The Power of Prayer

HOMILY
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time – C

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.

Requiescat in Pace, Joey Velasco (+)

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.

The One Thing Necessary

HOMILY
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C

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?"

Who is My Neighbor?

HOMILY
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time – C – 11 July 2010

Readings: Dt 30:10-14; Ps 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37; 1:15-20; Lk 10:25-37


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.

Glee promotes Catholic values?

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.

My take at the bottom...

How to Evangelize Today

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.

Requiescat in pace, Bishop Francisco Claver (+)

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:

Sound Bites + Promises = Inaugural Speech

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.

Memorial to those who perished here

Supertyphoon Reming. 30 November 2006.

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.

The Way of the Disciple

HOMILY
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time – C – 27 June 2010

Readings: 1 Kngs 19:16b, 19-21; Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11; Gal 5:1, 13-18; Lk 9:51-62


Let us begin with Gal 5,1 (from the Second Reading): “For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.”

Christ has set us free. Among other things this means we are able to make moral choices. Which one would you choose: the spirit or the flesh, freedom to the full or a return to the slavery of sin, follow Christ or follow the Tempter? The question may seem rhetorical, and the right answer obvious, if not for the tone of the Gospel message this Sunday.

Today we hear no convincing words as to how discipleship would make us happy or fulfilled. Instead we hear Jesus saying follow me and sure as night follows day you will experience difficulties and sufferings, you will have to leave your loved ones and risk everything. Not a very good way to pitch discipleship.

Presenting the iMass

Talk about the Church getting into the latest means of communication. Fr. Paolo Padrini, the priest behind the iPod app iBreviary and the one running the Pope's social networking portal Pope2You, now comes up with a free iPad app featuring the Roman Missal in 5 languages. The official release is this July. Even for non-iPad users (such as this blogger), the news is admittedly a bit exciting, especially if you're rooting for evangelization and technology.

1. Does it feature the new ICEL English translation?
-- It doesn't say. But I think it should.

2. Does it mean we'll be seeing the iPad on altars soon, replacing the sacramentary & lectionary?

Fathers and Crosses

HOMILY
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time – C – 20 June 2010 (Father’s Day)

Readings: Zech 12:10-11; Ps 63:2,3-4,5-6,8-9; Gal 3:26-29; Lk 9:18-24


Today we celebrate Fathers’ Day, and the Gospel talks about the way of the cross. Here are two themes that somehow connect with each other. Maybe because fatherhood is a natural way of the cross, or because for some families the cross they have to bear is a wayward father.

I. Who do you say that I am?

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus first asked His disciples “Who do people say that I am?” as a way of introducing His real question: “Who do you say that I am?”

After some time of being together, Jesus decides to do a process check. And once again, He takes the opportunity to inject a dose of revelation. “Who do you say that I am?” is both a question of identity and relationship.

Disturb Us O Lord

Disturb us, Lord,
when we are too well pleased with ourselves,
when our dreams have come true
because we have dreamed too little,
when we arrive safely
because we sailed too close to the shore.

Guilt and Grace

HOMILY
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time – C – 13 June 2010

Readings: 2 Sam 12:7-10, 13; Ps 32:1-2, 5, 7,11; Gal 2:16, 19-21; Lk 7:36-8:3


Do you remember the last time you felt guilty over some wrongdoing? I doubt if anyone of us enjoys feeling guilty over something. It is an unpleasant feeling to say the least. Irrational guilt, especially when taken to extremes, immobilizes people and prevents them from living life fully.

Thus it is understandable why almost all of us try to avoid this feeling of guilt or shame. We devise coping mechanisms to get around it: denial, passing the blame, outright lie. In pathological cases, there are therapies devised just to handle and overcome guilt.

In our haste to eliminate guilt, some of us are led to think that when we rid ourselves of guilt, we can move on and lead happy lives. Not so fast. Guilt is also a natural human response. And there is such a thing as legitimate guilt.