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Health Care Ministry

Mind and Body Link to Illness By Dr. Dido Gustillo Villasor, Phd.

Dr. Dido Villasor became deeply aware about the mind and body-link to illness at 21, when she accompanied a beloved aunt who was terminally ill with cancer to UCLA as part of her new treatment program. While there, she interacted with other patient participants. Unaware, she developed feelings for the disease and stress, now found common among caregivers.

Health, Wellness and Healing


Contrary to common belief, health is not just the absence of disease. Health involves a sense of wellness or feeling ok. Health and wellness happen when there is a balance between the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of a person. The physical dimension involves using the five senses to interact with the world. The mental involves learning about one’s condition/ problems, weighing the pro and cons in decision-making. The emotional dimension evaluates one’s feelings and places value on what one is going through. The spiritual dimension gives meaning/purpose to one’s life and situation in the context of something bigger than oneself. Each of us uniquely combines these four dimensions to create boundaries (separateness) that help us interpret and deal with our circumstances.

The body or our physical dimension is our biological make up or genetic inheritance. As early as 1940’s Alfred Adler, MD talked of an “organ of weakness” where life conditions may impact a predisposed organ. Today, in regular check-ups, doctors routinely ask if hypertension, diabetes, heart or cancer run in one’s family. Another biologically determined marker is temperament, modified by psychosocial conditions.

Psychosocial conditions (family, education, experiences, religion, random/unpredictable events) contribute to the development of one’s attitude, beliefs and values. These directly influences how one thinks, feels, acts and determine the quality of life, work, relationship with the self, others and something bigger than the self.

Unexpected events/conditions can be stressful and can alter one’s assumption about the world, the self and others. For example, when one loses his/her job on short notice, this alters the entire life of the self, and family. One can view this as a challenge or set back feeling anxiety, helplessness or hopelessness. The body however reacts to a perceived threat of one’s well-being. The body releases hormones to prepare for “fight or flight.”

Gerald O’ Collins (1988) listed triggers that can affect the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual balance within the person: namely Death, Sickness, Betrayal, Exile, sense of Failure, Yearning for more. These triggers impact individuals in different ways depending on the personality type. The Type A personality is someone more competitive, aggressive, multi-tasker, and a perfectionist who may take a challenge, fight, seek out different solutions, insist on their way. A Type B personality tends to be more laid back, may go into denial, minimize the condition, and seeks help at the last minute. The Type C personality tend to be anxious, non-confrontational, repressed anger, hostility, worries a lot.

Author Carolyn Myss in her book “Why people Don’t Heal and How they Can” (1988) talks about “Woundology” where a person hangs on to the past wounds (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual) and these define who they are and how they cope with life. Forgiveness of the Self is primary in order to forgive the other person and contribute to one’s physical health. There is always an on-going exchange of the mental, and physical, emotional and spiritual factors of a person whenever Stress or Crisis happens. Those who cannot cope or refuse to seek help have difficulty experiencing healing.

Health, Wellness, and healing require being CONSCIOUS of what is going on outside as well as inside of oneself. Second, it requires making a CHOICE on how to live one’s life. Finally, it underscores TAKING RESPONSIBILITY for the choices one makes.

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Fr. Sergio Santos

“Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth – Heirs of Eternal Life in Heaven,” SUNDAY GOSPEL REFLECTION 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time by Fr. Serge Santos OFM

God in his mercy and compassion is calling everyone to be ready when he calls us to see him face to face. We must be always ready to face our judgment. We don’t know the day nor the hour when we will be called from this life.

But we have control about the state of relationship with God when death comes. “We cannot avoid a sudden death, but we can avoid an unprepared death.” With the aid of God’s grace we can ensure that our relationship is more or less ok. We can strive always to live in peace with God. This does not mean that we must be always on our knees praying to God and that we take no interest in the things and joys of this world. Far from it. God wants us to use the things of this world, but to use them so that they will not hinder us on our journey ‘as strangers and pilgrims’ on earth.

Today we can ask ourselves: “How would I fare if I were called to render an account of stewardship tonight?” If I find there are many things I need to put right before I face my judge Jesus Christ, I will start promptly to put them right. I will not dilly-dally. I may or may not get a second warning or chance. I value my eternal happiness, so I will put my books in order. I will make peace with Jesus Christ and my neighbors. Acknowledging His grace and compassion, I will be creative and wise to trek the right road to eternal life in heaven.

“When the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) took our human nature, he made us capable of becoming sharers in the eternal glory and happiness of the Infinite God.” We can not fathom that God raised us up to the status of adopted children. “He (God) had no need of us, he did not require our company or adoration, he is infinitely perfect and happy in himself.”

God gave us the gift of incarnation. Jesus Christ became our brother and through him we became adopted children of God and therefore heirs to heaven. “The sins of mankind which had corrupted the world brought about the death of Christ on the cross – a death he freely accepted.” “Christ’s offering himself on the cross was sufficient to obtain eternal sanctification for all humankind. Christ’s one act of self-sacrifice on the cross is sufficient for all time. It need not be repeated. Through that death and as our representative and senior brother, he made perfect atonement to God the Father for all our sins. His triumph over sin and death was our triumph; ever since his ascension, the incarnate Son of God is in the seat of glory in heaven interceding for us sinners; he is preparing a place for us, his brothers (and sisters), which will be ours when life on this earth ends.”

“The members of the Chosen People who did God’s will earned heaven through the merits of Christ and only after ascension. Because of God’s loving generosity these infinite merits of Christ were applied to all Jews and Gentiles, who, before Christ, lived according to their lights. They will be applied to all provided they act according to the revealed or the natural knowledge of God which is given them.”

We can resolve to be good and holy in the light of Christ. With God’s grace we will do in our power and creativity to pursue this resolution until we finish the race to eternal life. Not all of us would avail of this bounteous divine mercy but those who believe in and acknowledge and accept the merciful plan of God would certainly receive an eternal reward.

Knowing all these facts and truths, it is just right to offer God endless gratitude and thanks. I believe that God will let us live long enough to earn eternity. For those who are worried about their weaknesses, temptations and trials, are reminded that they are not left orphans…they are not on their own, they are not left to fend for themselves…they have Jesus Christ as brother, in heaven pleading with the Father of mercies on their behalf. We cannot lose our inheritance provided we do our very best to be true and loyal Christians. Being grateful we can gladly cooperate with God to earn the eternal merit already won by Christ.

Pilgrims and Strangers on Earth, we are Heirs to Eternal Life in Heaven. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

(Reference: The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O’Sullivan OFM)

About Fr. Serge and his reflections…..

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JPIC

CHRISTMAS KNOCKING by JPIC Scholarship Committee

1Is it almost Christmas again? Where did the all the months after June go? When half the year is over time seems to fly and once more we are confronted with the thought of Christmas and all the joys, preparations and hassle that accompany the season. But as the saying goes “you never cross the same river twice” and this is so true for our most celebrated and wonderful season of Christmas.

Traditional rituals stay but there is always something added or lacking or just different. Whether it’s as trivial as a new place or décor or as painful as the passing of a loved one, Christmas calls for thinking about its essence and vitality – celebrating with loved ones, sharing, and the thought of making it better, happier, more meaningful and even more organized knocks at our consciousness.
20At the JPIC Scholarship Program we have our traditional Christmas party on the first week of December and we try to make each year a Christmas to remember. For the scholars past and present reunite, hear mass, sing, play games, offer a program, mingle and joyfully receive gifts offered to them by our parishioners. Gifts not heavy on the pocket but given with love and effort just to make things fun and playful for our scholars who are almost strangers to gifts.

So come November we solicit idle items from your closets and chests, things perhaps forgotten, unused items just awaiting a life more vibrant and useful than sleeping and occupying space inside the four walls of a cabinet. SO PLEASE EXPLORE, UNLOAD AND SET ASIDE things big and small and enjoy more space! Give it life and spread joy by sending them over to the Parish office care of JPIC Socio-Pastoral worker Ms. Jackie. They become raffle gifts, and prizes for games and we try to have everyone bring home a gift that brings smiles on their eager faces. Did it last year? Do it again! Cross the river but with new spirit.

In advance, our heartfelt thank you!

Note: Guideline for gifts – shirts, caps, belts, bags and backpacks; socks, towels, pillowcase; ball pen, notebook, hairbrush, home and kitchen utilities, corporate and airline giveaways – but new and unused. Ms. Jackie tel. 8438830 loc. 7
SSAP JPIC Scho. Prog. Comm. / M.O

Categories
Hospital Ministry

PGH Visits Art In island by Cristina Castillo

Last Aug 4, the children from the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Charity Ward, accompanied by members of the PGH Ministry and Single Young Adults (SYA), visited the Art In Island Interactive Art Museum in Quezon City.

I knew about the museum before going, but all I knew was that it was an interactive museum. The only pictures I had seen of the museum were classic paintings that people can “walk into.” I thought it would be fun, but I wasn’t sure how the PGH kids would react. But my expectations were thrown out the door when we arrived.

I knew things would be different when we were told to take off our shoes before walking inside the museum, but I didn’t expect to be so surprised. The entrance was seemingly simple, just like it’s artwork. They explained that our eyes see things differently at different angles. When we turned the corner, I was met with a full wall painted with blues and yellows. I stood on the mark on the floor (which indicated the best angle to see the painting), took a shot… and I couldn’t believe the result in my camera! It looked like they were IN THE PAINTING! If I thought that was impressive, I couldn’t believe my eyes when we turned ANOTHER corner and saw the rest of the rooms. Walls and walls of paintings, from floor to ceiling. Animals, world landmarks, fantasy scenes, classical paintings… It was a feast for the eyes!

The second we walked in, the kids were off! And so were the kids at heart! The PGH kids were so excited to see everything; the older ones went from one painting to another, taking pictures, going on adventures, and the younger ones thought it was so real! It was great to see them being outside the hospital, and being transported to another world, over and over again.

I could talk on and on, but pictures (as we learned) speak volumes to how much fun they had! Thanks to all the generous donors who helped make this trip possible. It was certainly one memory everyone would never forget!

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Fr. Reu Galoy

SUNDAY GOSPEL REFLECTION 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time by Fr. Reu Jose C. Galoy, OFM

Our Gospel reading this Sunday has two major divisions. Jesus provides warning on the first part and lessons on the second part. Let me share with you William Barclay’s thoughts and reflection as we try to collectively make the message of the Gospel alive in the midst of our community.

A warning against:

1. It warns against the desire for prominence. It is still true that a person accepts office in the church because he/she thinks he/she earns it, rather than because he/she desires to render selfless service to the house of the people of God. Many may still regard office in the church as a privilege rather than a responsibility and ministry.

2. It warns against the desire for deference. Almost everyone likes to be treated with respect. And yet a basic fact of Christianity is that it ought to make a person wish to obliterate self than to exalt it.

3. It warns against the attempt to make a traffic religion. It is possible to use religious connection for self-gain and self-advancement. But this is a warning to all who are in the church for what they can get out of it and not for what they can put into it.

A lesson to learn in giving:

1. Real giving must be sacrificial. The amount of the gift never matters so much as its cost to the giver, not the size of the gift, but the sacrifice. Real generosity gives until it hurts. For many of us it is a real question if ever our giving to God’s work is any sacrifice at all. Few people will do without their pleasures to give a little more to the work of God. It may well be a sign of the decadence of the church and the failure of our Christianity that gifts have to be coaxed out of church people, and that often they will not give at all unless they get something back in the way of entertainment or of goods. There can be few of us who read this story without shame.

2. Real Giving has a certain recklessness in it. The woman might have kept one coin. It would not have been much but it would have been something, yet she gave everything she had. There is a great symbolic truth here. It is our tragedy that there is so often some part of our lives, some part of our activities, some part of ourselves which we do not give to Christ. Somehow there is nearly always something we hold back. We rarely make the final sacrifice and the final surrender.

3. It is a strange and lovely thing that the person whom the New Testament and Jesus hand down to history as a pattern of generosity was a person who gave a gift of half a farthing or the least possible amount. We may feel that we have not much in the way of material gifts or personal gifts to Christ, but, if we put all that we have and are at his disposal, he can do things with it and with us that are beyond our imaginings.

About Fr. RJ and his other reflections…..

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Fr. EJ

Nov. 1 ALL SAINTS’ DAY, SUNDAY GOSPEL REFLECTION By Fr. Efren Jimenez, OFM

Today’s feast honors the obscure as well as the famous – the saints each of us have known.

An interesting challenge has been described by Brian Gleeson, CP (Passionist Congregation) on the meaning of the celebration for us today, as we follow Jesus on the way to perfection.

Jesus has just given us his challenging advice on how to be good people. He has told us, in fact, how to be the best people we can be and about the qualities he wants to see in us, his followers. A quick focus on those qualities shows us that they are the very opposite of common and accepted standards and values.

The world around us says, “Blessed are the rich, because they can have anything they want.” But Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” By ‘poor in spirit’ he means those who put their trust in God rather than money, and those who admit that it is not their income, possessions or bank account that make them rich in the eyes of God but the kind of people they are.

The world says,”Blessed are those who live it up and never stop having fun.” But Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn.” He means those who let themselves feel the misfortune, pain and sorrow of others, and who respond to them with understanding, sympathy, kindness, compassion, and practical assistance.

The world says, ”Blessed are the assertive and aggressive that talk tough and act tough.” But Jesus says, “Blessed are the gentle.” Gentleness is not weakness but a form of strength. St. Francis de Sales used to say that you catch more flies with a spoon full of sugar than a barrel full of vinegar. In Jesus’ book, there’s just no place for bullies and bullying.

The world says, “Blessed are those who hunger for power, status and fame.” But Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right.”The only power and status we really need is to keep living in God’s way and to keep doing the right thing. More satisfaction and contentment will be found in living with a good conscience than in hanging out with the movers and shakers andwannabees of this world.

The world says, “Blessed are those who show no mercy and who take no prisoners.” But Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful.” Happy are those who make allowances for the faults and sins of others, and whose greatness lays in their ability to forgive. They will receive mercy and forgiveness from God for their own sins.

The world says, “Happy are those with clean fingernails, sparkling eyes, gleaming teeth and unblemished skin.” But Jesus says, “Blessed are those with clean hearts.” It is from the heart that all our thoughts, words and actions flow. If the heart is clean then everything that flows from it will be clean, as clean as water flowing from an unpolluted spring.

The world says, “Blessed are those who get even and exact revenge.” But Jesus says, ”Blessed are the peacemakers.” Happy are those who spread understanding among people, those who welcome strangers and those who work for a more just and equal society. They are truly the children of God.

The world says, “Blessed are those who lie and cheat and get away with it.” But Jesus says,”Blessed are those who make a stand for what is right and true.” They may suffer for their stand, but the wounds they bear will be marks of honor and integrity. Jesus practiced what he preached. In his own person he was the Beatitudes. Living them day after day made him the thoroughly good person he was. It’s the same for us too.

Today’s Feats of All Saints is less concerned with the canonized saints than about all the good and holy people who have ever lived. None of us, I feel sure, is aspiring to be or expecting to be a canonized saint. We don’t fantasize that one-day the pope will tell the world what saints we are. We don’t kid ourselves that our picture is going to pop up one day on the walls of churches. Not for a moment do we imagine anyone saying prayers to us or carrying around pieces of us as relics. We don’t foresee any statues of us being carried high in processions.

But in its document on the church, the Second Vatican Council wrote a chapter called, ‘The Universal Call to Holiness.’ So surely our feast today is reminding us of our deep-down longings to become better people than we currently are! Surely, too, it is reminding us that Jesus Christ can and will empower us to practice what he preached and to live what we believe! Surely then, we won’t ever want to stop receiving Him as our ‘Bread of Life’ in Holy Communion!

About Fr. EJ and his reflections…..

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Prison

“I WAS IN PRISON AND YOU CAME TO ME.” – Matthew 25:36, by Alli Raval – Prison Ministry Head


October is Prison Awareness Month. We are celebrating the National Correctional Consciousness Week (NACOCOW) with The Taguig City Jail (TCJ) inmates this coming week October 26-30, 2015.

Once a year we place our focus on the prisoner. Look at how often criminals were mentioned in the bible, how they are looked down upon by society, yet the prisoners were among the special ones that Jesus mentions in his final discourse in Mt. 25:36. The last person who spoke to Jesus was a prisoner. Pope Francis has always found time to visit prisoners. Perhaps it is because almost all of the prisoners are from the poor. We see the poor all around us with palms opened knocking on our car windows, but nobody can see the inmate who is locked away from society and whose palms can only extend beyond the small opening of a prison bar.

The San Antonio Prison Ministry brings the touch of Jesus Christ to these inmates. We have various activities for them throughout the year like medical and dental missions, master chef cooking contest, sports activities, film showing, aside from our masses, recollections and catechism classes. Our biggest project in the Prison Ministry is to bring Christ to the home of the prisoners through a chapel.

We helped build a chapel in Makati City Jail (MCJ) and it has changed a lot of lives. Many of them attend the Saturday masses and the weekly catechism classes. They developed a hunger to get to know Christ more and through the years we have witnessed their deep devotion to God and Mama Mary, and the conversion of their hearts. Today we have been called to help build another chapel in Taguig City Jail.

There are 1,000 inmates in the TCJ facility. There are 20 cells for the men and 4 cells for the women. A small cell of around 50 sqm.,accommodates 40-50 inmates. They have triple deck make-shift beds and 1 bathroom which they all share to take showers and wash their clothes. They have no privacy, no visitors and not much time to move around. They do not even have a visiting area. Their families are all cramped in the corridor if they ever come to visit.Their twice a day mealsare small portions of fish or pork and on better days they have chicken necks and rice.

But the saddest part of all is that the time it takes to solve their cases. A simple case takes years, mainly because they have no lawyers. Seeing them, sitting in their personal space, with blank stares and tears in their eyes, hearing their stories and feelings of uncertainty, fear and abandonment deeply touch and break our hearts and our volunteers as well.Most of the inmates in TCJ are abandoned by their families and so they are very excited and happy to see new faces and new people to talk to, to comfort them and pray for them.

We would like to invite any interested parishioner to join us in our activities and spend a couple of hours with the prisoners. You can also donate some toiletry items and food and most of all share your monetary blessings as we work to build God’s church in prison.

When Pope Francis’ visitedinmates in the USA he went down to greet every one of them and embraced some of them. “It is painful,” Pope Francis said, “ when we see prison systems which are not concerned to care for wounds, to soothe pain, to offer new possibilities. It is painful when we see people who think that only others need to be cleansed, purified, and do not recognize that their weariness, pain and wounds are also the weariness, pain and wounds of society. The Lord tells us this clearly with a sign: he washes our feet so we can come back to the table. The table from which he wishes no one to be excluded. The table which is spread for all and to which all of us are invited.”

“This time in your life can only have one purpose: to give you a hand in getting back on the right road, to give you a hand to help you rejoin society.”

“All of us have something we need to be cleansed of, or purified from. All of us. May the knowledge of this fact inspire us all to live in solidarity, to support one another and seek the best for others.”

“He comes to save us from the lie that says no one can change, the lie of thinking that no one can change. Jesus helps us to journey along the paths of life and fulfillment. May the power of his love and his resurrection always be a path leading you to new life.”

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Articles

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time – B 18 October 2015 Mission Sunday by Jesus Galindo

For most people Mission Sunday is just a fund-raising activity: a second collection at Mass, a piggy bank or an envelope to contribute some money. Needless to say, Mission Sunday is much more than that. This year, the celebration of Mission Sunday will be enhanced by a very important event, namely, the canonization in Rome today of the parents of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Patroness of the Missions. (Read more on this in the attached feature).

First and foremost, Mission Sunday is a day to thank the Lord for the gift of our faith; for indeed, our faith is a precious gift from God which none of us could ever earn or deserve. For some mysterious design of God, it was given to us and not to others. We have been richly blessed by the gift of Christian faith. Through it we have come to know the true and triune God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the origin and purpose of our life, and our eternal destiny.

Two thousand years after Christ sent his apostles to preach the Good News to all nations, but only one third of the world population has so far received the gift of faith. This means that two out of three persons in the world—a great majority—have not heard or have not received the Good News of the Gospel. We are lucky to be in the minority of believers.

It is this awareness of being lucky, of being blessed and enriched, by God’s mercy, with the gift of faith that impels us to do mission work in order to share with others the beauty and the richness of our faith. It is not that we want to proselytize and engross our ranks for the sheer joy of being the largest religious denomination. Rather, it is the desire to share with others the treasure of our faith. We want others to enjoy the blessings we have received from God. That is our understanding of mission–and Mission Sunday.

The fact that, after 2000 years, only one third of the world’s population has received the Christian faith should make us think: Why so few? Why so slowly? Have we not perhaps been remiss in our task of proclaiming the Good News, as commissioned by Christ? An old Chinese lady, when told by a foreign missionary that he was visiting her because that is what Jesus had told us to do two thousand years ago, replied: Two thousand years ago? Where have you been all this time?

A good question indeed to ask ourselves on Mission Sunday: Where have we been all this time? You might say: But Father, you said earlier that faith is a gift from God. So, it is something we cannot give; only God can give it. You are right there. But faith is like a seed that is sown in the heart and mind of people. And Christ, in his goodness, has chosen us to help sow the seed of the Gospel. He has also told us to “ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers to his harvest” (Lk. 10:2). God produces the yield, yes, but we have to do the sowing.

When I was sent to the missions (before Vatican II), it was widely believed that mission work was reserved for priests and religious. However, Vatican II made us aware that all Christians share in the mission of Christ. All Christians are missionaries, by the fact of being baptized into Christ.

Another important change to take place during the last 50 years has to do with mission territory. Before Vatican II, missionaries were sent from first world countries into third world countries. After Vatican II, the practice of religion has weakened considerably in first world countries and the number of vocations to the priesthood and religious life has dwindled. As a result, missionaries from the third world (especially Latin America and the Philippines) are now being sent to first world countries.

Today, as we appeal for material and financial support for the missions, and as we thank God for the gift of faith, we also pray that the missionary spirit and awareness may always be kindled and alive in all of us!

Parents of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Be Canonized October 18, 2015

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The parents of St. Therese of Lisieux will be canonized Oct. 18 at the Vatican during the Synod of Bishops on the family.

Louis Martin (1823-1894) and Marie Zelie Guerin Martin (1831-1877) will be the first married couple with children to be canonized in the same ceremony. Other married couples are among the blesseds of the church.

Pope Francis issued the decree approving their canonization Saturday during the public consistory on canonizations at the Vatican; more than 40 cardinals attended. During the consistory, Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, said the couple lived an “exemplary life of faith, dedication to ideal values, united to a constant realism, and persistent attention to the poor,” according to Vatican Radio.

The cardinal said the French couples serves as an “extraordinary witness of conjugal and family spirituality.”

Married in 1858, the couple had nine children; four died in infancy and five entered religious life. During their 19-year marriage, the couple was known to attend Mass daily, pray and fast, respect the Sabbath, visit the elderly and the sick, and welcome the poor into their home.

They will be canonized along with Italian Fr. Vincenzo Grossi (1845-1917), founder of the Institute of the Daughters of the Oratory, and Spanish Sr. Maria of the Immaculate Conception (1926-1998), a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Company of the Cross, whose canonizations the pope also approved Saturday.

About Fr. Jesus and his reflections…..

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Fr. Baltazar Obico

SUNDAY GOSPEL REFLECTION 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time by Fr. Baltazar Obico, OFM

INTRODUCTION: The African hunters have a clever way of trapping monkeys. They slice the coconut in two and in one half of the shell cut a hole just big enough for a monkey’s hand to pass through. They place an orange in the other half and then fasten together the two halves. When the unsuspecting monkey swings by and smells the orange, it slips its hand through the small hole, grasps the orange and tries to pull it through the hole. The orange is too big for the hole. The persistent monkey continues to pull and pull never realizing the danger it is in. As long as the monkey keeps its fist wrapped around the orange, the monkey is trapped. The only way the monkey can save its life is to let go of the orange and flee.

GOSPEL: The Gospel narrative tells us about a rich man enthusiastically telling Jesus, the Good Teacher, that he has observed all the commandments from his youth. Jesus, looking at him, loved him. It is more than admiration, respect or sentimentality. It is a gut-wrenching concern one has for a loved one about to take his own life. All that is important in a moment like that is to get the gun out of his hands and help him discover a reason to live. (It is as if you tell the monkey to let go of the orange if you want to be free.) “You lack one thing; go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor and you will have treasures in heaven; then come and follow me.” Wholehearted discipleship cannot take place until the ties to the man’s possessions are broken, ties so intense and so enslaving that he can only hang his head and walk away. Possessions have a peculiar and insidious way of becoming our masters. Precisely because they hold the potential for good and evil, they easily seduce us and make us their slaves.

Jesus, in speaking to the disciples, is frank about the unusual difficulty facing a rich person who wants to live faithfully under the reign of God. The statement that it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eyes than for a rich man to enter the kingdom in fact expresses a total impossibility. The disciples, no doubt thinking that riches are material signs of God’s blessing (a notion occasionally expressed in Jewish literature and certainly alive and well in Western Christianity) are thoroughly perplexed by what they hear, and ask in exasperation, “Who can be saved?” Jesus replies, “In God all things are possible.”

WORD: Today we are facing the crisis of prosperity. Compared to most humans in this planet, most of us are comfortable, secure and quite healthy, amazingly so. The worldview that formed us in the last forty years is one where there is no limit to our growth, our achievements as well as the earth’s resources. (Unlimited calls and unlimited texts.) Things which have been luxuries for kings have become commonplace. In our globalized economy, every luxury is available locally, nearby. We can shop online. Easy availability soon becomes expectation, then eventually habituation and finally entitlement. Wasn’t life always this way? Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be? We created a prosperity gospel, a religion of limousine liberals who see no conflict between the Gospel and amassing huge personal fortunes for their private lifestyles. Splurge and indulge. Savor every second of your stay in this planet. In the last forty years, it has become easy to get rich easily. Whereas before, human history has connected money with actual work, effort and sacrifice or productivity; then for the first time in history money becomes associated with money – money earning money without any effort at all. A case of financial incest. The making of money is in itself the work and even the most admired and envied work.

The reason behind why spiritual traditions in general and the Gospel in particular are against owning material possessions is that because it gives a false sense of security, alienating us from our spiritual origins. When we accumulate wealth and possessions, we relieve our basic anxiety. When the barn is full, a sense of safety replaces fear. Storing up things in the present make us feel that the future is protected. The larger the accumulation, the greater the sense of safety. It won’t be long before our false sense of security is assured. We then alienate ourselves from our neighbors whom we consider a threat to this wealth. The need for feeling safe makes the idea of sharing ludicrous. The drive to assuage insecurity can be ruthless. It pushes people into self-centered behaviors that they in turn commit injustices. Even more, they tolerate any injustice as long as it benefits them.

Possessions make us self-sufficient and forgetful of our calling to live in community, sharing and solidarity. There is in each of us a streak of greed and covetousness. Our greed is intimately linked with our lack of love. We surround ourselves with all kinds of gadgets and accessories to compensate for our lack of self-esteem. We make sure our pendants are heavier than our necks, our earrings larger than our ears. We buy the affections of our loved ones and spend a fortune for pleasure. But the more we satisfy our material cravings, the more we are starved for love; the more alienated we become in a world of relationships.

About Fr. Tasang and his reflections.

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Francisfest

Congratulations to FrancisFest 2015!

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FrancisFest 2015, how it all began ….
Reprinted Message of Francsifest 2015
Chairperson in the Souvenir Program

God works in mysterious ways! I helped Fr. Reu do a thorough search for this year’s Chairperson for FrancisFest 2015, but every effort failed. So I finally went to see him and asked, “What is God’s message to me?” He just smiled.

Because time was running short, I texted him the next day and said that if no one who had been asked could accept the job, I would be willing to do it. He texted me back, “I knew yesterday that it is YOU!” Thus began this “Fantastic Journey!”

Our Lord handed me, as it were, a magic wand that must have touched the hearts of this incredible pianist Cecile Licad, who happens to be my niece on the Guevara side, and Piki Lopez, a business executive who happens to be my nephew on my Dayrit side, and owner of the incredible ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra! Everything has been incredible since this incredible job landed on my lap!

I witnessed Cecile bloom from a chubby little girl of five into the glamorous, accomplished woman that she is today. It has been a joy to have witnessed much of this. Cards and I were at her inaugural concert with Zuhbin Mehta at the Lincoln Center in 1981 just as we had promised her when she excitedly left Manila at age 11. She received the Leventritt Award which launched her career. I was also there when she received a phone call announcing that she had been awarded the Grand Prix du Disque Frederic Chopin in 1985. There have been many other happy occasions!

This evening Cecile will play Bartok’s Concert No.1. which I know is not easy to introduce and much less to be appreciated even by our very discriminating audience. But in the hands of Cecile Licad and the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Gerard Salonga, I am confident that it is going to be an exciting experience. Even Bartok, famous composer of this Concerto readily admitted that “its style is to a point difficult, and even very difficult for the orchestra and the public.” For the sake of our numerous charity and outreach programs, Piki right away agreed to partner with us with his Orchestra to perform this incredible Concerto! We are all truly excited!

God has led us every step of the way! Many challenges came our way, some seemingly insurmountable, but we survived them all as we reached out to God and to each other in love and worked endlessly. Our Working Committees were incredible as nothing seemed to faze them!

You, our dear Parishioners and Friends were one with us too! You also are so incredible! I can’t seem to find a better word than INCREDIBLE to describe every aspect of this “Fantastic Journey.”

We have come together this evening to give glory to God in the music so meticulously and enthusiastically prepared for you! THANK YOU ALL WHO HELPED US TO COME TO THIS NIGHT.

GOD LOVES YOU AND WE CERTAINLY LOVE YOU TOO! IT IS WITH GREAT PRIDE THAT WE PRESENT CECILE AND GERARD AND THE ABS-CBN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA!

Amelita D. Guevarra
FrancisFest Chairperson

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