Patuloy na ipinapanganak si Hesus Tuwing may Ginagawang Kabutihan

ika-24 ng Disyembre 2010 Christmas Vigil
Isaiah 62, 1-5; Psalm 89; Acts 13, 16-25; Matthew 1, 1-25

Hinihimok ni San Ignacio de Loyola sa nagninilay ng Spiritual Exercises na pag-isipan ang isang eksena bago ipinadala ang anghel Gabriel kay Maria. Minamasdan ng Banal na Santatlo ang buong mundo. Tinitingnan Nila ang kaguluhang nagaganap hindi lang sa sanlibutan kundi sa bawat puso ng mga tao. Wika ni Propeta Isaias, “balot ng dilim” ang ating lupain. Nakikita nila ang maaaring patutunguhan ng mundo kung ipagpapatuloy nila ang kanilang pagkamakasalanan. Sa kabila ng matagal na pagtitiwalang magbabago ang mga tao, nagugunita na nila na panahon na upang iligtas ang sanlibutan; kailangan na nilang maki-alam sa mga karumaldumal na nagaganap. Panahon na upang ipadala ang Liwanag sa kadiliman. At dahil dito, napag-isipan Nilang mabuti na ipadala ang pangalawang Persona sa sanlibutan. Kailangang makiisa Sila sa sangkatauhan upang iligtas ito, kaya kasama sa plano ng Diyos ang pagsasakatawang-tao ng kanyang Anak na si Hesus. Kaya nagsimulang ibinunyi ng angel Gabriel ang balak ng Banal na Santatlo kay Maria; at dahil sa pagsang-ayon ni Maria, ibinalita nito na magaganap ang Salita ng Diyos sa kapangyarihan ng Espiritu Santo. Alam na natin ang mga sumunod na eksena. Alam na rin natin na ito ang pinaka-rurok na dahilan sa ating pagdiriwang ng Pasko.

Kapag pinag-isipan ang ganitong eksena, makikita natin na ang Pasko ay hindi lamang isang eksenang naganap na, kundi isang pangyayaring patuloy na nagaganap. Kapag sinusundan at binabantayan natin ang mga nagaganap sa buhay, bansa, sanlibutan at kalikasan, isinasabuhay natin ang unang-unang katangian ng Pasko. Tulad ng Banal na Santatlo, nakikita natin na hindi na dapat hayaang mangyari ang mga nababalitaan nating masama. Panahon na upang makialam. Tama na ang panggagahasa sa kalikasan: ayaw na natin ng bagyo, baha at anumang sakuna na dulot ng Global Warming. Tama na ang pangungurakot ng gobyerno: ayaw na natin ng pamahalaang walang pagmamalasakit sa bayan. Tama na ang ating pagiging makasarili: ayaw na nating saktan pa ang taong minamahal natin. Isang gawa ng nagmamahal ang pagmamasid: habang nire-respeto ng magulang ang mga desisyon ng kanilang mga anak, nakikisangkot ito kung alam niya na walang kinahihinatnang mabuti ang ginawa nila.

Pangalawa, makikita natin sa Santissima Trinidad na kusa Silang nagbalak na maki-alam. Tama na. Panahon na. Tayo mismo. Hindi na sila nagturuan o naghanap ng masisisi. Alam nila kung sino ang maysala, ngunit Sila mismo ang nagsimula ng pagbabago. Si Hesus mismo ang nagkusa upang itigil na ang mga sistema ng kasalanan sa mundo. Siya na ang nagsabi,: “Ako na ang ipadala mo sa mundo.” At dahil labis ang pagmamahal ng Panginoon sa atin, ibinigay niya ng kusa ang kanyang anak upang iligtas ang sanlibutan. Dahil dito, isinasabuhay natin ang Pasko kapag tayo mismo ang simula ng pagbabago. Nakikisangkot. Nakikibaka. Nagbibigay ng buhay.

Pangatlo, isang pagganap sa kahulugan ng Pasko ang pagsasakatawan sa katangian ng Diyos. Ang paglalaganap ng isang mabuting plano ay isang pagsasabuhay ng katangian ng Diyos. Laging niloloob ng Diyos ang kabutihan nating lahat. Isa sa mga bayani ng mga nakaraang sakuna ang mga nagpalaganap ng balita ukol sa mga pangyayari at mga pangangailangan ng mga biktima ng sunog, baha at bagyo. Sila ang gumamit ng iba’t ibang paraan tulad ng internet, radyo at telebisyon, text at iba pa upang manawagan ng tulong. At tulad ni Maria na nakisama sa balak ng Diyos, tumugon sa panawagan ang iba’t ibang tao sa pagtulong sa kapwa Pilipino. Kung hindi sila makabigay ng donasyon, ang kanilang sarili at ang kanilang inalay. Bata o matanda, mahirap o mayaman, nakikita natin ang kanilang kagandahang-loob. Wika ng isang Pinoy na taga-ibang bansa, “I belong to a country of heroes.” Buhay na buhay pa rin sa ating kultura ang bayanihan. Kung maaari lang itong ipagpatuloy kahit tapos na ang sakuna.

Ngunit ang Pasko ay patuloy ding nangyayari sa mga kapus-palad. Nagkuwento ang isang guro sa Tulay ng Kabataan. Inayos nila ang mga damit ayon sa sukat upang ang mga bata mismo ang pipili ng kasya sa kanila. Limang damit lamang ang maaari nilang piliin. Namasdan nila ang isang bata: iba-iba ang sukat ng kanyang piniling mga damit. Alam ng guro kung para kanino ang damit na yon; at alam na rin natin. Ang mga kuwentong ito ang pagsasabuhay ng Pasko.

Nais kong isipin na hindi lamang isinabuhay ng bawat tao ang katangian ng Diyos lamang sa pagpapakamatuwid. Isinakatawan nila ang Diyos mismo. Naging tagapagligtas sa panahon ngayon. Sa pagsasabuhay sa iba’t ibang katangian ng Pasko, pinapanganak natin si Hesus hindi lamang tuwing Disyembre, kundi sa bawat sandali ng ating buhay.

May Katuturan Ba ang Ating Panaginip?

18 Disyembre 2010 Simbanggabi
Jeremias 23: 5-8; Psalm 71; Mateo 1, 18-23

Mahalaga ang ating mga pangarap. Nagbibigay ito ng kahulugan, direksyon at kaayusan sa ating buhay. Mas maayos ang paglalakbay sa buhay kung alam natin kung saan tayo tutungo. Kung dumating ang panahong nagsasanga-sanga ang landasin, ang ating pinakamalalim na mithiin ang gagabay sa atin. Pipiliin natin ang landas na pinakamainam upang makarating sa ating patutunguhan.

May pinanggagalingan ang lahat ng naglalakbay. Nangagaling sa pagkabilanggo sa bayan ng Babylonia ang mithiin ng kaligtasan ng bayang Israel. Wika ng Panginoon, dito sila “itinapon” dahil sinuway nila ang kalooban ng Diyos. Kakabit ng pangarap na bumalik sa sariling lupa ang alaala ng kanilang paninirahan sa dayuhang bayan ng Ehipto. Ito ang karanasan ng Israel sa panahon ni Jose at Moises. Nagkaroon ng kahulugan lamang ang kanilang makasasayang paglalakbay dahil sa iisang pangarap: mabuhay sa lupang ipinangako ng Diyos sa kanila.

May pinatutunguhan ang lahat ng manlalakbay. Ang pangako ng Panginoon na namumutawi sa bibig ng kanilang mga propeta ang nagsilbing butil ng pag-asa. Ang pangako ang siyang simula ng pag-ahon sa kanilang pagkalugmok. Dahil sa pangakong pasisibulin sa lipi ni David ang isang Manliligtas, nagkaroon muli ng bagong buhay at pag-asa ang bayang Israel. Pababalikin sila muli ng Panginoon sa Jerusalem at muling magiging magiting ang kanilang bayan tulad ng panahon ni Haring David. Para sa bayang Israel, gumagawa na ng paraan ang Diyos, at ang unang hakbang Niya ang kanyang binitiwang mga salita. Kumbaga, binuhay muli ng Panginoon ang kanilang mga mithiin: pwede na muling mangarap!

Ngunit sinasabi sa kasulukuyan nating karanasan na mahirap matagpuan ang pinakarurok ng ating mga puso. Mahirap linawin sa ating isip ang tunay nating nag-iisang mithiin. Hindi dahil wala tayong hinahangad, kundi dahil marami tayong gustong mangyari sa buhay. At dahil sa iba’t ibang uri ng mithiin, marami sa atin ang nawawala: hindi na nakikita ang nagbibigay ng direksyon, kahulugan at gabay sa buhay. Kung makita lamang natin ang ating mga panaginip, makakabalik tayo sa tamang landasin.

Isang panghabang-buhay ang pakikibaka tungo sa tanging pangarap. Maaaring tingnan sa ganitong angulo ang kuwento sa Ebanghelio. Nagbalak si Jose na hiwalayan at hindi tanggapin ang pagiging ama ng nasa sinapupunan ni Maria. Hindi nakapagtataka ito; maiintindihan natin ang sitwasyon ni Jose. Ngunit ang kaniyang binabalak ay maaaring tama sa ating pagtingin, ngunit hindi tuwid sa mata ng Diyos. Kasama at mahalaga si Jose sa plano ng kaligtasan ng Panginoon, at walang makakahadlang nito. Kaya, itinuwid Niya ang hangarin ni Jose sa pamamagitan ng isang panaginip. Sa Lumang Tipan, iniligtas ng Panginoon ang pamilya ni Jakob o Israel sa taggutom. Binuhay at pinarami ng Panginoon ang lipi ni Jakob sa Ehipto, sa paraan ng panaginip ni Jose bilang gobernador ng Ehipto.

Kung tutuusin: hindi tama sa mata ng tao ang pagbebenta kay Jose sa mga mangangalakal ng Ehipto bilang isang alipin at hindi rin tama sa tingin ng tao ang pakasalan ang isang babaeng nagdadalang-tao. Ngunit, may mga bagay na hindi tama sa mata ng tao, ngunit itinutuwid ng Diyos. Sa buhay ng maraming pari’t madre, hindi tama ang suwayin ang kagustuhan ng kanilang magulang, ngunit tama ito kung ang kanilang mithiin ay hindi tugma sa kalooban ng Diyos. Dahil dito, kailangang pagdasalan nang mabuti ang ating pagdedesisyon sa buhay.

Samakatuwid, matatagpuan muli ang kahulugan sa buhay kung malinaw sa atin ang ating tunay na mithiin. Dahil sa impluwensiya ng mass media, maraming nilalako na pangarap ang mga billboards at patalastas sa TV, radyo at internet. Inaagaw ng lahat ng mga ito ang ating attensyon, nabibighani tayo sa kanilang kagandahan, at higit sa lahat, nalulunod tayo sa libo-libong mga pangarap. Samakatuwid, nagbabago-bago ang lahat ng ating landasin; walang nananatiling permanente sa buhay at sa ating mga ugnayan. Isang hungkag na konsepto ang salitang, commitment. Mas maraming tao ngayon ang litong-lito at walang pinatutunguhan sa buhay. Higit sa lahat, mas maraming hindi na marunong pumili ayon sa kanilang kagustuhan.

Sa mabilis na pagbabago ng ating mga mithiin, hinahamon tayong lalung mag-isip at magmuni-muni. Kailangang pag-isipan natin, sa gitna ng lahat ng ito, ang pangarap na ayon sa ating tunay na pagkatao, nakaugat sa ating tunay na sarili, at nakatutok sa tunay na kalooban ng Diyos. Kailangan nating ihiwalay ang malalim na mithiin sa mababaw at hindi mahalagang kagustuhan. Kailangan makita natin ang iba’t ibang uri ng pinapahalagahan sa buhay at piliin ito ayon sa mahalaga, mas mahalaga, at pinakamahalaga.

Sa misa ng Simbanggabi sa Panahon ng Adviento, alalahanin natin ang ating mga kagustuhan, mithiin at tanging pangarap sa kalooban ng ating puso. Malalaman mo kapag ito ang pinakamalalim, pinakamahalaga at pinakatotoo sa iyong pagkatao. At kapag na-iimagine mo ang iyong sariling nakamtan na ito, mapayapa ang iyong kalooban dahil ito rin ang kalooban ng Diyos. Wika ni San Ignacio, kapag iisa at magkatugma ang puso natin at ng Diyos, kapayapaan ang ating mararamdaman. Kung matatagpuan natin ito, nagsisimula na tayong maglakbay sa bukang-liwayway ng ating buhay.

Do You Want To See the Fruits of your Labors?

15 December 2010 Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Advent
Isaiah 45: 6-25; Psalm 85; Luke 7:18-23

In the middle of the heat of Hubert Webb’s release from prison, we can use this image to describe the mood of the readings today.

John the Baptist is in prison. Before his incarceration, he was preaching about the imminent coming of the Messiah. He was urging people to repent and prepare the way of the Lord. He told them that he was baptizing them with water, but the Savior who was to come will baptize them with fire and the Holy Spirit. He also said that He was not worthy even to tie the thongs of his sandals. His self-effacing effort was to bring the limelight, not on him, but on Jesus. He was giving the people great hope and expectation. Now within the walls, he wants to know if what he preached is becoming a reality. He wants to be assured that he didn’t give the people false hopes. He needs to hear for himself that he was right.

Jesus then tells John’s disciples the signs of fulfillment. He said, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news preached to them.” John then, upon hearing the news from his disciples, is greatly strengthened.

In our lives, we do experience analogously what John the Baptist greatly desired. We want to see for ourselves the fruits of our labors. We want to know whether the things we have done is right. We need to see some signs that we are correct in our parenting, in our teaching and in the decisions we have made for our personal, economic and spiritual lives.

The following are the signs we want to see. As parents, we want to see and receive feedback that we are raising our children the right way. We want to get their class report cards to gauge their growth in knowledge and character. We like to hear of their achievements as signs of productivity and creativity. These concrete manifestations shape their future as well as assuring us they will survive and find meaning in their lives without our tutelage. In the confines of our old age, knowing our children are settled and stable is a great assurance that we can die in peace.

It’s like getting good news of one’s acquittal while still in prison, as Hubert Webb and companions on the day the Supreme Court announced its verdict. The fulfillment of one’s dreams is at hand.

But the readings tell us something else. The first reading from Isaiah urges us to even believe our dreams even before it happens. Why? Because the one assuring us is the Lord who does not break His promises. He is the God who is to be trusted. He is not like those who are finicky. He said, “Turn to me and be safe, all you ends of the earth, for I am God; there is no other! By myself I swear, uttering my just decree and my unalterable word: To me every knee shall bend; by me, every tongue shall swear, saying, “Only in the Lord are just deeds and power... In the Lord shall be the vindication and the glory of all the descendants of Israel.”

John the Baptist cries us to all of us to prepare our hearts and souls for the Lord’s visitation in our history. Part of this preparation is to look at our insecure future and compare our trust in ourselves with the Lord. Moving towards the right direction means a healthy partnership: our human and divine efforts; our lives and the Lord’s grace.

Pangako, Paghihintay, Pagbubuo

13 December 2010 Memorial of St. Lucy, 3rd Week of Advent
Numbers 24: 2-17; Psalm 25; Matthew 21: 23-27

Note: Homily of the monday mass at Radio Veritas Philippines, the Catholic Radio.

Maligayang Adbiento po sa mga tagapakinig dito sa Radio Veritas. Tatlong punto lamang ang nais kong ibahagi ngayon. Pangako. Paghihintay. Pagbubuo.

Unang-una, pangako. Sa panahon ng Adviento o paghahanda sa Pasko ng Pagsilang ng Mesias, laging binabalikan ang pangako ng Panginoon sa atin. Sa buong lumang tipan, inuulit-ulit ng Panginoon ang kanyang pangakong magpapadala ng tagapagligtas upang maahon tayo sa ating mga kasalanan. Ito ang narinig natin sa unang pagbasa. Wika ng Panginoon sa bibig ng propeta Balaam: isang bituin ang mangunguna sa lipi ni Jacob at sisibol galing sa Israel! Kilala na natin ang tanging bituin na ito: ang Panginoong Hesukristo. Ang Pasko ang siyang katuparan ng kanyang mga pangako.

Marami tayong pangakong natupad, nguni’t mas marami tayong pangakong napako. Sabi nga ng marami, “promises are meant to be broken.” Subalit, hindi ito ang tingin ng Kristiyano. Ang tunay na nagsasabuhay ng turo ng Diyos, hindi nagbibitiw ng salita na hindi naman isasakatuparan. Tulad ng Diyos, hindi niya ipapako ang kanyang mga pangako sa atin. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit nagtitiwala tayo sa kanyang mga Salita.

Wika ni Hannah Arendt, ang ating pananampalataya ay nakasalalay sa pangako ng Panginoon kay Abraham; at ang ating maayos na pamumuhay ay nakabatay sa maraming pangakong nakasulat sa ating Saligang Batas at sa mga kontratang pinapasukan nating lahat. Tulad ng Diyos, nangangako ang gobyerno na aalagaan ang ating karapatan. At tulad ng pangako ng Diyos na mamahalin Niya tayo magpakailan man, ang bawat pumipirma sa kontrato ng kasal, nangangakong tutuparin niya ito hanggang kamatayan. Magkakagulo kapag ang mga binitiwang mga salita ay hindi natin ginagalang.

Pangalawa, pahalagahan natin ang paghihintay. Naranasan niyo na bang maghintay sa wala? E, maghintay sa meron? Mahalaga sa ating buhay ang maghintay. May mga naghihintay ng trabaho o may naghihintay ng boyfriend o girlfriend. Ikaw, ano ang hinihintay mo? Sa panahon ng cellphones, mas madaling tantiyahin kung anong oras darating ang ating hinihintay. Mate-text lang tayo, “Wer U?” malalaman na natin kung may oras pang gawin ang ibang bagay para hindi nasasayang ang ating oras. Dahil dito, nawawalan na tayo ng pasensya kapag naghihintay tayo ng matagal.

Ngunit may halaga ang paghihintay sa buhay. Hindi lahat ng bagay maaaring madaliin. Kapag minadali ang pagsasaing, hilaw na kanin ang maihahain. Kahit maraming pagkaing instant, pinipilahan pa rin ang mga lutong bahay na inihanda sa tamang oras. At kung nalalanghap mo na ang niluluto, nagiging “excited” tayo sa kainan. Ganito din ang paghihintay: Lalong inaasam-asam ng ating puso ang sinuman o anumang hinihintay.

Subalit, hindi tayo naghihintay sa wala. Naghihintay tayo sa siguradong darating; dahil tinutupad ng Diyos ang Kanyang Salita. Alam natin na may kaligtasan dahil darating sa ating buhay ang Tagapagligtas. Kung nakikipila tayo sa sineng gusto nating panoorin; kung binibilang natin ang mga araw tungo sa pagdating ng ating mahal sa buhay; bakit hindi natin bigyan ng panahon ang ating sariling maghanda sa pagdating ng Panginoon? Pagdasal natin na sana igugol ang oras ng paghihintay sa Panginoon, sa paghahanda ng ating mga puso’t kaluluwa sa kanyang pagdating.

Panghuling punto sa araw na ito: Pagbubuo ng mga Nagkawatak-watak. May plano ba kayo ng inyong barkada na magkikita-kita ngayong Pasko? May balak ba ang inyong pamilya na mag-reunion? Kung meron, may dahilan kung bakit sa Pasko, laging isang tunay na salu-salo ang nagaganap. Nagtitipon-tipon ang mga magkakabarkadang nagkahiwalay dahil nag-aaral na sa iba’t ibang kolehiyo. Nagkikita-kita ang mga pamilyang hindi laging nagkakasama dahil naninirahan na sa ibang bayan kasama ang kani-kanilang pamilya. Hinahalintulad sa isang nanay na naghahangad ng pagbabalik ng kaniyang mga anak ang Diyos na nais pagsama-samahin ang mga nagkawatak-watak, sa iisang hapag.

Anong pinag-uusapan sa isang reunion? Kapag nagkakasama kami ng barkada ko sa high school, obvious ang pulutan: ang kuwentong high school kasama ang mga kalokohan at ang mga unang crushes. Kapag nagsasalusalo ang pamilya, binabalikan ang mga alaala ng pagkabata. Tunay na sinasariwa nito ang nakaraan, sa pag-asang nakatanim na sa puso ang pinagdaanan.

Pinapanday ng pagbabalik-tanaw ang pagbubuklod natin. Ang tanging bumubuo ng isang malalim na pagkakaibigan ang mga alaalang tulad ng mga litrato sa ating photo-album. Sinasariwa nito muli ang pagmamahal na namamagitan sa isa’t isa; upang sa paghihiwalay muli hindi na magiging malabnaw ang ugnayan.

A Season of Joy!

12 December 2010: 3rd Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 35: 1-10; Psalm 146; James 5: 7-10; Matthew 11: 2-11

John the Baptist lives in the desert that is dry and covered with brushwood. This image is often used to describe Christianity. There is a type of Christianity that is gloomy and dark. The type that thinks that our faith is a faith of seriousness and rigidity, marked by the strict following of rules that begins with “Do not.... or else you go to hell.” Eventually, this type of faith produces a religion of fear or a religion that is stuck with suffering. But the last word in our lives are not our crosses: Christianity is attractive because Christ’s suffering did not end on the cross, but on the resurrection.

And thus, in Liturgical Seasons with an ambience of reparation like Advent and Lent, a break is often made. During Lent, the Laudate Sunday reminds us that our suffering will end in triumph. Today is Gaudete Sunday, the 3rd Sunday of Advent. It is literally a celebration. We light the rose or pink candle that symbolize joy. It breaks that misconception of Christianity as a religion of seriousness and stiffness. St. James writes in the second reading that our mood should be like a farmer who waits for “the precious fruit of the earth.” The Lord promises in the mouth of Isaiah that the “desert and the parched land will exult.. They will bloom with abundant flowers.”

Joy is at the very core of our faith. Isaiah in the first reading urges us to meet the Lord in gladness and singing. Paul set before the Philippians the quality of joy: he stressed, “Rejoice!” When he was writing his letter to the Philippians, he was in prison almost certain of his death. But still, he said, “Rejoice!” The prophet Zephaniah also said, “Shout for joy!”

You see, Christian joy is independent of all things on earth because its source is the continual presence of Christ no matter what situation we may find ourselves in. Take for example two sweethearts. They are always happy when they are together, no matter where they are. Whether they are in middle of the smelly fish market, the garbage dump of Payatas or the scented ambiance of cafés, as long as they are together, they are happy. Their joy is not dampened by their human situation. The source of their joy is beyond their life situation. They said, “kahit saging, basta loving.”

The message of John lays down important principles of joy. First, John stressed our social responsibility. He tells us that we should share what we have with one another. There is a certain deep fulfillment when we are able to help others. Joy is found in generosity. When we ‘empty’ ourselves, we find happiness. We find joy in giving, not in hording. That is why our Christmas tradition should be a tradition of gift-giving; its focus is an altruistic love, more than the receiving.

Second, there is joy in our daily, routine work. John said that our salvation is worked out in the daily grind. John ordered that a person should not have to leave his job to work for his salvation. For example, many of us compartmentalize faith --- we do our daily routine as if they are separated from faith, and we go to mass to fulfill our duties to God. But John tells us that our daily menial work is part of faith. If one is a tax collector, be a good one; if one is a soldier, be a good soldier. Do not take advantage of one’s position. In our present situation: if you are a teacher, you will be saved by becoming a good teacher. If you are a student, you will be saved by becoming a good student. If you are church or civil official, you don’t have to leave your work to be saved, but do your job excellently and you will be saved. Our faith teaches us that nowhere can a person serve God fully well than in one’s daily work.

Finally, there is joy in prayer because we meet the very source of our joy: God who loves us. When we pray we remember the love of God, and only desires what is best for us. He the joy lies in the very quality of God’s love for us: He loves us for whatever and whoever we are.

A few weeks ago, a husband said to me: “My wife had a mudpack, and she looked great for two days. Then, the mud fell off.” (joke! Just testing your rigidity!) With or without the mudpack, God loves us. Isn’t this a real source of joy? It is not surprising therefore, that Jesus described to us the Kingdom of God as a “a banquet” --- a celebration, a party, a gathering. And that is why we gather at Christmas to taste the ‘Kingdom of God’ -- when families and friends come together and share a meal, they taste heaven!

Christianity is about joy: we know when a person has Christ in his heart, because the person lives and exudes a certain joy in his heart. Perhaps a practical exercise: look at yourself in the mirror. Is your face exuding the dryness and lifelessness of the desert, or is joy emanating from it? And oh, there is another way: ask children. They will tell you the truth.

Understanding the Immaculate Conception of Mary

8 December 2010 Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Genesis 3: 9-20; Psalm 98; Eph 1: 3-12; Luke 1: 26-38

Allow me to be graphic: First, imagine a plate you use for food. Then imagine the same plate with poop on it. What is your reaction? Naturally, we cringe on the plate with poop. Why? Because feces does not belong to the plate. Plates are containers of food. It has to be clean and should not be contaminated.

The same thing, though simplistic, can be used to understand the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Because Mary will be the “plate” or vessel in which Jesus is to be born, then God made her clean and free from original sin. In other words, being immaculate is not through Mary’s power, but God’s decision in view of her being the mother of His only begotten Son.

In the Constitution, Ineffabilis Deus of 8 December, 1854, Pius IX pronounced and defined that the Blessed Virgin Mary “in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin.” (Detailed explanation here.)

The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, therefore, is a preparation for Mary’s role in the future, just as the plate is cleaned in view of what it will contain. And therefore, the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception should always be attached to Christ. Because of Christ’s redeeming power, Mary has been graced to be free from original sin.

How then can we apply the teaching of the Immaculate Conception in our practical and mundane lives? Let us first settle with our future. In view of the second coming of Christ in the end of the world, we participate in the preparation of the whole of humanity for the Final Judgment. In view of the our own personal deaths when we finally meet the Lord, our whole life then is a preparation period for this transition to a better life. In view of encountering God in our own personal history, we make ourselves open anytime the Spirit palpably inspires us. God’s intervention or participation in our individual lives are experienced by the senses as seeing and hearing in the conversion of St. Paul.

Second, we reflect and evaluate ourselves on the type and quality of our preparations. The following questions are very concrete in the midst of the Season of Advent:

How ready are we to encounter the Lord anytime? How do we constantly purge ourselves of our inordinate attachments? Are we remorseful, repentant and eager to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation to straighten our relationship with ourselves, others and with God?

Finally, we reflect on the measures we actively take to prepare ourselves. In this liturgical season that prepares for Christmas, we may take some of these steps.

We have to focus our attention on the story of the birth of Jesus. In a commercialized culture, where receiving gifts symbolized by Santa Claus take center stage, there are many things that we can do to refocus on the true nature of Christmas. The role of parents is important in bringing the holiday spirit. They should retell the story of Christmas to our children. In decorating our homes, we can put prominence on the belen to remind our children the reason for the season.

We can do an “agere contra” or “doing the opposite” of our natural tendencies. If we find ourselves becoming very individualistic and selfish, we participate in activities that are altruistic such as rummage sales for the poor, gift-giving for underprivileged children, or visiting the sick and the prisoners.

If we find ourselves taking for granted the people who matter, then we can begin remembering them by writing them personally and greeting them with Christmas cards, or perhaps, using the allotted resources for the holidays only for them and ‘deprive’ ourselves this time.

If we think we have been ‘estranged from the Lord’ then we can participate in many spiritual and communal activities such as Reconciliation services for Advent, the Simbanggabi masses, and even spending a significant time to quiet down, pray and meditate on the story of Christmas.

By doing some of these things, we will be able to ‘prepare’ ourselves to become vessels of God’s grace; just as God prepared Mary to become the “container” of our Savior.

Banal Ang Ating Mga Pangako

ika-5 ng Disyembre 2010 2nd Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 11, 1-10; Psalm 72; Romans 15, 4-9; Matthew 3, 1-12

Note: This appears in today's Sambuhay, a publication of the Society of St. Paul.

Sa kanyang pinakasikat na librong, The Human Condition, isinulat ni Hannah Arendt, isang pilosopong Aleman, na hindi napapanatag ang kalagayan ng isang tao dahil sa dalawang aspeto ng kanyang buhay: Wala sa ating kamay ang ating kinabukasan at binabagabag tayo ng ating sugatang nakaraan. Bagaman, ganito ang ating sitwasyon, may dalawang bagay ang nakakapawi sa ating mga takot at pagkabagabag. Para sa nakakabagabag na kinabukasan, ang pangako ng ating mga minamahal ang nakakapawi nito. Para sa mga isyu natin sa nakaraan, ang pagpapatawad ang nakakahilom ng ating mga sugat.

Unang-una, nagkakahugis ang ating kinabukasan dahil may mga nangangako sa atin. Nakabatay sa ating Panatang Makabayan ang ating pangakong sundin ang batas upang maayos ang kinabukasan ng ating lipunan. Nakabase ang ating mga kontrata sa pangakong tutuparin ang mga ito. Nakaugat sa sumpaan ang pagbabagong-buhay at katapatan ng mga magkasintahan.

Higit sa lahat, banal ang anumang pangako dahil unang nanumpa ang Diyos sa atin. Sa sumpa ng Panginoon kay Abraham nakabatay ang ating pananampalatayang Kristiyano. Pinangako ng Diyos na pasasaganain niya ang ating mga lahi at hindi niya tayo iiwanan. Sa unang pagbasa, hindi kinakalimutan ng ating Diyos ang kanyang pangakong kaligtasan sa kanyang bayang Israel. Hindi kaya ng Panginoon na hayaan lang niyang malipol ang kanyang bayan. Kaya nangako siyang pasisibulin sa lipi ni David ang isang bagong sangang magbibigay ng kapayapaan at pag-asa sa atin. Ang panibagong pagsibol na ito ang pangakong Mesiyas.

Dahil dito, banal ang bawat sumpa natin sa ating kapwa. Sa sumpang ito, hindi natin pinapako ang ating mga pangako. Dahil sa ating mga pangako, ang ugnayan nating lahat ay nananatiling matibay at tapat.

Pangalawa, ang may pinangagalingan ang bawat isa sa atin. Sa bawat pakikisalamuha natin sa isa’t isa, dinadala natin ang ating mga nakaraan. Halimbawa, kasama sa pagiging magkakaibigan at magkakapamilya ang mga tampuhan at alitan. Hindi sa lahat ng bagay, pare-pareho ang ating mga isipan. Minsan kailangan nating lawakan ang ating pag-iisip upang makita ang pinagmumulan ng isang away: kadalasan, galing ito sa ating mga isyu sa buhay. Dahil dito, laging kailangang magpatawad at patawarin.

Kung hindi natin kayang magpatawad o kaya’y makatanggap ng kapatawaran, mas mahirap umusad at umunlad. Hindi natatahimik ang ating puso dahil hinihila tayong paurong ng ating mga hinanakit. Kung makamtan man natin ang ating tagumpay, ang kasiyahan ay laging may bahid ng sama ng loob. Hindi lubusang at ganap ang karanasan ng pag-unlad.

Ayon kay San Juan Bautista, kailangan nating magbalik-loob sa Diyos. Sa isang banda, ipinangako na ng ating Panginoon ang kapatawaran sa ating mga kasalanan. Hindi na kailangang magdalawang-isip: siguradong igagawad ito gaano man kabigat ang ating mga pagkakamali.

Ngunit kahit siguradong tatanggapin tayo sa tahanan ng Diyos, hinihingi pa rin ang ating sariling pagkukusang paglapit sa Diyos. Sa ating karanasan, mahirap ang pagkukusang ito. Maraming takot ang ating hinaharap at binubuno. Natural sa tao ang pagmamataas: maraming hindi nakakatanggap ng kanilang kasalanan. Kung hindi man lubos ang pagde-deny ng kanilang kasalanan, may mga nagtatangkang nagdadahilan upang hindi makita ang karumaldumal na epekto ng kasalanan. Sasabihin, “tao lamang ako” o “lahat naman tayo nagkakamali” o “wala ako sa tamang pag-iisip.” Kung tutuusin, parang tama naman itong mga salita; hangga’t mapag-isipan nating mabuti. Ibig sabihin ng mga salitang ito: parte ng isang tao ang pagkakamali. Kung kasama sa ating pagkatao ang pagkakamali, hindi kailangang mag-sorry o humingi ng tawad.

Mahalaga ang pagtutuwid ng ating buhay dahil iba ang pagkakilala natin sa tao: hinubog tayong kawangis ng Diyos. At dahil sa ating Mesiyas na pangako, naging tunay na anak tayo ng Diyos. Ito ang dahilan ng anumang pagbabago: hindi bagay sa anak ng Diyos ang anumang dungis ng kasalanan. Ang paglilinis ay hindi lamang mahalaga sa lahat ng aspeto ng ating buhay. Ito ay isa ring pagpapakita ng respeto at pagpapahalaga. Kaya gumagayak tayo sa lahat ng mahahalagang lakad tulad ng pagpasok sa eskuwela, paghahanap ng trabaho, o pagpapakasal.

Kaya isang paglilinis ang Panahon ng Adviento. Isang paghahanda sa isang mahalagang pakikipagtago natin sa ating Ama: isang tunay na pagbabalik sa Tahanan ng Diyos. Simple lamang: walang gustong humalik sa batang madungis.

How to Fulfill Your Deepest Desires

5 December 2010 2nd Week of Advent
Isaiah 11: 1-10; Psalm 72; Romans 15: 4-9; Matthew 3: 1-12

If we strip the Liturgical Seasons of its lofty image, each season corresponds to very physical and practical experiences. Advent is like the expectation of a baby; Christmas is a celebration of birth. Lent is about the pains and sacrifices we bear; Easter is about the successes resulting from them. Ordinary Time is about the daily aspects of our lives. The Seasons are about our life as a whole.

Jesus shares totally our humanity. And this is affirmed in the Liturgical Seasons that celebrate every single aspect of both His humanity and His divinity. When we celebrate the whole liturgical season, we likewise share in the divinity of Jesus. We therefore hope that our life will be patterned according to the life of Jesus. Simply, that Jesus’ life will also be ours.

Advent is a very practical season. It teaches us the importance of waiting for our deepest desires to come to fulfillment. It instructs us, as the second reading states, so that “by endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.”

Advent is a season of desire. It is a time to identify and label what we want. We cannot achieve something or go somewhere unless we name our aspirations. In the story of creation, the Lord named what He desired before it came to fulfillment: “Let there be light. And there was light.”

The Gospels tell us that even if the desire is obvious, Jesus still asks, “What do you want?” He asks that from the blind who wanted to see; He asks the mother of James and John. St. Ignatius of Loyola called it the “id quod vollo” (that which you desire). So Ignatius gives instructions to the one making a retreat: you ask this grace ... before you contemplate. Even if it is obvious or the Lord already knows what we need, we have to state to the Lord what we want from Him.

Identification is not for God, but for us. Naming our desires trains our hearts and our heads, not just clarity of goals but the discovery of the Lord who articulates His desires for us in our hearts. Tradition has it that God placed a piece of His heart in each one of us that we might know His heart. And we will not be at rest unless our hearts rest in God’s (St. Augustine).

Advent articulates humanity’s deepest desires in the vision of Isaiah (11:1-10). It is what we hope for.

1. To Israel exiled in Babylon, they aspired for a leader who would lead them justly.
To the Filipinos and many other countries in the world: In an era of political and economic unrest, we aspire for the same qualities of a leader Israel longed for.

2. Both Israel and the whole world hope for world peace. “When the wolf shall be the guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion will browse together, ... the baby shall play by the cobra’s den. There shall be no harm or ruin on all of my holy mountain.”

Advent therefore affirms our humanity. To be human is to desire. Every single human being has a dream; collectively, the whole human race dreams of harmony.

If we are to desire peace and harmony that permeates our individual, local and global lives, the Second Sunday of Advent gives the conditions for it.

The first reading tells us that the earth should be “filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea.” People who are agents of destruction, discord and division are those who do not know the Lord. Those who truly love the Lord will work to gather people. Those who contemplate the life of the Lord will soon realize that any form of violence, including violence as an activity of initiation in a fraternity, is never in accord with God’s will. And those who live out what we pray about, will come to see how important it is to be under the grace of the Lord.

Finally, in the voice of John the Baptist, the precursor of Jesus lies the second condition to achieve peace. It is the ability to forgive and amend our ways. Forgiveness heals the wounds of our past. Often, we cannot move to speedily fulfill our dreams because we are stuck in the past. Our pains, hurts, and regrets still determine our choices and clouds our visions.

If unaware of our pains, they control even our relationships. Sometimes, we have to look at the things we are afraid of, such as our fears of rejection and failure. They keep us from forgiving others and ourselves. They pose as obstacles to our return to the God who waits. And so the Lord tells us to straighten our paths by the route of forgiveness.

We pray that we find the Season of Advent meaningful and practical in our lives. It teaches us to desire and it gives us tips to fulfill them. More importantly, it assures us that just as Jesus fulfilled the desires of the people in the Old Testament; He too fulfills our desires for a Savior.

Is Your Relationship Built on Trust?

2 December 2010 Thursday of the 1st Week of Advent
Isaiah 26: 1-6; Psalm 118; Matthew 7: 21-27

Trust has always been an issue in many aspects of our lives. We trust a product because of previous experiences. We have shared our experiences of durability. We are given a year’s warranty just in case we are dissatisfied with it. But with people, trust is a precarious word: sometimes a friend whom we trust, betrays us. The very people whom we have hoped and relied on suddenly bails out on us. Who then can be trusted?

Psalm 118 is today’s responsorial psalm. It says:

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

It is better, therefore, to trust the Lord than any other. All others will break their promises; but the Lord will keep His word. Take for example the people of Israel. Once they were exiled, the Lord promised their return to their homeland. In Isaiah, that promise has been fulfilled. Christianity is basically a religion based on a promise: the covenant of Yahweh and Abraham. Thus the Old Testament are collections of stories of the Lord promising salvation and fulfilling it in the New Testament with the birth and life of Jesus. The Lord keeps his promises. And therefore, the Lord is the only sure one to be trusted with our life.

Our human experiences can teach this truth. When it is life-threatening, we turn to the Lord. When it is crucial, we put all our life on the altar of the Lord. When it is a turning-point, we cry out for mercy.

Take for example many ordinary battles. Usually we neglect to pray. We move on from one class to the other. We go to and fro from home to workplace. Nothing much happens.

But when an exam is announced and we know that the grade will determine our quest for the top or the maintenance of our scholarship, we find ourselves almost automatically on our way to the chapel. Bar examinees who were neglectful of faith life suddenly find themselves attending mass or lighting a candle on the altar of St. Jude or Sta Rita de Cascia who are patrons of the impossible. The cynical and arrogant student is suddenly transformed into piety.

The same thing with me and many others at the brink of illness. Or those waiting for a job abroad or a favorable response to an application for acceptance. It is the same thing when we expect a change in status such as facing an uncertain future. In the duration of waiting, our hearts are restless. And as St. Augustine puts it: it should rest in God.

It is not an accident therefore that the Gospel is about the house built on rock. In the midst of our storms, a strong faith foundation is what saves us. In other words, a great trust in the Lord will keep us grounded. With the Lord, as St. Paul says, who can separate us from Him?

But we have to build our foundations well. Let me end with story.

An excellent carpenter decided to retire. After years of helping out a housing company, he would like to spend the rest of his life with his wife. His children are already settled, and he thought retiring was the best option for all the years of hard work.

His employer was saddened by his decision. So he requested the carpenter to make his last house. The carpenter half-heartedly built the foundations, nailed the beams and put up the walls. His work was not best. After all, it was his last.

When the house was built, his employer came to his house. The employer thank the carpenter for a job well-done. And as a gesture of gratitude, the employer handed him the key to the house he just built!

In today’s mass, let us remember that we build our house everyday. Every nail we hammer, every beam we put up and every wall we build will determine the sturdiness of the house.

Our relationships are built on trust. There is no meaningful relationship without trust. The foundation of our lives determine our capacity not just to survive our storms, but to find meaning and joy in our lives.