28th Sunday, Ordinary Time
Isang lalaki ang patakbong lumapit kay Hesus at lumuhod sa harap niya. Mabuti ang kanyang hangarin sapagkat hinahanap ng lalaki ang dapat gawin upang magkamit ng buhay na walang hanggan. Matuwid ang kanyang buhay sapagkat tinututupd niya ng mga utos ng Diyos. Subalit, sabi ni Hesus mayroong isang kulang – ang ipagbili ang kanyang mga ari-arian at ipamigay sa mga dukha ang pinagbilhan. Namanglaw ang lalaki. Malungkot na umalis. Dahil marami siyang ari-arian. Dahil siya ay napakayaman.
Hindi po masama ang kayamanan. Hindi po masama ang magkaroon ng ari-arian. Ang masama ay ang mabulag tayo sa kayamanan at ari-arian at hindi na natin makit ang isang kayamanang mas totoo, mas mahalaga – ang kayamanan ng paghahari ng Diyos. Kaharap na ng lalaki si Hesus, pero hindi niya kayang ipagpalit ang kanyang ari-arian para kay Hesus. Hindi niya kayang iwan ang kanyang kayaman para kay Hesus. Bulag na ang lalaki sa tunay na kayamanan.
Meron po kaming maliit na bukid sa Bulacan. Hindi po namin natatamnan kaya tinamnan ni Mang Val. Si Mang Val ay kapitbahay namin sa bukid. Siya ang nagpaararo. Siya ang bumili ng mga punla. Siya ang nagpatanim. Siya ang nagpatubig. Nitong nakaraang bagyo, binaha po ang bukid. Hindi agad na wala ang tubig (may kaunti pa ngang tubig hanggang ngayon), kaya nababad ang mga panananim. Hindi na mapapakinabangan. Nung umuwi ako nung isang Linggo, binisa ulit ni Mang Val ang bukid. Sabi ko, “Pano na yan?” Sabi niya, “Father, ganun talaga.” Sabi ko, “Ano na po ang gagawin ninyo?” Sagot sa akin,”Eh di magtatanim ulit. Magsisimula ulit. May awa ang Diyos sa susunod aani din tayo.” Maiintindihan ko po siya kung maiinis, kung magagalit, kung maghahanap ng masisisi. Pero iba si Mang Val. Nawalan man ng panananim, nawalan man ng ari-arian... hindi namanglaw, bagkus, ang naghari ay pag-asa sa awa ng Diyos; pag-asa sa isang bagong simula, sa isang bagong pagsibol.
Hindi masama ang kayamanan, pero nasa atin ba ang tunay na kayamanan? Hindi masama ang magkaroon ng ari-arian, pero sino ang nagmamay-ari ng ating puso? Salat ka man sa kayamanan at ari-arian, kung nasa iyo ang paghahari ng Diyos, ikaw na ang pinakamayaman! Amen.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Ten Years, Ten Lessons
8 September, Feast of the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary -- I am ten years in the priesthood. Going back to the decade that has passed, I came up with a list of simple lessons I realized in the past years. Actually there are more lessons that I can think of but I share with you ten lessons in gratitude for the ten wonderful years.
1. This is not home.
Like all of us, I am a pilgrim in this world, a visitor, passing through, never a permanent settler. This is true in two levels. First, as a diocesan priest of Cubao, all assignments I have and will have, are subject to term limits. I will always be reassigned. There will always be new assignments. There will always be a new mission, a new work, new people to meet. Second, in a more profound way like anyone else, I will face the reality of death (a daily dose of metformin never fails to remind me of this hehe). This is not permanent home for me. Home is where the Father is. So, a certain degree of detachment always works.
2. This is not my work.
God called me to be his servant, to be his priest. It is His will that I enter the seminary in high school (the Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary in Makati), that I attend Philosophy in San Carlos Seminary (and not pursue my plans to take up Political Science in UP), to finish in the Graduate School of Theology, be ordained as deacon and then as priest. God anointed me to build up his Church, to serve his people, to celebrate his sacraments, to take care of his flock, to bless his children. This is God's work. This is not my work. So, God, not I, will bring this work to fulfillment.
3. The cross is not for bad people.
Why do bad things happen to good people? This is the perennial question. Indeed, a very difficult question to answer. But eventually we begin to understand that what makes us good is not what happens to us but how we deal with what happens to us. By the life-giving love of Jesus, God has transformed the cross from being an implement of shame and punishment to becoming a mysterious instrument of grace and life. God can always write straight with our crooked ways. Nobody wants the cross, but a true Christian is not afraid of it.
4. To be broken is to be whole.
This is the lesson from the Eucharist – the bread of life, broken and shared. The mystery of sharing is that we become whole; we become who we are according to the plan of God when we give ourselves. In giving we let go, we sacrifice, we expose ourselves to rejection, we are broken, yet, mysteriously we find joy, we become complete. The life of a priest is a life of giving, sharing, offering, caring. Without being broken, no one can truly give; no one can truly be whole.
5. Silence speaks.
Silence seemed to have no place in the modern world. It’s a rare commodity if not non-existent at all. Time spent in silence is regarded as time wasted, useless and meaningless. For some, keeping quiet is a trait of the coward, the soft and the weak. But genuine communication only happens in silence. Real understanding, sincere dialogue and heartfelt listening are realized only in silence. In the midst of countless and oftentimes conflicting voices that grab our attention, silence makes us discern well, prioritize right and decide wisely. Silence makes life more bearable. Silence makes us sane.
6. Prayer is life.
To begin to neglect prayer is to begin dying inside . It’s a lack that will eat us up from the inside – whole and okey outside but rotting and decomposing inside. Without prayer, one becomes empty, hollow, lifeless. Prayer is non-negotiable.
7. Alone but not lonely.
I am not married. I have no wife. I have no one beside me in bed – I had no one and will never have one. I have no children. When I became I priest I got officially separated from my family. I am alone. But I am not lonely. I have the joy of fulfilling what God wants for me. I have the warmth of the community entrusted to me. I have the mission of my ministry. I have the love of family and friends. I have the embrace of the Eucharist, the consolation of confession and the solace of prayer, solitude and silence. I am alone and will always be, but I am not lonely.
8. “Auto” does not always work.
One and a half years ago I got hold of a SLR and never let go of it. I got hooked in photography. The excitement of using a SLR is in going manual mode (as against Auto mode). When what is usual does not work then, getting the image you want is in the adjustment of the settings. “Auto” works but when it does not one adjusts until one finds what works. Rigidity can never go manual; flexibility does the job.
9. It’s the “indian” not the “pana.”
This is the first tip that stuck with me when I got hooked in photography. It’s not the kind or the brand of camera (the latest model, the complexity of settings, the simplicity of point and shoot) that produces great images, it’s the person who holds it. Whatever camera you have it is the person who looks at the world with the heart, who perceives beyond what the eyes cans see, who makes choices about composition and perspective, and who eventually decides to click. Persons are primary. Persons are at the top of the list. Persons always take precedence. Gadgets can never replace a human heart.
10. Everything attainable is insufficient.
This statement is from the book of Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI entitled The Infinite Horizon. A chapter in that book he entitled The Insufficiency of Anything Attainable. Looking back at the past ten years, I can enumerate many achievements and milestones in my ministry. I can think of many attainments and successes (Yabang!). But in reality these are all insufficient. There will always be a part of me that remain open-ended, unfulfilled, unconsummated. There remain in me a longing for more, a desire for something greater, a yearning for the infinite. The symphony will always be unfinished, for this is the reality of the human condition: anything attainable is insufficient. Ultimately only God is sufficient. Only God fills our deepest longing, our yearning for the infinite. Only God ends our seemingly endless desires, for our hearts were made for the transcendent, for the “wholly other.” Our hearts were made for the eternal. There will be more achievements ahead. There will be more successes (I hope), but they will only lead us to wanting for more. Only God makes us content, for only Him is sufficient.
1. This is not home.
Like all of us, I am a pilgrim in this world, a visitor, passing through, never a permanent settler. This is true in two levels. First, as a diocesan priest of Cubao, all assignments I have and will have, are subject to term limits. I will always be reassigned. There will always be new assignments. There will always be a new mission, a new work, new people to meet. Second, in a more profound way like anyone else, I will face the reality of death (a daily dose of metformin never fails to remind me of this hehe). This is not permanent home for me. Home is where the Father is. So, a certain degree of detachment always works.
2. This is not my work.
God called me to be his servant, to be his priest. It is His will that I enter the seminary in high school (the Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary in Makati), that I attend Philosophy in San Carlos Seminary (and not pursue my plans to take up Political Science in UP), to finish in the Graduate School of Theology, be ordained as deacon and then as priest. God anointed me to build up his Church, to serve his people, to celebrate his sacraments, to take care of his flock, to bless his children. This is God's work. This is not my work. So, God, not I, will bring this work to fulfillment.
3. The cross is not for bad people.
Why do bad things happen to good people? This is the perennial question. Indeed, a very difficult question to answer. But eventually we begin to understand that what makes us good is not what happens to us but how we deal with what happens to us. By the life-giving love of Jesus, God has transformed the cross from being an implement of shame and punishment to becoming a mysterious instrument of grace and life. God can always write straight with our crooked ways. Nobody wants the cross, but a true Christian is not afraid of it.
4. To be broken is to be whole.
This is the lesson from the Eucharist – the bread of life, broken and shared. The mystery of sharing is that we become whole; we become who we are according to the plan of God when we give ourselves. In giving we let go, we sacrifice, we expose ourselves to rejection, we are broken, yet, mysteriously we find joy, we become complete. The life of a priest is a life of giving, sharing, offering, caring. Without being broken, no one can truly give; no one can truly be whole.
5. Silence speaks.
Silence seemed to have no place in the modern world. It’s a rare commodity if not non-existent at all. Time spent in silence is regarded as time wasted, useless and meaningless. For some, keeping quiet is a trait of the coward, the soft and the weak. But genuine communication only happens in silence. Real understanding, sincere dialogue and heartfelt listening are realized only in silence. In the midst of countless and oftentimes conflicting voices that grab our attention, silence makes us discern well, prioritize right and decide wisely. Silence makes life more bearable. Silence makes us sane.
6. Prayer is life.
To begin to neglect prayer is to begin dying inside . It’s a lack that will eat us up from the inside – whole and okey outside but rotting and decomposing inside. Without prayer, one becomes empty, hollow, lifeless. Prayer is non-negotiable.
7. Alone but not lonely.
I am not married. I have no wife. I have no one beside me in bed – I had no one and will never have one. I have no children. When I became I priest I got officially separated from my family. I am alone. But I am not lonely. I have the joy of fulfilling what God wants for me. I have the warmth of the community entrusted to me. I have the mission of my ministry. I have the love of family and friends. I have the embrace of the Eucharist, the consolation of confession and the solace of prayer, solitude and silence. I am alone and will always be, but I am not lonely.
8. “Auto” does not always work.
One and a half years ago I got hold of a SLR and never let go of it. I got hooked in photography. The excitement of using a SLR is in going manual mode (as against Auto mode). When what is usual does not work then, getting the image you want is in the adjustment of the settings. “Auto” works but when it does not one adjusts until one finds what works. Rigidity can never go manual; flexibility does the job.
9. It’s the “indian” not the “pana.”
This is the first tip that stuck with me when I got hooked in photography. It’s not the kind or the brand of camera (the latest model, the complexity of settings, the simplicity of point and shoot) that produces great images, it’s the person who holds it. Whatever camera you have it is the person who looks at the world with the heart, who perceives beyond what the eyes cans see, who makes choices about composition and perspective, and who eventually decides to click. Persons are primary. Persons are at the top of the list. Persons always take precedence. Gadgets can never replace a human heart.
10. Everything attainable is insufficient.
This statement is from the book of Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI entitled The Infinite Horizon. A chapter in that book he entitled The Insufficiency of Anything Attainable. Looking back at the past ten years, I can enumerate many achievements and milestones in my ministry. I can think of many attainments and successes (Yabang!). But in reality these are all insufficient. There will always be a part of me that remain open-ended, unfulfilled, unconsummated. There remain in me a longing for more, a desire for something greater, a yearning for the infinite. The symphony will always be unfinished, for this is the reality of the human condition: anything attainable is insufficient. Ultimately only God is sufficient. Only God fills our deepest longing, our yearning for the infinite. Only God ends our seemingly endless desires, for our hearts were made for the transcendent, for the “wholly other.” Our hearts were made for the eternal. There will be more achievements ahead. There will be more successes (I hope), but they will only lead us to wanting for more. Only God makes us content, for only Him is sufficient.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Dumating na ba si Hesus sa buhay mo?
September 6, 2009
23rd Sunday, Ordinary Time, Year B
Ito ang sabi ni Propeta Isaias sa unang pagbasa: “Huwag kang matakot, lakasan mo ang iyong loob. Darating na ang Panginoong Diyos, at ililigtas ka sa mga kaaway. Ang mga bulag ay makakakita, at makakarinig ang mga bingi; katulad ng usa, ang pilay lulundag, aawit sa galak ang pipi.”
Ito ay isang pangako mula kay Propeta Isaias. Darating ang Panginoon. Darating ang tagpagligtas. At may palatandaan sa kanyang pagdating: makakakita ang bulag, makakarinig ang bingi, lulundag ang pilay at aawit ang pipi.
Sa ebanghelyo ngayon pinagaling ni Hesus ang isang taong bingi at pipi. Sa pagtatapos ng kuwento sabi sa atin na "nanggilalas" ang mga nakasaksi ng nangayari, hindi lamang dahil sa himala, kundi dahil ang nangyari ay isang palatandaan sa pagdating ng Panginoon. Sa pagadating ni Hesus dumating ang Panginoon sa mga Hudyo. Dumating na ang kanilang hinihintay. Dumating na ang tagapagligtas.
Ito ang magandang tanong: Dumating na ba si Hesus sa buhay mo? May mga palatandaan. Kapag hindi ka na bingi sa mga utos ng Diyos; kapag hindi ka na bingi sa salita ng Diyos, sa tinig ng Diyos at handa ka nang sumunod sa kanya, dumating na nga si Hesus sa buhay mo.
Kapag hindi ka na bulag sa pangangailangan ng ating kapwa; kapag hindi ka na bulag sa kahirapan, sa kawalan ng katarungan, sa kawalan ng pagkakapantay pantay at handa ka ng kumilos, dumating na nga si Hesus sa buhay mo.
Kapag hindi ka na pilay dahil sa kasalanan; kapag hindi na pilay dahil sa iyong magkamakasarili, dahil sa sama ng loob, dahil sa inggit, sa galit at kaya mo nang lumakad ng tuwid, lumakad sa katuwiran, dumating na nga ang Panginoon sa buhay mo.
Kapag hindi ka na pipi sa mabuting balita ng Diyos; kapag ang namumutawi sa iyong bibig ay ang kabutihang loob ng Diyos; kapag hindi ka na nahihiya na pag-usapan si Hesus at magturo ng pagsundo sa kanya, dumating na nga si Hesus sa buhay mo.
Minsan ng pumarito si Hesus sa buhay na ito at hindi na niya iniwan ang kanyang bayan. Sa kanyang pagkamatay sa Krus at muling pagkabuhay, patuloy siyang nakasama ng kanyang bayan, at magpahanggan ngayon ay kasama nating lahat. Subalit kailangan natin ang "effata"; kailangan nating magbukas ng ating puso't isipan kay Hesus, upang dumating siya sa ating buhay.
Hanggang tayo ay bingi sa tinig at utos ng Diyos; hanggang tayo ay pilay sa ating mga kahinaan; hanggang tayo ay bulag sa pangangailangan ng ating kapwa; hanggang tayo ay pipi sa kabutihang loob ng Diyos, hindi pa lubos ang pagdating ni Hesus sa ating buhay.
Uulitin ko ang tanong: dumating na ba si Hesus sa buhay mo?
23rd Sunday, Ordinary Time, Year B
Ito ang sabi ni Propeta Isaias sa unang pagbasa: “Huwag kang matakot, lakasan mo ang iyong loob. Darating na ang Panginoong Diyos, at ililigtas ka sa mga kaaway. Ang mga bulag ay makakakita, at makakarinig ang mga bingi; katulad ng usa, ang pilay lulundag, aawit sa galak ang pipi.”
Ito ay isang pangako mula kay Propeta Isaias. Darating ang Panginoon. Darating ang tagpagligtas. At may palatandaan sa kanyang pagdating: makakakita ang bulag, makakarinig ang bingi, lulundag ang pilay at aawit ang pipi.
Sa ebanghelyo ngayon pinagaling ni Hesus ang isang taong bingi at pipi. Sa pagtatapos ng kuwento sabi sa atin na "nanggilalas" ang mga nakasaksi ng nangayari, hindi lamang dahil sa himala, kundi dahil ang nangyari ay isang palatandaan sa pagdating ng Panginoon. Sa pagadating ni Hesus dumating ang Panginoon sa mga Hudyo. Dumating na ang kanilang hinihintay. Dumating na ang tagapagligtas.
Ito ang magandang tanong: Dumating na ba si Hesus sa buhay mo? May mga palatandaan. Kapag hindi ka na bingi sa mga utos ng Diyos; kapag hindi ka na bingi sa salita ng Diyos, sa tinig ng Diyos at handa ka nang sumunod sa kanya, dumating na nga si Hesus sa buhay mo.
Kapag hindi ka na bulag sa pangangailangan ng ating kapwa; kapag hindi ka na bulag sa kahirapan, sa kawalan ng katarungan, sa kawalan ng pagkakapantay pantay at handa ka ng kumilos, dumating na nga si Hesus sa buhay mo.
Kapag hindi ka na pilay dahil sa kasalanan; kapag hindi na pilay dahil sa iyong magkamakasarili, dahil sa sama ng loob, dahil sa inggit, sa galit at kaya mo nang lumakad ng tuwid, lumakad sa katuwiran, dumating na nga ang Panginoon sa buhay mo.
Kapag hindi ka na pipi sa mabuting balita ng Diyos; kapag ang namumutawi sa iyong bibig ay ang kabutihang loob ng Diyos; kapag hindi ka na nahihiya na pag-usapan si Hesus at magturo ng pagsundo sa kanya, dumating na nga si Hesus sa buhay mo.
Minsan ng pumarito si Hesus sa buhay na ito at hindi na niya iniwan ang kanyang bayan. Sa kanyang pagkamatay sa Krus at muling pagkabuhay, patuloy siyang nakasama ng kanyang bayan, at magpahanggan ngayon ay kasama nating lahat. Subalit kailangan natin ang "effata"; kailangan nating magbukas ng ating puso't isipan kay Hesus, upang dumating siya sa ating buhay.
Hanggang tayo ay bingi sa tinig at utos ng Diyos; hanggang tayo ay pilay sa ating mga kahinaan; hanggang tayo ay bulag sa pangangailangan ng ating kapwa; hanggang tayo ay pipi sa kabutihang loob ng Diyos, hindi pa lubos ang pagdating ni Hesus sa ating buhay.
Uulitin ko ang tanong: dumating na ba si Hesus sa buhay mo?
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Huwag Magpapadala...
22nd Sunday, Ordinary Time, Year B
Sa ebanghelyo ngayon narinig natin ang pag-uusap ni Hesus at ng mga Pariseo tungkol sa kalinisan. At kasama sa isyu ng kalinisin ay kung ano ang nagpaparumi sa tao. At ito ang sabi ni Hesus: Hindi ang pumapasok sa bibig ng tao ang nakapagpaparumi sa kanya sa mata ng Diyos kundi ang mga nagmumula sa kanya.
Malinaw ang sinabi ni Hesus na ang kasamaan na nagpaparumi sa tao ay hindi nagmumula sa mga panlabas na kadahilanan, bagkus nagmumula sa loob, nagmumula sa puso, kung saan nagmumula ang isipang nag-uudyok sa kanya na magkasala at hindi sumunod sa utos ng Diyos.
Madalas kapag tayo ay nagkamali o nagkasala ang una nating ginagawa ay ang maghanap ng dahilan o masisi na nasa paligid natin, nasa labas natin. Kaya kapag tinanong mo: Bakit ka nangongopya? Eh kasi lahat ng mga kaklase ko nangongopya eh. Bakit ka tumatanggap ng lagay? Eh kasi lahat ng katrabaho ko tumatanggap ng lagay eh. Bakit ka kumukuha ng hindi sa iyo? Bakit ka nagnanakaw? Eh kasi lahat ng mga kaibigan ko nagnanakaw eh. Bakit ka nangangaliwa? Eh kasi lahat ng mga kabarkada ko nangangaliwa eh. Bakit ka nagdrodroga? Eh kasi lahat ng nasa kalye namin nagdrodroga eh.
Oo puede tayong madala ng mga taong nakapaligid sa atin. Yung pakikisama puedeng maging pakiki-sama. Pero sabi ni Santiago sa ikalawang pagbasa: itinanim ng Diyos ang kanyang salita sa ating mga puso. Naitanim na ng Diyos ang kanyang mga utos sa ating mga puso. Kaya ang hindi pagsunod sa Diyos ay hindi nanggagaling sa labas, bagkus nagmumula sa isang pusong ayaw tupdin ang itinanim ng Diyos.
Kaya kahanga-hanga ang mga taong kahit nandaraya na ang lahat, siya gagawin pa rin kung ano ang tama. Nagnanakaw na ang lahat, siya hindi pa rin kukunin ang hindi kanya. Nagsisinungaling na ang lahat, siya sasabihin pa rin kung ano ang totoo. Yan ang tunay na kabutihan; isang kabutihan nagmumula sa loob, nagmumula sa puso.
Nasa puso na natin ang utos ng Diyos. Nasa puso na natin kung ano ang mabuti. Ang hamon sa atin ay huwag magpadala sa pakikisama. Huwag magpadala sa pakiki-sama.
Sa ebanghelyo ngayon narinig natin ang pag-uusap ni Hesus at ng mga Pariseo tungkol sa kalinisan. At kasama sa isyu ng kalinisin ay kung ano ang nagpaparumi sa tao. At ito ang sabi ni Hesus: Hindi ang pumapasok sa bibig ng tao ang nakapagpaparumi sa kanya sa mata ng Diyos kundi ang mga nagmumula sa kanya.
Malinaw ang sinabi ni Hesus na ang kasamaan na nagpaparumi sa tao ay hindi nagmumula sa mga panlabas na kadahilanan, bagkus nagmumula sa loob, nagmumula sa puso, kung saan nagmumula ang isipang nag-uudyok sa kanya na magkasala at hindi sumunod sa utos ng Diyos.
Madalas kapag tayo ay nagkamali o nagkasala ang una nating ginagawa ay ang maghanap ng dahilan o masisi na nasa paligid natin, nasa labas natin. Kaya kapag tinanong mo: Bakit ka nangongopya? Eh kasi lahat ng mga kaklase ko nangongopya eh. Bakit ka tumatanggap ng lagay? Eh kasi lahat ng katrabaho ko tumatanggap ng lagay eh. Bakit ka kumukuha ng hindi sa iyo? Bakit ka nagnanakaw? Eh kasi lahat ng mga kaibigan ko nagnanakaw eh. Bakit ka nangangaliwa? Eh kasi lahat ng mga kabarkada ko nangangaliwa eh. Bakit ka nagdrodroga? Eh kasi lahat ng nasa kalye namin nagdrodroga eh.
Oo puede tayong madala ng mga taong nakapaligid sa atin. Yung pakikisama puedeng maging pakiki-sama. Pero sabi ni Santiago sa ikalawang pagbasa: itinanim ng Diyos ang kanyang salita sa ating mga puso. Naitanim na ng Diyos ang kanyang mga utos sa ating mga puso. Kaya ang hindi pagsunod sa Diyos ay hindi nanggagaling sa labas, bagkus nagmumula sa isang pusong ayaw tupdin ang itinanim ng Diyos.
Kaya kahanga-hanga ang mga taong kahit nandaraya na ang lahat, siya gagawin pa rin kung ano ang tama. Nagnanakaw na ang lahat, siya hindi pa rin kukunin ang hindi kanya. Nagsisinungaling na ang lahat, siya sasabihin pa rin kung ano ang totoo. Yan ang tunay na kabutihan; isang kabutihan nagmumula sa loob, nagmumula sa puso.
Nasa puso na natin ang utos ng Diyos. Nasa puso na natin kung ano ang mabuti. Ang hamon sa atin ay huwag magpadala sa pakikisama. Huwag magpadala sa pakiki-sama.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
SAKRIPISYO
Homily delivered on the 8th day of the Novena
Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish
August 7, 2009
Siguro marami sa atin, nakatutok sa TV nung Miyerkules, lalu na nung Miyerkules ng hapon. Nakita natin ang pagkarami-raming tao ang naghintay at nagpaulan para sa libing ni Cory Aquino. Habang nanonood nagkaroon po ako ng pagninilay. Sabi ko sa sarili, “ang sakripisyo, sa bandang huli, mamumunga ng mabuti.” Sacrfice will always bear fruits of goodness.
Maraming isinakripisyo si Cory: sakripisyo niya kay Ninoy, sakripisyo niya sa pagiging politiko, sakripisyo niya kay Kris Aquino, at sakripisyo niya sa kanyang sakit. Ito lang yung mga alam natin. Sigurado marami pa tayong hindi alam. Pero nung Miyerkules, nakita natin ang bunga ng kanyang sakripisyo. Tunay nga na ang sakripisyo, sa bandang huli namumunga ng mabuti.
Tamang tama ang ebanghelyo natin ngayon, “Kung ibig ninumang sumunod sa akin, limutin niya ang ukol sa kanyang sarili, pasanin ang kanyang krus at sumunod sa akin.” Hindi ba sakripisyo ang paglimot ang nauukol sa sarili upang unahin ang nauukol sa iba? Hindi ba sakripisyo ang pasanin ang krus na inihaharap sa atin ng buhay? Hindi ba sakripisyo ang sundin ng nais ng Diyos kahit hindi ito ang ating nais, o plano? Pero dahil ang sakripisyong ito ay para sa Diyos, sa bandang huli mamumunga ng mabuti.
Ito ang ating pagtulungan. Dito tayo maging magkaagapay. Laging nadyan ang tukso na basta’t maaayos ako at ang pamilya ko, okey na ko. Kung anong mas madali, iyan ang pipiliin ko. Susundin ko kung ano ang gusto ko. Magpaalalahanan tayo na ang sakripisyo ng paglimot sa nauukol sa sarili upang unahin ang iba ay sa bandang huli mamumunga ng mabuti. Ang sakripisyo ng harapin ang krus at harapin ang mahirap ay sa bandang huli mamumunga ng mabuti. Ang sakripisyo ng pagsunod sa gusto ng Diyos at hindi sa gusto ko ay sa bandang huli mamumunga ng mabuti.
Madalas tayong makalimut. Madalas tayong pangunahan ng kahinaan. Dito tayo magpaalalahanan. Dito tayo magtulungan. Dito tayo maging magkaagapay. Dahil ito ang landas sa kabanalan.
Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish
August 7, 2009
Siguro marami sa atin, nakatutok sa TV nung Miyerkules, lalu na nung Miyerkules ng hapon. Nakita natin ang pagkarami-raming tao ang naghintay at nagpaulan para sa libing ni Cory Aquino. Habang nanonood nagkaroon po ako ng pagninilay. Sabi ko sa sarili, “ang sakripisyo, sa bandang huli, mamumunga ng mabuti.” Sacrfice will always bear fruits of goodness.
Maraming isinakripisyo si Cory: sakripisyo niya kay Ninoy, sakripisyo niya sa pagiging politiko, sakripisyo niya kay Kris Aquino, at sakripisyo niya sa kanyang sakit. Ito lang yung mga alam natin. Sigurado marami pa tayong hindi alam. Pero nung Miyerkules, nakita natin ang bunga ng kanyang sakripisyo. Tunay nga na ang sakripisyo, sa bandang huli namumunga ng mabuti.
Tamang tama ang ebanghelyo natin ngayon, “Kung ibig ninumang sumunod sa akin, limutin niya ang ukol sa kanyang sarili, pasanin ang kanyang krus at sumunod sa akin.” Hindi ba sakripisyo ang paglimot ang nauukol sa sarili upang unahin ang nauukol sa iba? Hindi ba sakripisyo ang pasanin ang krus na inihaharap sa atin ng buhay? Hindi ba sakripisyo ang sundin ng nais ng Diyos kahit hindi ito ang ating nais, o plano? Pero dahil ang sakripisyong ito ay para sa Diyos, sa bandang huli mamumunga ng mabuti.
Ito ang ating pagtulungan. Dito tayo maging magkaagapay. Laging nadyan ang tukso na basta’t maaayos ako at ang pamilya ko, okey na ko. Kung anong mas madali, iyan ang pipiliin ko. Susundin ko kung ano ang gusto ko. Magpaalalahanan tayo na ang sakripisyo ng paglimot sa nauukol sa sarili upang unahin ang iba ay sa bandang huli mamumunga ng mabuti. Ang sakripisyo ng harapin ang krus at harapin ang mahirap ay sa bandang huli mamumunga ng mabuti. Ang sakripisyo ng pagsunod sa gusto ng Diyos at hindi sa gusto ko ay sa bandang huli mamumunga ng mabuti.
Madalas tayong makalimut. Madalas tayong pangunahan ng kahinaan. Dito tayo magpaalalahanan. Dito tayo magtulungan. Dito tayo maging magkaagapay. Dahil ito ang landas sa kabanalan.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
the bread that endures for eternal life
August 2, 2009
18th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Year B
We all heard the news: Cory Aquino died yesterday. After all the prayers, all the rosaries, all the healing masses, why did Cory still die? Why didn't Cory recover from her illness? Where was the healing power of God? Did God ignore all the prayers? Did God turn a deaf ear? Does God truly listen to prayers? Or was it that God just didn’t care?
These are difficult questions. These are questions that challenge our faith. But when faced bravely these are questions that give meaning to how we live our life. These are questions that solidify our confidence in a most loving God.
In 2004, Cory wrote a prayer – A Prayer for a Happy Death. In that prayer, she wrote:
Almighty God, most merciful Father
You alone know the time
You alone know the hour
You alone know the moment
When I shall breathe my last […]
When the final moment does come
Let not my loved ones grieve for long […]
Let them know that they made possible
Whatever good I offered to our world.
And let them realize that our separation
Is just for a short while
As we prepare for our reunion in eternity […]
Cory believed that the separation that death brings “is just for a short while” for beyond death is “reunion in eternity.” God may not seem to answer positively the masses and the rosaries that asked for Cory’s healing, but we trust that God answered Cory’s own prayer. Cory was loved unconditionally by God, as we all are. And the separation brought about by death is just for a short while, as it shall be for all of us, for there is reunion in eternity.
The words of Jesus in the gospel today confirms this confidence in God. Jesus is the bread of life. He is the bread that comes down from heaven. He is the bread that endures for eternal life. In Jesus, life conquers death. In Jesus, life is changed, not ended. In Jesus, life ends in life, not death.
Sa harap ng masasalimuot na mga tanong na dulot ng kamatayan, inaanyayahan tayong magtiwala kay Hesus na tinapay ng buhay. Ang tumanggap sa kanya ay mananaig sa kamatayan. Ang manalig sa kanya ay magkakaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan.
When Cory was still with us, there wasn't any reservation to let all people know her deep faith in God and her great love for the Blessed Mother. Cory had faith. Cory believed. Cory received the bread of life. Cory may have left this world but she left in faith. She left trusting that the sting of death was never total. She left in anticipation of a reunion in eternity.
We may not have all the answers to all our questions, but what we have are the words of Jesus which are more than enough reasons to trust - to trust in Jesus, to trust the Bread that endures for eternal life. Amen.
18th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Year B
We all heard the news: Cory Aquino died yesterday. After all the prayers, all the rosaries, all the healing masses, why did Cory still die? Why didn't Cory recover from her illness? Where was the healing power of God? Did God ignore all the prayers? Did God turn a deaf ear? Does God truly listen to prayers? Or was it that God just didn’t care?
These are difficult questions. These are questions that challenge our faith. But when faced bravely these are questions that give meaning to how we live our life. These are questions that solidify our confidence in a most loving God.
In 2004, Cory wrote a prayer – A Prayer for a Happy Death. In that prayer, she wrote:
Almighty God, most merciful Father
You alone know the time
You alone know the hour
You alone know the moment
When I shall breathe my last […]
When the final moment does come
Let not my loved ones grieve for long […]
Let them know that they made possible
Whatever good I offered to our world.
And let them realize that our separation
Is just for a short while
As we prepare for our reunion in eternity […]
Cory believed that the separation that death brings “is just for a short while” for beyond death is “reunion in eternity.” God may not seem to answer positively the masses and the rosaries that asked for Cory’s healing, but we trust that God answered Cory’s own prayer. Cory was loved unconditionally by God, as we all are. And the separation brought about by death is just for a short while, as it shall be for all of us, for there is reunion in eternity.
The words of Jesus in the gospel today confirms this confidence in God. Jesus is the bread of life. He is the bread that comes down from heaven. He is the bread that endures for eternal life. In Jesus, life conquers death. In Jesus, life is changed, not ended. In Jesus, life ends in life, not death.
Sa harap ng masasalimuot na mga tanong na dulot ng kamatayan, inaanyayahan tayong magtiwala kay Hesus na tinapay ng buhay. Ang tumanggap sa kanya ay mananaig sa kamatayan. Ang manalig sa kanya ay magkakaroon ng buhay na walang hanggan.
When Cory was still with us, there wasn't any reservation to let all people know her deep faith in God and her great love for the Blessed Mother. Cory had faith. Cory believed. Cory received the bread of life. Cory may have left this world but she left in faith. She left trusting that the sting of death was never total. She left in anticipation of a reunion in eternity.
We may not have all the answers to all our questions, but what we have are the words of Jesus which are more than enough reasons to trust - to trust in Jesus, to trust the Bread that endures for eternal life. Amen.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Trust like a child
July 26, 2009
17th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Year B
I recently attended a conference on Children’s Liturgy. During the conference a question was asked whether children are capable of silence. Can children keep quiet to pray? To answer this question a priest narrated a story about a child of four or five years who was with him in the blessing of a house. The little child was quiet and was intent in praying with the priest. Then, a group of visitors arrived and entered the house not knowing that the blessing is on-going. They were talking among themselves. The little child looked at them and raising his finger on his lips said, “Shhhhhh. Pray!” And the priests concluded the story by saying, “We adults can learn a lot from children.”
Yes, we can learn a lot from children. Adults can learn from children. The gospel today is a perfect example of this. Jesus performed a miracle by multiplying the loaves and the fish to feed the more than five thousand people who followed him. From where did the fish and loaves came? In the words of Andrew, “There is a little boy here who has five loaves and two fish.” Jesus took the loaves and fish, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the crowd. All had their fill and the apostles were able to collect baskets of leftovers. The little child shared the little he had and trusted that Jesus will take care of him.
God can only multiply those that are offered to him. God can only bless those that are entrusted to him in the spirit of filial confidence that God will take care, that God will provide.
Sino ba sa atin ang ayaw sa pagpaparami ng Diyos ng mga bagay na meron tayo? Sino ba sa atin ang ayaw sa masmaraming biyaya at pagpapala mula sa Diyos? Pero kaya lang pong paramihin ng Diyos iyong mga inaalay sa kanya. Kaya lamang paramihin ng Diyos iyong ipinagkakatiwala sa kanya. Oo, gusto nating lahat na mapuno ang ating mga pangangailangan, subalit magagawa lamang ito ng Diyos kung tulad ng bata sa ebanghelyo, iaalay natin sa kanya anuman ang mayroon tayo sa pagtitiwalang hindi niya tayo pababayaan. Amen.
17th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Year B
I recently attended a conference on Children’s Liturgy. During the conference a question was asked whether children are capable of silence. Can children keep quiet to pray? To answer this question a priest narrated a story about a child of four or five years who was with him in the blessing of a house. The little child was quiet and was intent in praying with the priest. Then, a group of visitors arrived and entered the house not knowing that the blessing is on-going. They were talking among themselves. The little child looked at them and raising his finger on his lips said, “Shhhhhh. Pray!” And the priests concluded the story by saying, “We adults can learn a lot from children.”
Yes, we can learn a lot from children. Adults can learn from children. The gospel today is a perfect example of this. Jesus performed a miracle by multiplying the loaves and the fish to feed the more than five thousand people who followed him. From where did the fish and loaves came? In the words of Andrew, “There is a little boy here who has five loaves and two fish.” Jesus took the loaves and fish, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the crowd. All had their fill and the apostles were able to collect baskets of leftovers. The little child shared the little he had and trusted that Jesus will take care of him.
God can only multiply those that are offered to him. God can only bless those that are entrusted to him in the spirit of filial confidence that God will take care, that God will provide.
Sino ba sa atin ang ayaw sa pagpaparami ng Diyos ng mga bagay na meron tayo? Sino ba sa atin ang ayaw sa masmaraming biyaya at pagpapala mula sa Diyos? Pero kaya lang pong paramihin ng Diyos iyong mga inaalay sa kanya. Kaya lamang paramihin ng Diyos iyong ipinagkakatiwala sa kanya. Oo, gusto nating lahat na mapuno ang ating mga pangangailangan, subalit magagawa lamang ito ng Diyos kung tulad ng bata sa ebanghelyo, iaalay natin sa kanya anuman ang mayroon tayo sa pagtitiwalang hindi niya tayo pababayaan. Amen.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Ang Panginoong Lingkod
Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper
Sa Huling Hapunan, nangyari ang isang mahalagang himala ni ginawa ni Jesus, na hanggang ngayon ay pinakikinabangan natin - ang himala ng katawan at dugo ni Kristo sa anyo ng tinapay at alak. Sa pagmamahal ni Jesus, tuwing tayo’y magkakatipon upang magdiwang ng Eukaristiya, binabago ni Jesus sa kapangyarihan ng
Pero hindi lamang tinapay at alak ang binago ni Jesus noong Huling Hapunan. Isa pang mahalagang pagbabago ang ginawa ni Jesus na narinig natin sa ebanghelyo ngayon tungkol sa paghuhugas ni Jesus ng paa ng kanyang mga alagad – ang Panginoon naging tagapaglingkod; the master becomes the servant; the Son of God becomes the servant of all. We are all masters of our own lives, but Jesus transforms us into servants of one another. We become more like Jesus if we are servants more than masters. Our willingness to stoop down, be humble and serve witness to who the real master is. No one is greater than Jesus. So, if Jesus stooped down and washed the feet of his disciples who are we to refuse stooping down and wash each other’s feet.
Inanyayahan natin ngayon ang ilan sa mga tatay ng iskolar ng ating parokya. Labing dalawa po silang nandito ngayon. Sila po ang huhugasan ko ng paa mamaya. Sa pakikipag-usap ko sa kanila, lahat po sila ay nagpapasalamat dahil natutulungan natin sila sa pag-aaral ng kanilang anak. Pero ngayong gabi, ako po ang magpapasalamat sa kanila, dahil sa pamamagitan nila natutupad natin ang hangarin ni Jesus na tayo ay makapaglingkod.
Salamat sa inyo dahil tinanggap ninyo ang tulong na galing sa ating parokya. Palagay ko hindi ninyo alam, pero dahil pumayag kayong magpatulong, kayo ay naging biyaya sa pamayanang ito upang kahit paano ay matupad ang paanyaya ni Jesus na maging lingkod ang lahat.
Mga kapatid, kung paano patuloy na binabago ni Jesus ang tinapay at alak upang maging kanyang katawan at dugo, idalangin natin sa Diyos na patuloy nya ring baguhin ang ating buhay upang tayo’y maging tunay na tagapaglingkod sa bawat isa. Amen.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Deal or No deal!
Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion
Sabi ng mga eksperto sa Bibliya, yung mga taong nagwelcome kay Hesus sa pagpasok sa
Mga kapatid, pagkatapos nating maglakbay ng halos 40 araw ng kuwaresma, pagkatapos magpalagay ng abo sa noo, pagkatapos mag-ayuno, mag-asbstensya, manalangin, magkawanggawa, mag-daan ng krus, pagkatapos ng ilang mga sermon, pangaral, recollection at retreat ngayong kuwaresma, sa bandang huli kailangan nating magdesisyon. Kailangan nating magkaroon ng matibay na pagpapasya. Tatanggapin mo ba ang paanyaya ni Jesus na pagbabago o magbibingi-bingihan ka na lang? Susunod ka ba sa paanyaya ni Jesus o magbubulag-bulagan ka na lang? Tatanggapin mo ba ang bagong simula na bigay ni Jesus o babalik na lang sa dati?
We are bystanders in the suffering and death of the Lord. We cannot remain mere hearers of the words of Jesus, nor mere watchers to his actions. We are called to become believers, to become followers. Now is the time to decide – accept or reject Jesus; deal or no deal!
Friday, April 3, 2009
a problem of timing
From the gospel yesterday: "they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area."
From the gospel today: "they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped form their power."
From the gospel tomorrow: "So from that day on they planned to kill him. So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews..."
Was Jesus running away from the his cross? Was Jesus fleeing from his mission? from offering his life?
The gospel of John tells us why: because "the hour has not yet come."
Jesus is so attuned to the heart and mind of the Father that lives according to God's time. Not the time of the Scribes and Pharisees, nor of the Jews, nor his time, but according to God's time.
This is something that we should learn from Jesus. I beleive many of our problems are brought about by problems in discerning the "right time." Things will be simple if we know how keep quiet and when to talk. Things get complicated when we talk when we should have keep quiet and kept silent when we should have spoken out. Things get our of hand when we act when we should have waited and waited when we should have acted. A problem of timing - not our own but God's.
Only a prayerful person can be sensitive to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that reveals to us the "right time" of God.
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