SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
May 17, 2020 Readings: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 Psalm 66 1 Peter 3:15-18 John 14:15-21 The Holy Spirit is Counsellor as we make our way in this world amid difficulties and the temptation to feel depressed. "In spite of our great limitations, we can look up to heaven with confidence and joy: God loves us and frees us from our sins. The presence and the action of the Holy Spirit in the Church are a foretaste of eternal happiness, of the joy and peace for which we are destined by God." -St. Josemaria Escriva (Christ is Passing By, 128) Yesterday, as we heard in the news, from Enhanced Community Quarantine the Philippines has transitioned into what we call now as the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine. Some regions in our country have already loosen up the rules, some regions are placed under strict rules and even some places are still in hard lockdown because of the increase of positive cases of COVID-19 in their area. But no matter the rules that our government gives us, the fact remains COVID-19 is still present and may be around for a long time. During this time of trial and difficulty, we cannot help but ask the question, "Has God abandoned us?" But looking in our Gospel today, we are reminded that though our Lord has left the world, He did not leave us empty. Rather, He left us with the greatest companion we could ever have - the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in the Gospel, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you." This promise is still present up to this day, the Holy Spirit is ever so near and so close to us especially in this time of pandemic. Through the Holy Spirit, we are given beautiful reminders that in this time of pandemic God does not abandon us, and He will provide us the necessary graces and resources in order to overcome this situation. The Holy Spirit, the Counsellor, offers us direction to live a holy and sanctified life even amidst the difficulties we are facing in these present times. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, helps us to discern and to see what is true and what is not, especially with the rise of fake news. Indeed, we are forever grateful to the Lord for giving the gift of the Holy Spirit as our daily companion and guide in living out our lives here on earth. In this time of great difficulty brought about by COVID-19, fake news, trolls and other issues that are happening in our country and in the whole world, we need the Holy Spirit now more than ever. We need the Holy Spirit as we make our way in this present time amid difficulties and the temptation of the world. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us in knowing what is right and wrong. We need the Holy Spirit to give us the strength in order to defend what is right in the eyes of God. May our Gospel today, remind us that in our journey we are never alone and God will never abandon us because He gave us a great companion and a wonderful Counsellor, through the Holy Spirit and let us pray to the Holy Spirit to give us the strength, grace and wisdom so that we can face and conquer (with love) life's difficulties. Come Holy Spirit, we need you. FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER/ MOTHER'S DAY
May 10, 2020 Readings: Acts 6:1-7 Psalm 33 1 Peter 2:4-9 John 14:1-12 Ego sum via, veritas et vita. I am the way, the truth and the life. In these clear and unmistakable words Our Lord traces out for us the true path that leads to everlasting happiness. Ego sum via: he is the only road linking heaven and earth. He is speaking to all men, but in a very special way he is thinking of people who, like you and me, are determined to take our Christian vocation seriously, so that God may always be present in our thoughts, on our lips and in everything we do, including our most ordinary and routine actions. Jesus is the way. Behind him on this earth of ours he has left the clear outlines of his footprints. They are indelible signs which neither the erosion of time nor the treachery of the evil one have been able to erase. Iesus Christus heri et hodie; ipse et in saecula. How I love to recall these words! Jesus Christ the very Jesus who was alive yesterday for his Apostles and the people who sought him out; this same Jesus lives today for us, and will live forever. Yet, at times, we poor men fail to recognise his ever-present features, because our eyes are tired and our vision clouded. Now, as we begin this time of prayer close to the tabernacle, ask him, like the blind man in the Gospel did, Domine, ut videam! Lord, that I may see! Enlighten my intelligence and let Christ's words penetrate deep into my mind. Strengthen his Life in my soul so that I may be transformed in readiness for eternal Glory. -St. Josemaria Escriva (Friends of God, 127) My mother always tells me, "Always remember son: What you do in life is a reflection of me, in how I raised you." So whenever I go out and I do good to others, everyone will think that my mother raised me well and if I do bad to others, everyone will think that I have been raised by a bad mother. Your children are a reflection of you, parents. Indeed I find this statement very fitting in our Gospel today, especially when read John 14:8-11 and it states: Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. By reading this passage we can understand clearly that Jesus Christ, the Son of God is the perfect reflection, the perfect image of the Father. He and the Father are one, and by Jesus' presence and self-manifestation - by words and works, signs and miracles, but above all by his passion, death and glorious resurrection from the dead, and finally by sending the Spirit of truth. He revealed that God was, is and always will be with us. Everything that Jesus did then and now is a reflection of how God the Father loves His only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. You and I, being created in the image and likeness of God and raised you with full love and mercy from the Father, do we strive to become a reflection of the Father in our everyday lives? Do we strive to become a reflection of God, the Father in our daily encounters with other people? Today we also celebrate Mother's day, this is the day where we pay tribute to our mothers for their hardwork and sacrifices in being the "ilaw ng tahanan". It is no secret that in some of my homilies, I always mention some quotes from my own dear mother because with all honesty, this is where I get some of my words of wisdom (well since my parents were separated, all my life she was, she is and she will always be my constant companion, my fan, my critic, my friend and as a son, my love and my all). Even St. Josemaria Escriva, has this undying gratitude to his mother. Reading from his life story, I learned that his attitude of being religious, pious and prayerful was a reflection of how his own mother Doña María de los Dolores Albás raised him. So my dear children, always be aware that whatever we do in life is a reflection of how our parents raised us, especially our dear mothers. My dear mothers raise your kids not only to become successful in this world but to grow in holiness and ever so close to God our Father. Brothers and sisters in Christ, The Gospel today challenges us to become a reflection of the Father, after all, as I mentioned awhile ago we are all created in the image and likeness of God. We are raised by Father with full of love, goodness and kindness. He never fails to provide us with our daily needs. Now, especially in this period of COVID-19, let us extend the Father's love, mercy and kindness to other people. Let us prove to the world that we are raised by a loving God, by a good God and by a providing God. Also, in this time of great trial and suffering let us go before our Lord Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life, to bless our mothers, to ask forgiveness for our sins, to ask Him with all humility that God would protect us and deliver us from this pandemic in which we are experiencing at this moment. SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER/ DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
April 19, 2020 Readings: Acts 2:42-47 Psalm 118 1 Peter 1:3-9 John 20:19-31 The life of Jesus Christ is a summary and compendium of the story of divine mercy: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." And on another occasion our Lord said: "Be merciful, therefore, even as your Father is merciful." -St. Josemaria Escriva (Christ is Passing By, 7) Nine days ago (Good Friday), we contemplated on the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you would ask me, the best way to summarize what occurred on Mount Calvary during the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ is through this prayer and I wish that you would pray this prayer with me. “You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. (Repeat three times) O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You!” (Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska 1319; 89) I am sure that some of are saying right now, “We know this prayer! This prayer is very familiar to us.” Because this is the “Three o clock” prayer dedicated to the Divine Mercy. Nine days after commemorating the Passion and Death of our Lord, this Second Sunday of Easter, we now celebrate, the Feast of the Divine Mercy. Indeed, Divine Mercy is a devotion very near and dear to us Filipinos since we always exercise the three o’ clock habit; praying the chaplet of the Divine Mercy and of course having an image of the Divine Mercy in our homes, office or practically anywhere for us to venerate and offer our prayers to. However, as much as we express our strong devotion to the Divine Mercy, the question is: “Do we know as well as live out the message of the Divine Mercy?” Looking at the quote of St. Josemaria Escriva mentioned awhile ago, we have an idea what the Divine Mercy is about. There is also a suggestion on how to exercise the message of Divine Mercy. Before I proceed with the suggestions given to us by St. Josemaria, of course I have to first give the suggestions given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself to the visionary of the Divine Mercy, St. Faustina Kowalska on how to be channels of Divine Mercy for God, to others and to ourselves. Our Lord said to her, I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first — by deed, the second — by word, the third— by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy (Diary, 742). For a better understanding, they simplified it into what we know as the “A-B-C of Mercy”. A-sk for His Mercy; B-e merciful to others; C-ompletely trust in Jesus. A-sk for His Mercy. St. Josemaria Escriva always reminded his spiritual children about the importance of receiving the Sacrament of Penance as frequently as possible. In fact, St. Josemaria had this beautiful perspective on the Sacrament of Reconciliation when he said, “Sacramental confession is not a human but a divine dialogue. It is a tribunal of divine justice and especially of mercy, with a loving judge who ‘has no pleasure in the death of the wicked; I desire that the wicked turn back from his way and live.’ (Christ is Passing By, 78)” But because of COVID-19 still plaguing our country, we have no access, temporarily, to this sacrament. “What we can do?” I’m sure some of you are asking. The Holy Mother Church, through the Catechism of the Catholic Church gave us a way of gaining forgiveness from God, through personal dialogue with Him and exercising “Perfect Contrition” for our sins with the intention and resolution of going to confession once the situation normalize. On this Feast of the Divine Mercy, let us take time to examine our life, recall our sins, pray and ask for the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness. By these humble acts, we can experience Jesus’ Divine Mercy overflowing in us and in our lives. B-e merciful to others. St. Josemaria Escriva said, “Mercy is more than simply being compassionate. Mercy is the overflow of charity, which brings with it also an overflow of justice. Mercy means keeping one's heart totally alive, throbbing in a way that is both human and divine, with a love that is strong, self-sacrificing and generous. Here is what St Paul has to say about charity in his hymn to this virtue, 'Charity is patient, is kind; charity feels no envy; charity is never perverse or proud, never insolent; does not claim its rights, cannot be provoked, does not brood over an injury; takes no pleasure in wrong-doing, but rejoices at the victory of truth; sustains, believes, hopes, endures, to the last.' (Friends of God, 232)” So as we experience the Mercy of God, we are also given the mission to be ministers of Divine Mercy, especially during these difficult times. The way I see it, this pandemic is a great opportunity for us, especially devotees of the Divine Mercy, to be ministers of Divine Mercy to others. How? By performing both the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy: Donate food, water and clothes to those who are indeed. Comfort (at least via online) the sick, especially those who are COVID-19 positive. Use your time during this “Enhanced Community Quarantine” period to evangelize online, educate the faithful in the life of Christ, the teachings of the church and how to sanctify one’s self, our work (from home) and our families during this time of great difficulty. On this Feast of the Divine Mercy as well as during this time that we are in our homes, let us find ways and means to be channels of Divine Mercy to ourselves, to our work and to others. C-ompletely trust in Jesus. Indeed because of COVID-19, a lot of us are experiencing losing faith and hope. We feel that COVID-19 won because it claimed a lot of lives, made a lot of people sick, it made people lose their jobs and many more. But in the Gospel today, the Resurrection of our Lord, gives us a greater faith and a greater hope that whatever the world throws at us, the Risen Lord is greater than them and with His mercy and help we can overcome life’s difficulties. With the Risen Lord on our side, we can rise from COVID-19; all we have to do is to put our complete trust in the Divine Mercy. St. Josemaria Escriva said, “Let me assure you, it's something which I have touched with my own hands and seen with my own eyes, that, if you trust in God's Providence, if you abandon yourselves in his all-powerful arms, you will never lack the means to serve God, his Holy Church and the souls of men; and this without having to neglect any of your duties. You will then rejoice in the joy and peace which mundus dare non potest, which possessing all the goods of the world cannot give. (Friends of God, 117)” Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The Divine Mercy is a beautiful reminder for us that though God is a just Judge, but He can be a merciful Savior as well, especially to those who repent for their sins, and strive to live a life of holiness. Let the beautiful image of the Divine Mercy inspire us that as God has given us mercy, so too, must we give mercy to others and indeed now is a perfect time for us to be channels of Jesus’ Divine Mercy, especially to the least, the last and the lost. But most of all, the Divine Mercy is again a beautiful reminder that amidst the suffering, the trial, the pain and the defeat that everyone experiences on a daily basis, there is a God who is very loving and merciful to the point that He will offer you peace, comfort and consolation under the rays of His Divine Mercy. Let us appreciate, and be grateful to God for this beautiful gift of Mercy, through His Son our Lord Jesus Christ and may all of us, throw ourselves into His loving arms and tell Him with full of humility and confidence that despite whatever life throws at us, “Jesus, King of Mercy, I trust in you!” EASTER VIGIL/ EASTER SUNDAY
Easter is a time of joy — a joy not confined to this period of the liturgical year, but to be found really and fully in the Christian's heart. For Christ is alive. -St. Josemaria Escriva (Christ is Passing By, 102) Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is alive! Christ has conquered death! Let us rejoice and be glad! A Blessed Easter Night (/Day) to all! Christ did not rise from the dead to show us what he, and only he, could do. Jesus rose from the dead to show us what he could do for us! Christ, the Son of God, has risen from the dead. Alleluia! Everything he said came true. Everything he did is true! He has shattered the darkness and destroyed death; sin no longer has its sting! We no longer have to fear the darkness! The most powerful prayer in the world, said by Jesus the Christ, shattered the darkness of the night! “Father, do whatever you want with me!” This prayer alone set the stage for the greatest story ever recorded and ever lived! We will never truly live our lives until we say this prayer; otherwise, we will be gripped with fear for the rest of our lives. This is the greatest prayer in the world because it was said by our Lord. It is the most powerful prayer because the Father always answers it with a yes. It is the scariest prayer in the world because it means to lay down your life for another. What holds us back? Fear of the unknown– darkness. But the Lord has a surprise for us! What will happen to the one who says it? It will make them a Saint! We too shall rise from the dead! The darkness of the tomb has been shattered by a single ray of light! “Come follow me, I am the light of the world.” The Lord has risen and shown us the way out of the tomb and into his light! We too shall rise with Him. O Death, where is thy sting? The Resurrection of our Lord is more than just his physical body rising from the dead. He has risen, spiritually, physically, emotionally, psychologically! Death no longer has a grip on him, (Well, Mary Magdala does!) The Lord on this Easter season proved to us something he said over and over again: “Love.” Love is more powerful than death. Love is more powerful than evil. Love is more powerful than fear, resentment, bitterness, and anger. The same energy that created the Universe; the same force that created life will give it back to us one day for love conquers all, even death! If you get anything out of this mediatation, I hope it is the realization of what is Christ's greatest scandal. It is not His resurrection, it is the fact that whatever you have done in your life; whatever sins you have committed, you can still become a Saint! This has never been an easy thing to accept. But the One who committed no sin is the One who told us this. If you feel like ending it all, if you feel like there is no way out, then ask the Lord and he will tell you, "Hey, I know the way out! I know the way out of the tomb. Come, follow me." On Holy Thursday we thank the Lord Jesus for giving Himself through the bread and wine to remember Him forever. On Good Friday we thank the Lord Jesus for dying on the cross for our sins. On Black Saturday we thank the Lord Jesus for saving us and re-opening the gates of heaven. Today on Easter we thank the Lord Jesus for rising not only Himself but together with us into new life. Happy Easter to one and all! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Year A) Readings: Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18 Psalm 103 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 Matthew 5:38-48 I would like to share with you a story. Since we are in the month of February, and we all know that February is known to be the love month, this will be a love story: One day there was this guy who saw this beautiful girl. (This guy) Attracted and eventually falling head over heels over the girl, he courted this girl and eventually the girl gave her sweet "YES" to the guy. The guy loved the girl so much but there was this one teeny tiny problem - the girl is as we put it is "high maintenance" and the guy had only enough money to give his girlfriend only the needs and not the wants. As time went by, the guy was having a hard time fulfilling the demands of the girl left and right. But out of love that he has for his girlfriend he would do it even if it means making loans here and there and would sell everything he has. But there came a time when he could not give anymore to his girlfriend and out of frustration the girlfriend cheated on his boyfriend with another man richer than him and left the guy broken. The guy cried for sometime, but eventually as time went by he was able to recover from the said situation and moved on. One time, while the guy was at a coffee shop, one of his friends saw him there and greeted him and had a conversion over a cup of coffee and pie. His friend asked him, "I heard that you and your ex broke up. I'm sorry for what happened and rest assured that I am always by your side. But out of curiosity, do you still love her?" The guy answered, "I loved her then, but I love her more now." His friend a bit surprised with the guy's answer, he asked him, "Why do you love her more now than before? After everything she put you through shouldn't you hate her more? Why?" The guy simply replied, "After all like the Lord said, 'Love your enemy!'" Brothers and sisters in Christ, We hear in the Gospel today an advice at the same time a challenge laid down to us by Lord Jesus Christ. "You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Mt. 5:48)" There is this famous quote said by a female comedian, she says, "Practice makes perfect. But then again nobody is perfect. So why practice?" Indeed it is true, that it is quite impossible for us to be as perfect as God. After all, our human frailty and sinful nature are what makes us different from God. God, is all perfect because He is omnipotent, omnipresent and has no sin in His system. But that doesn't mean we will no longer follow the command of our Lord because we are imperfect to begin with. What our Lord is saying is that God's own perfection should be the model of that every faithful Christian strives to follow, even though he realizes that he cannot out do God in terms of perfection. It is difficult to live out this challenge, but also with this we must take account of the enormous help from God by giving us the grace to strive for divine perfection on a daily basis. St. Josemaria Escriva reminds us when he said these words, "And don't forget that when God marks us out and gives us his grace to strive for sanctity in the everyday world. (Friends of God, 5)" With the help of God we can strive to imitate Him, not in terms of His power and wisdom, but in His love and mercy. That is why we hear the famous line that Jesus said in our Gospel today, "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Mt. 5:44)" By this we are known as the sons of our Father, because to put it simply as the famous saying goes, "Like Father, like son." So let us ask the Lord for graces in order for us to strive in imitating the virtue of the Father, especially on love and mercy. Again we go back to this verse, "You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Mt. 5:48)". Jesus Christ is calling you and I, all of us to be as holy as God is and as perfect as God is. In the Church we call this "the Universal Call to Holiness". St. Josemaria Escriva said, "Your duty is to sanctify yourself. Yes, even you. Who thinks that this task is only for priests and religious? To everyone, without exception, our Lord said: 'Be ye perfect, as my heavenly Father is perfect.' (The Way, 291)" So the role of striving for holiness is given to us all and no one is exempted to that role in which the Lord has given to us. So it is our duty that whether we are at church, at work, at home or practically anywhere we must strive to become holy and St. Josemaria Escriva gives us these three pillars of sanctification as our guide in living a holy life everyday: They are (1) sanctifying one's work, (2) sanctifying one's self and (3) sanctifying others. Going back to our story. I'm sure some of you might think that the guy must be crazy for loving the girl more despite of what she did to him. But the lesson of this story is simple, imitate God rather than imitate evil. Yes, it is never easy to imitate the virtue and holiness of God, but then again this is what "striving for holiness" is all about we try and try to be holy despite of our human frailty and sinful and I'm sure God will appreciate the efforts that we are doing in order to be like Him. Let us ask our Lord Jesus Christ for the graces and blessing in order for us to become like our Father in heaven and may we always strive to be holy now and forever. Amen. 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Year A) Readings: Isaiah 58:7-10 Psalm 112 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Matthew 5:13-16 "You are salt, apostolic soul. 'Salt is a useful thing', we read in the holy Gospel; but if the salt loses its taste, it is good for nothing, neither for the land nor for the manure heap; it is thrown out as useless. You are salt, apostolic soul. But if you lose your taste..." (The Way, 921) I remember before when I graduated from college during the Baccalaureate Mass, this was the Gospel read to us, graduates and I get the reason why. To remind us that as we leave our Alma Mater and go on to our respective fields, we should not only bring our great brand of skills but also the (Alma mater's) values and spirit in our work field. And if we bring those values and spirit everywhere we go, I assure you we bring Jesus as well wherever we may be. Brothers and sisters in Christ, Every Christian has to strive for personal sanctification, but he also has to seek the sanctification of others as well. That is why in our Gospel today, Jesus invites us to become the "salt of the earth" and "the light of the world". Why salt? Why light? The purpose of salt is to preserve food from corruption; it also brings out its flavour and makes it more pleasant; and it disappears into the food. We are asked, as Christians, to preserve Jesus' teachings and make it relevant in our own time. For whatever the Lord taught 2000 years ago is still applicable to this day, it is up to us how to make it relevant in our time (of course we have to be properly guided by the right interpretation of the scriptures and teachings of the Holy Mother Church before we preach it in public). The purpose of the light is to shine for others and guide them towards their path. Jesus is inviting us as the light of the world to shine on others and guiding them towards the path of God. Notice in these two similes used by Jesus in our Gospel today, if you would observe both of them have a common denominator. First, both of them encourages the WORKS OF CHARITY. As salt of the earth we given the task "preserve the food and bring out its flavour" and as the light of the world we are invited to "shine on others". How do we do that? By doing good works, especially through an apostolic work. An Apostolate is one of the clearest form of charity and good works. The Second Vatican Council emphasized the Christian's duty to be apostolic. Even St. Josemaria Escriva, encourages his children (the members of Opus Dei) as well as his devotees to undertake some form of apostolic work. He says, "Go to apostolate to give everything, and not to seek any earthly reward. (The Way, 918)" But not only to do this kind of work, but to do it with love, because as St. Josemaria said, "My son, if you love your apostolate, be certain that you love God. (The Way, 922)" Second, to become salt of the earth and light of the world means that we should become HUMBLE. Notice that when you use salt to season your food overtime it disappears and when we light others they shine more than us. Life is not about us. We are not the center of attention. It is about God and serving our neighbor. St. Josemaria oftentimes taught us to be like a donkey. To allow ourselves to be used by God to bring good in this world and with it, give Him glory in process. God will not use us if we let pride get in the way of things. And if we use our personal pride and ambition, we will not be able to bring good in this world. So let us accept, with full of faith and humility that whatever we do in this life is not about us, but rather it is about bringing glory to God and bringing good to our neighbor. I would like to offer you this prayer, from a point given by St. Josemaria to remind ourselves that if we really want to be an apostle, we ask the Lord for the grace to be always humble. Here is how the prayer goes: "Dear Jesus: if I have to be an apostle, you will need to make me very humble. May I know myself: may I know myself and know you. I will then never lose sight of my nothingness. (The Furrow, 273)" The Lord calls us, everyday of our lives to become the salt of the earth and the light of the world. He calls each and everyone of us, giving us countless opportunities to spread the message of Sanctification to everyone. All we have to do is with all humility and charity, grab the opportunity that the Lord has for us, to exercise the apostolic work of evangelization and sanctification so at the end of it all, we may all give glory to God, our Father, who is in heaven. Feast of the Presentation of our Lord
Readings: Malachi 3:1-4 Psalm 24 Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-40/ Luke 2:22-32 Today the Holy Mother Church commemorates the Feast Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. This feast invites us to focus on two persons: JESUS and MARY. "Why is Mary included," some of you may ask "isn't the feast today focuses solely on our Lord?" Well that is true, but in the Old Calendar of the Church (or what we call the "Tridentine Calendar") the said Feast was called, The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As a matter of fact even St. Josemaria, in his book "Holy Rosary", provides us some idea about Mary's purification during the Presentation of her Son, Jesus in the Temple. St. Josemaria said, "When the days of the Mother's purification are accomplished, according to the Law of Moses, the Child must be taken to Jerusalem, to be presented to the Lord (Luke 2:22). And this time it will be you, my friend, who will carry the cage with the doves (Luke 2:24). —Just think: She —the Immaculate!— submits herself to the Law as if she were defiled. Through this example, foolish child, will you learn to obey the Holy Law of God, regardless of any personal sacrifice?" So what can we learn from Mary on the Feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the temple? St. Josemaria Escriva provides us again with a beautiful advice when said these words, "Purification! You and I surely do need purification! —Atonement, and more than atonement, Love. —Love as a searing iron to cauterize our souls' uncleanness, and as a fire to kindle with divine flames the wretched tinder of our hearts." And how must we purify ourselves? There are two ways: One is that when we die WE GO TO PURGATORY. The way I see it, purgatory is more of a gift to us from God rather than punishment because what purgatory has that hell will never have is HOPE. Hope that through the fires of purification we may cleansed from our sin so that we may be worthy of entering heaven. The other of purifying ourselves, for us who are still alive, is to GO TO CONFESSION. We are all sinners, you and I; that is why we need to receive the Sacrament of Penance as frequently as possible in order for us to be purified from our sins and to become worthy before Jesus, the light of all nations. Jesus, the source of our life and the Light of all Nations, another reason why we celebrate this wonderful feast. We are invited to contemplate in this beautiful encounter between Jesus and Simeon as well as Anna, the prophetess. When Simeon received the child Jesus in his arms, filled with joy and blessing we heard the famous canticle, Nunc dimittis, telling how Jesus is the light to reveal to the nations and the glory of your people Israel. Anna as well expressed the same joy upon seeing the child Jesus. This invites us to ask ourselves, Are we filled with joy everytime we received Jesus? Especially during Holy Communion, we see Jesus, truly present in the bread and wine, isn't this something we should be joyful about? Even more when we receive Him? Awhile ago in the beginning of the mass, we had our Blessing of the Candles and as we receive and lighted them, we receive Jesus the Light of the world. Reminding us that there is no reason to fear at the same time there is every reason to rejoice because Jesus is here. Jesus is Emmanuel - God with us. So as we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord, we learn that we must purify ourselves in order for us to be presentable in the eyes of God. Let us pray the with the help of our Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother most pure, we may always strive to purify ourselves from sin so that we may be worthy in the eyes our Lord Jesus Christ, the Light of the world and that despite life's difficulties we may not be afraid because Christ is with us: Yesterday, Today and Forever. 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Year A) Readings: Isaiah 8:23-9:3 Psalm 27 1 Corinthians 1:10-13.17 Matthew 4:12-23 Today we formally begin the Sundays in Ordinary Time. After contemplating on the mysteries of Jesus' coming (during Advent), His incarnation (during Christmas), His public manifestations (during Epiphany and His baptism) and His childhood (during Sto. Niño), we now begin meditating on His public ministry. And we begin this meditation on His public ministry in our Gospel today. We hear how Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." At the same time, we hear how Jesus called the first disciples. These four disciples had already met our Lord (Jn 1:35-42), and their brief meeting with him seems to have had a powerful effect on their souls. In this way Christ prepared their vocation, a fully effective vocation which moved them to leave everything behind so as to follow him and be their disciples. Standing out above their human defects, we can see the exemplary generosity and promptness of the apostles in answering God's call. (Navarre Bible: St. Matthew, 4:18-22) You and I, are called by God. No one is exempted in this call. Some of us are called to become priests, others to become religious, others to a life of marriage and family life and others to a life of single-blessedness (or as I call it the "Vocational Calling"). But no matter what our vocational call may be in life it all leads us to the other call God has for us. And that is the "Call to Holiness" (or better yet the "Universal Call"). St. Josemaria Escriva, could not have describe this any better in his homily, "God in the Ordinary". With this, I want to share this with you. He said: "On the contrary, you must realize now, more clearly than ever, that God is calling you to serve him in and from the ordinary, secular and civil activities of human life. He waits for us everyday, in the laboratory, in the operating theatre, in the army barracks, in the university chair, in the factory, in the workshop, in the fields, in the home and in all the immense panorama of work. Understand this well: there is something holy, something divine hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of you to discover it. I often said to the university students and workers who were with me in the 'thirties that they had to know how to materialize their spiritual lives. I wanted to warn them of the temptation, so common then and now, to lead a kind of double life: on the one hand, an inner life, a life related to God; and on the other, as something separate and distinct, their professional, social and family lives, made up of small earthly realities. No, my children! We cannot lead a double life. We cannot be like schizophrenics, if we want to be Christians. There is only one life, made of flesh and spirit. And it is that life which has to become, in both body and soul, holy and filled with God: we discover the invisible God in the most visible and material things. There is no other way, my daughters and sons: either we learn to find our Lord in ordinary, everyday life, or we shall never find him. That is why I tell you that our age needs to give back to matter and to the apparently trivial events of life their noble, original meaning. It needs to place them at the service of the Kingdom of God; it needs to spiritualize them, turning them into a means and an occasion for a continuous meeting with Jesus Christ." Through the teachings of St. Josemaria Escriva, God is reminding us that you and I are called. God's calling gives us a mission: it invites us to share in the unique task of the Church, to bear witness to Christ before our fellow men and so draw all things toward God (Christ is Passing By, 45). And that mission is to be holy like Him by our ordinary and everyday activities to human life. If God calls you to be a priest, be a good priest. If He calls you to live a religious life, be a good religious. If He calls you to be a husband/wife, be a good husband/wife. If He calls you to be a professional worker, be a good professional worker and so on. St. Josemaria Escriva again said, God draws us from the shadows of our ignorance, our groping through history, and, no matter what our occupation in the world, he calls us with a strong voice, as he once called Peter and Andrew: "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." (Christ is Passing By, 45) With this I invite all of us gathered here today, to give time in prayer and to ask God these questions, "What do you want me to do? What is Your calling for me? What mission do You have for me?" So that when God shows to us what you and I are called to do, we will answer Him with full of trust and confidence - SERVIAM! (I will serve!) to the call You have for me. Feast of the Sto. Niño
(Year A) Readings: Isaiah 9:1-6 Psalm 98 Ephesians 1:3-6.15-18 Matthew 18:1-5.10 APO Hiking Society’s song, “Batang-bata ka pa” tells a story both from the point of view from the parent and the child. It’s like the Filipino version of Cat Steven’s song, “Father and son”. But the most striking part of the song, “Batang-bata ka pa”, is the lyrics said in the point of view of the child, “Batang-bata ako at nalalaman ko to Inaamin ko rin na kulang ang aking nalalaman at nauunawaan Ngunit kahit ganyan ang kinalalagyan Alam ko na may karapatan ang bawat nilalang, kahit bata pa man, kahit bata pa man” Today we celebrate the Feast of the Sto. Niño and in our Gospel today, Jesus points out two things: (1) that a child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven and (2) we are (no matter how old we are) children of God. (Sino dito ang may mga anak na? Malamang nakakarelate kayo sa kantang kinanta ko.) I understand parents that are just being parents (to love, to teach, to protect their children at all cost) but sometimes we must learn to let the child speak and most of all to listen to them as well. Because sometimes whatever the child says is good, innocent and pure. (Sa mga magulang diyan) give a chance and listen to what the child is saying you may be surprise, that though they are young but sometimes what they say lies a message to us from God. Though what children say are very basic and simple it reminds us, (adults) that sometimes that “Complexity is not a sign of intelligence as well as simple-mindedness is not a sign of stupidity”. I want to go back to the song, specifically on the first verse: “Batang-bata ka pa at marami ka pang Kailangang malaman at intindihin sa mundo Yan ang totoo Nagkakamali ka kung akala mo na Ang buhay ay isang mumunting paraiso lamang” Jesus said, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” For parents, we often times teach our children how to look at the world we live in our eyes, but in reality the child is teaching us, adults, to look into the world in their eyes. Hindi mali na ang bata na ang tingin niya sa buhay ay isang munting paraiso lamang. As a matter of facts Jesus praises the attitude of the child. He also called the child, “the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven”. I know life now a days is hard (kahit ako inaamin ko mahirap ang buhay lalo na sa atin mga matatanda), but let the child be a reminder to us that life is not supposed to be this hard. It is a matter of strong faith, right attitude and a positive outlook in life. With this, it is possible that life can be “heaven on earth”. If a child can do it, so can we. Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” He is asking us (even adults) to be “CHILD-LIKE” not “CHILD-ISH”. So (in case you may be wondering) what is the difference between the two? CHILD-ISH: mga brats, mga pasaway, mayabang at kung anu-ano pang ugali na hindi kaaya-aya sa mata ng Diyos. CHILD-LIKE: Being happy, obedient, humble, simple and loving. Just like a child to his/her parents let this be our attitude to our Heavenly Father, who looks down on us with loving gaze and merciful heart. May kasabihan tayong mga Pinoy, “Masarap maging bata”. Which is true. Lalo na pag ang tatay natin ay ang Diyos Ama na araw-araw tayong ginagabay, minamahal, pinapatawad at binibigay ang lahat ng pangangailangan natin upang mabuhay sa mundong ibabaw. Masasabi ko na, “masarap maging bata, lalo na kung ikaw ay anak ng Diyos”. As St. Josemaria Escriva said, "A piece of advice I have insisted on repeatedly: be cheerful, always cheerful. —Sadness is for those who do not consider themselves to be children of God. (Furrow, 54)" This is what Divine Filiation is all about, by virtue of baptism you and I became children of God. Shouldn't we be happy at that? Shouldn't we find comfort at the fact that as a child of God we are given the assurance that no matter what life throws at us God is here with us and providing us the necessary graces, blessing and things in order to overcome them? Shouldn't we take this opportunity as a child of God to get to know God, our Father, and the Holy Mother Church and to grow in love for them? Let's be proud that you and I are children of God. Let us say out loud: Ako ay anak ng Diyos. Ikaw ay anak ng Diyos. Tayong lahat ay anak ng Diyos. Let us rejoice and be proud of that. And as children of God, St. Josemaria Escriva advised us once again, "May no one read sadness or sorrow in your face, when you spread in the world around you the sweet aroma of your sacrifice: the children of God should always be sowers of peace and joy. (Furrow, 59)" So let this be our resolution as we celebrate the Feast of the Sto. Niño: -For the parents, at times learn to listen to your children. Let there be a two-way communication and a learning experience (you talk to them, they talk to you; they listen to you, you listen to them; you teach them, they teach you; you learn from them, they learn from you) for you and your child, so that a healthy relationship can be built within the family. -For all of us gathered here today, may the Sto. Niño remind us that even though as we age, our morals and values when we were children are still kept and maintained well even as the world progresses and as the time goes by. -And most of all, may we be proud that we are always and forever will be: Children of God. May Jesus, through the Santo Niño, guide us and bless us always. Happy Fiesta to all of us! Viva Sto. Niño! Pit Señor! Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord
(Year A) Readings: Isaiah 42:1-4,6-7 Psalm 29 Acts 10:34-48 Matthew 3:13-17 Today we commemorate the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord and we hear in the Gospel today how the Baptism of Jesus took place. Jesus came into the river Jordan and asks John to baptize Him. Reluctant at first, but eventually he decided to go through with it. In the end we've witness another manifestation of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit came down like a dove and we hear the voice of the Father saying, "This is my beloved Son! With whom I am well pleased. But looking in our Gospel today, it also invites us to look back and recall our own baptism and how it took place. With this, allow me to ask you the following questions: -Do you still remember when were you baptized? -Do you still remember where were you baptized? -Can you still recall the name of the priest who administered the said sacrament? -Do you still know who are your godparents during your baptism? If you can only recall the name of your godparents, well I can't really blame you. Especially for us Filipinos, kaya madali natin tandaan ang pangalan ni ninong at ninang ay dahil sa tuwing bumibista sila, alam na kung ano ang hihingiin natin sa kanila. Sigurado yung mga inaanak diyan nakangiti na ngayon. Opo kahit ako guilty din ako diyan. But kidding aside, it is important for us to know when we were baptized because the date of our Baptism is like our birthday in the Holy Mother Church. The day in which through this sacrament it washed away our original sin and made us sons and daughters of God. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we were given new life in God. Hence, in some sense we have two birthdays to celebrate: (1) Being welcomed into the world and (2) being welcomed into the Holy Catholic Church. Not only we should remember the date of our Baptism, but also the priest or deacon who administered this wonderful sacrament to us. Because if it weren't for them we will not become members of the mystical body of Christ. By their administration we were made sons and daughters of God and gained access to the outpouring of graces, blessings and gifts given to us by God and the Holy Mother Church. That is why always keep them in your prayers. If the priest/deacon who administered your Baptism died please pray for their souls. Of course we should remember our godparents but not because of money or gifts but rather to serve their primary purpose to help us grow in faith and love of God. Yes, the main purpose of having godparents is to be our aides in getting to know our faith, and help us grow in love for God and for the Holy Mother Church. [The money and gifts are just secondary.] I'm sure some of you will ask, "Why is this important? And where did you get this idea of valuing the date and person who administered our Baptism?" Let me share with you an excerpt from St. Josemaria Escriva's Biography entitled: The Founder of Opus Dei: Vol 1 - The Early Years A few days later, on January 13, the Octave of the Epiphany and the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, he was baptized in the cathedral of Barbastro... Through the years, Josemaria showed deep gratitude toward the priest who had conferred this sacrament on him. His name was Angelo Malo [bad angel] - a name not easily forgotten! Father Josemaria remembered him every day in the Memento of Masses he celebrated over the course of half a century. He showed the same kind of gratitude to his godparents. Let us learn from St. Josemaria Escriva to give value to this wonderful sacrament by expressing our gratitude as well as offering our prayers constantly to the administer of the sacrament [priest or deacon], to our parents and also to our godparents. And let us indeed never forget the day we were baptized as a matter of fact let us celebrate it, just like Jesus' baptism, through our baptism you and I became sons and daughters of God. |