Hilngon ta an mga karakter sa mga pagbasa ta ngonyan na aldaw. Enot si David, hade nin Israel. Dangan si Zacarias, ama ni Juan Bautista na sa ebanghelyo nag-awit nin pag-omaw sa Kagurangnan nin huli ta sinda nagin paladan.
Ano pa an mahihiling niato? An mga paladan palan kan Kagurangnan, hinahagadan Niya na pararomon an pagtubod. Sa paagi ni propeta Nathan, ipinahayag ki David an kabotan kan Dios na ipagibo an templo, an simbolo kan presensya kan Dios sa tahaw kan banwaan.
Si Juan Bautista na inaawitan ni Zacarias, hahagadan man kan Kagurangnan pag-abot kaini sa tamang edad nin sarong dakulang partisipasyon sa Saiyang plano. Susog sa awit kan saiyang Ama, si Juan “aapodon na propeta kan Orog Kahalangkaw: ta mangengenotan siya sa atubang kan Kagurangnan sa pag-andam kan saiyang dalan.”
An satong ebanghelyo ngonyan iyo an istorya kan pangaki ki Juan. Bago siya nagin Bautista, pinakaorog sa mga propeta asin boses na nagkukurahaw sa kadlagan, siya man saro ngunang omboy, nagdulot nin labi-labing kaogmahan sa saiyang mga magurang asin ngangalasan sa saindang pagtaraning.
1. An pamilya sadit na Simbahan. An pamilya ni Zacarias, Isabel asin Juan an saro pang pamilyang ipinapamidbid sato sa Adviento. Angay na marhay sa tema kan satong Misa ngonyan: “An Pamilya bilang Sadit na Simbahan”. Siring sa dakulang komunidad nin mga nagtutubod, an Simbahan sa pamilya o iglesia domestica, igwa man nin komunyon asin misyon.
Kan nginaranan ni Zacarias an saiyang aki na Juan, pinahayag niya man an dakulang katotoohan manungod sa satong Dios: “mabalaog si Yahweh”. Si Yahweh an burabod nin komunyon kan pamilya. Asin base sa mga elemento kan istorya, an pamilya ninda tinawan man nin mahalagang misyon: tabangan an kinaban sa pag-andam sa pag-abot kan Aki kan Dios.
Kan mga nakaaging aldaw naghorop-horop kita sa tema kan Simbahan bilang komunyon sa misyon. Bilang komunyon kita nahihirasan kan buhay kan Dios. Boot sabihon kan misyon hinihiras ta man sa iba an buhay na itinao sato kan Dios tanganing an kaligtasan makamtan nin kagabsan.
Tangani na mangyari an kapanoan kan satong komunyon asin misyon, may mga bagay na kaipuhan nguna mangyari. Saro sa mga ini iyo an pagbago kan satong sadiri pasiring sa tunay na katalingkasan.
An istorya kan satong ebanghelyo ngonyan na aldaw manungod sa pagsungko ni Maria sa harong kan pinsan niyang si Isabel para antabayan siya sa saiyang nagraraning pangaki. An istoryang ini midbid ta bilang an Visitacion, an ikaduwang Misteryong Maogma sa Santo Rosaryo. Digdi man sinambit ni Isabel an mga tataramon sa satong pamibi: "paladan ka sa mga babae gabos, asin paladan an saimong aking si Jesus".
Magayon na alegorya ini sa tema kan ebanghelisasyon. Si Maria dara an Tataramon sa saiyang tulak nagsungko sa pagtabang sa mas nangangaipo kisa saiya. Kan mahiling siya ni Isabel, tulos namidbidan siya asin an saiyang darang Marhay na Bareta, mala ngani pati an aki sa laog kan saiyang tulak naglukso man sa kaogmahan.
Sa ebanghelyo ngonyan pig-iistorya an pagbareta kan anghel ki Maria na pinili kan Kagurangnan na magin ina kan Saiyang Aki. Aram ta na an simbag ni Maria: "mangyari man lugod susog sa saimong tataramon".
Nagkapirang bagay an magayon tawan na atensyon sa pamilyar na istoryang ini. Enot, an dakulang plano nin Dios para sa satong kaligtasan. Ikaduwa, an partisipasyon nin tawo digdi. Dangan, yaon man an enot na initiatibo hale sa Dios; asin an simbag nin tawo sa initiatibo kan Dios.
Readings: Is 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-2,3-4,5-6; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-25
"Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ."
We begin with the old embolism said after the Lord's Prayer at Mass. Embolism means an interpolation. This short prayer amplifies and elaborates on the implications of the Lord's Prayer. I begin with this note because this prayer may sum up the message of the readings this Sunday.
Our Gospel story is centered on the birth of Jesus, but a good part of the passage is spent on how Joseph dealt with the news of the Incarnation. Here is the story of the Annunciation to Joseph. It starts with a man filled with anxiety.
HOMILIA
Misa de Aguinaldo, Disyembre 19, 2010
Ikaapat na Domingo kan Adviento
An babasahon hale sa ebanghelyo ngonyan na Domingo pareho kan sa kasuodma: susog ki Mateo, manungod sa pagpahiling kan anghel ki San Jose sa pangaturugan. An halipot na paliwanag kaini iyo na iba an cycle kan mga babasahon na ginagamit para sa Domingo, iba man para sa ibang aldaw kan semana. Kaya minsan, siring ngonyan, nagkakasunodan na magkapareho an babasahon.
An tema kan satong Misa de Aguinaldo manungod sa mga fundamental na katongdan kan Simbahan. Ini iyo an pagkapadi, pagkapropeta asin pagkahade. Sa enot na pagbasa an istorya manungod sa pag-oolay ni Hadeng Ahaz asin Propeta Isaias. Nagtatao nin insght an istorya manungod sa papel na ginagampanan kan hade asin propeta sa suanoy na Israel.
Aram ta baga an Anunciacion, ini an pagbareta ni anghel Gabriel ki Maria na sya magigin Ina ni Jesus. Pero aram nindo na igwa pa nin ibang anunciacion na manungod sa pagkamundag si Jesus?
Si Gabriel nagpahiling man ki Zacarias asin nagbareta na siya asin an saiyang agaom magkakaigwa nin aki sa saindang pagkagurang. An mga anghel nagpahiling man sa mga pastores asin nagbareta kan inaki na Paraligtas kan kinaban. Pwede man masabing may pasabong na itinao sa mga mago, alagad ini bako sa direkta hale sa mga anghel kundi sa paagi kan saindang pag-aadal. Ngonyan na aga, nadangog niato an istorya kan saro sa mga anunciacion na ini: an pagpahiling kan anghel ki Jose sa saiyang pangaturugan.
Ano daw an marhay na bareta hale sa pagpresentar kan sarong lista nin mga pangaran? Sa pinakaenot na mga versos sa Bagong Tipan piglista ni Mateo an mga ninuno ni Jesus poon ki Abraham. Duwang bagay an pwede niatong maguno digdi:
Enot, ini pagpamidbid na an Dios nagin tunay na tawo. Siya nagin uya sato. Kapamilya Siya kan kapag-arakian hale ki Abraham.
Ikaduwa, an Dios nagin miembro kan Piniling Banwaan, Siya an sentro kan saindang kasaysayan. Tuyo kan Dios na gamiton an komunidad nin mga nagtutubod para sa satong kaligtasan.
Sa pagpoon niato kan mga Misa de Aguinaldo, an satong paghorop-horop gibohon tang introduccion kan nagkapirang mahalagang okasyon sa satong rona:
Enot, syempre an Pasko kan Pagkamundag ni Jesus. An satong mga Misa de Aguinaldo, mga Misa novenario sa pag-andam sa celebracion kan Pasko. Boot sabihon sa lambang pagsimba niato, mawot niatong mas lalong iayon an satong mga espiritu sa espiritu kan Pasko. An mga karakter sa mga istorya sa ebanghelyo na madadangog ta sa mga Misang ini, mga pagirumdom asin guia niato kun pa'no magkakanigong sabaton si Jesus sa Pasko. Orog sa mga karakter na ini iyo sa Virgen Maria asin Juan Bautista.
HOMILY
3rd Sunday of Advent – A – 12 December 2010
Readings: Is 35:1-6; Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10; Jas 5:7-10; Mt 11:2-11
It’s 13 days to go before Christmas, and we get a feel of Christmas joy in the liturgy this Gaudete Sunday.
Gaudete comes from Phil 4,4-6, which is the introduction to the Mass today: “Gaudéte in Dómino semper.” “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.”
This is the second time I commented on what has become one of the most popular TV shows in recent years: Glee. The first time I commented it was about the show getting a Catholics in Media Award for promoting Catholic values. It's not that I don't like the show. In fact, I have watched all its episodes. I have become a Gleek myself on the very first episode of season 1.
I recognize the positive and overwhelming influence the show has on people all over the world. That's why I find it important to speak up when it appears to misprepresent the faith that is part of the popular culture that provides its setting, inspiration and audience.
There are reports coming in from parishes in the diocese about suspicious Mass wines going around. The suspicion particularly refers to the new batch of Mompo Mass Wines, arguably the most popular brand in the Philippines, and in many places, the only available one.
For good measure, we compared the new and the old. See the picture on the left. The new one tastes different, the liquid looks lighter, the bottle is a bit taller and more slender, and the labelling is markedly different as well. Not surprisingly suspicions are raised as to whether the new Mompo adheres to the standards of proper Mass wines.
Readings: Is 11:1-10; Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17; Rom 15:4-9; Mt 3:1-12
The readings this Second Sunday of Advent are chockfull of contradictions: a shoot sprouting from a stump; wolves and lambs living in peace; and prophets preaching in the same vein about God’s offer of hope and warning of judgment.
The Stump of Jesse. Let’s begin with the stump. It is what remains of a cut tree. As a symbol, it evokes loss, faded glory and desolation. It is the symbol of the house of David whose lineage was assured kingship over Israel through generations. Generations of bad kings and corrupt rule have reduced the once proud and mighty house of David to a stump.
Readings: Is 2:1-5; Ps 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9; Rom 13:11-14; Mt 24:37-44
Preparing for Christmas. The season of Advent is a time of preparation. We prepare for the season of Christmas, the birth of our Lord. Because of the secular influences and commercialism that pervade the season nowadays, we need to be reminded that it is a religious celebration. That is why we call Christmas, a holy day, though secularism has reduced it to the ambivalent "holidays". Advent is our spiritual preparation to ready ourselves for the grace of the Christmas celebration.
Lord, have mercy - Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy - Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy - Lord, have mercy
Christ hear us - Christ, graciously hear us
PRAYER FOR THE FIRST LEGAZPI DIOCESAN PASTORAL ASSEMBLY
Loving Father, we thank you for the gift of faith
handed down by the Apostles to generations.
We thank you for the gift of the community of the faithful
that nourishes our growth in Christian life.
As we prepare for our First Diocesan Pastoral Assembly,
HOMILY
Solemnity of Christ the King – C – 21 November 2010
Readings: 2 Sam 5:1-3; Ps 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5 ; Col 1:12-20; Lk 23:35-43
On the last Sunday of the liturgical calendar, we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. The timing brings to the fore the message of Rev 1,8: “He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end.” He is the Lord of time and eternity, He is King of all.
1. Christ is the King of the Universe
Col 1,16-20 describes Christ’s dominion and kingship: “All things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
A friend asked recently: "So, how are you? Are you happy with being a priest?" I gave her this roundabout answer about this video on Youtube I recently watched. This one was about what motivates people and gives them self-satisfaction.
Dan Pink, the speaker, proposes three factors: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Autonomy is our desire to be self-directed. Mastery is our urge to get better at stuff. Purpose is about making a contribution in a trascendent way. I have the good fortune of having those three in my line of work. So, short answer: Yes, I am happy. Thank God for that.
This doesn't mean that everything is perfect or that ministry is easy. In fact, these past few years, I have been made quite painfully aware of the flawed realities of the Church, and my own frailties as well. To be able to recognize them is both a humbling and liberating experience. For in spite of our weakness, God still chooses us to carry His mission in the world, or in our little corner of the earth.
Here is one more thing that keeps me happy: being able to take part in the great enterprise that is Church-building. I spent my birthday this year on the very first day of our annual retreat in Cebu. This year, the priests of our diocese reflected on the theme of the Church as "communion-in-mission". For me, it means dreaming of a Church that builds itself into a community of witnesses, one that reaches out to the depths of each one, and to all -- especially the poor and those in the margins. The hard and exciting part of the job is turning those dreams and plans into reality. I am just glad to be part of it.
What does it mean to be a priest at 32? Without ambition or agenda in mind, I like to think I found the best answer from among the birthday greetings and well-wishes of friends on Facebook, one of them posted: "I'm certain that your best years are still ahead". To which I replied: "May your certainty be proven true, may our best years be laid down for the Lord and His Church."
A big thanks to all those who sent their greetings and well-wishes. May the Lord grant you twice the share of what you prayed for me. Oremus pro invicem!
The Gospel passage this Sunday was a message of reassurance to the persecuted members of the early Christian communities. Jesus' prediction of wars, insurrection and persecution was already a real life experience for them. Even the prophesied destruction of the magnificent Temple of Jerusalem might be taken literally for it did happen in 70 AD during the seige of Jerusalem by the Romans.
Yet there is also a timeless relevance to its message, especially for us today. After making a reference to the passing nature of worldly things, Jesus was asked by the disciples to give them a sign. Instead He prophesied various events that would happen before the end comes. The end here apparently refers not just to the seige of Jerusalem but to a universal end times.
However, amidst the gloom and doom, comes the assurance: God is with us. Be not afraid. He will even take care of our defense. He also puts a word of caution: beware of false prophets. "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!"
As we come nearer to Advent, the readings talk about the “last things”, eschaton in Greek: death, after life, heaven, hell, purgatory, judgment day, the resurrection. Both the first and Gospel readings teach about the promise of the resurrection.
But before we come to that, let us first reflect on realities closer to home…
1. Life and Death
The two different stories in the first and Gospel readings start with the theme of life, especially a blessed life, as symbolically underscored by the number 7, the number of God, the perfect number. Both stories feature seven brothers. The mother in 2 Maccabees would be considered in those times to be blessed for having seven boys, her pride and joy, and her life support later in life. The first brother in the Sadducees‘ story, though dying early and childless, could count on the next eligible brother among his six siblings to take his widow as wife and “raise descendants in his name”. In the tradition of the Jews, having one’s lineage grow to generations counts as fullness of life.
Imagine a barangay named Jericho. It was big and prosperous, and has just received news that the Lord Jesus was set to pass through its main road. The barangay chairman was one named Zaccheus, a man of small stature in more ways than one, with a reputation for being corrupt and greedy. He was not generally well-liked but he always won the election because he simply bribed the voters more than his rivals.
DIOCESE OF LEGAZPI
PASTORAL BULLETIN NO. 03, Series of 2010
To: Clergy, Religious, Lay Faithful
Re: Corrupting our Minors, Corrupting the Future
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”(Mt 18,16)
Reports coming from all over leave no doubt as to the scope and magnitude of corruption and cheating in the recent Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections. During our Clergy General Assembly held last Tuesday, every priest present said that vote-buying and selling were rampant in their respective places of assignment and home towns. Radyo Veritas Legazpi and other local radio stations, as well as our local PPCRV units also confirmed this widespread terrible state of affairs.
The Gospel parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector begins and ends with the lesson clearly articulated. It begins with the purpose of the parable: “Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.” And ends with the saying: “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
It is a commentary against self-righteousness. However, to label the Pharisees as a bunch of self-righteous zealots and tax collectors as misunderstood sinners would be to miss the point.
Once again, Fr. Robert Barron writes an article as insightful in identifying the Church's problems as in suggesting directions for the Church's future.
Vatican II, has occasioned both a culture of ressourcement, a rediscovery and renewed appreciation and usage of Sacred Scriptures, patristic traditions, and historical research; and aggiornamento, a bringing up to date, a greater sensitivity to the call of the times. However, perhaps a reaction to the stifling conservatism of the past, the council's aftermath has tilted more towards the latter, spawning a culture of too much accomodation with the world and too dogged a pursuit of modernity. The renewed appreciation of our rich cultural and intellectual heritage has been engulfed in the tide of accomodation.
Now there are calls for a return to traditionalism, a tough reform of the reform. While I am all for reform, I am also for caution with this reactionary-looking return to conservatism, which in many cases expresses a heavily glossed-over nostalgia for the eras of Vatican 1 and Modern Roman Catholicism. For reform to be truly reflective, and not merely cause a tilt from one side to the other, a careful balancing act must be exercised. Our Church needs the graced balance between ressourcement and aggiornamento, for this state of things provides the Church both the stability and dynamism she needs to effectively pursue her mission to the world.
God is not like a vending machine, promptly dispensing blessings as soon as we asked for them, in the way we expect them to be. That is, unless if vending machines were all like these one. God's blessings may not always come the way we expect them to be, rather they are more like surprises from a loved one who knows more about us than we know ourselves.
HOMILY
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time – C – 17 October 2010
Readings: Ex 17:8-13; Ps 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8; 2 Tim 3:14-4:2; Lk 18:1-8
The moral lesson of this Sunday’s Gospel parable is quite clear from the start. “Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.”
1. Pray always and without ceasing.
Here is a judge who couldn’t care less about God or other human beings, basically a bad person. Then here is a widow, penniless, powerless but for her persistence to get a fair judgment from the judge. Eventually, the judge relented and gave her what she asked for.
If bad people can be influenced to grant favors to less privileged supplicants, how much more will it be with God? “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?”
Parable said, moral lesson delivered, thus end of the story? Not quite. For at the end of the passage, Jesus gave a thought-provoking question: “but when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” What does this mean? Clue: Prayer is not just about getting what we want.
At long last, a saner, more nuanced approach to the RH bill issue. To be clear, its position is not a middleground between pro-life and pro-RH/death/quality of life camps. Rather, it provides talking points, identifying both the good intentions of the bill and its contentious provisions. It is a position that is decidedly pro-life and Catholic -- and Jesuit.
Finally, an article that speaks my sentiments on the issue. Except perhaps on the facts surounding the supposed excommunication threat on President Aquino. Recently released transcript of that interview with CBCP President Bishop Odchimar has him saying: "excommunication is not a proximate possibility". There has been no intention to threaten P-Noy with excommunication, as previously written, but still is being bandied about in many media outlets and the net.
I won't also be surprised if pro-RH groups won't be too happy with his dialogue issue # 5: "working together to build prosperous, just and sustainable communities so that it does not matter even if our population, as expected sometime in the next five years, exceeds 100 million people..."
Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael
29 September
A Prayer to Saint Michael
Saint Michael, Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host,
by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan
and all the other evil spirits who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
The Gospel parable this Sunday is a veritable treasure trove of reflection on sin and grace. We have two main characters: the rich man, who dresses in fine clothes and eats sumptuous meals everyday; and Lazarus, the poor man who has practically nothing but his name and sores all over his body. When the two died, Lazarus was “carried by angels to the bosom of Abraham” and the rich man found himself in the netherworld where everlasting flames torment him.
Why did the rich man ended up in hell? The quick answer is because he failed to help the poor man by his door. But is it right and just that he be judged by that single act of omission? And what about Lazarus, did his earthly poverty rightfully won for him a heavenly reward? As it turns out, there is no short answer to the questions raised by this parable, which is a good thing as far as good stories go.
This Sunday, Bicol region has a different liturgy from the rest of the Catholic world for today we celebrate the Solemnity of Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia. This year is all the more special since this is the Tercentenary of the Devotion to our Ina, Patroness of Bicol.
Last year, on the same feast, I gave a reflection on what constitutes true devotion to Mary. Here is a short recap: true devotion to Mary...
1. is faithful to the Bible, the witness of Scriptures;
2. leads to Jesus; and
3. to personal conversion and renewal.
I would like to continue the reflection on the same theme, and add three more descriptions.
HOMILY
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time – C – 13 September 2010
Readings: Ex 32:7-11, 13-14; Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19; 1 Tim 1:12-17; Lk 15:1-32
More than a week ago, news articles around the world carried a controversial statement from one of the best known scientist in the world. British physicist Stephen Hawking released a snippet from his new book, The Grand Design (for sale just a few weeks before the Pope’s visit to the United Kingdom – and surely there is some grand design in this timing):
"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going."
Stephen Hawking, presumably after years of scientific inquiry, concluded that there is no need for a Creator of the universe, gravity would have done the job.
“….I would like to end my book with this article which is my simple and honest profession of faith, imperfect but sincere, for my non-believing friends.”
– Juan Arias
“No, I shall never believe in:
the God who catches man by surprise in a sin of weakness;
the God who condemns material things;
the God incapable of giving an answer to the grave problems of a sincere and honest man who cries in tears: “I can’t!”;
the God who loves pain;
the God who flashes a red light against human joys;
the God who sterilizes man’s reason;
the God who blesses the Cains of humanity;
the God who is a magician and sorcerer;
the God who makes himself feared;
the God who does not allow people to talk familiarly to him;
the grandfather-God whom one can twist around one’s little finger;
Today is the 9th anniversary of 9/11.
Lord God, we pray for the victims
from all sides, the living and the dead;
and for their oppressors as well,
whether they believe in You or Allah or none at all.
Inspire us to seek real freedom
that comes from peace that happens
only when justice and mercy meets.
Amen.
Readings: Wis 9:13-18; Ps 90:3-4,5-6,12-13,14-17; Phmn 9b,12-17; Lk 14:25-33
There is a classic story about having faith in God. Many of you may have heard of it, or its various versions, many times.
A man was travelling on a dark unfamiliar road when suddenly he slipped, lost his footing, and found himself falling into a ravine. Luckily, he was able to grasp a protruding tree branch and stopped his fall.
As he was hanging on literally for dear life, he cried out: “God, please help me!” Out of the darkness, a voice came booming: “This is God. Let go of the branch you are holding and you will be saved.” “Are you sure you are God?” “Yes, I am God. Now let go of the branch”, came the reply. And then there was silence.
As the man continued to hang on to the branch, he contemplated the risks of letting go. It took him so long to make a decision, he decided to wait it out. When the first ray of dawn came, he looked down and found out he was hanging only a few inches above the ground.
Surely, there is a lesson here about trusting in God. But something is also amiss: faith is not a blind leap in the dark.
HOMILY
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – C – 29 August 2010
Readings: Wis 9:13-18; Ps. 68:4-5, 6-7, 10-11; Phile 9b, 12-17; Lk 14:25-33
The Gospel setting and parable this Sunday pertain to banquets, a setting quite familiar to most, if not all, of us. Social life is defined, and social connections are formed and strengthened during banquets – from small family dinners to big feasts where the entire barangay (and beyond) is invited. Parish and barrio fiestas span our entire social and ecclesial calendar. No wonder the banquet setting didn't escape the use of Jesus as a medium of instruction on Christian life. And then, of course, the fount and summit of Christian life is the banquet of the Eucharist.
What Jesus teaches in this passage goes beyond table manners or respect for hierarchy and social status (there is plenty of that already, then and now). Rather, He asks that we examine our inner dispositions. In particular, He stresses the virtue of humility. The First Reading from the Book of Sirach speaks about it most succinctly.
From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
Pres. Aquino declared today, August 25, as National Day of Mourning in solidarity with the people of Hong Kong, especially the families and loved ones of the victims, over the 8 Hong Kong citizens who were killed in the hostage-taking of a bus by a dismissed police officer.
This is a good start. We mourn and grieve with the victims and their families. We call for the needed reforms to be made, especially at the Philippine National Police, so situations like these may never happen again.
However, several reactions to the incident were definitely not good.
HOMILY
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time – C – 22 August 2010
Readings: Is 66:18-21; Ps. 117:1, 2; Heb 12:5-7.11-13; Lk 13:22-30
The readings this Sunday tell us, at least, two things:
I. God wants all people to be saved.
Lk 13,29 says: “People will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.” Is 66,18 says: “I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.”
II. The way to salvation is through the narrow gate.
Lk 13,24 says: “"Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” What does it mean to enter through the narrow gate?
We are here today to witness and pray for Ferd and Cha who are about to receive the sacrament of matrimony. I do not wish to dispense advice, only to articulate the things already present but which we don't always see.
1. The little things are the big things.
Matrimony is the sacrament of love. And love is made up of the little things. It’s not just about holding hands, it’s the way you hold hands together. It’s not just about having daily conversations, it’s the way you inject kindness and concern when you talk with each other. It’s not just about being naturally thoughtful, it’s the way you create memories and cherish them. It’s not just about being understanding, it’s about being ready to forgive when one is weak or has fallen. It’s not just about helping each other, it’s about making sacrifices so one may help fulfill the other’s dreams.
It seems there is an emerging (non-)Christianity. Or an almost-Christianity. Christian Smith and Melinda Denton, investigators for the National Study of Youth and Religion, call it Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. And it is influencing a majority of today's American youth across religious denominations.
Looks like if "practical atheism" is on one end and traditional religion on the other, MTD would be the middle ground. But there is not much wisdom in this particular middle ground, only that it has become the "dominant civil religion" in America. This alternative faith “feeds on and gradually co-opts if not devours” established religious traditions.
Of course, no one during the study calls himself a moralistic therapeutic deist. The label is a summarizing term. But if the common creed for those who hold this belief may be stated, it would look something like this:
Motivational speaker and author Tamara Lowe from Christ Fellowship has hit a spiritual nerve, in a good way. Her motivational rap, popularly dubbed "one-minute homily", bashed TV pop culture in favor of the "real superstar" Jesus Christ, and people apparently found it inspiring enough to share it around. This Youtube video alone (and there are other versions of it) has gotten 2.7 million views as of this posting.
To: All Clergy, Religious, and Lay Faithful
Re: Rev. Fr. Lorenzo C. de Leon (+)
Your Reverences, Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
Peace in the Lord!
Our beloved REV. FR. LORENZO COLIPANO DE LEON passed away on 13 August 2010 at 10:30 p.m. He suffered a massive heart attack and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Aquinas University Hospital in Legazpi City. He was 66 years old.
Mamò Enzo was born on 10 March 1944 in Tiwi, Albay. He was ordained priest on 28 November 1970 by His Holiness Pope Paul VI at Rizal Park in Metro Manila, on the occasion of the Pope’s visit to the Philippines.
He has served the Local Church of Legazpi as a priest for close to 40 years. During this long and fruitful ministry he was assigned as Rector of St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Tabaco City; Vice-Rector of Holy Rosary Major Seminary in Naga City; Pastor of the Parishes of Manito, Tiwi and Camalig; Vicar Forane of the Second Vicariate; and Member of the Diocesan Presbyteral Council. He also served as Chaplain to overseas Filipino workers in the Archdiocese of Paris in France from 1997 to 2003.
On November 1, 1950, Pius XII defined the Assumption of Mary to be a dogma of faith in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus: “We pronounce, declare and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma that the immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul to heavenly glory.”
Readings: Wis 18:6-9; Ps 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22; Heb 11:1-2, 8-19; Lk 12:32-48
"Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen". (Heb 11,1)
We call faith a theological virtue because it is a grace from God. No one can rightly say he has acquired faith out of his own doing. It is something that God puts in our hearts. It is also both a gift and a task. We need to deepen it, teach it discernment, partner it with reason, and make it grow as we go through the stages of life. But even its growth is still a grace from God.
Let us reflect on several levels of growing in faith. I don't propose though that this listing is definitive or exhaustive.
Now they're getting bold and brazen about it. Even attempting an emotional blackmail on the rest of us.
Let me just re-phrase what I have just read from this Inquirer article.
1. These pro-choice groups are proposing that abortion be legalized.
2. They are arguing that abortion is a human right.
3. They are blaming the government for the death of women who are "forced" to undergo illegal abortions.
Once in a while amidst the crowded traffic of the web, we get to meet a few posts we can instantly connect with, those that speak to us and about us. This is one of them. This one I got from the Faith and Theology blog. I may not agree with everything it says (just the part about preaching without notes), nevertheless it remains for me the most honest and realistic testimony I have ever encountered about the craft of preaching.
Besides, Ben Myers has Karl Barth on his side. Even for a Catholic priest, it is hard not to be won over by Karl Barth.
“As ministers, we ought to speak of God. We are human, however, so we cannot speak of God. We ought therefore to recognise both our obligation and our inability, and by that very recognition give God the glory.”
HOMILY
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time – C – 1 August 2010
Readings: Ecc 1:2, 2:21-23; Ps 90:3-4,5-6,12-13,14,17; Col 3:1-5.9-11; Lk 12:13-21
The readings this Sunday talk about the ephemeral nature of things. Ephemeral is what comes to mind when the psalmist uses the image of the changing grass “which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades” (Ps 90,6, Responsorial Psalm). Thus, it is foolish to trust in worldly goods and not in the Lord.
Readings: Gen 18:20-32; Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8; Col 2:12-24; Lk 11:1-13
The words of Jesus in our Gospel passage this Sunday are prompted by a disciple asking: “Lord teach us how to pray.”
During Jesus’ time, it was the custom for a Jewish rabbi or teacher to teach his followers a simple prayer they could regularly use, and which has the additional benefit of defining the group’s identity. The disciples now make a request along this line. What Jesus taught them was more than just a prayer they could call their own, but a whole new way of looking at prayer and life. Here is what He taught them – and us.
One with the Filipino nation in grieving and praying at the passing away of JOEY VELASCO who inspired the world with his paintings of Christ truly Incarnate in the lives of ordinary people.
May he now receive the beatific vision in all its clarity, which he has seen here on earth only through a glass darkly.
Readings: Gn 18:1-10a; Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 5; Col 1:24-28; Lk 10:38-42
1. Are you anxious about many things?
This, I propose, is the main question for reflection this Sunday. It comes from Jesus’ reply to Martha in the Gospel story: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her." (Lk 10,41-42)
One common interpretation of this story is to turn it into an allegory, with Mary representing the contemplative life and Martha, the active life. The two lifestyles are acknowledged as two ways by which we can reach Christian perfection. The common conclusion is that the contemplative is seen as the better way.
Many people throughout history could relate to the allegory, but it is not the main message. The main message is introduced by the question: "Are you anxious about many things?"
The Gospel passage this Sunday is an extended discussion on the greatest commandment: to love God with our whole being, and our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus tells the scholar of the law who is conversing with him: “do this and you will live”. Because the lawyer "wishes to justify himself", he decides to probe Jesus further: “and who is my neighbor?”.
What follows next is one of the most familiar and well-loved stories in the Bible: the parable of the good Samaritan. I would like to share my reflection on Jesus’ answer in four ways.
The following is Ian Brennan’s acceptance speech at the 17th Annual Catholics in Media Awards at which the Fox Television show Glee was honored. Brennan is co-creator of Glee.
HOMILY
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time – C – 4 July 2010
Readings: Is 66:10-14; Ps 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20; Gal 6:14-18; Lk10:1-12, 17-20
The Gospel this Sunday tells the story of Jesus sending out 72 of His disciples to every town and village he intended to visit. He sends them out in pairs as “lambs among wolves”. They are instructed to greet no one along the way; to carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; to accept hospitality and bring peace to every home and place which welcomes them.
There are reasons to these very specific albeit exaggerated instructions.
Bishop Francisco Claver, SJ, DD (1929-2010) passed away today, 1 July 2010, at 2:41 am, at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Metro Manila. The immediate cause of death is pulmonary embolism.
***
Former Provincial of the Philippine Jesuit Province Fr. Danny Huang, SJ's Facebook status message says:
The inaugural speech of Pres. Noynoy Aquino was plain and straightforward enough, and delivered to an expectant nation what they wish to hear. The sound bites and promises thus produced the desired result: give the people a reason to dream again, and the new administration a good enough working space of trust and confidence.
Many will take the challenge of cooperation and doing our part for the country, including this blogger. But we will not be fans, we will be critical collaborators. We will work. We will speak our minds. We will remember.
If you come here looking for answers
to the whys and wherefores of the weather,
the workings of nature, its beauty and madness,
chances are you won’t find any.
This is a memorial to those who perished here:
pray therefore for their eternal repose,
for consolation to those they left behind,
and for yourself as well,
especially if you come here
caught in your own storms.
And if some deep parts of your being
resonate with a people’s instinct
for humor in dark places, their resilience,
and faith, then leaving here may mean
getting the answer you need after all.
