God's Presence in the Family

Feast of the Holy Family Dec. 26, 2010
(Mt 2:13-15, 19-23)

When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son."

When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.

But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazorean."

As the Church celebrates the Christmas Season, today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. Naturally, when Jesus was born, He, his mother Mary, and Joseph became a family. Mary and Joseph welcomed the baby Jesus to the world. But the fragile Jesus was not without threat from unwelcoming people like Herod. Being fragile and helpless is a consequence of the Incarnation. When Jesus chose to become man, He made Himself vulnerable to the dangers of this world, to the same dangers that we ourselves face. But He had a family to protect Him.

Today's Gospel story shows us that the families that obey God's will may also face difficulties and trials, but they are never left alone. God is in the midst of the family that calls upon Him and obeys His will. Today, as our families are threatened by separation, economic problems and a certain bill, we are invited to pray and to listen to the voice of God, who leads His family, the Church, to safety.

We are the Church and we are God's family. As He guided the Holy Family, He also guides us today as we journey here on earth. As we face those who oppose the coming of God's Kingdom, we hear God's voice and we know He is with us. He protects us from all the threats against life, and from all that will lead us away from Him.

Today, we are also reminded to protect life. Mary and Joseph welcomed Jesus as a gift from God. And they both protected Jesus and raised Him well. Mary did not see Jesus as a burden, even though her pregnancy was a scandal to Jewish society and a threat to her life. Mary and Joseph accepted parenthood as a privilege from God. Today's parents are also invited to welcome life, to accept the responsibility of procreation, and to raise a family that is obedient to God.

May the child Jesus be born to every family this Christmas Season. And may God always lead all families, especially the Church, to His embrace and may we all be part of that one, big family group hug with Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Emmanuel in the Midst of Confusion

4th Sunday of Advent Dec. 19, 2010 (Mt 1:18-24)

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.

Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.

Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

A Christian existentialist philosopher named Soren Kierkegaard said that there were three stages of man's life. The first is the aesthetic stage where all that matters is pleasure. The second is the ethical stage, where social norms and ethical rules govern one's life. The last stage is the religious stage, where one goes beyond ethics. Kierkegaard said that man can only be at one stage of life at a given time, but man can make a leap towards the next stage.

Abraham was said to be a man in the religious stage of life. Ethical rules told him that murdering his son Isaac would be wrong, but he ignored ethics because he trusted God who asked for the sacrifice. His faith in God went beyond social norms. He knew that God's wisdom is far higher than human conventions.

I believe St. Joseph, in our Gospel today, also made a leap from the ethical to the religious stage. He made a leap of faith, trusting in God who, through an angel, told him to marry a pregnant woman. Marrying a woman who bears a child that is not even one's own was quite a scandal in Jewish society, especially back then. But Joseph realized that the angel's command was part of a grand plan that God was working on. He trusted that everything will work out because God was the event organizer. So he ignored the social norms of his time and chose to obey God.

Today's Gospel reminds us all that God has a plan for our life. Jesus is the Emmanuel, the God who is with us. He is the God who works in our everyday life. The angel's message to Joseph is also God's message to us, "Do not be afraid." In times when we don't know what to do, God makes us realize that He has been and will always be with us. In the midst of confusion, God makes everything make sense, as He did in Joseph's life.

As He did to Joseph, God asks us to trust in Him, to listen to Him, and to cooperate with Him in whatever He has in store for us. Even when nothing makes sense to us, we must make a leap of faith and obey the will of God that is revealed to us in prayer. Only then will everything make sense to us. We will realize God's plan and we will see how much better His plan is. At such a point in our lives, we will feel happy simply because we allowed ourselves to be part of God's plan, and we will forget all the confusion and all the difficulties we faced before.

Jesus is the greatest proof that God is with us. He was born here on earth to dwell with us precisely because He wanted to show us that God is working for our salvation and that we have to participate in His plan. He came to show us how to live in faith. He reminds us to make room for Him in our life, even if our life is one chaos of a manger.

In this world where we make many important decisions, where we hear many voices telling us what to do, and where most of us want to do everything their way, Jesus offers us another way - His way. He invites us to try doing things His way, for we might just find it better. Even when we are not sure where Jesus' way will take us, our faith in Him assures us that His way is the best way to go.

As the world makes noise this Christmas, may we find time to pray and to listen to what God is telling us. May we be open to His will, like St. Joseph, and may we be able to participate in God's plan for us. May our faith survive amidst confusion and amidst all the challenges that this world poses and ultimately lead us to the way which Jesus was born to show us.

What Did You Go Out to See?

3rd Sunday of Advent Dec. 12, 2010 (Mt 11:2-11)

When John heard in prison of the works of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to him with this question, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me."

As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: 'Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.'

Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Today, we hear Jesus asking the people, "What did you go out to the desert to see?" As the celebration of the Lord's birth is nearing, we celebrate today the Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of Joy. And today, Jesus, through the Gospel, invites us to reflect on what we go out to see.

Simbang Gabi is coming. What do we go out to see, especially at such an early hour? Do we go out to see the church all decorated for the season? Do we go out to see if there are any puto bumbong or bibingka sold near the church? Or maybe we go out to see our special someone and to chat with him or her near or even inside the church? Do we not go out to see Jesus and to receive Him in the Eucharist?

Christmas parties are happening everywhere. Do we see people start these parties by praying? Having a Christmas party without prayer is like holding a birthday party without inviting the celebrant.

Everytime we celebrate Christmas, we see a lot of things. We see decorations, attend parties, and watch commercials that try their best to get the audience' attention using Christmas as a theme. But are these things really what we go out to see? Do we really know it's Christmas because of ham or fruit salad? Shouldn't Jesus be the cause of our joy this Christmas? After all, you can spell Christmas without ham or fruit salad, but you just can't spell it without Christ.

Gaudete Sunday invites us to rejoice in the coming of our Savior. This joy is often preceded or accompanied by sorrow. But at the end of every sorrow, there is always joy. When we do not refuse challenges but face them courageously, in the end joy is our reward. In the same way, when we take the Advent journey of repentance and preparation, our joy will be complete on Christmas day, not because of anything or anyone else, but because of Jesus.

If only we see the joy that Jesus brings, the healing that He brings about in our lives, we would not mind carrying all the sorrow in the world, so long as Jesus will be our reward in the end. Jesus' light can outshine even the brightest Christmas light or parol.

This coming Christmas, may we all go out to see Jesus.

Lamp upon Our Feet presents new logo

As the new liturgical year continues, Lamp upon Our Feet presents its new logo. From a picture grabbed from the net, Lamp upon Our Feet's new logo now depicts a magnificent sunset photographed by yours truly. This photograph was taken while I was in a retreat in Caleruega, Batangas.

The new logo is still faithful to the image of the Word of God as the light that guides our path. It is my hope that this blog may continue to bring light to the lives of the people it reaches, no matter how many or how few they may be. The light is the Word of God, not this blog. Lamp upon Our Feet is only a means of bringing the light to God's people.

May the Word of God continue be a lamp upon our feet!

Advent Comes Before Christmas

2nd Sunday of Advent Dec. 5, 2010 (Mt 3:1-12)

In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: "A voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.'"

John wore clothing made of camel's hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

Aside from the Lenten Season, Advent is a season when the Church reiterates the constant call for repentance. Everyday, we are called to return to the path God set for us as we journey to find Him. But Advent reminds us in a special way that God Himself is coming to us and that we should prepare a way for Him.

The message of John the Baptist, therefore, is an important part of the Advent message. John reminds us that when someone is coming, the natural response is for us to prepare. Now since our expected visitor is Jesus, we must remember that the preparation we must do is not just decorating, feasting and buying gifts. These lose their meaning when we forget to prepare our hearts for Jesus.

Christmas for most of us today has become a meaningless joyful season. Little by little, we are removing Christ from Christmas. This is because some of us don't participate in the Advent season's journey of repentance and joyful spiritual preparation. Every year, we celebrate Christmas; but how does this yearly celebration change our lives aside from emptying our pockets? Christmas joy will always fade if our joy does not come from Christ.

John the Baptist reminds us not to be indifferent with affairs of the soul. As the Advent season continues, we are reminded to prepare for Jesus a road that leads to our hearts, without fear, anger or sin as obstacles along the way. We are invited to turn away from sin and to focus on welcoming the God who desires to enter our hearts. Instead of cleaning and decorating our homes and feasting, we must remember to clean our hearts defiled by sin, furnish our souls with holiness and to feast on God's Word in order to prepare for Jesus' visit.

The Pharisees and Sadducees in our Gospel today symbolize the people who refuse to prepare for Jesus' coming because they don't see the need for it. John, in exhorting the Pharisees, in effect also reminds us that simply being a Christian is not enough. We must live fruitful lives and our repentance must be made manifest through a life of holiness. Anyone can say he's repentant, and many people say they believe in God. Nevertheless only a few really live as children of God.

Jesus always comes to us in our daily lives. And finally, He will come again to be our judge at the end of time. This is a reality that we must not take lightly. Christmas is not just a mere reminiscing of how Jesus once came to be born here on earth. It is a reminder that He will indeed come again to gather those who are His, and to condemn those who were not fruitful and who did not prepare for His coming. In the end, the peace that was foretold in today's First Reading will be the abode of those who belong to Jesus.

May the message of Advent remain in our hearts and minds even after the season. May we always remember to care about our spirit, for when Jesus comes, He will care, not too much about how we made merry, but about how we prepared for His coming.

Keeping the Faith Alive and Awake

1st Sunday of Advent Nov. 28, 2010 (Mt 24:37-44)

For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.

Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.

Advent is all about being ready. When we know that someone is going to visit us, we prepare a lot for them. This is why we have an Advent Season. As Catholics, we know Jesus came to this world as man; we remember that in our yearly Christmas celebration. We also know that He comes to us everyday in the Mass. Lastly, we believe that He will come again in His glory, at the end of time. Therefore, Advent is our commemoration of Jesus' coming in the past, and our preparation for His coming again.

Jesus talked a lot about His second coming. An example of this would be our Gospel for today. Jesus reminds everyone of us that His second coming would be like a robbery. We are aware that robberies may happen anytime, but we don't know when we might be robbed. The common solution for robbery is locking our doors well. In the same way, we must lock our hearts so that sin cannot enter. We must let only goodness enter our hearts. That way, when the Lord comes, we may open the doors of our hearts to Him, and He will be pleased about how well we maintained our hearts clean for His coming.

In today's Gospel, Jesus exhorts us to stay awake. This means that we should keep our faith burning. We must nourish our faith and live it everyday. As we wait for Jesus, we don't just remain idle and simply live in this world while keeping our faith to ourselves. We must not be content with just having faith and simply believing that there is a God whose story we read from the Bible. The Lord asks us to keep our faith alive and awake in everything we do, even as we live our earthly lives.

We must not treat our faith as if it was just a thing we set aside and then use whenever we need it. We do not just "re-activate" our faith every time we need to have someone baptized, when we get married or when we need to have our houses blessed. Faith is something we must live everyday. It is something that must work in our lives, as familiar and as common to us as our breathing. We must not separate our faith from every thing we do, no matter how temporal our activities may be. If we keep our faith even as we do temporal activities, we avoid committing sinful acts and we remain true followers of Christ

Indeed, this materialistic world is not our true home. Nevertheless, the Lord asks us to remain here to wait for Him, and to build His kingdom here on earth while we wait. He expects us to live our lives as His true followers so that the whole world may see Him and come to believe in Him through our example. St. Paul, in our Second Reading, asks us, "Throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light (Rom 13:12)".

As we begin this new liturgical year, we are reminded of our mission as Catholics. We are reminded that it is our task to tell the world that there is a Christ who came, comes and will come again. By word, and most importantly, by deed, we are to show the world how to become citizens of God's kingdom which is already arriving.

Finally, when He comes in all His glory, may we not be caught unprepared. Instead, may He find us steadfast in faith, untiring in building His kingdom here on earth, and zealously living as citizens of this eternal kingdom.

Jesus Crucified: The Greatest Image of His Majesty

Solemnity of Christ the King Nov. 21, 2010
(Lk 23:35-43)

The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God." Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out, "If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews."

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

At first glance, there is nothing majestic about the image today's Gospel reading is trying to present to us. Jesus is hanging on the cross, mocked by the soldiers and the rulers of the people. He is even mocked by one criminal beside Him who is suffering the same fate He was suffering. The inscription above Jesus, although it calls Him a king, only highlights the irony of the whole situation. We behold one who is called a king, but is suffering the fate of a criminal. So finally, we ask, what kind of king is this?

Jesus Himself gave us the answer even before His crucifixion. "My kingdom does not belong to this world. ...My kingdom is not here. (Jn 18:36)" Jesus is King of this world, but He is not a worldly king. He is against the ways of this world. While the world espouses selfishness and cruelty, He taught, by word and deed, the value of love and mercy. His crucifixion is the greatest demonstration of the love He preached. The repentant thief in today's Gospel is a receiver of the mercy Jesus taught. The crucified Jesus, therefore, is the greatest image of Jesus as King of Love and as King of Mercy.

In Jesus' kingship, we are reminded that there is a kingdom which is built on mercy, faith, hope and love. This kingdom is where Jesus reigns. But it is not of this world, for the world has come to hate these virtues, and thus, has also hated Jesus. That is why the world gave Jesus His proper throne and crown - the cross and the thorns.

For us who hail Jesus as king, we must remember that the kingdom we belong to is not of this world. We follow the law as dictated by God's commandments and by Jesus' teachings, even though these laws are not acceptable to the world. Our King expects our loyalty. And because of our allegiance to Christ the King, whom the world hates, the world will also hate us (cf. Jn 15:19).

Therefore, because we are followers of Christ, it's going to be difficult for us living in a world who hates our King. People who value love and mercy above all usually end up suffering in this materialistic world. It's like the world is telling us that it is impossible to live here on earth without being greedy, cruel and deceptive. The world persecutes those who live as Jesus did.

Nevertheless, the King we hail will be our salvation. If we follow His laws, it may lead to our exile from this world's kingdom. But because of our faithfulness to Jesus, the King, we shall live happily with Him in His everlasting kingdom, in the Paradise where He brought the repentant thief, where there is no longer pain nor persecution. So let us be strong and faithful to Him. As our King tells us, "In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world. (Jn 16:33)"

When Eternity Begins

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Nov. 14, 2010 (Lk 21:5-19)

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, he said, "All that you see here - the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?"

He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them!

When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end."

Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.

Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name.

It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.

You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.

There is much fuss over end-of-the-world claims of many people, either based on religion or on science. Some try their best to explain to all how the world will end and why they say it's about to end soon. They present signs, scientific data, historical facts and biblical references to support their claims. But a few people talk about how we need to prepare for the end of the world. Fact is, the world will end. It doesn't matter when. The fact that it will end should make us reflect. How does this fact affect our lives? Since we can't stop it, what do we do about it?

After speaking about the terrifying events that will take place before the end of the world, Jesus instructs us, His disciples, to be calm. He tells us not to fear tribulations. As Christians, we will be hated by the world, as our Master was. But we need not fear, for Jesus has conquered the world. Whatever problems we encounter becomes easy if we remain in Christ, for He never abandons His flock. We should not fear the wars and all the other disasters of this world.

Being faithful to Jesus' teachings and obeying the commandments, there is no need to fear even the end of the world. Our faith assures us that no matter who or what can kill us in this world, they can no longer hurt us when we are reunited with God in eternal life. If we truly believe in God and in His mercy, we can courageously face anything this world scares us with.

Jesus reminds us that we must not prepare what to say in tribunals beforehand. He Himself will speak through us. We must not fret too much about the end times. It is enough that we have Jesus. He is our salvation, our true judge. His wisdom will shame this world, and He will inspire us with this wisdom.

For us Catholics, the end of the world is not something to fear and to be nervous about. It is a reminder for us that this is not our home. This world will end and our real home awaits us. God has prepared the real dwelling of His faithful ones in eternal life with Him. So we must not fear, for, as Jesus said, not a hair on our head will be destroyed.

Our Father's Inheritance

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Nov. 7, 2010 (Lk 20:27-38)

Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, 'If someone's brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.' Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless. Then the second and the third married her, and likewise all the seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her."

Jesus said to them, "The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise. That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called 'Lord' the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."

Our recently concluded double commemoration of all the saints and of all the faithful departed is deeply rooted in a firm belief in life after earthly death and in the immortality of the soul. Of course, we could go on and on arguing philosophically whether man's soul is immortal and whether there is an afterlife, but that would only prove the immortality of philosophical debates. As Catholics, we firmly believe in the resurrection of the dead that is stated in our Creed. Christ's own glorious Resurrection reassures this faith.

Our First Reading presents us a very tragic story of a mother and her sons choosing to die rather than to disobey God's laws. It is inspiring how they were unafraid to face death because they believed that God raises His faithful ones from the dead. This mother and her seven sons remind us of the stories of our martyrs whose firm belief in the resurrection lead to their cruel yet glorious deaths, which they accepted courageously.

With these stories in mind, we come to wonder why today, we fear to die. It is natural for us as humans to dislike death, but to fear it is perhaps not Christian. Do we fear death because we don't believe in the afterlife? Probably the only Christian answer is that we fear death because we haven't lived good lives and are not yet ready to face God. But that only proves that we do not take our faith seriously. Our belief in the everlasting life God promised must be made manifest in the way we live. As Catholics, we must not give undue value to this world. We must treasure everlasting life more than we treasure our lives here. As Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. (Mt 6:33)"

Everlasting life is often viewed as a reward from God for those who are good. It is. But it is more fitting to say that everlasting life is God's inheritance for His faithful children. An inheritance has always been the right of a Father's children. In the same way, everlasting life has always been in store for all of us, since we are all God's children. But we need to be faithful children of God. If we run away from Him, He cannot force us to accept His promised eternal life. If we disobey His will, we act as if we were not His children and we denounce Him as Father.

In our Gospel today, Jesus clarifies that everlasting life is not like the life here on earth. As St. Paul said, "What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Cor 2:9)" Eternal life with God will never be boring no matter how endless it is. The divine life He has in store for us is a life of eternal joy that is always new. The problem with us is that we believe in the eternal life but we treat it as a fairy tale, or something that has little relevance and urgency. We fail to see the great things that are in store for us and we give more value to what can be of use to us here and now. When we are old and are near death, only then will we realize the value of a life lived in accordance to God's law. Let's not wait.

A life that never ends awaits us after our earthly life. It is up to us to choose whether we want to spend it with God or without Him. The death which we will all face becomes only a birth to eternal life, as St. Francis puts it. We will no longer fear death but wait with Christian hope for the moment when we get to meet God face to face. All this is we only live a life of true faith. For if we work hard and study for how many excruciating years just to be "ready" to live our lives here on earth, how much more must we prepare for eternal life with God?

Jesus Passing By

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Oct. 31, 2010 (Lk 19:1-10)

He came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."

And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner."

But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over."

And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."

Looking back on the conversion of Zacchaeus, we come to wonder what it was that Jesus said to cause such a conversion. Jesus didn't talk to Zacchaeus about sin and repentance, but Zacchaeus suddenly talked about repaying four times every amount that he extorted from his fellow Jews. It was out of the blue, so to speak.

What probably touched Zacchaeus' heart was Jesus' invitation. He was moved by the fact that Jesus gave importance to him simply by gracing him with His presence and actually speaking to him. As a public sinner, Zacchaeus was probably shunned by society and perhaps often received a cold treatment. But from Jesus, he received a sincere and warm invitation to talk and to share a meal at his own household. Jesus recognized his existence. From that simple gesture alone, Zacchaeus was moved to conversion.

Jesus is always passing by in our lives. Zacchaeus went out of his way to see Jesus only out of curiousity, because he doesn't know Him well. We, on the other hand, know Jesus and have constantly been reminded that Jesus is kind and infinitely merciful. We know this yet we sometimes fear to come near Him in the sacraments of the Eucharist and of Reconciliation. We hesitate even though He Himself invited us when He said, "Come to me... and I will give you rest (Mt 11:28)." Like Zacchaeus, we must go and meet the Lord where He awaits us - in the sacraments and in a good private prayer life.

Aside from representing us sinners who should welcome Jesus is our homes, Zacchaeus also represents the public sinners who are condemned by society. Most of the time we judge these people - corrupt politicians, prostitutes, criminals and others whose sins are scandalous. We give them sentence as if we were Christ sitting on the throne. We tell them that they are going to hell and that they cannot be saved anymore. Because of that, they tend to stay in the box we put them in. They no longer come to Jesus because we make them believe that they cannot be saved anymore.

God wants all men to be saved (1 Tim 2:4). We go against God's will when we judge other people and condemn them. We should, instead, help them by prayer and admonition to repent and to come back to God. Jesus accepted Zacchaeus; so must we accept other sinners, in the name of Jesus. By doing so, we become instruments of God's forgiveness and salvation.

Jesus seeks to save all who are lost. But He can never save us if we do not want to be saved. Zacchaeus reminds us to come to Jesus with confidence and to let Him enter our hearts. As a community, we must come to Jesus, leaving no one behind. Together, we join Jesus in passing by Jericho and journeying towards the heavenly Jerusalem.

In Synch with God's Will

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Oct. 17, 2010 (Lk 18:1-8)

Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, "There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.' For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'"

The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Prayer is our connection to God. We, as mere creatures of the Almighty God are in need of His sustenance and care. Yet, for some reason, sometimes, we don't pray enough, we don't pray from the heart or we just don't pray at all.

We have so many reasons why we don't pray enough. Perhaps one reason is that people don't really know how to pray. There is that wrong conception of prayer as an elaborate recitation of words which follow a strict formula. We get this feel that there is a certain way of praying we should strictly follow. We should get rid of this notion. These "formats" or "formulae" are for children who really don't know what to say next when praying. We, on the other hand, as supposedly mature Catholics, must have already learned that prayer is communication with God, and is thus an open conversation where you can pour your heart out and where God speaks to you in the silence of your heart.

Prayer can be integrated in everything that we do. Remember, God is always with us. So speak to Him as if He were there beside you; because He is there, precisely beside you! While you're beating a deadline for your office or school, talk to Him. You won't feel alone. While you're stuck in traffic and are in a hurry, tell Him, "Lord, let's speed this up a little." When we talk to Him as a friend beside us, we radically change our prayer life. Actually, we transform life into a prayer, into one big conversation with God.

In the Gospel today, we see a judge granting the request of a widow. Here we find an example of persistent prayer. We must not be weary in prayer because it is an expression of our dependence on God. In our First Reading, we are presented with another case of persistence in prayer. As long as Moses raised his rod and outstretched his arms, the Israelite army won. Whenever he put his arms down, their army lost. He had to be assisted so he could keep his arms raised. This, perhaps, may seem superstitious and, perhaps, may also present the idea that God blindly obeys prayers as long as we push the right buttons. But this is not so. This story reminds us that faith must always be expressed in a lively prayer life. It is not enough for me to say that God is with me and I can do this and I believe. Faith must be expressed in prayer. Yes, God knows what I need, but have I asked Him for it? If I believe He is with me and is helping me in everything I do, then shouldn't I let Him in on the goals and the plans? Shouldn't we collaborate with our partner and speak with Him?

As a last point of reflection, I took notice of Jesus' imagery of a judge. When we pray for something, God acts as a judge who sees our real intentions. God decides which of our prayers are worthy to be granted and when they are to be granted. When we pray, God answers only in three possible ways. If our prayer is good, then He grants it. If it is not good for us, He rejects it. But He gives us something which, according to His wisdom, is better for us. Lastly, if our prayer is good but is not yet called for, He will give it at the right time. God's justice is never delayed, even if sometimes, we think it is. God's timing is perfect.

Our prayer is an act of uniting our will with God's perfect will. When we pray, our attitude must be that of surrendering to God's will. Our prayer should be, "God, this is my will. If it is in accord with Yours, let it be. If it is not, please show me Yours and let it be done in my life." Our prayer must be an affirmation that we need God to work in our lives, not a dictation of how we want Him to work. Otherwise, we will despair when we don't get things our way. When we surrender to God's will, we will see Him work in our lives in ways better than we could have imagined!

Jesus' Way is the Way of the Cross

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time June 20, 2010 (Lk 9:18-24)

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'" Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said in reply, "The Messiah of God." He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised."

Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

"My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me" (Jn 10:27)

These words from today's verse before the Gospel tell us that we have a shepherd who knows each of us and whom we must obey and follow. But we focus our reflection today on Jesus' question, "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus knows us, but do we know Him, whom we follow? Certainly, we cannot be followers of someone we don't know. And if we do not know Jesus, we cannot claim to be Christians.

Peter hits the jackpot when he answers that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah of God. Jesus was the savior that the Israelites have been waiting for. This was a moment of revelation for the Apostles. Jesus revealed His identity as the Messiah. The one they have been following is the Messiah.

But Jesus had to explain to them that He is not the Messiah that Israel was expecting. He was not a political figure who would free Israel from colonizers. He was not an earthly monarch. His glory does not come from pomp and power. His moment of glory is His suffering, death and resurrection. His way is not of the scepter; His is the way of the cross.

This revelation, assuming that the apostles fully understood it, comes as a shock. How could the Messiah die such a cruel death? Even the Gentiles who hears the story after Jesus' Ascension were shocked. How could God die? Why would God choose to suffer? Of course, today, we understand that Jesus' suffering and death is the redemption that God had planned, in His wisdom.

Jesus tells His disciples, and also all of us, that since we choose to follow Him, we must also learn to accept suffering and to see suffering in a new light. Taking up our crosses means that we must live according to the example of Jesus, being good Christians and taking the path that God has set for us. Doing this, we will certainly face a lot of challenges. But that is why it is called a cross. It may be difficult to bear, but we must do it out of love for God.

Jesus' mission on earth was fulfilled in His death and resurrection. We, on the other hand, are not all called to die for others or for our faith. But all of us, being Christians, are called to live for God and for others. We must "lose" the life we want to live and live instead as God wants us to live. In fact, we must let Christ live in us.

Following Christ entails sacrifice because He whom we follow has also sacrificed Himself for our salvation. We must learn from Him and imitate Him who carried His cross. We must carry our own crosses. The only way to life with God is the way of the cross.

Prodigal Siblings

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time June 13, 2010 (Lk 7:36-8:3)

A Pharisee invited him to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner." Jesus said to him in reply, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. "Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days' wages 12 and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?" Simon said in reply, "The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven." He said to him, "You have judged rightly."

Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. 13 But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." The others at table said to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" But he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

(Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.)

How we look at our relationship with God affects our relationship with others. We must realize that none of us have been saved except through the great love of God demonstrated by Jesus on the cross. It was out of God's love and compassion that we were all saved. On the cross, Jesus died for everyone. If we realize this, then we would see each other as fellow receivers of God's love and mercy.

We are all sinners. Nevertheless, sometimes we even have the nerve to look down on others whose sins are publicly known or are considered more grave than our own sins. These people will only run farther away from God if they are discriminated by the people they look up to as holier than they are. If they experience people holier than them harshly judging them, they will only think that God is also judging them in the same way. But that is not so. God wants them to be saved too. We must be instruments of God's love and mercy. We must be the ones to tell them that God wants to embrace them and to welcome them back.

Today, God calls us to go back to Him. He is trying to say that He loves us and that He is waiting for us, even though we have sinned so much. He is waiting for us to love Him back. As prodigal sons of the Father, we should return to Him. But along the way, let us call up our brothers and sisters who have also gone astray and invite them to return to the Father's house. What a family reunion that would be!

How Far God's Love Went

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ June 6, 2010 (Lk 9:11-17)

Jesus received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured.

As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, "Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here."

He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves." They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people." Now the men there numbered about five thousand.

Then he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty." They did so and made them all sit down. Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.

They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.

In the Gospel today, we see how Jesus cared for the crowd that came to see Him, feeding five thousand people after a tiring day of preaching to them and healing their sick. Jesus knew about everything the people needed. He knew that they thirst for the Good News, that some of them wished to be healed and that they hunger for food. He took care of all these needs of the people, showing compassion on His followers.

Jesus' love for us is expressed in the many ways that He nourishes us. But the greatest expression of His love is when He becomes the nourishment Himself. This He did on Calvary and the merits of this supreme sacrifice come to us in the Eucharist.

The Eucharist is the sacrament wherein God shows us how madly in love He is with humanity. Here we see that even after God did the unthinkable by becoming man and dying on the cross, He still does more, to our amazement. God knows that the Calvary scene is chronologically distant from us who live more than two thousand years after Christ. That is why Jesus instituted the Eucharist, not to repeat His sacrifice, but to bring that very same sacrifice to us here and now.

Every time we reflect on the Eucharist, we cannot help but be amazed. Is it not awe-inspiring to hear that the God who once humbled Himself by becoming man and allowing Himself to be killed now further humbles Himself by becoming a piece of bread? Yes, this is the Eucharist - God's love that resulted to unimaginable humility.

It is up to us now not to leave God waiting. He became bread so that He can come to us. He has gone a long way just to be with us and to save us. Let us receive and worship Him as we would if we were with Him more than two thousand years ago. If we come to think of it, we are the ones who need Him. Yet He's the one making the greater effort to come to us. All we have to do now is receive Him, believing that it is Him and not bread that we are receiving.

By faith we see that it is Jesus, and no longer bread. By this faith we see and we rejoice that He who nourishes is Himself the nourishment. With this faith we receive the one who nourishes us.

One in Love

Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity May 30, 2010 (Jn 16:12-15)

"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you."

In the Old Testament, God revealed Himself to the Israelites through Moses. He said, "I am WHO AM". This is not a grammatical error. Through this, God introduced Himself as the God of their ancestors, the God of the living, the unchanging God, the God who is, who was and who is to come. The revelation of the Divine name happened just before God revealed His plan to save Israel from slavery. God introduced Himself to the people He was to save, to the people He planned to be His own.

God's revelation finds fulfillment in the New Testament. Again, as God's plan for our salvation was unfolding, He revealed Himself ever more fully. This time, God did not speak to us through prophets. He Himself spoke to us in the person of Jesus. Jesus revealed God to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus revealed to us that the one God is Trinity.

Of course, our human mind can never fathom this doctrine in its fullness. We can never understand how three can become one. Nevertheless, we accept it through faith because it was revealed to us by God.

God as Trinity shows us how God works in our lives and for our salvation. Our readings and our Gospel for today show us how God works as Trinity, how wonderfully His plan of salvation unfolds. God worked for our salvation as Trinity. The Father created us out of love. The Son became love incarnate to save us and to bring us back to God's love from which we ran away. The Spirit was sent by the Father and the Son to help us remain in God's love and to inspire us to love God back.

The Trinity is a community of love. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit love each other. Therefore, being created in the image of the Trinity, we too are made to be a community of love. The Trinity teaches us that we are one human race, though different in color and creed. We are one because we were created by the one God. We must therefore live in love and in unity as one human race.

Jesus gave us the doctrine of the Trinity not to confuse us. He revealed this to us to make us appreciate the marvel of our salvation. He shows us that the almighty God uses all His might to win us back. The Trinity shows us that God loves us so much because He Himself is love; and in that love he desires all men to share in His oneness. He wants men to be one human race and to be one with Him in love.

The Biggest Announcement

3rd Sunday of Lent Mar. 7, 2010 (Lk 13:1-9)

At that time some people who were present there told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!"

And he told them this parable: "There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, 'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?' He said to him in reply, 'Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.'"

The Jews held the belief that suffering and illnesses were due to the punishment of God. At one instance, the apostles even asked Jesus about a blind man, whether it was the blind man or his parents who sinned, that he was born blind (Jn 9:2).

As Christians, we need to erase this kind of mentality. In today's Gospel, Jesus explains that those who died a cruel death are not necessarily sinners being punished. Suffering is not necessarily a punishment from God. We need to see suffering in a better light. It is part of our life as humans of the fallen nature. Because of the example of Christ, we can see suffering not as useless pain. We can now see suffering as a purification, a purgation, something that can bring about something good in the end. The greatest example of salvific suffering is the murder of the most innocent Son of God that brought about the salvation of mankind.

As Jesus points out that not all suffering come from God, He also warns us that suffering will indeed come if we remain sinners. Yes, God does not punish men immediately in this world, but that doesn't mean that there is no punishment at all. His mercy cannot do anything against human freedom. His mercy also cannot contradict His justice. Therefore, Jesus took this opportunity to warn us about a fate worse than earthly suffering - eternal suffering.

Our Lenten season is an annual amplification of the call for repentance. In the Gospel today, we are the fig tree that God expects to bear fruit. God has been so patient with us. How many times have we sinned, repented and sinned again? Yet, even though we always fall into sin, God is ever faithful and merciful, though as was said, this is limited by His justice.

God gives us the necessary graces in order for us to bear fruit. He gives us fertilizer that we may grow. What is sad is that when we are given much graces to help us recognize God and realize that He is calling us to repentance, we give more attention to the graces and less to the Giver. God nourishes us physically and spiritually that we may bear fruit and that we may be strong enough to journey back to Him. The greatest nourishment God gave us is the Body and Blood of His only Son. Jesus' is the loudest announcement of God's call for repentance. The Calvary scene says so many things. Through this picture of a suffering innocent God-man, God tells us, "I love you enough that I paid your own debt to Me. Come back to Me now! Nothing can separate you from My love."

Jesus' death, being the greatest call for repentance, is God's last call. God said everything when He sent Jesus here. Jesus, the Word of God, is the last call. God can say no more. Let us heed God's call for repentance.

Apologies

I apologize for not being able to post for the past weeks, if anyone at all missed my posts. Anyway, I just had so much to do, with professors requiring so many papers and projects. I know you guys understand.

Anyway, I'll try to continue this humble work. Hope I can keep it up again.

Wanted: Worthy Servant?

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Feb. 7, 2010 (Lk 5:1-11)

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.

Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets."

When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."

For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men."

When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

There are times when we feel we are worth nothing, when we feel that everything we do are in vain because we're not getting any results nor pleasing anyone. Even when we pray, go to Mass or serve God, we feel unworthy to worship or to serve God. We feel we are lacking something, that we are imperfect.

Our readings for today present us with three servants of God whom we look up to as holy men - Isaiah, the prophet, Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, and Peter, the Prince of the Apostles. But even they felt unworthy before they were called by God. They all felt they were sinners unworthy to be in the presence of God. But these men were called to serve God and they did not refuse to do so. We look up to them now because they went from unworthy sinners to holy men.

In our Gospel today, Peter got visited by a stranger in his boat. This stranger borrowed his boat and, from it, preached to the people. Peter heard Jesus' words and was probably amazed by Jesus' teachings. He must have recognized that Jesus was a holy man. Nonetheless, it was peculiar that Jesus, though a holy man, should give fishermen directions on how to catch fish. But Peter, trusting Jesus, obeyed and was surprised by their catch. This miracle must have been the moment when Jesus captured Peter.

Peter, realizing that Jesus was truly a holy man, felt unworthy of Jesus' presence. But Jesus called him and his friends, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men."

Jesus is saying the same thing to us. If we feel unworthy to serve Him, who will be worthy? We are all sinners and all those who are chosen by God to serve Him are also sinners. We must not refuse God's call for it is He who chose us. It is He who guides us as we obey His mandate. It is He who makes us worthy to serve Him.

God chooses us, despite our weaknesses, to be His followers. Our weaknesses bear witness to the truth that it is God who works in us and that it is God's work that we do. Our weaknesses tell the world that it is God who is truly powerful. As St. Paul says, "God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God (1 Cor 1:27-29)."

So let us heed Jesus' call to be not afraid. It is God who chooses us and who makes us worthy. He gives us the power to build His Kingdom here on earth and to be fishers of men. Let us do our mission in whatever state of life we have. Let us trust in God who made us His worthy servants.

A Call for Mature Faith

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time Jan. 31, 2010 (Lk 4:21-30)

He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, "Isn't this the son of Joseph?"

He said to them, "Surely you will quote me this proverb, 'Physician, cure yourself,' and say, 'Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.'"

And he said, "Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."

When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

"Familiarity breads contempt," a saying goes. True enough, we easily lose interest in things we are too familiar with. We conclude that we know everything about something or someone, to the point that we don't care to know them anymore. This was the attitude of Jesus' fellow Nazoreans. They only knew Jesus as the son of a carpenter and, thus, wondered where He got wisdom and eloquence. Their close-mindedness and lack of faith were the reasons why Jesus didn't perform miracles in their town.

Often, we are like the Nazoreans who rejected Jesus. We, too, reject God. Yes, we have faith in Him, but our faith is limited and immature. We see God as an All-powerful Being who, being our Father, will care for us and provide for everything we need. We expect Him to readily say yes to all our prayers. Because of this immaturity, our faith cannot grow and will easily be upset when we don't have things our way.

Our Gospel for today doesn't only call for accepting Jesus, it calls for a total faith in Jesus, including accepting and living His examples and preachings. The message of Jesus is not as simple as, "I love you. I saved you. End of story." His message is a complete turning away from sin and returning to God, rejecting the senseless pleasures and accepting the cross as He did. If the purpose of Jesus' Incarnation is just to save us, then He should have been crucified immediately after He was born. But as it is, He came to dwell among us to set an example of how to live as children of God. He showed us that suffering does not mean the absence of God; it could be the will of God at work in our lives to bring a greater good. His last and best example of accepting God's will is His death on the cross.

Our relationship with God calls for true faith in Him, a mature faith that sees how God works in our lives even in the midst of many problems. We must accept Jesus' preachings and follow His example of obedience to God. We must imitate the great selfless love that He showed us.

Of course, it is also our mission to share our faith, hope and love to others. As baptized Christians, we share in Jesus' prophetic mission. Therefore, we must proclaim Him in word and in deed, even when nobody shall listen to us. A prophet always faces rejection. What's important is that we have faith and we share this to others, so we can all grow and learn from Jesus.

And the Word was Made Flesh

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Jan. 24, 2010 (Lk 1:1-4, 4:14-21)

Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received.

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."

Jesus proclaims the beginning of His public ministry by setting the direction to which His ministry will lead. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me", He said, quoting from the prophet Isaiah. With these words, Jesus proclaims Himself to be the Messiah, the anointed of God who will bring joy and liberation to those who are in agony.

This liberation, of course, is understood by us Christians to be the liberation from the slavery of sin. Jesus was not the kind of Messiah the Jews expected. He was not a political leader sent to destroy the Jewish colonizers. He was sent to destroy the enemy that has conquered all mankind - sin.

"Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing", Jesus assures his listeners. Indeed, Luke verifies that it was in the power of the Spirit that Jesus came to proclaim that particular passage. Therefore, the passage Jesus was reading was literally being fulfilled as it was being read.

Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promises in the Old Testament. He is the realization of numerous prophecies. Jesus also fulfills His own words, His own promises that have been actualized even in us today. This is why He is the Word made flesh. He is the promise of the Father who takes flesh, who becomes fulfilled before our very eyes.

Guided by the Spirit, we as Christians, must also set our direction to the path God anointed us to travel. Our mission should be clear to us, and we must fulfill God's purpose for us. He anoints us to a particular mission by giving us His Spirit, which gives us the power to fulfill that mission. The abilities which we have received from the Spirit are clues that give us an idea as to what path God wants us to take. This is what Saint Paul points out in saying that we are one body, as we are baptized in one Spirit, but we are also made up of different parts (1 Cor 12:13-14). Being individual parts of Christ's body, we have different ways of serving. Nevertheless, we have one common vocation, and that is to do the will of God.

Forever Young and Beautiful

Feast of the Sto. Niño Jan. 17, 2010 (Lk 2:41-52)

Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom.

After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.

When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety."

And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he said to them.

He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.

After celebrating the Feast of the Lord's Baptism, where we saw Jesus as a grown man who was baptized in the Jordan, we come to reflect upon His childhood again as we celebrate today the feast very dear and unique to us Filipinos - the Feast of the Sto. Niño.

The image of the Christ child comes in varied costumes. Sometimes, He is robed as a prince; sometimes, He is an ordinary child or is dressed as a fireman, a farmer and many more, making Him one like us. This reflects the fact that Jesus was made flesh and dwelt among us (Jn 1:14). Truly, one of the greatest virtues the Sto. Niño teaches us is humility. Jesus, who is God, emptied Himself and became a child, a vulnerable and dependent child, a God who is with us. In the Gospel today, we even hear Him humbly obeying His human parents.

Jesus' obedience, of course, is, first and foremost, to the Father in heaven. That is why He stayed in the temple, in His Father's house, doing His Father's business. Like Jesus, we too are children of the Father. Therefore, we ought to imitate Jesus' humility and obedience. Our obedience should be to the Father, before to anyone else. Our first concern should always be to do His will.

As Jesus returns to childhood in our Gospel today, we, too, are invited to become like children, meek, humble and obedient. We should not let our achievements convince us that we are adults who do not need God anymore. Rather, we must remain humble, dependent on God and innocent, though probably not ignorant anymore. We must not be spoiled brats, nor rebelling teenagers, but faithful sons and daughters, obedient to our Father's will.

This is the message of the Sto. Niño, whose childhood we immortalize - we must remain forever young and beautiful before our Father.

His Mission

Feast of the Lord's Baptism Jan. 10, 2010 (Lk 3:15-16, 21-22)

Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah. John answered them all, saying, "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

The baptism preached by John is a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. So why did Jesus need to be baptized by John, when Jesus had no sin and, therefore, did not need to be baptized? This question is usually where reflections about today's Gospel start.

Jesus' baptism echoes the message of Christmas to a larger audience. It echoes the truth that God has indeed visited His people and that He dwells with them even though they are sinners. Metaphorically speaking, the River Jordan has been dirtied by the sins of those who have repented and have had their baptism in it. Jesus, the Savior, made the waters clean. The waters of the Jordan were made holy by Jesus who plunged in it. In the same way, Jesus comes into this world as man to cleanse us from sin by His bloody Baptism on Mount Calvary.

The Baptism of Jesus, therefore, reminds us of the central message of Christmas - that Jesus came into our sinful world to save us. In this sense, also, we realize that the joy of Christmas is inseparable to the sorrow of Calvary. The news that Jesus dwelt here on earth cannot be separated with the story of his saving death.

In the first part of the Gospel, John spoke about the coming of someone mightier than him. Jesus was then revealed to the people as the Son of God, the promised Messiah John spoke about. One should never cease to marvel at how God has willed to send even His own Son for our salvation. It was unthinkable that a God would become man, out of love for His people. Much less unthinkable is the fact that this Son of God would offer his life for the salvation of His people. Yet, God showed us His love: "This is my beloved Son." Witnesses of Jesus' Baptism ought to have been in awe.

On our part, since we are baptized Christians, we ought to pattern our lives to that of Christ. The Holy Spirit who descended upon Jesus as a dove shall guide us as we travel to our own Jerusalem. Each person has been anointed by God to serve Him in a unique way and each must discern and obey His will. But as a Church, we also share a common mission, given to us by Christ. And that is to be His witnesses to the whole world. As Jesus was baptized to start His public ministry, our own Baptism also anoints us as children of God. And we must live as His true children, faithful and obedient.

Seeking to Do Him Homage

Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jan. 3, 2010 (Mt 2:1-12)

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage."

When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"

Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage."

After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother.

They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

The celebration of the Lord's Epiphany reminds us that Jesus' birth is a symbol of God's saving love that is offered to all. Jesus was born to save humanity, not only the Jews. This is the news of great joy that the angel announces - the Savior of all men is born! The gifts of the magi prophesy the destiny of the child Jesus. The frankincense symbolizes divinity; the gold, kingship; and the myrrh, death. Jesus is God who comes to us as a king who will serve by suffering and dying and thus, will save all men from sin and death.

Jesus' birth was not known to the political and religious leaders of His time. But He manifested Himself to the magi, wise men who are not from the People of God, who diligently searched for Him, who brought Him gifts and did Him due homage. Our Gospel for today allows us to reflect on the different ways people react when God comes. The magi brought gifts and worshiped the child. Herod, on the other hand, under the guise of wanting to worship, sought to kill the child. Herod loves his position so much that he sought to kill this newborn king of the Jews, as he was afraid that Jesus would dethrone him.

Sometimes, we become like Herod. We see God as a hindrance in acquiring the things we long to have. We believe in God but we seek to "kill" Him because with Him in our hearts, we cannot enjoy the ephemeral pleasures of lust, of acquisition of power, and of possession of great riches. God does not want us to belong to this world and to seek the shallow happiness it brings, so we seek to "kill" Him so that we can go our own way, enjoying the pleasures of this world.

Like the magi, we must seek Jesus and give Him the best gift we can give - ourselves. We must seek Him so we can do Him homage. We should recognize Him as king and let Him dethrone the worldly things and desires that reign in our hearts. He should be our King, our God, our Savior.