Beloved of the Father

2nd Sunday of Lent Mar. 4, 2012 (Mk 1:12-15)

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.

As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.

Just as our Lenten journey will conclude in the glory of Easter, so our life journey is directed to eternal life with God. The Transfiguration of Jesus shows us that our goal is a glorious life with God. This glorious moment on the mountain is a foretaste of the glory of Easter and of the life that awaits us as beloved sons of God.

But aside from showing us our destination, the Transfiguration also shows us our way - Jesus Himself. On the mountain, the Father calls Jesus His Beloved Son and commands us to listen to Jesus. Jesus is our brother who came to the world not only to die for our sins, but also to live a life that we ought to imitate. In His own life, Jesus showed us how to live as true children of the Father.

As we take this Lenten journey, Jesus should be our model and His Word should be our inspiration. We should follow His example of sacrifice, service and prayer. We should reflect on the Gospel, His story and His words, ever more deeply. We must learn to live as Jesus did.

Only in following Jesus' example of carrying the cross can we ever get to our glorious destination. Jesus descended from the mountain and faced the sufferings that awaited Him in Jerusalem. So too must we face the trials of everyday life, living as Jesus did, especially now as we try to change our lives this Lent.

Only in making that successful journey in following Jesus' way can we find the glory that was revealed in Jesus' Transfiguration. Then we could find the transfigured Jesus, with ourselves also transfigured, beloved of the Father.

The Desert Road to Easter

1st Sunday of Lent Feb. 26, 2012 (Mk 1:12-15)

At once the Spirit drove him out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.

After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."

Being man, Jesus also experienced temptation. After being baptized by John, just before He began His public ministry, Jesus retreated into the desert, driven by the Holy Spirit. There He was tempted by Satan, as all men are tempted. But Jesus never fell into sin. He was tempted but He overcame temptation.

Jesus' victory over temptation tells us that even as men, we can overcome temptation. We are always tempted to sin but we do have the ability to refuse to sin. In the desert, Jesus was among wild beasts, but He also had angels there to minister to Him. As children of God in this world, we are also like lambs among wolves, but we have God with us. On our own, we'll probably fall victim to the devil and to his temptations, especially in our world today where the value of prayer and sacrifice is neglected and where committing sin and giving in to temptations are encouraged. But we have God to strengthen us and to help us live according to His will. He sent us His Spirit to lead us in holiness and His angels guide us in our earthly journey.

This holy season of Lent, the Church reiterates the importance of turning away from sin and turning towards God. Jesus Himself, after being victorious over temptation, proclaims the message: "The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."

The whole Lenten journey is a preparation for the celebration of Easter. We die in our sinfulness in order to worthily and more meaningfully celebrate the joy of Christ's resurrection. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are the practices which aid us in the challenge of repentance.

In prayer, we recognize that we need God and we ask for His help in order to change our lives and to turn away from sin. In fasting and abstaining, we practice control over our bodies and we learn discipline that helps us triumph over the urges and temptations to sin. In almsgiving, we practice selflessness in sacrificing for the welfare of others, as Jesus showed us. These practices, which we must learn to do even outside Lent, help us to turn away from sin and to turn to God.

The call to repentance is a call that we must heed constantly. But even if we falter and sin every now and then, God gives us the strength to come back to Him. Lent is a special time to repent, if we haven't already done so. A joyful and meaningful celebration of Easter requires a well-spent Lent.

May we all have a fruitful Lenten journey towards a triumphant Easter!

All These in Her Heart

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Jan. 1, 2012 (Lk 2:16-21)

So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.

And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

The shepherds were very much blessed on that first Christmas night. An angel announced to them the news of the Savior's birth. A multitude of the heavenly host singing glory to God appeared to them. But most of all, as today's Gospel tells us, the shepherds were graced with the presence of God. They saw the child in the manger. They witnessed how God came to His people, how He became close to them, even becoming one like them. They might not have understood everything that was happening, but surely they knew that God was at work. They recognized that everything that was happening was brought about by God.

Like the shepherds, we must also recognize God working in our lives. This new year, the most important thing we could wish for is God's presence, the very same grace that the shepherds received. Our efforts for change this new year will not be fruitful without God. We must, therefore, pray that God may guide us the whole year through, that He may help us change and that His will may be fulfilled in us.

As we begin the new year, we again look to Mary, the Mother of God. In today's Gospel, we hear how she treasured in her heart everything that happened to them. Like the shepherds, she might not have understood everything, but she kept all of these and reflected on them in her heart. We too must learn to pray and to reflect as Mary did. We should not just go head on in our life journey. Everything happens for a reason ordained by God. But if we fail to pause and reflect, we might miss what God is trying to tell us through the events in our lives. In prayerful reflection, Mary obeyed God's will perfectly. That is also how we ought to live our lives, in order to find peace that comes only from God, even amidst everything that we might face.

Today, as we celebrate the Octave of Christmas, we also hear from the Gospel about how Mary's son was circumcised and named Jesus. Let us always remember the meaning of Jesus' name - God saves. This is our assurance this new year. Jesus, the God who saves, has come to be with us. With Jesus as our Savior, and with Mary as our mother and model of prayer and obedience, we can go on in our life journey in peace and security.

Born Amidst Difficult Situations

Solemnity of the Lord's Birth Dec. 25, 2011 (For Midnight Mass: Lk 2: 1-14)

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.

And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."

And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

Joseph and Mary travels to Bethlehem, seemingly just to obey a human decree, but actually to fulfill what God has decreed long ago down through the Scriptures - that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem from the line of David, the king - for the child in Mary's womb is the King of kings. And so there they were. The couple traveled while Mary bore the child, to a city that was filled with people who were there for the census, in the darkness of the night, and with no room for them to stay in. Their situation was very difficult. It became even more difficult for them when the time came for Mary to give birth and the only place they could stay in is a manger. Finally, Jesus was born there in the lowly manger.

For a plan that has been established through the ages, what happened in the Christmas story could have been better and more grand, or at least more decent and comfortable for Mary, Joseph and Jesus. But this Christmas story is already God's perfect plan. It is God's perfect timing, even though it didn't seem to be so perfect.

Christmas happened because of God - because Christ was there. It didn't matter that the place was in a manger. Jesus was born and everything became simply glorious and joyful that night. Mary and Joseph must have been rejoicing while gazing at the child Jesus. The angels in heaven sang glorifying God as they shared the good news of great joy to shepherds who were faithfully keeping watch over their sheep. Indeed, the darkness of the night was dispelled by the light of the child that was born for us. All the difficulties the Holy Family faced didn't matter anymore. Jesus' presence was all that mattered.

In our Christmas celebration, we tend to always wish for everything to be fine, if not perfect. We make sure everything is prepared well - decorations, food, gifts, parties and more, depending on what we can afford. If our Christmas celebration depends on these things, we might not always get a merry Christmas. But if our joy is because of Jesus being born anew into our lives, we will be able to celebrate a more meaningful Christmas and we will also be able to share that joy. This is what our Gospel story teaches us. We should stop longing for a perfect Christmas celebration because the first Christmas itself was not perfect. What makes Christmas perfect is God's presence in our lives, even amidst difficult situations.

Many are poor. Many are homeless. Many are separated from their loved ones. Recently, many were devastated by a natural disaster here in our country. These people are often tempted to say that there is no Christmas for them. But God is still present in their lives, even if they feel God has abandoned them. Because Christ was born for us, there will always be Christmas. It doesn't matter if we are saddened by so many unfortunate events. We rejoice during Christmas because we remember how God was born to us amidst difficult situations. And we believe that God will also be born in our lives as well, coming to us in our dark night to bring forth a new day.

As we experience the true joy of Christmas, we are also challenged to be God's instruments in proclaiming the good news of His coming into our lives. We must proclaim that Christmas can never be canceled because Christ is always with us. If there are people who cannot feel Christ's presence, we must be there to be make them experience the love that was Jesus' reason for becoming man. Christmas is for all; Christ was born for all.

Testifying to the Light that Gives Joy

3rd Sunday of Advent Dec. 11, 2011 (Jn 1:6-8, 19-28)

A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.

And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, "Who are you?" he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, "I am not the Christ."

So they asked him, "What are you then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." So they said to him, "Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?" He said: "I am 'the voice of one crying out in the desert, "Make straight the way of the Lord,"' as Isaiah the prophet said." Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Today is Gaudete Sunday, a day of rejoicing. In the midst of the semi-penitential Season of Advent, the liturgy invites us today to rejoice. While we feel sorrow for our sins as we anticipate the Lord’s coming, we also feel joy because the preparation we are doing, if indeed we are preparing properly, will allow us to encounter the Lord more intimately. As St. Paul exhorts us in today’s Second Reading (1 Thes 5:16-24), we must rejoice even as we strive to avoid evil and to live in holiness.

Our Gospel for today tells us of John the Baptist’s testimony. At a time when people rarely heard God’s revelations through prophets, John the Baptist raised expectations when he testified to the light – Jesus, whose coming shall cause great rejoicing. Jesus is the Messiah who was sent “to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the LORD and a day of vindication by our God (see First Reading, Is 61:1-2,10-11).”

To those who asked him, John admitted that he was not the Christ. But he foretold the coming of one greater than him. John did not claim to be the light but pointed to the true light – to Jesus, the Messiah the Jews have been waiting for.

Today, as we worry about the many things we think can make our Christmas a happy one, we remember John the Baptist pointing to Christ, reminding us that He is our true joy. All our Christmas decorations and festivities are only means of expressing our joy; they are not the cause of our joy. Our joy comes from a heart-to-heart encounter with Jesus, an encounter that can only be as intense as our hearts are pure from sin.

Christmas lights may shine bright, but they can never outshine Jesus who comes shining anew in our hearts. So let us keep our gaze towards Christ, the light that gives true Christmas joy. So let us rejoice today, awaiting Jesus’ coming and preparing a heart free from sin for Him.

Cleaning up and Decorating Our Hearts

2nd Sunday of Advent Dec. 4, 2011 (Mk 1:1-8)

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths."

John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.

John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey.

And this is what he proclaimed: "One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

In this Second Sunday of Advent, we are invited to reflect on the ministry and on the message of John the Baptist. John is the humble herald of the Lord. Before Jesus began His public ministry, John proclaimed a baptism of repentance. He reminded people to take a look at how they are living their lives and in what ways they sin against God. He invited them to repent – to turn away from their sins and to live according to God’s will. This was John’s message: Jesus is coming so fix yourselves up!

The First Reading (Is 40:1-5, 9-11) gives the same message. Israel wandered far from God because of sin, but God has forgiven them. God is “coming back” to Israel. But Isaiah reminds God’s people that they must prepare by making straight “in the wasteland a highway” for God. This means that they must build anew their lives that were laid waste by sin. “Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low.” This means that every weakness and shortcoming they have must be “filled in” with good deeds and an effort to improve themselves. Every destructive thing or sinful deed must be “made low” or done away with. God is coming to them, so they must turn away from what separated them from Him in the first place. This was also John’s message to the people he was inviting to prepare for Jesus’ coming – and also to us. This is what repentance means. This is what God wills us to do, and He patiently waits for us to do it (see Second Reading: 2 Pt 3:8-14).

As Christmas draws near, we will again go through many preparations. Cleaning up and decorating are just some of these. There’s nothing wrong with all these preparations. But we must remember that these are only external preparations. What we really need to clean up and decorate are our hearts. Like the Israelites Isaiah and John the Baptist preached to, we must clean up our hearts and throw away everything that is evil and sinful in them. We must also decorate our hearts, adorning them with virtues, good deeds and prayerfulness. This is the proper way of preparing for Jesus’ coming into our lives. Only when we do this do we truly become ready to commemorate Jesus’ coming here on earth on Christmas, to experience His presence in our lives today, and to meet Him face to face when He finally comes back again.

Let us always remember that Advent comes before Christmas. Advent is a season of preparation, a time for us to heed John the Baptist’s call to repentance in preparation for Jesus’ coming. Let us listen to this voice in the desert. Let us start cleaning up and decorating our hearts.

Waiting with Joyful Hope

1st Sunday of Advent Nov. 27, 2011 (Mk 13:33-37)

"Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: 'Watch!'"

The Church once again celebrates a new liturgical year and she begins this with the Season of Advent. Advent literally means coming. In this season, the Church invites us again to wait for the Lord who came once and will come again.

The Gospel for today reminds us of our responsibility to prepare for the final days. Jesus urges us to be alert and to be "watchful".

Being watchful does not mean being like the guards in Luneta Park who stand there and keep watch until other guards take their shift. Neither does it mean being free to do whatever while we wait for something to happen. Being watchful means being faithful to our master as we wait for His return. And faithfulness means being loyal to our tasks all the time - not at the time most convenient to us, but all the time. And what is our task? It is to be obedient to God's commands all the time.

As faithful and watchful servants, we must not be too weary of thinking of Jesus' return. The "end times" always cause too many unnecessary speculations and distress. But as Christians, we "await in joyful hope the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ". We are happy as we await the Lord. We are joyful because the Lord's coming means salvation for us. We only need to fear the Lord's coming if we have not prepared ourselves and have not been loyal servants of His. As Jesus Himself said, "May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping." May we not be found unfaithful on the day of the Lord's return.

As we await the Lord, we must be alert. This means that we must never put out guard down. We must never, at any circumstance, think that it is alright to be unfaithful and to commit sin at the moment because we can always repent later. For all we know, that could be the last moment of our lives. Wallowing in sin and putting off repentance for some other time is not faithful watching for the Lord. It is procrastination.

As the new liturgical year begins, may we heed the call of the Advent Season. May we always bear in mind the Lord's exhortation to stay awake. The Lord is coming and we must always be ready, joyful and faithful for His coming.