Confession and Conversion- Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle

Reading 1
Acts 22:3-16
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 117:1bc, 2

Gospel
Mk 16:15-18

"When was the last time you went to confession?" This was the question of my companion before we celebrated the Mass yesterday. I blushed and told him more than three months already because I cannot express yet in Italian. He said I must go once a month. I just smiled, and without any plan, I ended up going to confession at the end of the day.

The Lord reminded me in the morning through my companion the importance of confession. Sacrament of Reconciliation is not only for those who committed mortal sins, or for those who are in danger of death, but for all the faithful who are serious to grow in their Christian life. I will not discuss about doctrines and dogmas here, but a simple sharing of my own experience.

Yesterday, together with a friend, I went to Assisi. It is the place of St. Francis and St. Claire. It is also the place where, St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother was baptized. That made me excited. We were blessed with a beautiful day. There were no heating rays of the sun, for the forecast said it was going to rain. Yet, we ended the day without using our umbrella as well. We were able to walk around Assisi with leisure. However, what struck me happened at the last Church we visited. I saw something written in a bond paper—the words, "Italiano and English". I saw that when we were about to leave the Minor Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. It was hanging outside of the confessional box. Seeing it brought me back to what my companion asked me in the morning. Language is not a hindrance anymore that time. So I told my friend that I need to go to confession. He agreed and waited for me.

I entered the confessional box after 20 minutes of waiting. Nothing spectacular happened. In fact, at one point I was alarmed when the priest stopped at middle of absolution. I realized that he forgot the words for he repeated it several times to no avail. He tried to translate his Italian absolution into English in a low voice without success. Finally, what he did was to skip some of the words and said the last part of absolution in English. Was it valid? Well, ask the canon lawyers.

The confession was simple. First I asked the blessings of the priest for I have sinned. I confessed my sins. He gave me some advice. He asked me to say my act of contrition. He said the penance and then the absolution. He blessed me and I said thank you. Is that all there is in the Sacrament of Reconciliation? I don't think so. Before I entered, I have the time to examine myself.

We know that even if we do not have mortal sins, there are still many things that we need to change. I saw many things in myself. I was made aware of the things which I thought was just okay but after looking at them deeply, they were not really okay. Sometimes, they are very much a part of ourselves and how we define ourselves. Sometimes I escape by saying this is what God gives me. This is the personality that he gives me. This is the orientation that he gives me. This is the character that he gives me. I seemed to forget that there is a word conversion. Conversion is the process of changing our preconceived ideas of ourselves into that which is pleasing to God. We cannot stop by staying who we are when we know very well we are hurting other people and we are hurting ourselves as well. All are capable of conversion, but not all are willing to do this. We are very much comfortable with what we think of ourselves. We forget that we are made in the image and likeness of God. Any character, personality, orientation, and the like which may not be manifesting the image and likeness of God is falsehood. When Jesus said, be perfect for your Father in heaven is perfect, he does not mean we can be perfect on this earth. Rather, it is a challenge to always convert ourselves into the image and likeness of God. We were created for that purpose hence the struggle of human beings is to freely allow this conversion to happen. We are all journeying towards perfection. The good thing is we will never stop until we die. We will always see something to improve. By doing this we are increasing the standard of human behavior. We are making the love of God engulf the whole world through our lives. Only God knows how much we allow ourselves to be converted. Let's take a look at what happened to St. Paul.

In our first reading, it was so clear that Paul has already defined who he was.

Paul addressed the people in these words:
"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia,
but brought up in this city.
At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law
and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.
I persecuted this Way to death,
binding both men and women and delivering them to prison.
Even the high priest and the whole council of elders
can testify on my behalf.
For from them I even received letters to the brothers
and set out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem
in chains for punishment those there as well.

However, something happened…

"On that journey as I drew near to Damascus,
about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me.
I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,
'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'
I replied, 'Who are you, sir?'
And he said to me,
'I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.'
My companions saw the light
but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me.

…. Paul allowed himself to be converted when he asked…

I asked, 'What shall I do, sir?'
The Lord answered me, 'Get up and go into Damascus,
and there you will be told about everything
appointed for you to do.'

When the light of truth strike us we realize our falsehood, we recognized our being blind, and we need others to help us.

Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light,
I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus.

When we recognize and allow the Lord's power to work in our life, he will not only tell us what to do, but he will define us, as to what he did to Paul…

"A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law,
and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,
came to me and stood there and said,
'Saul, my brother, regain your sight.'
And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him.
Then he said,
'The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will,
to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice;
for you will be his witness before all
to what you have seen and heard.
Now, why delay?
Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away,
calling upon his name.'"

Paul was asked to be Christ's witness before all. Conversion happened from Paul's definition of himself to how God wants to define him. From being the persecutor of Christ, he became the witness of Christ.

Confession, I believe, is more of converting us into what God wants us to be. Yes, we can do it alone. But we know Paul did not do it alone. I believe there is more deceit in doing it alone than being able to say it to another person. The strength of Alcoholic Anonymous THE TWELVE STEPS OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, is the recognition that a process of healing is faster and effective when it is with other persons. There are things that we can be autonomous, but there are things that we need to help one another. Jesus asked Paul to go to another person. He was asked to go to Ananias, a devout observer of the law.

Confession is a sacrament of God's continues invitation to make us whole through his mercy, love and justice. God is not lacking of any reminders. We will always confront people (for me the priest in the morning), events (visiting churches), things (the bond paper outside the confessional box) and many more. I know that going to confession is not as popular now as before. But I still believe it is still a fountain of grace for those who wanted to be converted.

As we remember St. Paul the Apostle, we may always be reminded of his conversion, as an invitation for us to be converted as well every day. We may do this by examining ourselves regularly before going to confession. Our goal is to manifest in our life the image and likeness of God. I would like to ask you also. "When was the last time you go to confession?" I hope you are not blushing.

Productive call and There's probably no God.

Reading 11 Sm 3:3b-10, 19
Responsorial PsalmPs 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10
GospelJn 1:35-42





I know in the Philippines we are celebrating the Feast of Sto Nino. I cannot access its reading so I focus on the readings of the 2nd Ordinary Sunday.





I can never forget the events that lead to how I entered Knights of the Altar before. Becoming a “sacristan” (knights of the altar) has never crossed my mind until my friends invited me. I was already in my third year high school when my friends asked me to accompany them to the Church. Since we were free at that time, I just went with them. Then they told me to seat and wait on one of the pews for a while. The Mass was about to start but they have not returned yet. Then to my surprise I saw them coming out of the sacristy with the priest. I only learned then that they were members of the Knights of the Altar of our Parish. I was happy to see them serving the priest. These two friends of mine, Michael and Allan, were not the type of guys that one would expect to be there knowing their personality. I could not believe that they were there at the altar serving the priest. After the Mass, I teased them. They just laughed and asked me to join them in their meeting. There and there they told me to enter. I learned that they were encouraged to recruit someone. To appease them and knowing that they were already full time members, I said ok. In short, after some weeks of undergoing the initiation, I became one of the Knights of the Altar and even officer at some point. The funny thing about this experience was that these two friends of mine also asked me to attend a “search-in” (a vocation seminar intended for those who may want to enter religious life). I laughed at them again. It was no secret that they wanted to become priests. For the sake of our friendship, I attended the search-in with them. Fortunately, we all passed the preliminary test. However, for some reasons only known to them, they were not able to enter the seminary. Ironically, I was the one who entered and ended up a priest. What a mystery!


First point, mysterious call. I was not inspired by the lives of my friends, am not saying they were bad either, but their invitation, opened the door for me to know the Lord more. I am not saying we should not be holy. I am saying that even if we find ourselves unworthy, it should not inhibit us to share Jesus to others. Look at Paul the Apostle and Peter, even the life our founder St. Paul of the Cross www.passionists.com/founder.html. They were persons who never regarded themselves as holier than others, but their lives were never short of sharing the love of Jesus to the world. Bible Study - Eli's Fall, reading this, we will know that even Eli, in our first reading has judged poorly that led to his fall. Yet it was through him that Samuel responded right to the call of the Lord.

Second point, familiar call. Call is familiar because there are those who can discern if it is of God or not. It is a reality that there are some who may not be familiar yet with the ways of God like Samuel in our first reading.

“At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD, because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.”

However, there are also those among us who are more familiar with Lord like Eli, the priest, in the First reading and John the Baptist in the Gospel. In the First Reading Eli guided Samuel what to do if he is called.

Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.So he said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening. Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,not permitting any word of his to be without effect."

In our Gospel we also have John who led his disciples to Jesus.

"John was standing with two of his disciples,and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,“Behold, the Lamb of God.”The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus."


Both of these men led their disciples to the Lord. Any calling would led us to the Lord. This is the familiar call. We cannot call it a calling from God when it is leading us away from him. Many are discerning what is the will of God. The simple barometer is whether our response to any call would lead us to God or not. When you think of profession, mission, anything, we simply ask "is this leading me closer to God?"

Third point, productive call. This happens when the one who was called was able to lead others to Jesus. This pattern is common in the New Testament. In our Gospel, this is what happened.

“Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.He first found his own brother Simon and told him,“We have found the Messiah” — which is translated Christ —.Then he brought him to Jesus.”

This is the cycle of our Christian life. We are all beneficiaries. In one way or another, the Lord has been introduced to us by someone (parents, priest, preacher, friend, etc.) or through something (like Bible, spiritual book, prayer book, sacramental, painting, movie etc.) which was done by someone. It is “Pay it forward” as the title of one film says. In our life now, we have to ask if we have reached the point of sharing Jesus to others. Are we sharing our faith-experience to others? Faith like love is a gift meant to be shared. Like love it is not forcibly given but be shared with gentle care. We undergo this cycle of calling. We heard the call, we respond to it, and help others also to say as our in psalm "Here I am Lord, I come to do you will."

Call is mysterious, familiar and productive.

Responding to God's call does not necessarily mean, entering priesthood, religious life or monastice life. Responding is to make the calling productive in any way.


"There's probably no God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

I read from an article and saw also in TV this new add written on many buses in UK. Just a note on this. I believe that those who are not familiar with God has no moral ground to say “There's probaly no God...". The statement alone does not say anything new. If one is not familiar with the Lord, it is better for him/her to shut up and wait. It is like the one who has never entered the cave and just shout that there's probably no cave. For me, it is arrogance pure and simple to say there is no God. I believe it is also wrong to threaten people in order to believe in God. I believe the add wanted to counter those who proclaims a God who will punish those who do not believe. Faith in our hearts is nurtured not by fear but by love. It is the awareness of how much we are loved by God that moves us to be more faithful and grateful. Our add is, "THERE'S GOD FOR SURE, AND WE ARE NOT WORRYING, IN FACT WE ARE ENJOYING OUR LIFE." We are simply letting God to use us in spreading his love. St. Paul the Apostle has this to say in our second reading,

Do you not know that your bodyis a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?For you have been purchased at a price.Therefore glorify God in your body.

In our life now, how do we glorify God in our body? Do our bodies glorify tangibly our God?
As Christians we have to be careful on how we react to things which are happening in the world. The recent advertisement that says “There's probably no God...” could trap us. We might become more evil-like than Christ-like in our reactions. Just look at what happened during the Holocaust Holocaust and Christianity by A.Kimel. Accordingly, Christians were the perpetrators.
Therefore, we should be always on guard. We have to be patient. Events like this should make us discern more and pray more. We might find a new way of sharing Jesus without becoming evil. As Christians, we have to exert more effort in sharing the gifts that the Lord has given us even to those who do not believe in him. Jesus simply invited the two disciples by saying, “Come and you will see.” The life of Jesus surely transformed the two disciples, and emboldened them to share their experience to others. May our lives help transform the life of others as well, as we keep on sharing the Lord to the world. There's nothing to debate. For those who believe, no explanation is needed. For those who does not want to believe, no explanation is also needed.
May we always experience a Productive Call in our lives.

Just want to share this story from a friend for all the atheist.

FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY
In Florida , an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter & Passover holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians, Jews & observances of their holy days. The argument was it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized day. The case was brought before a judge.

After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, 'Case dismissed.'
The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, 'Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter & others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur & Hanukkah. Yet my client & all other atheists have no such holidays.'
The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, 'But you do. Counsel, your client is woefully ignorant.'
The lawyer said, 'Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists.' The judge said, 'The calendar says April 1st is 'April Fools Day.' Psalm 14:1 states 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned.'

"Tu sei bagnato?" Baptism of The Lord (Feast)

First Reading:Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
Psalm:Psalm 29:1-4, 3, 9-10
Second Reading:Acts 10: 34-38
Gospel:Mark 1:7-11

“Did you get wet?” is the translation of an Italian phrase “Tu sei bagnato?” This is the phrase that I will never forget. It happened just two months ago here in Montescosso. An Italian Passionist priest lent me his umbrella so that I will not get wet in my way to school. We may call it stupidity, carelessness, or whatever; I lost the umbrella that same day. I said many bad things to myself. I was also thinking of what this priest may say to me. I told the community about it during supper. The priest who lent me the umbrella was not yet around. When he arrived, they told him about the umbrella. He turned to me and simply asked “Tu sei bagnato?” Lo and behold, I felt like being baptized again.
I realized that I was reliving my childhood. Every time I do something stupid, I feel that I know that I will be punished. It’s automatic. Because of this cycle, I thought that my stupidity in losing that umbrella deserves proportionate punishment. But I experienced new life and new way of looking at things on this experience. I felt like I was carrying this negativity in me and was drowning under the water of shame, but when I heard “tu sei bagnato?”, I felt like I was drawn out of the water leaving behind the negative thinking that I have had. The “did you get wet?” statement taught me a lot. The priest was all along concern for my health. He lent me the umbrella. I lost it. “Tu sei bagnatao?” He was asking me if the umbrella served its purpose. I said I did not get wet because it did not rain in my way back to the convent. He was happy that I did not get wet. No whys and no ifs about the umbrella. For him, the umbrella was simply an instrument of his concern. His concern was focused on my health and not on the medium that will help me preserve it. I bought un umbrella the following day and have it until now. I plan to leave to him after my language study.
Jesus’ baptism today in the Jordan was not meant to make Jesus divine. Jesus first public act of being baptized by John was a testimony of God’s seriousness to be with us and be like us except committing sin. When Jesus was immersed in the water, he consecrated all of humanity and embraced its sinfulness. He sees all our stupidity. When he was drawn out of the water he knew very well what he was up to. Jesus did this to give us new life in abundance. Jesus wanted to make us feel that we are being taken care of. We should not be bogged down by our mistakes and sinfulness. Instead learn from them and renew ourselves every day. We are not made perfect by God. This was so to challenge us to learn from our imperfections and to appreciate the life of wholeness and holiness. Jesus wanted to release us from the bondage of all evils in this world.
All of us have human life. All of us are sinners. According to the teachings of the Church, baptism gives us new and divine life. “This sacrament is the door of the Church of Christ and the entrance into a new life. We are reborn from the state of slaves of sin into the freedom of the Sons of God. Baptism incorporates us with Christ's mystical body and makes us partakers of all the privileges flowing from the redemptive act of the Church's Divine Founder.” I believe all are children of God even if they are not baptized. Baptism is our way of celebrating our being sons and daughters of God. Baptism would not make us feel better than the rest of the world though. It is not a guarantee that we are holy because of baptism. It is rather the acknowledgement of the Spirit of Jesus that is in each one of us. As baptized, we are responsible to nurture that new and divine life that was given to us through baptism. Nurturing it is discerning and following the will of God.
The world as proven by the wars that happened and are happening has the attitude of “eye for an eye”. Killing is the way of responding to one’s stupidity. But God sent Jesus into the world to teach us that we don’t need to do that. We are sinners and have offended our Creator many times, but the response of the Lord is to bail us out. Jesus bailed us out of our stupidity and hardheadedness. Jesus always extended and proclaimed the plan of God for us. But not all experienced this bail out. Only those who acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God and savior will consciously experienced this ransom. Doing the will of God is always what pleases God. Jesus said “those who follow the will of God are my mothers, brothers, sisters.” It pleases God because he knows we only experienced fullness by following His will. The terror that Palestinians and Israelis are experiencing now is not fullness of life. It is the fruit of not abiding to God’s will. God never willed killing as justifiable. I just hope that those children and innocent civilians who do not want war may find their life in God. May we continually celebrate our being baptized by following the will of God. One way is to condemn killing or death penalty as the answer to end stupidity. Like Christ, who after being immersed the water, we may hear the voice from heaven telling us "Tu sei bagnato?" sorry mali, ito pala “This is my beloved son/daughter, of whom I am well pleased.”

“Be made clean”

Reading 11 Jn 5:5-13
Responsorial Psalm
GospelLk 5:12-16

The leper in the Gospel was fortunate enough to see Jesus in person and was able to asked him directly to make him clean. Lepers were outcasts during Jesus’ time. They were even asked to shout “go away from me for I am unclean.” This is the reason why they were looked down in the society. Worst thing is that they were considered being punished because of their sins or of their ancestors. However, in our Gospel Jesus did not ask what his sin was. Jesus did immediately what the man was asking. Jesus healed him and asked him to show himself to the priest. This means that the man may now join the community and be with them without being ostracized. The man even became popular because of what happened to him. They might be saying that it is still possible to be made clean and join the community. So, many people look for Jesus and ask to be made clean.
Today, we have many diseases that need cleaning. They could be personal and social maladies. These illnesses are those that caused one to be isolated from one another, much more hate one another. We are therefore not about healing the leper outside of us, but the leper inside of us. The reason why we hate the person is not because the person is unlovable, most of the time it is because our hearts are infected. We need to disinfect our hearts. If we are created by God who is Love, how come our hearts cannot love? Our hearts maybe infected and its capacity to love was disabled.
At this time, we cannot anymore meet Jesus in person. However, we can meet him in the Eucharist, in the gathering of people of faith, in nature, in the Church, in every believer etc. Moreover, we can meet Jesus in the core of our hearts. Cleansing happens to us when we make it a habit to meet Jesus in our hearts everyday through prayer and meditation. Jesus will make us clean not from the outside but from inside of us. Leprosy nowadays has become sophisticated that they are not sticking to our skin, but rather trying to hide and slowly tarnish our hearts. What makes us ugly is the disposition of our hearts. We may have the most beautiful face and body in the world but if our heart is infected, we are no different from the leper who wanted to be made clean. Meditation can help us clean our hearts of this illness.
In our world today, we need more time to be in touch and meet the Jesus in our hearts. We can do this anywhere, anytime. Why not find a place and time every day to meet Jesus? We are bombarded with so many things everyday and most often we are badly influenced.
In the war that is going on in the Middle-east, what is the stand of your heart? Is your heart telling you Jesus’ stand? If not, why? Are our hearts being torn apart slowly by leprosy? Check your heart if it is infected? Meditate. I know I am not a master of meditation. It is simple but hard to practice. Yet I can attest to what meditation can do to our lives. I believe we simply need time to do this every day as our way of asking Jesus, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”

“The report about him spread all the more,and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments,but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.”

Read This Slowly

My class is now about to start, sorry for not posting new reflections, but I will try to post when I find time. For now just want you to read this story forwarded to me... tell me what you think...


Jack took a long look at his speedometer
before slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone.
Fourth time in as many months.
How could a guy get caught so often?
When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour,
Jack pulled over, but only partially.
Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard.
Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror.
The cop was stepping out of his car,
the big pad in hand.
Bob? Bob from Church?
Jack sunk farther into his trench coat.
This was worse than the coming ticket. A cop catching a guy from his
own church.
A guy who happened to be a little eager
to get home after a long day at the office.

A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow
Jumping out of the car,
he approached a man he saw every Sunday,
a man he'd never seen in uniform.

Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this.'
'Hello, Jack.' No smile.


'Guess you caught me red-handed
in a rush to see my wife and kids.'

'Yeah, I guess.' Bob seemed uncertain.
Good.

'I've seen some long days at the office lately.
I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit -just this once.'

Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement.
'Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight
Know what I mean?'

'I know what you mean.
I also know that you have a reputation in our precinct ..'
Ouch.

This was not going in the right direction.
Time to change tactics.



'What'd you clock me at?'

'Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?'

'Now wait a minute here, Bob.
I checked as soon as I saw you.
I was barely nudging 65.'
The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket

'Please, Jack, in the car'
Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming
it shut, he stared at the dashboard.

He was in no rush to open the window.
The minutes ticked by.

Bob scribbled away on the pad.
Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license?
Whatever the reason,
it would be a month of Sundays
before Jack ever sat near this cop again.

A tap on the door jerked his head to the left
There was Bob, a folded paper in hand

Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches,
just enough room for Bob to pass him the slip.

'Thanks.'
Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice.

Bob returned to his police car without a word.

Jack watched his retreat in the mirror.
Jack unfolded the sheet of paper.
How much was this one going to cost?

Wait a minute.

What was this? Some kind of joke?
Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read:

'Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter.
She was six when killed by a car.
You guessed it - a speeding driver.
A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free.
Free to hug his daughters, all three of them.
I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven
before I can ever hug her again.

A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man.
A thousand times I thought I had.
Maybe I did, but I need to do it again.
Even now.
Pray for me.
And be careful, Jack,
my son is all I have left.'

'Bob'

Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car
pull away and head down the road.
Jack watched until it disappeared.
A full 15 minutes later, he too,
pulled away and drove slowly home,
praying for forgiveness and
hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived..
Life is precious.
Handle with care.
This is an important message;
please pass it along to your friends.
Drive safely and carefully.
Remember, cars are not the only things recalled by their maker.

Our first reading today states,
"This is the commandment we have from him:Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
1 Jn 4:21

Indeed, if we reflect deeply, careful driving is a statement that we do not only protect ourselves from accident, but actually expressing our love to our brothers and sisters. When we do this we actually show our love to God. I like to drive fast, but after reading this I hope I will be reminded always the other way of loving God. Consciously drive and follow speed limits as much as possible.u

Give them some love yourselves

Reading 11 Jn 4:7-10
Responsorial PsalmPs 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8
GospelMk 6:34-44
Love is a prostituted word. All walks of life seem to know what love is. Politicians, celebrities, preachers, professionals, and many more have their own understanding of love. Our first reading from the Letter of John clearly states,
“Beloved, let us love one another,because love is of God;everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.In this way the love of God was revealed to us:God sent his only-begotten Son into the worldso that we might have life through him.In this is love:not that we have loved God, but that he loved usand sent his Son as expiation for our sins.”
We are asked to love another. For it is when we love that we express our knowledge and embrace our being children of God. Even if we believe in God but we do not give love we really do not know God. We cannot be indifferent to our brothers and sisters and love God at the same time. When we say we know God it means we give love. The problem we have to ask now is how to love. The reading tells us that “in this way the love of God was revealed to us; God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.” Love then from the perspective of God is an outward act. Love is given by God. Love is not about getting but giving. The reason for this is to make all of us know that we are all recipient of God’s love. “(Not) that we loved God, but he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins”, according to the Letter of John. We did nothing to earn God’s love. In fact, people are sinners when God gave his love. So John in his letter is securing the basis why we can love. It is because we have been loved by God. It is therefore very important to know God, because it is through that knowledge that we become aware how much God loves us. Now in our time how can we show our love to our brothers and sisters? Is it simply saying “I love you” as what the superstars and celebrities use to say to their fans? Is it the “I love you” that lovers sometime say to each other and after sometime say bad things to each other?
Our Gospel today expresses concretely what love means. This is love in the real sense of the word.
By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said,“This is a deserted place and it is already very late. Dismiss them so that they can go to the surrounding farms and villagesand buy themselves something to eat.”
This shows that the disciples are concern with what is happening. However they were not prepared how to deal with such a situation. It looks like it was not in their plan. Jesus seems not to care. His been teaching the crowd and was not even bothered by the crowd situation. Yes he looked at them with pity for they are like sheep without a shepherd, but they are now like sheep in a deserted place with nothing to eat. Amazingly, Jesus’ reply to the disciples was, “Give them food yourselves?”
There is no better way of expressing one’s care and love than to draw something from ourselves and give. By doing this, miracle happens. Look at what happen in the Gospel. They have even a surplus in their midst.
Hunger and famine are just one of the major problems in the world today. According to a hunger site, http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1
“It is estimated that one billion people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition. That's roughly 100 times as many as those who actually die from these causes each year.
About 24,000 people die every day from hunger or hunger-related causes. This is down from 35,000 ten years ago, and 41,000 twenty years ago. Three-fourths of the deaths are children under the age of five.
Famine and wars cause about 10% of hunger deaths, although these tend to be the ones you hear about most often. The majority of hunger deaths are caused by chronic malnutrition. Families facing extreme poverty are simply unable to get enough food to eat.”
For me this is one of the biggest scandals in the world. To have this happen in our midst is really absurd. The problem is not about food shortage. The problem is love shortage. The feeling of being one with our brothers and sisters in need is very important. This happens when love is real in us. We can donate as much money but the Lord is saying, “Give them some food yourselves?”
If we look at the world today, we are supposed to be better off than before. We have reached the moon and searched the deepest of seas. We have skyscrapers and luxurious vehicles. But our concern for humanity remains a concern. We are afraid to lose our food. Jesus is challenging us to shift our orientation from simply receiving to giving. This is how we transform our hearts. Just imagine a world of people concern of giving love every day. We don’t need to need love because it is there every day being expressed. But you might say this is a wishful thinking. It sounds impossible but you know it is possible. Why not start with the people around us? How do we share the love of Christ to them? Are we really giving what we have? Or we give only as far as our security is not compromise?
Just a short note on this text:
He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out they said,“Five loaves and two fish.” …Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciplesto set before the people;he also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragmentsand what was left of the fish. Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.
“How many loaves do you have?” We can transform this by asking “how many love do you have?” Jesus is really asking what the disciples have, not what they can only give apart from what they really have. They answered “five loaves and two fish”. Jesus was not surprise. He wanted to make sure that these are all that they got to offer. Jesus said the blessing and the miracle happens. The miracle happens because they gave all that they can offer. Just imagine if they said nothing. Maybe nothing will happen also. Why? Jesus will start on what we have. In the first reading, God loves us first. This means we already have something to start with. This love is with us not to be kept but to be shared. “Beloved let us love one another, because love is of God.” So now, “How many love do you have?”
May we express our love concretely to those in our midst by giving more what we have than holding on to that love which is not really ours to keep. “Give them some love yourselves.”

Bias and Jesus

In the first day of my Italian class, I saw that I have many classmates who are Muslims. They speak Arabic to each other. I was a bit hesitant to look at them and be close to them. Moreover, I have felt some fear. I have heard a lot through media that they cannot be trusted. They are all the same and terroristic. Though I am from Mindanao and have known good Muslims, I cannot deny the fact that international news really affected my way of thinking towards Muslims, especially Muslims from the Middle-east. I have never been in a situation where they outnumbered Christians in a class. Mind you I have always thought I have no more bias towards Muslims, but I found out I still have it in me.
However, after some weeks I was able to communicate and chat with them and my biases towards them slowly diminished. One Muslim even told me that I am a good man because of the way I related to him. I did not understand it at first because he said it in Arabic, but the other Muslim who knows English translated it for me. During the enrollment of our language course for the following month, I found myself short of money to pay the fee. My Muslim classmate saw that I am at a lost, and asked me what the problem is. I told him my problem, and he said “no problem”. He lent me some money, and I was really grateful for his kindheartedness. We are not classmates now, but every time we see each other, we shake each others’ hands and greet each other in Italian.
Bias is real in each one of us. It is a personal and often unreasoned judgment for or against another person, another group, another tribe, another race, another nation, or another religion. We have it, and sometimes we are victims of these biases. Our minds have underlying structures developed through time and could have some bias towards someone, something and someplace. Even Jesus in the Gospel today did not escape from bias. We know that Jesus grew in Nazareth. In the Gospel, Nazareth is usually associated with something that is not good. Maybe we can think of a place in our time that we tagged us something not good. In the Philippines, the so called “squatters’ area”, is known to be the place of lawless element. But my exposure to these areas taught me otherwise. Bias towards Nazareth must have made Nathanael in Gospel to say, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Being told by Philip that Jesus is from Nazareth, Nathanael must have thought it as a joke. But Nathanael gave it a try to go to Jesus. “Jesus saw Nathan'a-el coming to him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!’" The subject of bias (Jesus) reached out to the one who has a bias (Nathanael). Jesus made Nathanael feel important. Jesus seemed to show him that he knew him before hand.
What do you feel when you learn that someone you do not know knows you? You might be surprise, but deep within you can be asking why this person knows me. Much more when that person is someone many people look up to. You might also ask like Nathanael, "How do you know me?" This response of Nathanael is something deeper than asking “how did you know my name?” This signifies that Nathanael acknowledges Jesus’ words as deeper than knowing his name. Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." This changes Philips bias. This Jesus noticed him, and the reason he was called by Philip is because Jesus saw him before. Jesus gave him importance. Philip who must be a prayerful person discerned immediately who Jesus is. He responded by saying "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" This is what happens when real encounter happens. They can see the goodness of each other. If Nathanael did not give it a try to meet Jesus, he wouldn’t have known that what he had been waiting for has already arrived.

Friends, sometimes conflict starts not because there is a real problem. Sometimes it happens because we have biases. Biases are judgment we make even before we encounter the person. Sometimes it is the product of our previous experience with someone or something. Most often it is simply something that was told to us. I have read from one of John Powell’s book that you cannot love the person you do not see. This is what happens when we have biases. We are not seeing the person but looking at the person with our biased eyeglasses. The person does not exist in our mind, only our bias represents the person. It is always important to have an encounter. Knowing a person does not simply means knowing about the person. Jesus made it a point that he has an encounter with Nathanael. He must have asked Philip to invite Nathanael. It is interesting that Jesus invited most if not all of his apostles to have an encounter with him.
I believe that conflicts arise in the Middle-east because there is no real encounter. Their encounters are mostly in the battlefield. They use guns, rockets, missiles and other harmful things. They let the point of a gun talk more than they real concern for each other. Much more their bias to one another is the biggest stumbling block. They cannot progress if they always have in mind that the other will always try to hurt the other.

Let us learn from Jesus. We diminished our biases by real and life-giving encounters. Conflicts in the society and even in the families turn into hatred when there is no real encounter. Each of us came from different backgrounds and knowing that can help us why a person thinks and acts in a certain manner. We therefore need to have real encounter. Encounters that is life-giving and not death-dealing. We bracket our biases, and encounter the person. Today is different from yesterday, and tomorrow maybe different from today.

Every day, even if we do not believe, Jesus continues to reach out to us in so many ways. His presence in the Eucharist, in the people we meet, in nature and the like is all over the place. Jesus notices us every day. Let us tear down our biases by allowing Christ to enter into our lives. By doing so, we may be enlightened and be freed from our biases in encountering others as well.
“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” I suppose you know the answer. Have a good day.

EPIPHANY OF THE LORD

Israelis and some Arabs, India and Pakistan, Cambodia and Vietnam, the Sinhalese and Tamils in Sri Lanka, violent factions in Somalia, and even conflict arising in Mindanao are just a few of the conflicts in the World that got international attention. The easiest word to give to those who use arms in their propaganda is to tag them as “terrorist”.
It has been more than 2000 years since the birth our Lord Jesus Christ and was foretold that all will worship him. Until now we know the world is still divided and many conflicts are going on. Looking at our readings today on this Feast of Epiphany suggests that Jesus is indeed for the World. However, sometimes our wrong responses to this truth lead us somewhere else. The popular Crusade of the Church can be attributed to its passion or excuse to spread and defend Jesus Christ. It is no secret that even the infamous “Holocaust” was started and done by Christians. Even colonialism in the world’s history is colored by Christian nations’ arrogance.
It is therefore helpful to reflect once again on our readings today. Since it is the feast of Epiphany, they might help us how to make Jesus known throughout the world. Our first reading says:
Nations shall walk by your light,and kings by your shining radiance.Raise your eyes and look about;they all gather and come to you:your sons come from afar,and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.
If we try to reflect on these words, we can see that it is being foretold. Never has it been said that nations will be forced to adore you. I am not regretful that I am a Christian because of Spain, but I am saying that the tools of spreading the Lordship of Christ as foretold should never be by force. Jesus himself lived that truth. During his time, even if he himself was rejected by his own people, he never encouraged his companions to use the sword. The good thing in our First reading is that it says, “they all gather and come to you.” When will this be? We know that not yet all the nations but we can see that it is happening and not by force.
In our Responsorial Psalm we read,
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;the lives of the poor he shall save.
This is for me a very good reason why every nation will adore Jesus Christ. When the world can see how Christians because of their faith in Jesus “rescue the poor when he(/she) cries out”, “the afflicted when he(/she) has no one to help him(/her)”, “have pity for the lowly and the poor” and the lives of the poor he(they) shall save.” Do we do this in our own areas? I know of some who help the needy and the afflicted regardless of their religion and faith. But sometimes what pains me is when we Christians cannot even help our own Christian brothers and sisters who are in need. What does this say about us? Is this scenario an encouraging phenomenon that makes other worship Christ? Even as Catholics, being unmindful of our brothers and sisters is a shameful truth. Many would even accuse the Roman Catholics as the cause of corruption and poverty in the land. I tend to disagree but looking at our situation makes me think that maybe it is true. Most of our corrupt officials are schooled in Catholic Institutions. What message do they get from our Catholic institutions? Is the care for the needy being emphasized? Is the Church openly progressive enough to state what is Christian and what is not? It is my dream that Philippines, as dominantly catholic country, will someday shine to become one of the beautiful and peaceful place to be where there is mutual understanding among tribes and faiths.
In our second reading we have this phrase from the Letter of St Paul,
It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealedto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
This alone can tell us how we should look at our brothers and sisters. Before, it was their belief that Christ is only for the Jews. But as Paul said, a revelation came and was made clear to him and the Apostles that Jesus is for all. This means that Jesus’ coming and offering of his life was not only meant for Christians but to the world. Let us savor this good news that Jesus is for all the people. When we have this in mind, it will make us think of people of other faith as not lesser than us. We will not be calling people as pagans because they do not believe in Jesus. Knowing alone that Christ was killed also for them make our orientation towards others shift from being self-centered to becoming other-centered. Isn’t that great that even if they are not Christians we can still love them and share our gifts to them? However, it is also important to start on our own backyard. If I find it hard to love my fellow Christian brothers and sisters who are in need, how sure am I that my love towards my non-Christian brothers and sister is rooted from Christ. The key is to treat everyone as part of the Body of Christ. They may be Christian or not. Religion is not an issue in practicing love and concern.
In our Gospel we have different responses,
The first one is this line,
“behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?We saw his star at its risingand have come to do him homage.”
These Magi were from the East. They must have been searching for the truth. They were given the sign, the star, to find the truth. We know that they end up finding and worshipping Christ. Everyone who seeks will find the truth as long as one is serious of his/her search. The Gospel was so clear that even those who haven’t heard of Jesus if they are searching will find him. We don’t need to force them. This is the reason why in our missions the emphasis is not anymore geared towards converting people. Mission now is more geared towards sharing our gifts to other parts of the world. We only baptize them when they come and express their desire to become Christians. This is what I think, and I hope I am right. If it happens that others will not find Christ. We should not be worried as long as we live out and share our faith the best we can. Let Jesus think about that. We are asked to make Jesus known throughout the world through our lives, not force Jesus throughout the world through arms.
The other response was given by Herod,
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.”
We can see that Herod seemed to have a good intention, but in reality we know that his intention was not to worship but to kill Jesus. We cannot deny that many are threatened by the Kingdom of God. Many missionaries were killed because of this thought. They feel that missionaries are threats to their kingdom. Our Gospel is telling us that it must be expected. Missionaries can be murdered for living out his/her faith. Many martyrs died already because of this and we enshrine them in our Church. This is Christian life. We are always at risk when we face those who hate Jesus. It is better to die in Jesus name, than to die for our name.
So dear ones, on this Feast of Epiphany we are told to share the gifts of our faith. Jesus was born and had been revealed. He was not born just to hide in the manger. The reason of Epiphany is to make Jesus known throughout the world. To make the world know that God’s love for us is being shown through Jesus in a tangible body. But we do this not by force but by the way we live our faith. We may experience persecution in the process, but this should not stop us. Like the Magi we can choose other path by avoiding conflict as much as possible.
May Jesus Christ our savior be revealed through our lives! May we manifest Christ in the World! Happy Feast Day!

LAWLESSNESS AND SPIRIT

The first reading today says that those who sin commit lawlessness because sin is lawlessness. Those who sin do not know Jesus.
“Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness,for sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins,and in him there is no sin. No one who remains in him sins;no one who sins has seen him or known him.”
I asked at first what this lawlessness in the first reading means. Looking at the dictionary I read that this noun means illegality as a consequence of unlawful acts or defiance of the law. Usually this law would mean the law of the state. However, we are very much aware that not all the laws that the state implements are moral. There are states that allow abortion, mercy killing, gay marriage, death penalty, contractualization, liberilazation and the like. The Church also has a set of guidelines which are allowable and which are not in the so called Canon Law. Every organization also has their constitution and by-laws. These things are presumably necessary to put order.
However, I would still ask if this is what John meant by lawlessness. Is sin equal to breaking the law of a state or of an organization or of even of the Church. History taught us that many revolutions started by disobedience of the law. In the Philippines alone, our forefathers’ tearing of “cedula”, the so called Cry of Pugadlawin was an act of defiance. Can we call it sinful? I will be thinking very hard if I do not know the answer. There are human laws which ironically are not really for the greater good but only for the few. This will bring us to ask what lawlessness in our reading means. Does this simply mean defiance of the law or something different?
Reading the Gospel would somehow help us understand what lawlessness means. In the Gospel, John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
This phrase alone is telling us that there is really lawlessness in the world. Jesus takes away the sin of the world-takes away lawlessness. But how is this so? The following text would say He is the one of whom I said,‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of mebecause he existed before me.’I did not know him,but the reason why I came baptizing with waterwas that he might be made known to Israel.”John testified further, saying,“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the skyand remain upon him.I did not know him,but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
Reading the text would tell us that the sequence of events will lead us to knowing who the Son of God is. He is the one “on whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” This phrase shows us the importance of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ mission to take away the sins of the world. The Spirit did not simply come down and remain with Jesus, but Jesus will also baptize with the Holy Spirit. This is the difference between John’s baptism and Jesus’ baptism. While John was to make Jesus known, Jesus is to take away of sin in the world.
Lawlessness in this sense does not simply mean defiance of the laws of the land or of the church or of any organization. Lawlessness could mean having no Spirit. Jesus during his time said that he did not come eradicate the law but to fulfill it. It means there is the law already but many are not fulfilling it that’s why there is lawlessness. But Jesus way of following the law is obeying the Spirit of the law.
No one will be able to discern the Spirit of the law unless one has it. That’s why in the first reading, John said, that he who commits sin does not know Jesus. Jesus can be known through scriptures, experience of other people but more so through our meditation and prayer. The Spirit of Jesus has been given to us when Jesus resurrected. Our baptism simply confirms our being children of God. But our baptism is not a guarantee that we can be better Christians. We are still asked to live out the Spirit that is within us. It is only in being immersed in that Spirit of Jesus that we can live out our being children of God, or else we remain children in name only but not seen in our lives. Love one another so that they will know that you are my disciples. This is phrase is from Jesus and we can only do the loving from our hearts and not from our mind. Lawlessness therefore happens when one does not follow the Spirit. Spirit is the law. We always ask the guidance of the spirit because it is the law.
Mortification therefore is not simply looking at the Ten Commandments, and be sorry for the things we have violated. Mortification is honestly looking at ourselves whether we always consider the Spirit in our lives.
The reason of some revolution is not disobedience of the law of the land, but obedience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We therefore, seek this awareness in our lives. People may call us activist, revolutionary, subversive, crazy, lawless, rebel and the like. But what is important is that within ourselves we know we are simply a follower of Christ. We are simply abiding the wisdom of the Spirit.
Indeed Jesus takes away the sin of the world. Just imagine what our world or our country might be when everyone is tuned in and following the Spirit. We do not need congressmen and senators… ahem.

“KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT”

When I reflected on the readings today, the following Philosophers pop out in my mind as if wanting to be given attention to. I searched the internet and I got the following articles.
The saying "Know thyself" may refer by extension to the ideal of understanding human behavior, morals, and thought, because ultimately to understand oneself is to understand other humans as well. However, the ancient Greek philosophers thought that no man can ever comprehend the human spirit and thought thoroughly, so it would have been almost inconceivable to know oneself fully. Therefore, the saying may refer to a less ambitious ideal, such as knowing one's own habits, morals, temperament, ability to control anger, and other aspects of human behavior that we struggle with on a daily basis.
Socrates was one of the first Greek philosophers to encourage both scholars and the common citizen to turn their attention from the outside world to the condition of man. In this view, Knowledge having a bearing on human life was placed highest, all other knowledge being secondary. Self-knowledge was considered necessary for success and inherently an essential good. A self-aware person will act completely within their capabilities to their pinnacle, while an ignorant person will flounder and encounter difficulty. To Socrates, a person must become aware of every fact (and its context) relevant to his existence, if he wishes to attain self-knowledge. He posited that people will naturally do what is good, if they know what is right. Evil or bad actions, are the result of ignorance. If a criminal were truly aware of the mental and spiritual consequences of his actions, he would neither commit nor even consider committing them. Any person who knows what is truly right will automatically do it, according to Socrates. While he correlated knowledge with virtue, he similarly equated virtue with happiness. The truly wise man will know what is right, do what is good and therefore be happy.[2]
Aristotle posited an ethical system that may be termed "self-realizationism". In Aristotle's view, when a person acts in accordance with his nature and realizes his full potential, he will do good and be content. At birth, a baby is not a person, but a potential person. In order to become a "real" person, the child's inherent potential must be realized. Unhappiness and frustration are caused by the unrealized potential of a person, leading to failed goals and a poor life. Aristotle said, "Nature does nothing in vain." Therefore, it is imperative for persons to act in accordance with their nature and develop their latent talents, in order to be content and complete. Happiness was held to be the ultimate goal. All other things, such as civic life or wealth, are merely means to the end. Self-realization, the awareness of one's nature and the development of one's talents, is the surest path to happiness.[3]
It is interesting to have a quick review of some great philosophers’ view on “know thyself”. Moreover, even until now, in personal development, emphasis on knowing oneself is always the key to maturity.
However, what is good news in the Gospel today helped me look at what is attainable. We all know that we cannot really fully know ourselves. Whatever we do we just cannot and that is the truth of life. Others would even call life as a mystery because of this fact. That’s why it is wise thing maybe to know more of what we are not. John the Baptist in our gospel today knew himself well by knowing what he is not.
He was asked who he was, and he answers in triple negation. “I am not the Christ”, “I am not” and “No”.
It is logical of course to think that he has to answer in the negative because the questions can be answered only by yes or no. I think this is the key in understanding John. John knew himself very well that he immediately answered them what he is not. Those who does not him/herself may answer yes I suppose.
In our world today there are so many things that we can say “No” but do not say it. I think many of us are still in denial or still suffering an identity crisis.
In the Philippines, there are many things which are happening because of the failure to say “I am not Christ”, “I am not”, and “No”.
Filipinos elected public officials not because of their capacity to lead but because they are made to believe that these politicians can save them. Worst, some politicians seems to really believe that they are the savior. They do many things to secure a seat in the government because of too much belief of themselves “bilib sa sarili”. Goons, Guns, Vote buying, “dag-dag bawas” and the like are rampant before, during and after election time. Many are running because many think that they are the answer to the nation’s woes. After how many years, this is what we got from our public officials the so called “savior”.
It is no wonder why many Filipinos are tired of rallying behind truth, justice, transparency simply because the fire seemed to be extinguished by massive corruption. They would rather do things in their own. Kanya-kanya na lang. This is also what the politicians want. They can do whatever they want, when every Filipino will be tired of politics. More human rights violations as product of arrogance and ignorance are committed. They are trying to kill the Spirit of the Filipino people. Many Filipinos do not know they rights, and they are being taken advantaged by most blood thirsty officials.
John was trying to show us that we should not pretend who we are not. John can easily make himself Christ because of his many followers. But John did not do it because he was well aware who he was. Many elected officials think they can do everything because of where they are now. They forgot who they really are. Now, “servants of the nation” is a wrong description. They are not servants, but looking at every Filipino as servants. Filipinos are there to serve their interests. The recent resolution about CARP is a CRAP. Who would every think that these congressmen and congresswomen elected to uphold the constitution were the first ones to trample on it. Well maybe only in the Philippines. I can hear the cries of the farmers in the desert.
It is therefore a lesson to each and every one of us. Many people forget what our gospel today is all about. We are not Christ, we cannot be Christ but like John, we can be a good follower of Christ. John was willing to give himself for Christ because he knows himself and I quote, ““I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’. It is enough for him to know that truth and offer his life for that truth. We can only be a voice of one crying out in the desert”. The Lord and not John is crying out to make straight our path. The Lord cries through the voice of John. Can we be the voice of the Lord in the deserted Philippines? Can we make the path straight for the Lord? It is not easy, because in the Philippines when you voice out, you will be silenced or killed. But it is maybe better to be killed being the voice of the Lord, than to live and pretend that we are the savior of the Philippines.
May God continually bless and strengthened those who followed John’s disposition. And may this tribe increase in the Philippines. May we cry out more when they want to silence us, because we know who we are not.
A progressive new year to all of us.

BLESSINGS -Solemnity of the Mother of God

“I came so that you may have life, and have it to the full” (Jn 10:10). This passage is so close to my heart for this is the theme that I chose for my ordination more than seven years ago. The reason of Jesus’ coming was to give us life and have it to the full. Jesus is the greatest blessing for all of us.
This truth cannot be denied by any events in the world. In the midst of war and violence, darkness and death, anger and hatred, revenge and vengeance, eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth—the reality of God’s desire to bless the world remains the same.
In our first reading, God commanded Moses to tell Aaron and his sons “Thus you shall bless the people of Israel”.
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The LORD bless you and keep you:
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The LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you:
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The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
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"So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them."
This has always been God’s desire. The same with what God has promised to Abraham, Jacob and Isaac. The same is true with what God had told the prophets of old.
Our psalm gives us one of the correct responses to God blessings.
that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise thee, O God; let all the peoples praise thee!
Let the peoples praise thee, O God; let all the peoples praise thee!
The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us.
The better way to react on God’s blessings is to make everyone free to praise the God. We know that there are still many of us who are not free to praise him because of many reasons. One of which could be our inability to see and savor the blessings of the Lord in our lives. One text message I received says “CONTENTMENT IS NOT ALWAYS THE FULFILLMENT OF WHAT YOU WANT. IT’S THE REALIZATION OF HOW BLESSED YOU ARE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE.”
Our second reading even heightened God’s blessing. God blessed us with his Son to make our life complete. We became God’s children through and in Christ. There is no greater blessing than that which makes us free to call God as our ‘Abba’. We can never be closer than this relationship. God as our Father means He will be there for us always. This is the truth. God is our father. BUT do we really feel and see him as our Father? His sending of his Son is a manifestation of that great love of the Father. Moreover, Jesus did not fail the Father’s love by living out also as the beloved Son of God. Jesus gave himself out of his great love for us. He gave himself up by putting himself at risk in protesting the evils during his time. Just as God acted on His love by sending Jesus, Jesus acted on his love by giving himself for the Kingdom of God. Fortunately, this love did not end with Jesus. His Spirit was sent into our hearts that we too may have the power to love as Jesus loved and live as Jesus lived.
In our Gospel, being overwhelmed by the great blessing, Mary kept all things into her heart. Mary valued everything that has been happening. She valued this greatest blessing that was entrusted to her by God. Whatever it takes to fulfill God’s plan was kept deep inside her heart. This keeping is not to hide God’s blessing but to savor and be consumed by it so as to be energized by it.
Mary as the Mother of God, certainly, did the right thing on how to receive God’s blessing. She kept it first in her heart. This keeping did not last long for she was able to express this in her “Magnificat”. “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord…”
Brothers and sisters, it may be sad to know that as the year ends, we are still witnessing a lot of inhuman and evil works. We can still see that evil is thriving in the world. But let us not forget, that God’s intention is to bless. Any evil that is happening is not pleasing to God’s eyes. Personally and socially as a people we may have done things this year that may not be pleasing to Him. Nevertheless, God will never give up on us. God would still give us the chance that we may savor the blessings that He has been giving us so that we may be empowered to praise him not only with our lips but by our deeds. God wanted us to “have life, and have it to the full.” There may not be sweeter words that God may want to hear from us than to call Him, “Abba,” as Jesus did, from the deep recesses of our hearts. For by then God knows, you have tapped the power that gives one the happiness that he/she seeks. It means God reigns in our hearts.
May the example of Mary the Mother of God be our guide in 2009.
May the Passion of Jesus be always in our hearts.