Resurrection and Forgiveness

Second Sunday of Easter

"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst..."

The disciples were gathered in fear. The gospel tells us that they were afraid of the Jews. They were afraid that the Jews might do to them what they did to Jesus.

But it is also possible that part of that fear is the memory of what they did while Jesus was undergoing his passion. Remember when Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane, the disciples fled in fear. They left Jesus on his own. They deserted him. Peter even denied Jesus three times. Only a handful remained at the foot of the cross. The disciples abandoned Jesus.

In the midst of this fear, the risen Christ appeared to his disciples. The abandoned one returned to those who abandoned him. And his first words were,"Peace be with you." These are words of forgiveness; words of reconciliation. Three times Jesus assured his disciples of his great mercy and understanding. Not only that, after offering reconciliation, Jesus sent them into mission: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

Tanong ko sa sarili ko, Hindi pa ba natutuo si Jesus?
Ito ang mga alagad na ginabayan niya ng tatlong taon. Tinuruan. Pinangaralan. Mga alagad na itinuring niyang malalapit na kaibigan. Pero kahit ganun, iniwan pa rin siya. Itinatwa. Nilayuan. Hindi lubos ang kanilang paniniwala at pananalig sa kanya. Sila pa rin ang isusugo? Hindi ba magandang humanap na lang ng ibang mga alagad?

Jesus chose not to give up on his disciples. Jesus, the abandoned one is also the faithful one. Jesus knew that his forgiveness and his resurrection are enough to change them.

The Lord will not give up on us. He reminds us that his forgiveness and his resurrection are enough to change us. They are enough to inspire and sustain us. They are enough to transcend our weaknesses, to conquer our doubts, and make us believe and serve him until the end.

The Lord chose not to give up on us. Please do not give up on your family, on your love ones. Please do not give up on our country. Please do not give up on yourself.

The grace of the risen Christ is the grace of hope. Things may not be as we want them today. But the living God enables us to hope that in his time all things will become well according to his benevolent will.

ASSUMPTION

Oftentimes we look at Mary and we see her obedience. We see her humilty. We see her purity of heart. We see her 'yes' to God, her fiat, her total abandonment to the will of God. But today, the solemnity of the Assumption. we look at Mary and what do we see? We see our FUTURE. How Mary was raised into heaven to share in the divine life is the real destiny that awaits all followers of Jesus. Our destiny is not pain, or suffering, or death. No! Our destiny is the glory and gladness of the resurrected Lord. The celebration today is like a window that allows us to see what lies ahead of us. Ikaw ngayon Mahal na Ina. Kami rin bukas.

Transfiguration, Self-oblation and Transfi

Fr. Leo Vandrome was a legend in the seminary. He was an old Belgian missionary who spent most of his life here in the Philippines. During the time that nobody understood the theology of Karl Rahner because he was writing in German, Fr. Leo was already teaching Rahner at San Carlos. There was a story that a bishop of Belgium invited him to be an adviser during the Second Vatican Council. But he was famous with his favorite bike. He was always seen riding his bike while fanning himself. [The previous paragraph has nothing to do with the reflection, it just feels happy to be filled with the memories of Fr. Leo.]

In his room was a skull of his pet monkey. Below it was a curious saying that says: What I am today, tomorrow you will be. Kung ano ako ngayon, ikaw din bukas. It was a reminder of the reality of being finite; a reminder of temporariness of life in this world; a reminder that life ultimately is not “of” this world; a reminder of everybody’s end; and so, the necessity to build up treasure in heaven.

Imagine you are Peter, or James, or John. You go with Jesus and climb Mount Tabor. While there you see Jesus shining with an out-of-this-world glow to the point of almost blinding your eyes. And then, you see in the sky clouds forming the words: What I am today, tomorrow you will be. Wow!

Imagine that you are attending mass at Transfi. You kneel down devoutly after singing the Santo. You closed your eyes to concentrate more and listen intently to the words of consecration. Then, you open your eyes and saw the priest raising the chalice, and heard him say, “which will be given up for you. Do this is memory of me.” Then you see at the wall of the main altar, the pieces of wood formed in a spiral, moving, coming together and form the words: What I am today, tomorrow you will be. Wow!

Jesus’ Transfiguration is a foretaste of what we all shall be according to the plan of God, the glory of sharing in the life God, the brightness of being children of the Father. What happened to Jesus in Mt. Tabor will happen to us at the fulfillment of time. Transfigurations is our hope.

The Eucharist is a foretaste of the cost of fulfilling this plan of God; the challenge of self-giving love, of self-surrender, of giving oneself to God and to others [the theme of the first day of the Novena: Eukaristiya – Bukal ng Pag-aalay ng Sarili]. The self-giving love we celebrate in the Eucharist is actually the way for every Christian to fulfill the plan of God.

The victory of the Transfiguration goes through the road of the Eucharist. The glory of sharing in the divine life constitutively includes offering oneself to the divine and to the world. Self-oblation may be frightening but Transfiguration gives us hope. Self-oblation may be difficult but Transfiguration gives us strength. Self-oblation may bruise and scar us, but Transfiguration heals them with the bright light of God’s everlasting love. As we journey and await our transfiguration we take the map of self-oblation, confident that we will never go astray.