedom and Commitment
Ika-20 ng Disyembre 2007 Misa de Gallo
Is 7, 10-14; Salmo 23; Lucas 1, 26-38
Ang pag-oo ni Maria sa Ebanghelio ang pinakamahalagang mensahe sa araw na ito. Sa kanyang pagtalima sa utos ng Panginoon, nagkaroon ng buhay sa lupa si Hesus.
May dalawang punto ang pagmumuni-muni natin ngayon.
Una, sa pamamagitan ng anghel Gabriel, humingi ng pahintulot --- isang request --- kay Maria ang Panginoon. Ginalang ng Panginoon ang kalayaan ni Maria na um-oo o humindi sa kanyang paanyaya. Hindi kailanman pinilit ng Panginoon ang kanyang mga tinatawag --- hinintay niya ang kanyang mga sinugo hanggang sa handa na itong tumalima. Dinaan sa tiyaga, pasensya at paghihintay. We can accept or refuse the Lord.
Isang tanging katangian ng tao ang kalayaan o freedom. Dito nagkakatalo tayo sa pag-unawa sa kalayaan. Ang kalayaan ang kapangyarihan nating magpasiya; it is our ability to choose. But what kind of choice? To be free is to choose what is good; to choose what is bad is to be bound and imprisoned. Let me explain. Choose to lie: the first time, you would feel bad; the second time, the third time, until it becomes automatic and you become a liar. Your action becomes you. Sa maraming pagkakataon, hindi mo na namamalayan na nagsisinungaling ka na. Or choose alcohol: the first, the second, the third: until you do not know what you’re saying or doing --- it is the alcohol that controls you, and your freedom diminishes at every gulp. That is what we mean by addiction: an addict is unfree. You move further and further away from yourself, that you begin to ask, “Ito ba talaga ako?”
But choose what is good. It would make you feel light and better. It eases up your mind and you begin saying that this is truly you: I am friendly. I am determined. I am happy --- despite the trials and challenges. Dahil ang tunay nating pagkatao ay mabuti. Our nature and our identity is good. If you think you’re a bad person: that is not you --- you are letting your fears and your issues control you; thus you made yourself believe in your very own deception. But you are fully responsible, because you made that choice. You are saying, you do not have freedom from your heartaches, from lying, from alcohol. You don’t have the ability to be free from them. At kung wala kang kalayaan, hindi ka tao.
Pangalawa, ang pag-oo ni Maria naging isang commitment: kasama nito ang lahat nang daraanan niyang pagdurusa simula sa pagsilang, pagpapalaki, at kamatayan ni Hesus. Ibig sabihin, ang kanyang pag-oo ay isang lubusang pagbibigay ng kanyang sarili sa anumang kahihinatnan ng kanyang unang pagpapasiya. Pagkatapos akuin ni Maria ang tungkuling maging ina ng Panginoong Hesus, nagbago ang kanyang buhay: lahat nang mangyayari sa kanya ay isang pagpapatupad o pagbibigay-laman sa kanyang unang pagpasiya.
Our freedom therefore is aimed at making a good choice. And to choose what is good is to accept the Lord. The purpose of our freedom is to limit our choices. Simple: you use your freedom when you choose one item in a multiple-choice exam. Once you decided your final answer, hindi mo na puwedeng bawiin. Deal o No Deal na. Sa kabilang banda, kung hindi ka makapili sa mga options, ibig sabihin, wala kang alam; wala kang abilidad para makapili nang tama.
Sa buhay, ginagamit natin ang kalayaan upang pumili ng isa, sa lahat ng maraming options. The person who chooses one among the various options is the person who is free. Like a person who is faithful to his one and only wife, or to her one and only husband. In fact, we call them mature. They chose to bind themselves to one person.
Ang taong maraming options at hindi nagpapasiya ay hindi malaya: tulad ng mga taong nangongolekta ng girlfriend o boyfriend nang sabay-sabay. Lipat lang nang lipat. Walang iisang pinipili. He or she cannot use their freedom to choose, baka takot masaktan. In fact, we call them, immature.
And when you decide to choose only one --- one specific career, one particular person until forever: Game na. You give your all.
Is 7, 10-14; Salmo 23; Lucas 1, 26-38
Note: This is a dawn mass homily.
Ang pag-oo ni Maria sa Ebanghelio ang pinakamahalagang mensahe sa araw na ito. Sa kanyang pagtalima sa utos ng Panginoon, nagkaroon ng buhay sa lupa si Hesus.
May dalawang punto ang pagmumuni-muni natin ngayon.
Una, sa pamamagitan ng anghel Gabriel, humingi ng pahintulot --- isang request --- kay Maria ang Panginoon. Ginalang ng Panginoon ang kalayaan ni Maria na um-oo o humindi sa kanyang paanyaya. Hindi kailanman pinilit ng Panginoon ang kanyang mga tinatawag --- hinintay niya ang kanyang mga sinugo hanggang sa handa na itong tumalima. Dinaan sa tiyaga, pasensya at paghihintay. We can accept or refuse the Lord.
Isang tanging katangian ng tao ang kalayaan o freedom. Dito nagkakatalo tayo sa pag-unawa sa kalayaan. Ang kalayaan ang kapangyarihan nating magpasiya; it is our ability to choose. But what kind of choice? To be free is to choose what is good; to choose what is bad is to be bound and imprisoned. Let me explain. Choose to lie: the first time, you would feel bad; the second time, the third time, until it becomes automatic and you become a liar. Your action becomes you. Sa maraming pagkakataon, hindi mo na namamalayan na nagsisinungaling ka na. Or choose alcohol: the first, the second, the third: until you do not know what you’re saying or doing --- it is the alcohol that controls you, and your freedom diminishes at every gulp. That is what we mean by addiction: an addict is unfree. You move further and further away from yourself, that you begin to ask, “Ito ba talaga ako?”
But choose what is good. It would make you feel light and better. It eases up your mind and you begin saying that this is truly you: I am friendly. I am determined. I am happy --- despite the trials and challenges. Dahil ang tunay nating pagkatao ay mabuti. Our nature and our identity is good. If you think you’re a bad person: that is not you --- you are letting your fears and your issues control you; thus you made yourself believe in your very own deception. But you are fully responsible, because you made that choice. You are saying, you do not have freedom from your heartaches, from lying, from alcohol. You don’t have the ability to be free from them. At kung wala kang kalayaan, hindi ka tao.
Pangalawa, ang pag-oo ni Maria naging isang commitment: kasama nito ang lahat nang daraanan niyang pagdurusa simula sa pagsilang, pagpapalaki, at kamatayan ni Hesus. Ibig sabihin, ang kanyang pag-oo ay isang lubusang pagbibigay ng kanyang sarili sa anumang kahihinatnan ng kanyang unang pagpapasiya. Pagkatapos akuin ni Maria ang tungkuling maging ina ng Panginoong Hesus, nagbago ang kanyang buhay: lahat nang mangyayari sa kanya ay isang pagpapatupad o pagbibigay-laman sa kanyang unang pagpasiya.
Our freedom therefore is aimed at making a good choice. And to choose what is good is to accept the Lord. The purpose of our freedom is to limit our choices. Simple: you use your freedom when you choose one item in a multiple-choice exam. Once you decided your final answer, hindi mo na puwedeng bawiin. Deal o No Deal na. Sa kabilang banda, kung hindi ka makapili sa mga options, ibig sabihin, wala kang alam; wala kang abilidad para makapili nang tama.
Sa buhay, ginagamit natin ang kalayaan upang pumili ng isa, sa lahat ng maraming options. The person who chooses one among the various options is the person who is free. Like a person who is faithful to his one and only wife, or to her one and only husband. In fact, we call them mature. They chose to bind themselves to one person.
Ang taong maraming options at hindi nagpapasiya ay hindi malaya: tulad ng mga taong nangongolekta ng girlfriend o boyfriend nang sabay-sabay. Lipat lang nang lipat. Walang iisang pinipili. He or she cannot use their freedom to choose, baka takot masaktan. In fact, we call them, immature.
And when you decide to choose only one --- one specific career, one particular person until forever: Game na. You give your all.
The Experience of Barrenness
Ika-19 ng Disyembre 2007 Misa de Gallo
Judges 13, 2-25; Psalm 71; Luke 1, 5-25
Noong panahon, isang malaking kahihiyan ang pagiging baog. Ang kaganapan at higit na kasiyahan ng mga mag-asawa ang pagkakaroon ng mga anak. Dahil dito, kapag hindi nagkakaroon ng sanggol ang mag-asawa, palaging nararanasan nila ang kahungkagan o emptiness, may palaging kulang sa kanilang buhay, at hindi ganap ang kanilang kaligayahan kahit napupuno man ito ng iba’t ibang bagay. Si Sarah ang pinakamamahal ni Abraham; si Rebekah ang pinaka-iniibig ni Isaac; si Rachel ang pinakatatanging babae sa buhay ni Jacob. Si Hannah ang ginigiliw ni Elkanah. Ngunit lahat sila ay baog. Kahit nakamtan na nila ang higit na pag-irog ng kanilang mga asawa, nananatili pa ring butas at kulang ang kanilang buhay.
Ngunit ang kuwento ng mga babaeng ito, kasama na ang asawa ni Manoa at si Elisabet na asawa ni Zacharias, ay mga kuwento ng tagumpay at kaligayahan. Kung kailan nilang lahat ipinasa-Dios ang kanilang kalagayan at tinanggap na ang kanilang pagkasawi dahil matanda na sila, tsaka sila binigyan ng anak ng Diyos. Mula kay Sarah, si Isaac. Mula kay Rebekah, si Jacob. Mula kay Rachel, si Benjamin at Joseph. Mula kay Hanna, si Samuel. Mula sa asawa ni Manoa, si Samson. Mula kay Elisabet, si Juan Bautista. Ang kanilang anak ay hindi lamang naging dahilan ng kanilang lubusang kaligayahan, ngunit naging mga bayani ng bayang Israel at ng pananampalatayang Hudio at Kristiyano.
May mga karanasan tayong tulad ng karanasan ng pagiging baog. There are different forms of barrenness. We may not be physically debilitated, but there are certain issues in our lives that may make us emotionally and spiritually barren and empty. It can be our traumatic experiences, shady secrets, serious sins or the experience of the death of a loved one. They can imprison us and bind us and make us unhappy. Sa kabila ng lahat ng biyaya ng Diyos, tulad ng isang katangi-tanging minamahal, hindi tayo natatahimik kailan man, lagi pa ring may kulang, at tayo’y nagtataka bakit sa pinaka-rurok ng ating mga puso, sa kabila ng ating mga ngiti, ay may nananatiling kalungkutan. At nag-aakala tayo na ang mali ay nasa ibang tao: sasabihin natin --- hindi siya siguro ang magpapasaya sa akin habang buhay. Baka hindi siya ang problema, kundi ikaw. Our feelings of emptiness and meaninglessness are forms of barrenness. Sa madaling salita, walang maaaring magpapasaya o magpapanatag ng ating loob.
But there are ways to move on. Inaakala natin na ang droga, alcohol, pagpapakawala o pagrerebelde sa buhay ang siyang gamot sa ating mga issues o barrenness. Ngunit aminin: alam natin na di ito nagagamot ng mga ito.
The opposite of barrenness is productivity. We can use our barrenness to be productive through many different ways. We can prevent other people from experiencing it or further their plight. Ang karanasan ng karamihan ay simple lamang: kawanggawa; tulong na walang talent fee. Pero saan at kanino? Puntahan mo ang mga taong may katulad sa iyong sitwasyon. Kung ika’y malungkot, punta ka sa Home for the Aged o sa Abandoned Children. Ikaw ang makakaunawa sa kanila. Simple lang ang paliwanag: nauunawaan ng isang sugatan ang kapwa sugatan; naiintindihan ng nasaktan ang nasasaktan. Nagkakaroon ng laman ang ating mga hungkag na puso, kapag binuksan natin ito sa ating mga kapwa hungkag. We fill up our barrenness when we open our lives to people who needs us. When we do this, we allow God to enter our lives. And we become completely happy. And completely fulfilled.
Judges 13, 2-25; Psalm 71; Luke 1, 5-25
Note: This is a dawn mass (Simbanggabi) homily.
Noong panahon, isang malaking kahihiyan ang pagiging baog. Ang kaganapan at higit na kasiyahan ng mga mag-asawa ang pagkakaroon ng mga anak. Dahil dito, kapag hindi nagkakaroon ng sanggol ang mag-asawa, palaging nararanasan nila ang kahungkagan o emptiness, may palaging kulang sa kanilang buhay, at hindi ganap ang kanilang kaligayahan kahit napupuno man ito ng iba’t ibang bagay. Si Sarah ang pinakamamahal ni Abraham; si Rebekah ang pinaka-iniibig ni Isaac; si Rachel ang pinakatatanging babae sa buhay ni Jacob. Si Hannah ang ginigiliw ni Elkanah. Ngunit lahat sila ay baog. Kahit nakamtan na nila ang higit na pag-irog ng kanilang mga asawa, nananatili pa ring butas at kulang ang kanilang buhay.
Ngunit ang kuwento ng mga babaeng ito, kasama na ang asawa ni Manoa at si Elisabet na asawa ni Zacharias, ay mga kuwento ng tagumpay at kaligayahan. Kung kailan nilang lahat ipinasa-Dios ang kanilang kalagayan at tinanggap na ang kanilang pagkasawi dahil matanda na sila, tsaka sila binigyan ng anak ng Diyos. Mula kay Sarah, si Isaac. Mula kay Rebekah, si Jacob. Mula kay Rachel, si Benjamin at Joseph. Mula kay Hanna, si Samuel. Mula sa asawa ni Manoa, si Samson. Mula kay Elisabet, si Juan Bautista. Ang kanilang anak ay hindi lamang naging dahilan ng kanilang lubusang kaligayahan, ngunit naging mga bayani ng bayang Israel at ng pananampalatayang Hudio at Kristiyano.
May mga karanasan tayong tulad ng karanasan ng pagiging baog. There are different forms of barrenness. We may not be physically debilitated, but there are certain issues in our lives that may make us emotionally and spiritually barren and empty. It can be our traumatic experiences, shady secrets, serious sins or the experience of the death of a loved one. They can imprison us and bind us and make us unhappy. Sa kabila ng lahat ng biyaya ng Diyos, tulad ng isang katangi-tanging minamahal, hindi tayo natatahimik kailan man, lagi pa ring may kulang, at tayo’y nagtataka bakit sa pinaka-rurok ng ating mga puso, sa kabila ng ating mga ngiti, ay may nananatiling kalungkutan. At nag-aakala tayo na ang mali ay nasa ibang tao: sasabihin natin --- hindi siya siguro ang magpapasaya sa akin habang buhay. Baka hindi siya ang problema, kundi ikaw. Our feelings of emptiness and meaninglessness are forms of barrenness. Sa madaling salita, walang maaaring magpapasaya o magpapanatag ng ating loob.
But there are ways to move on. Inaakala natin na ang droga, alcohol, pagpapakawala o pagrerebelde sa buhay ang siyang gamot sa ating mga issues o barrenness. Ngunit aminin: alam natin na di ito nagagamot ng mga ito.
The opposite of barrenness is productivity. We can use our barrenness to be productive through many different ways. We can prevent other people from experiencing it or further their plight. Ang karanasan ng karamihan ay simple lamang: kawanggawa; tulong na walang talent fee. Pero saan at kanino? Puntahan mo ang mga taong may katulad sa iyong sitwasyon. Kung ika’y malungkot, punta ka sa Home for the Aged o sa Abandoned Children. Ikaw ang makakaunawa sa kanila. Simple lang ang paliwanag: nauunawaan ng isang sugatan ang kapwa sugatan; naiintindihan ng nasaktan ang nasasaktan. Nagkakaroon ng laman ang ating mga hungkag na puso, kapag binuksan natin ito sa ating mga kapwa hungkag. We fill up our barrenness when we open our lives to people who needs us. When we do this, we allow God to enter our lives. And we become completely happy. And completely fulfilled.
Seeing God's Presence
18 December 2007 Misa de Gallo
Jeremiah 23, 5-8; Psalm 72; Matthew 1, 18-25
Every Misa de Gallo (Dawn Mass), we are reminded by Jesus’ name: Emmanuel. God is with us. God is present in each of us. God is present in our world. The Philippines continues this tradition of coming to mass early in the morning for nine consecutive days. Some masses are as early as 4:00 AM when the rooster (Gallo) crows at sunrise, waking the farmers to begin their day worshipping the Lord.
Waking up early in the morning is excruciating for many people who are ‘night persons’ --- those who are more active in the evenings. However, part of the novelty of the Misa de Gallo is the little sacrifice involved for a value that is much more important than ourselves, than our sleep. Parents do not mind waking up when their children cry in the middle of the night from a bad dream. For them, sleep is not as important as their child’s need.
The same thing with early morning mass: we wake up early because the Lord is more important to us. If we attend the dawn mass with our family: then the family is important to us. If we come to mass with our significant other: then God becomes the unifying factor of our relationship. A person who is willing to give up their own needs for another is a good person. This is the point of the first reading: God is good; in the Gospel, God’s goodness is His choice of being with us: as parents give their assuring presence to their children who had a bad dream, as family members who come together for mass, as lovers accompany each other in worship.
From yesterday’s message that God chooses sinners and insignificant persons to further His purpose, today we see that despite our sinfulness, we experience God in us. How? In the good acts people do. When we care for another: we manifest God’s care. When we love another; we manifest God’s love to them. When we improve our craft, our skills and our talents: we witness God’s greatness in us. The goodness in each of us, that goodness which constitute human nature, is the concrete proof that God resides in us. To recognize and seek the goodness in each of us is living out the truth of the Emmanuel.
Therefore, the Gospel challenges us to seek the goodness of people, and never be stuck with their negativities nor with their dark past. We Christians should be known for our charity.
matthe
The Importance of Lineage
17 December 2007 Misa de Gallo
Gen 49, 2-10; Psalm 72; Matthew 1, 1-7 The Importance of Lineage
Makatotohanan at ma-laman ang sinabi ni Rizal: “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan, hindi makararating sa paroroonan.” Today, we will focus on our roots; we will look back at our ancestors and see why it is important to re-connect with the past. I believe this is the very reason why centennials are celebrated and why we have to keep remembering; why we have to continually enrich our memory and appreciate our history.
Our ancestral lineage constitutes our identity. If you want to know who you are, trace your genealogy. The power of our ancestors have been acknowledged by tradition. The Chinese have worshipped their ancestors. The native Americans often begin their rituals by ‘calling them in.’ We, Christians, celebrate the saints as part of our spiritual lineage. If a foreigner ask you to describe who we are, you can enumerate our Philippine heroes and multi-awarded personages as samplers of the greatness of Filipinos. If you are from UP, you will cheer behind the names of Claro M. Recto, the National Artists who created this Church (Manansala, Abueva, Locsin, Luz), our multi-awarded professors and perhaps our comedians who will do a show for the centennial.
There is more to lineage. If we look closely at the ancestors of Jesus, you will notice that they are not exactly the people to be proud of. Jacob was a liar, he decieved his honest brother Esau. Jesus came from the lineage of Judah who sold his brother Joseph to Egypt. His wife Tamar was a shrine-prostitute. Rahab was also a former prostitute. And Ruth was a foreigner. Jesus also came from David who murdered Urriah and committed adultery by taking Bathsheba as his wife. And many of Jesus’ ancestors are insignificant --- they are not exactly people we remember in history.
We too have ancestors whom we are not proud of. Mga ninuno at kamag-anak na ikinahihiya natin. Kapamilyang mas mabuting hindi binabanggit o iniiwasan sa kuwentuhan. Kahit sa ating personal na buhay, may nakaraan tayong pinandidirihan at pilit na kinakalimutan. Ngunit hindi maaaring takasan ang ating nakaraan. What we are today is because of the past: not just genetically. Without Jacob, Jesus will not have Judah. Without Tamar, there would be no Perez. Without Rahab, there would be no Obed, the grandfather of David. Without Bathsheba, there would no Solomon. Without all of these, there would be ancestral line for Jesus. The Catholic Church too share this type of lineage: there are bad popes, scandalous affairs, and dark movements like the Inquisition. But history tells us that God is not determined by the evil that we do. He can use the most sinful and insignificant people for His good purpose.
So today, we look back at our gifted and sinful ancestors. We revisit our roots. And be assured that whether we have a dark history, we are not determined by our past. Jose Rizal taught us that what moves us to the future is our memory. There can arise heroes from a shameful lineage. As we celebrate our centennial, go and research on the people whose contribution shaped who we are today; and at the same time, find the people whom we are not proud of, and perhaps, this is the time to chart a new course.
16 December 2007 3rd Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 35, 1-10; Psalm 146; James 5, 7-10
The tradition of the Simbanggabi in our island springs from a novena: nine days of prayer in preparation and waiting for the feast to come that is the coming of Christ. Such is the spirit of the readings today. Those who were exiled to Babylon await for the day when they will return to their land. They dreamt of returning home. The prophet Isaiah promised them that salvation will come someday. The Gospel is about John the baptist in prison who hears of news that people who are sick regain their health, the lepers are cleansed, the dead are raised and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. For John, he is hearing the fulfillment of what he preached: the Messiah whom he promised to come has indeed arrived.
Waiting possesses two important things:
First, when we wait we need patience. James writes in the second reading that patience is how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth. And the duration of their patience begins from planting until it bears fruit. The important thing in the waiting is making our hearts firm.
There are many of us waiting. We wait for the time when we graduate from college. We wait for the results of an exam. We wait for the time when the pain from our relationships stop throbbing. We wait for the day of freedom from the burdens of family and finances. Some are waiting to have a baby. Some are expecting for birth. Some are waiting for the right person to come. And the readings today reminds us: huwag pilitin, let time take its course. Be patient. The time will indeed come. As of the moment, savor waiting time.
Second, when we wait we put our hearts in joyful anticipation of the things to come. This projection to the future is brought by our promises. Waiting gives us a momentum. When a loved one bids us goodbye before they take off to another country, we hinge our hope to their promise that they will return someday. My sister for example said one year. The first time I crossed a day less from that year, I find the pace slow and I lose my patience. After awhile, time flies quickly. When our hearts become accustomed to the absence, we become less conscious of the time. And as the day of arrival approaches, our hearts begin to beat a little faster and we become excited. The energy that pulls us to the future comes from the very words of our love ones: their promises to us. Our promises free us from the past.
We have survived many storms in our lives because we believed in promises. History tells us that the people of Israel survived exile because of God’s promises. Roman civilization was built on honoring contracts and edicts --- promises on paper. Christianity is built on the promise of God for the Savior, and the promise of the Savior to us that he will be with us till the end of time. There is no relationship without a promise. And our lives have been enriched by the promises of other people to us: our parents who promised to raise us into good persons, our friends who promise their faithfulness, society who promised to keep order for everyone to live in peace.
Isaiah 35, 1-10; Psalm 146; James 5, 7-10
The tradition of the Simbanggabi in our island springs from a novena: nine days of prayer in preparation and waiting for the feast to come that is the coming of Christ. Such is the spirit of the readings today. Those who were exiled to Babylon await for the day when they will return to their land. They dreamt of returning home. The prophet Isaiah promised them that salvation will come someday. The Gospel is about John the baptist in prison who hears of news that people who are sick regain their health, the lepers are cleansed, the dead are raised and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. For John, he is hearing the fulfillment of what he preached: the Messiah whom he promised to come has indeed arrived.
Waiting possesses two important things:
First, when we wait we need patience. James writes in the second reading that patience is how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth. And the duration of their patience begins from planting until it bears fruit. The important thing in the waiting is making our hearts firm.
There are many of us waiting. We wait for the time when we graduate from college. We wait for the results of an exam. We wait for the time when the pain from our relationships stop throbbing. We wait for the day of freedom from the burdens of family and finances. Some are waiting to have a baby. Some are expecting for birth. Some are waiting for the right person to come. And the readings today reminds us: huwag pilitin, let time take its course. Be patient. The time will indeed come. As of the moment, savor waiting time.
Second, when we wait we put our hearts in joyful anticipation of the things to come. This projection to the future is brought by our promises. Waiting gives us a momentum. When a loved one bids us goodbye before they take off to another country, we hinge our hope to their promise that they will return someday. My sister for example said one year. The first time I crossed a day less from that year, I find the pace slow and I lose my patience. After awhile, time flies quickly. When our hearts become accustomed to the absence, we become less conscious of the time. And as the day of arrival approaches, our hearts begin to beat a little faster and we become excited. The energy that pulls us to the future comes from the very words of our love ones: their promises to us. Our promises free us from the past.
We have survived many storms in our lives because we believed in promises. History tells us that the people of Israel survived exile because of God’s promises. Roman civilization was built on honoring contracts and edicts --- promises on paper. Christianity is built on the promise of God for the Savior, and the promise of the Savior to us that he will be with us till the end of time. There is no relationship without a promise. And our lives have been enriched by the promises of other people to us: our parents who promised to raise us into good persons, our friends who promise their faithfulness, society who promised to keep order for everyone to live in peace.
16 December 2007 3rd Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 35, 1-10; Psalm 146; James 5, 7-10
The tradition of the Simbanggabi in our island springs from a novena: nine days of prayer in preparation and waiting for the feast to come that is the coming of Christ. Such is the spirit of the readings today. Those who were exiled to Babylon await for the day when they will return to their land. They dreamt of returning home. The prophet Isaiah promised them that salvation will come someday. The Gospel is about John the baptist in prison who hears of news that people who are sick regain their health, the lepers are cleansed, the dead are raised and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. For John, he is hearing the fulfillment of what he preached: the Messiah whom he promised to come has indeed arrived.
Waiting possesses two important things:
First, when we wait we need patience. James writes in the second reading that patience is how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth. And the duration of their patience begins from planting until it bears fruit. The important thing in the waiting is making our hearts firm.
There are many of us waiting. We wait for the time when we graduate from college. We wait for the results of an exam. We wait for the time when the pain from our relationships stop throbbing. We wait for the day of freedom from the burdens of family and finances. Some are waiting to have a baby. Some are expecting for birth. Some are waiting for the right person to come. And the readings today reminds us: huwag pilitin, let time take its course. Be patient. The time will indeed come. As of the moment, savor waiting time.
Second, when we wait we put our hearts in joyful anticipation of the things to come. This projection to the future is brought by our promises. Waiting gives us a momentum. When a loved one bids us goodbye before they take off to another country, we hinge our hope to their promise that they will return someday. My sister for example said one year. The first time I crossed a day less from that year, I find the pace slow and I lose my patience. After awhile, time flies quickly. When our hearts become accustomed to the absence, we become less conscious of the time. And as the day of arrival approaches, our hearts begin to beat a little faster and we become excited. The energy that pulls us to the future comes from the very words of our love ones: their promises to us. Our promises free us from the past.
We have survived many storms in our lives because we believed in promises. History tells us that the people of Israel survived exile because of God’s promises. Roman civilization was built on honoring contracts and edicts --- promises on paper. Christianity is built on the promise of God for the Savior, and the promise of the Savior to us that he will be with us till the end of time. There is no relationship without a promise. And our lives have been enriched by the promises of other people to us: our parents who promised to raise us into good persons, our friends who promise their faithfulness, society who promised to keep order for everyone to live in peace.
Isaiah 35, 1-10; Psalm 146; James 5, 7-10
The tradition of the Simbanggabi in our island springs from a novena: nine days of prayer in preparation and waiting for the feast to come that is the coming of Christ. Such is the spirit of the readings today. Those who were exiled to Babylon await for the day when they will return to their land. They dreamt of returning home. The prophet Isaiah promised them that salvation will come someday. The Gospel is about John the baptist in prison who hears of news that people who are sick regain their health, the lepers are cleansed, the dead are raised and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. For John, he is hearing the fulfillment of what he preached: the Messiah whom he promised to come has indeed arrived.
Waiting possesses two important things:
First, when we wait we need patience. James writes in the second reading that patience is how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth. And the duration of their patience begins from planting until it bears fruit. The important thing in the waiting is making our hearts firm.
There are many of us waiting. We wait for the time when we graduate from college. We wait for the results of an exam. We wait for the time when the pain from our relationships stop throbbing. We wait for the day of freedom from the burdens of family and finances. Some are waiting to have a baby. Some are expecting for birth. Some are waiting for the right person to come. And the readings today reminds us: huwag pilitin, let time take its course. Be patient. The time will indeed come. As of the moment, savor waiting time.
Second, when we wait we put our hearts in joyful anticipation of the things to come. This projection to the future is brought by our promises. Waiting gives us a momentum. When a loved one bids us goodbye before they take off to another country, we hinge our hope to their promise that they will return someday. My sister for example said one year. The first time I crossed a day less from that year, I find the pace slow and I lose my patience. After awhile, time flies quickly. When our hearts become accustomed to the absence, we become less conscious of the time. And as the day of arrival approaches, our hearts begin to beat a little faster and we become excited. The energy that pulls us to the future comes from the very words of our love ones: their promises to us. Our promises free us from the past.
We have survived many storms in our lives because we believed in promises. History tells us that the people of Israel survived exile because of God’s promises. Roman civilization was built on honoring contracts and edicts --- promises on paper. Christianity is built on the promise of God for the Savior, and the promise of the Savior to us that he will be with us till the end of time. There is no relationship without a promise. And our lives have been enriched by the promises of other people to us: our parents who promised to raise us into good persons, our friends who promise their faithfulness, society who promised to keep order for everyone to live in peace.
At Heaven's Door
13 December 2007 Thursday of the 2nd Week of Advent
Matthew 11, 12-15 At Heaven’s Gate
Verse 12 says, “The Kingdom of Heaven is taken by storm, and the violent take it by force.” Luke is saying that every person storms his way into the Kingdom, as soldiers who would seize a city in desperation. They would bang the door, hammer it, and knock it down until they are able to enter. In other words, we enter the Kingdom of God more often out of desperation than when we are calm and when we do not need anything.
There is some truth to this saying. Many of us come to God from helpless and hopeless situations. We come to attend mass when we are distraught over family quarrels. We pray when we are anxious and frantic. We try to calm ourselves down when we are distressed and distracted. We come when someone dies and there is no one who can console us. We come to the Lord when we are suddenly diagnosed with a terminal illness or when there is no cure at hand. We find ourselves literally running to the church after a break-up, when there is no one else to turn to. We come finally to God when an exam that would affect all of our future and all of our families and all of our expectations is due. It is that time when we would plead and promise this and that if God would grant our requests. It is the time when we say, “please, please, please, please Lord... “
We find ourselves literally storming heaven’s door with our prayers and supplications; with tears and trembling.
Sometimes, many people are troubled by others who don’t seem to need God. Many parents who are religious and God-fearing would worry about their sons and daughters who do not see why they have to pray. They themselves struggle to convince their children how important the spiritual life is. When we are young and we have lived a comfortable life with doting parents who provide everything, we often find coming to church a meaningless ritual. We are in a stage in which our primary concern is themselves and how we will be accepted by our friends. Someone asked me: what would you do to this student who says he doesn’t believe in God? I said, “Wait till something happens, he or she will find herself at heaven’s gate.” My experience tells me that at the latest, a person returns to God at the brink of death.
In the season of Advent, let us reflect on desperate situations. Are you one of us who violently knock at heaven’s gate? What do you pray for repeatedly and desperately? Would you trust in the promise that God will one day open his door and answer you?
Matthew 11, 12-15 At Heaven’s Gate
Verse 12 says, “The Kingdom of Heaven is taken by storm, and the violent take it by force.” Luke is saying that every person storms his way into the Kingdom, as soldiers who would seize a city in desperation. They would bang the door, hammer it, and knock it down until they are able to enter. In other words, we enter the Kingdom of God more often out of desperation than when we are calm and when we do not need anything.
There is some truth to this saying. Many of us come to God from helpless and hopeless situations. We come to attend mass when we are distraught over family quarrels. We pray when we are anxious and frantic. We try to calm ourselves down when we are distressed and distracted. We come when someone dies and there is no one who can console us. We come to the Lord when we are suddenly diagnosed with a terminal illness or when there is no cure at hand. We find ourselves literally running to the church after a break-up, when there is no one else to turn to. We come finally to God when an exam that would affect all of our future and all of our families and all of our expectations is due. It is that time when we would plead and promise this and that if God would grant our requests. It is the time when we say, “please, please, please, please Lord... “
We find ourselves literally storming heaven’s door with our prayers and supplications; with tears and trembling.
Sometimes, many people are troubled by others who don’t seem to need God. Many parents who are religious and God-fearing would worry about their sons and daughters who do not see why they have to pray. They themselves struggle to convince their children how important the spiritual life is. When we are young and we have lived a comfortable life with doting parents who provide everything, we often find coming to church a meaningless ritual. We are in a stage in which our primary concern is themselves and how we will be accepted by our friends. Someone asked me: what would you do to this student who says he doesn’t believe in God? I said, “Wait till something happens, he or she will find herself at heaven’s gate.” My experience tells me that at the latest, a person returns to God at the brink of death.
In the season of Advent, let us reflect on desperate situations. Are you one of us who violently knock at heaven’s gate? What do you pray for repeatedly and desperately? Would you trust in the promise that God will one day open his door and answer you?
Compassion in Leadership
11 December 2007 Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Advent
Isaiah 40, 1-11; Matthew 18, 12-14 The Shepherd
The prophet Isaiah illustrates God like a shepherd who gathers his sheep into his barn. Any sheep that strays, as the Gospel portrays, the shepherd will find it and bring it back home. In the olden days, the life of a shepherd was difficult. The terrain on which the flock grazes was stony and steep, thus, a sheep could easily get caught in crevasses or fell prey to wolves. The flock which a shepherd tended belong to the village, and so he was accountable to the community for each sheep he looked after. This explains why he would put his life over one sheep lost. On the other hand, the sheep recognized their shepherd’s voice or whistle which the shepherds used to gather his flock. There were usually more shepherds with their own flocks, and their flocks often get mixed up with the others.
The Israelites’ idea of leadership was shepherding. Two of their greatest leaders in the Old Testament, Moses and David were shepherds. In fact they called their king, the shepherd. For the Israelites, there was a quality in shepherding that is ideal for leaders. Today, we call those who has authority over a community, a pastor. However, we often think that to be a leader is to be rigid, strict and rule-bound. For many of us, we think we can gather people if they stick to the rules or they follow OUR rules. Sure it is true that laws create order, but experience tells us that it is love and concern that brings people together. The law should be the last resort.
For example, there are difficult times in our lives when we need comfort from people we love. There are rough times when we desire to be embraced, hugged and kissed. When a family member of an org mate passes away, leaders are challenged to encourage their members to lend support. People are endeared to each other when they have shared sorrows. St. Ignatius of Loyola calls this, cura personalis (personal care).
The prophet Isaiah comforts those in despair with words of wisdom. He gave them an image of compassion, with the shepherd gathering people into his barn.
When we are distressed, what do we do? Do we see God who comforts and speaks tenderly to Jerusalem. Is God a comforting God who allows us to rest in his arms; knowing that whatever happens to us, God’s love stays.
Compassion in Leadership
11 December 2007 Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Advent
Isaiah 40, 1-11; Matthew 18, 12-14 The Shepherd
The prophet Isaiah illustrates God like a shepherd who gathers his sheep into his barn. Any sheep that strays, as the Gospel portrays, the shepherd will find it and bring it back home. In the olden days, the life of a shepherd was difficult. The terrain on which the flock grazes was stony and steep, thus, a sheep could easily get caught in crevasses or fell prey to wolves. The flock which a shepherd tended belong to the village, and so he was accountable to the community for each sheep he looked after. This explains why he would put his life over one sheep lost. On the other hand, the sheep recognized their shepherd’s voice or whistle which the shepherds used to gather his flock. There were usually more shepherds with their own flocks, and their flocks often get mixed up with the others.
The Israelites’ idea of leadership was shepherding. Two of their greatest leaders in the Old Testament, Moses and David were shepherds. In fact they called their king, the shepherd. For the Israelites, there was a quality in shepherding that is ideal for leaders. Today, we call those who has authority over a community, a pastor. However, we often think that to be a leader is to be rigid, strict and rule-bound. For many of us, we think we can gather people if they stick to the rules or they follow OUR rules. Sure it is true that laws create order, but experience tells us that it is love and concern that brings people together. The law should be the last resort.
For example, there are difficult times in our lives when we need comfort from people we love. There are rough times when we desire to be embraced, hugged and kissed. When a family member of an org mate passes away, leaders are challenged to encourage their members to lend support. People are endeared to each other when they have shared sorrows. St. Ignatius of Loyola calls this, cura personalis (personal care).
The prophet Isaiah comforts those in despair with words of wisdom. He gave them an image of compassion, with the shepherd gathering people into his barn.
When we are distressed, what do we do? Do we see God who comforts and speaks tenderly to Jerusalem. Is God a comforting God who allows us to rest in his arms; knowing that whatever happens to us, God’s love stays.
Isaiah 40, 1-11; Matthew 18, 12-14 The Shepherd
The prophet Isaiah illustrates God like a shepherd who gathers his sheep into his barn. Any sheep that strays, as the Gospel portrays, the shepherd will find it and bring it back home. In the olden days, the life of a shepherd was difficult. The terrain on which the flock grazes was stony and steep, thus, a sheep could easily get caught in crevasses or fell prey to wolves. The flock which a shepherd tended belong to the village, and so he was accountable to the community for each sheep he looked after. This explains why he would put his life over one sheep lost. On the other hand, the sheep recognized their shepherd’s voice or whistle which the shepherds used to gather his flock. There were usually more shepherds with their own flocks, and their flocks often get mixed up with the others.
The Israelites’ idea of leadership was shepherding. Two of their greatest leaders in the Old Testament, Moses and David were shepherds. In fact they called their king, the shepherd. For the Israelites, there was a quality in shepherding that is ideal for leaders. Today, we call those who has authority over a community, a pastor. However, we often think that to be a leader is to be rigid, strict and rule-bound. For many of us, we think we can gather people if they stick to the rules or they follow OUR rules. Sure it is true that laws create order, but experience tells us that it is love and concern that brings people together. The law should be the last resort.
For example, there are difficult times in our lives when we need comfort from people we love. There are rough times when we desire to be embraced, hugged and kissed. When a family member of an org mate passes away, leaders are challenged to encourage their members to lend support. People are endeared to each other when they have shared sorrows. St. Ignatius of Loyola calls this, cura personalis (personal care).
The prophet Isaiah comforts those in despair with words of wisdom. He gave them an image of compassion, with the shepherd gathering people into his barn.
When we are distressed, what do we do? Do we see God who comforts and speaks tenderly to Jerusalem. Is God a comforting God who allows us to rest in his arms; knowing that whatever happens to us, God’s love stays.
The Stump of Jesse
9 December 2007. 2nd Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 11, 1-10; Psalm 72; Rom 15, 4-9; Matthew 3, 1-12The season of Advent is a season of hopeful preparation. With the Philippines opening its Christmas bazaars and tiangges as early as September, and Christmas carols dominate the airwaves as the holidays approach, people prepare for Christmas early. The “BER months” (SeptemBER, OctoBER, NovemBER, DecemBER) as we call these months acknowledge an element of preparation: time. We begin by planning the things to do for the season: how many Christmas cards to buy and whom to send them; what gifts to have for our families, friends and godchildren; how much money we need to save for the most joyful season of the year.
God also needed time to prepare for the coming of Jesus. We believe that the whole Old Testament is a period of preparation for the coming of the Messiah. The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is God’s way of getting ready for Jesus: Mary was conceived without original sin because she would be the vessel of the son of God. The four candles in the Advent wreath symbolize four centuries of waiting. To our ancestors, it symbolized four thousand years since Adam and Eve.
Second, any preparation needed certain things to be done. When we cook, the ingredients should all be on the table. When we study, the books we need should be within reach. When we apply for a job, all the documents needed have been accomplished. In other words, all the details, the nitty-gritty are all in place. Usually, disaster happens when we have overlooked a detail, or one material needed has not been secured. In our spiritual lives, we prepare our hearts and soul for the coming of Christ. We can do this though prayer and reflection: the advent wreath is suppose to help our hearts.
However, preparation is always for something. To prepare is to move towards the object and reason for the it. To get ready for the big day --- for instance, the visit of a person we care about or who is important in our careers. When we prepare, we hope. We project ourselves to the future. Our studies for our future careers; our job applications for the future of our families; ingredients for a hot chicken soup for the family’s table on rainy days.
The same way with Advent. The advent wreath was adapted from the Germanic peoples who would make evergreen wreaths during the long, dark and cold days of December. The candles would symbolize their hope for a brighter and warmer days. They would decorate wheels to implore the gods to turn the wheel of the seasons to spring. Hope then is constitutive of Advent. This is what the first reading from Isaiah tells us: when all has been cut down leaving only its stump, a shoot will sprout. In one of the darkest period in the history of Israel, they hoped for the Messiah who would be a descendant of Jesse, the father of King David. John the Baptist would be shouting from the hilltop to prepare for his coming.
We shall therefore ask these questions today. What do you hope for? And what do you do to prepare for it?
Foundation Stones
6 December 2007 Thursday of the 1st Week of Advent
Isaiah 26, 1-6; Matthew 7, 21, 24-27
The readings today are about strong foundations. The book of Isaiah says, “the city of the Lord is built on rock”, and therefore no enemy can destroy it. In Jerusalem, there is a famous landmark called, the Dome of the Rock, especially significant for the Muslims. Under the Dome is a rock that carries with it various stories and tradition. It is said that Muhammad in AD 621 went to heaven at night in the spot of the rock, accompanied by the angel Gabriel. He met in heaven Abraham and Moses. There he was given the prayers many Muslims now recite with devotion. In Judaism, the stone is where Abraham fulfilled his promise to sacrifice Isaac (in Jewish-Christian tradition) or Ishmael (in Islamic tradition). It is also in this rock that many scholars believed to be where the Holy of Holies was upon which they have placed the Ark of the Covenant. Priests offered incense and sprinkled blood on this stone. Furthermore, Christian history tells us that during the Byzantine period, Helen, Constantine’s mother, built a small church dedicated to Sts. Cyrus and John. There is also a legend that says that the whole world was built on this stone: thus, we call it the foundation stone. However varied the significance, they are all experiences of God.
In other words, the readings invite us to reflect on our “foundation stones or experiences” --- the principles on which we have built our lives. These are our non-negotiable principles that we would staunchly value. In my class in Theology, I asked my students to reflect on just one primary principle in their lives (aside from God), and many of them said they value their family above all other things. This principle has been wrought from personal, family or community experiences.
Second, we can reflect on appropriate behavior and actions that confirm this principle. For example, having the family as top priority, my students said that they would make it a point to eat together at breakfast and dinner every day.
Third, we can reflect also on how we celebrate and mark these principles. What specific and concrete events do you keep that illustrate the value of family? My students listed down Sunday mass and lunch together, celebrating birthdays and anniversaries, and a summer and holiday weekend together.
By these three aspects, we build our lives and the lives of generations on it. Families are stronger when these principles are taught, lived and celebrated. Personal experience and history confirmed that families who value their relationships have weathered storms.
The same way with faith. Churches built on stone prevail.
Isaiah 26, 1-6; Matthew 7, 21, 24-27
The readings today are about strong foundations. The book of Isaiah says, “the city of the Lord is built on rock”, and therefore no enemy can destroy it. In Jerusalem, there is a famous landmark called, the Dome of the Rock, especially significant for the Muslims. Under the Dome is a rock that carries with it various stories and tradition. It is said that Muhammad in AD 621 went to heaven at night in the spot of the rock, accompanied by the angel Gabriel. He met in heaven Abraham and Moses. There he was given the prayers many Muslims now recite with devotion. In Judaism, the stone is where Abraham fulfilled his promise to sacrifice Isaac (in Jewish-Christian tradition) or Ishmael (in Islamic tradition). It is also in this rock that many scholars believed to be where the Holy of Holies was upon which they have placed the Ark of the Covenant. Priests offered incense and sprinkled blood on this stone. Furthermore, Christian history tells us that during the Byzantine period, Helen, Constantine’s mother, built a small church dedicated to Sts. Cyrus and John. There is also a legend that says that the whole world was built on this stone: thus, we call it the foundation stone. However varied the significance, they are all experiences of God.
In other words, the readings invite us to reflect on our “foundation stones or experiences” --- the principles on which we have built our lives. These are our non-negotiable principles that we would staunchly value. In my class in Theology, I asked my students to reflect on just one primary principle in their lives (aside from God), and many of them said they value their family above all other things. This principle has been wrought from personal, family or community experiences.
Second, we can reflect on appropriate behavior and actions that confirm this principle. For example, having the family as top priority, my students said that they would make it a point to eat together at breakfast and dinner every day.
Third, we can reflect also on how we celebrate and mark these principles. What specific and concrete events do you keep that illustrate the value of family? My students listed down Sunday mass and lunch together, celebrating birthdays and anniversaries, and a summer and holiday weekend together.
By these three aspects, we build our lives and the lives of generations on it. Families are stronger when these principles are taught, lived and celebrated. Personal experience and history confirmed that families who value their relationships have weathered storms.
The same way with faith. Churches built on stone prevail.
The Sumilao Farmers
5 December 2007 Wednesday of the 1st Week of Advent
Isaiah 25, 6-10; Matthew 15, 29-37
The first reading from the book of Isaiah tells us about what the Lord will do in the end of days. He said that He will “destroy the veil that veils all people”. On that day, we will look on Him who saved us. This is in line with the theme of Advent. The manifestation of the Lord’s presence is clarity of vision and integrity: the blind will see, the deformed made whole, the lame will walk.” In the Gospel, the people who came to Jesus were not just there to be cured of their physical ailments, they were there also to listen to His teachings. However, Jesus acknowledges that inorder for them to listen to him, he has to feed them. We all know that it would be difficult to absorb new insights and knowledge with an empty stomach. And so Jesus feeds the crowd.
As we come to mass today, people are gathering and having mass at the Ateneo to support the farmers from Sumilao, Bukidnon who walked all the way from Mindanao to the capital to raise the consciousness of people about their plight and the grave injustices done to them by people in government and by the private sector particularly San Miguel Corporation, and the Quisumbing family. The farmers believe that their ancestral lands which they re-acquired through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform has not been given to them. These poor, marginalized farmers wanted to stir our apathy and open our eyes to generate support for their bid to have 144 hectares of land in the valley of Sumilao, between the mountains of Palaopao and Sayawan, where you get a view of Mt. Kitanglad. Their ordeal, where many of them collapsed along the way, should stir compassion in our hearts, the way Jesus was stirred by the people who were hungry.
There are many current issues in the Philippines which challenge and demand our active participation and vigilance. If indeed we are serious about our faith, perhaps, we should consider justice as constitutive of it. If we who come daily to church continually turn our backs against the blatant plight of our brothers and sisters, we are what Jesus would call the Pharisees and scribes,‘hyprocrites.’
Perhaps, today, let us ask ourselves: Are we?
The Image of Peace in Isaiah
4 December 2007 Tuesday of the First Week of Advent
Isaiah 11, 1-10; Psalm 72; Luke 10, 21-24
I always love the imagery of the first reading from the book of Isaiah. He describes the result of the coming of Christ in our lives: “the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra’s den, and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.” (An adder is a poisonous snake from the family of vipers.) The pairs of animals in the imagery are enemies: one is a predator, the other, its victim. Or one is dangerous and the other is vulnerable. But the effect of the coming of Christ, the root of Jesse, is peace. No one will harm each other; and they live in peace and quiet.
St. Ignatius of Loyola said in his rules for discernment tells us that God’s entry into our lives is “gentle, lightly and sweetly, like a drop of water going into a sponge. The evil spirit touches it sharply, with noise and disturbance, like a drop of water falling onto a stone.” (7th rule, The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, trans from George E. Ganss SJ). That means, when we are at peace; when it is a quiet calmness, we are in the hands of God.
However, we know that to have peace, we have to patch things up with people who cause us much pain: some are not necessarily our enemies. They may be friendships that have lost their luster; once in awhile you wonder about them. Friendships that faded because of some misunderstandings. Relationships without proper closure: they bother us and often make it difficult for us to move on. People whom we have hurt but we have not expressed our sorrow and asked for forgiveness. People whom we would like to talk to for various reasons. When we are able to face those who prey on us like real people or emotional burdens, we would have peace. Our desire for genuine reconciliation comes from God; it is a concrete experience of God coming into our hearts. The result, if we respond to it, is peace. And God can only give us peace.
And if, in the spirit of the Advent Season, you are waiting for the right time, I suggest now. There is something in the holiday season that makes people more open to forgive and start anew. We become more docile, kind, and welcoming. The season changes hearts and deepens relationships gone cold. Send a card, a text or call to start the ball rolling. In Filipino, we say, “Magparamdam ka muna.” (Let them feel your presence or intentions of renewing the friendship first). This suggestion comes from my direct experience both personally and in my ministry with people. If you desire the peace that the image of Isaiah presents, then now is the time.
Isaiah 11, 1-10; Psalm 72; Luke 10, 21-24
I always love the imagery of the first reading from the book of Isaiah. He describes the result of the coming of Christ in our lives: “the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra’s den, and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.” (An adder is a poisonous snake from the family of vipers.) The pairs of animals in the imagery are enemies: one is a predator, the other, its victim. Or one is dangerous and the other is vulnerable. But the effect of the coming of Christ, the root of Jesse, is peace. No one will harm each other; and they live in peace and quiet.
St. Ignatius of Loyola said in his rules for discernment tells us that God’s entry into our lives is “gentle, lightly and sweetly, like a drop of water going into a sponge. The evil spirit touches it sharply, with noise and disturbance, like a drop of water falling onto a stone.” (7th rule, The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, trans from George E. Ganss SJ). That means, when we are at peace; when it is a quiet calmness, we are in the hands of God.
However, we know that to have peace, we have to patch things up with people who cause us much pain: some are not necessarily our enemies. They may be friendships that have lost their luster; once in awhile you wonder about them. Friendships that faded because of some misunderstandings. Relationships without proper closure: they bother us and often make it difficult for us to move on. People whom we have hurt but we have not expressed our sorrow and asked for forgiveness. People whom we would like to talk to for various reasons. When we are able to face those who prey on us like real people or emotional burdens, we would have peace. Our desire for genuine reconciliation comes from God; it is a concrete experience of God coming into our hearts. The result, if we respond to it, is peace. And God can only give us peace.
And if, in the spirit of the Advent Season, you are waiting for the right time, I suggest now. There is something in the holiday season that makes people more open to forgive and start anew. We become more docile, kind, and welcoming. The season changes hearts and deepens relationships gone cold. Send a card, a text or call to start the ball rolling. In Filipino, we say, “Magparamdam ka muna.” (Let them feel your presence or intentions of renewing the friendship first). This suggestion comes from my direct experience both personally and in my ministry with people. If you desire the peace that the image of Isaiah presents, then now is the time.
Waiting in the Season of Advent
2 December 2007 First Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 2, 1-5; Psalm 122; Rom 13, 11-14; Matthew 24, 37-44
In the first Sunday of Advent it is good to do a little introduction about the season. In terms of importance, the Sundays of Advent cannot be replaced even by a solemnity. So a solemnity falling on a Sunday is transferred either to the preceding Saturday or the following Monday. For example, if the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception falls on a Sunday --- December 8 on a Sunday --- then the celebration of the Solemnity will either be on the Saturday or the following Monday. The Season of Advent, as all the readings would illustrate, has a two-fold character. First, it is a season to prepare for Christmas when we remember the first coming of Christ. And second, the remembering directs our minds and hearts to await Christ’s second coming at the end of time (GNLYC 39). So, we will always hear the words, waiting and preparation at mass.
Today, I will just take the word, waiting. It is difficult for us to understand the people in the Old Testament who waited for years for the savior. So I would rather employ our experiences of waiting. And there are many. The terminally ill and the aged are waiting for their time. Families whose members died successively in a year or discovered a dark secret in their families are waiting for the pain to die down. Aspiring workers wait for job acceptance. Bar and board examinees wait for the results that would chart their future. Those who took the UPCAT and the ACET wait for the results around January and February next year. And lovers are waiting for the right time to get the ball rolling or to tie the knot. The list goes on and on and on. We are therefore people who wait.
Advent affirms the importance of waiting in our lives and therefore to appreciate this stage in our lives. And to me, Chapter 21 of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s “The Little Prince,” tells us what waiting does to a relationship. The little Prince wanted to become friends with the fox, and the fox teaches the little Prince the process of ‘taming’ and agreed to see each other again the next day. But the fox suggested to be back at the same time of the day.
The fox said, “For instance, if you come at four in the afternoon, when three o’clock strikes I shall begin to feel happy. The closer our time approaches, the happier I shall feel.” For the time wasted on our friend makes our friendship important. In other words, the longer the wait, the more important the friend is.
The same thing with faith. Our minds and hearts eagerly awaits the coming of Christ in our lives. The longer one waits becomes proof of the importance of God.
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