Category: Fr. Jesus Galindo

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Meeting the God of Mercy with Fr. Jesus Galindo

_S360222We sat down with Fr. Jesus Galindo to talk about the Year of Mercy and its place in the lives of the parish of San Antonio. He shared with us his thoughts and hopes for the year and how we can all encounter God’s mercy throughout Lent and the rest of the year.

Fr. Jesus began by talking about the timeliness of this Year of Mercy. “The Church has always been seen as a powerful institution,” he says. “There’s a saying, utos ng pari, hindi mababale. That kind of mentality has been problematic. What we need now is a Church devoted to being a Church of the poor. That means being a place where God’s mercy can be encountered by all, especially the marginalized.”

“The tone of the parable is not anger and condemnation but
mercy, love, and joy. That is the God we would like to encounter”

When I asked what the parish can do during this Year, Fr. Jesus pointed to himself. “It has to begin with us priests,” he said. “We acknowledge that we are human and in need of God’s mercy ourselves. Only then can we show mercy to others.”

“A special place where this can happen is in the sacrament of reconciliation,” he continues. Fr. Jesus emphasizes that he prefers the idea of reconciliation and repentance over calling the sacrament ‘confession.’ The name ‘confession’ evokes too much of a trial or courtroom, which was the old context of the sacrament. The sacrament is still the same, but we can emphasize today an encounter with a merciful God who wants to reconcile with us so deeply.

When I asked him about his hopes for the rest of the Year of Mercy, Fr. Jesus highlighted two things. One would be for mercy to start at home. Many parishioners have helpers in their houses. “It is as basic as treating them with respect and dignity,” Fr. Jesus says. That already is a simple act of mercy. The second would be to participate in communal celebrations of the sacrament of reconciliation. This would be a good way to understand how the sacrament is really one of healing and mercy. “Consider the father in the parable of the prodigal son,” Fr. Jesus suggests. “The tone of the parable is not anger and condemnation but mercy, love, and joy. That is the God we would like to encounter”

Fr. Jesus has personally devoted himself to the confessional these days. It is where his life and ministry has led to at this point in his life.

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“Why were you looking for me?”, Sunday Reflection, FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY by Fr. Jesús Galindo, OFM

The Christmas season is above all a family celebration. Overseas relatives and contract workers make it a point to come home at this time of the year to celebrate Christmas with the family. The most joyous moment of the season is definitely the Christmas midnight’s nochebuena, when all the family members gather at table. The Church has wisely placed the feast of the Holy Family in the context of the Christmas season in order to highlight the importance of the family. So important is the family that God himself entrusted his only Son, not to a monastery or to a seminary, but to a family.

The family was created by God to be the mirror of God himself and the expression of the Trinitarian life–unity and love despite differences: “God created man in his image… male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27). The family provides all our basic needs: food, clothing, education, etc. In the bosom of the family we get our first experience God’s love through the love and care of our parents.

Indeed, we are the product of our family. If we experience love and affection in our childhood, we grow up to be loving individuals; but if we experience rejection, violence and abuse at home, we grow up to be violent and abusive ourselves. It is statistically proven that most cases of juvenile delinquency can be traced to an unhealthy family life.

Today, the Holy Family is presented to us as our model. Being a “holy” family and having God’s only Son among its members, we might think that the Holy Family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus enjoyed a peaceful and blissful kind of life. Not at all. What we see is a family beset by problems and trials, bigger perhaps than those experienced by ordinary families. Being close to God and to God’s Son doesn’t mean being exempt from trials. On the contrary, the closer we are to the Lord, the greater our share in his sufferings.

Many families today are going through painful crises and broken relationships. Each family, of course, has a story of its own to tell. However, there are certain factors which are frequently observed in most broken marriages. For instance, many among the young no longer believe in life-long relationships. The expression “until death do us part” scares them. They rather make their commitment “until further notice.” That’s hardly the way to build a strong family life.

Economic or financial factors play also an important role in the deterioration of the family. Parents are forced to look for greener pastures abroad; but in the process they find, very often, greener partners. Besides, leaving small children to be raised by the lola or the yaya hardly contributes to the strengthening of family life. Material wellbeing is a legitimate pursuit for married couples, of course. However, it is no guarantee of happiness. Children need, and want, more than money. They look for care, affection and quality time from their parents.

Little or no communication is another weakening factor in the family. The intrusion of communication gadgets into our homes has paradoxically weakened or lessened communication among the family members; each member has his/her own TV set, laptop, tablet, cellphone, i-pad, etc., and is busy talking to somebody from outside the family.

Most importantly, there is no time for prayer in common. Gone are the days when the family members gathered around the altar in the evening to pray the rosary. Now, leaving God out of family affairs can only result in loss of family values. Parents should learn from Mary and Joseph to lead their children to the Lord.

In this year of the Family and the Holy Eucharist, let’s commend to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph all our families, in particular those that are going through difficulties and trials, that they may draw strength and inspiration from the Holy Family of Nazareth and from Jesus, the living bread.

About Fr. Jesus and his reflections……

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“Be Vigilant At All Times,” First Sunday of Advent C by Fr. Jesús Galindo, OFM

Today, the first Sunday of Advent, marks the beginning of a new liturgical year–Year C, during which the Gospel of St. Luke will be mostly read. Luke’s gospel is the gospel of prayer, the gospel of joy, the gospel of the poor, the gospel of the Holy Spirit, the gospel of mercy, the gospel of women… a beautiful gospel indeed. It is New Year’s Day today in the Church.

* * *

It feels a little bit awkward to announce today the beginning of Advent, in preparation for Christmas, since the flavor of Christmas has been with us for several months now. Since the start of the “-ber” months, Christmas carols have been on the air; Christmas trees and décor are all over the place. For all practical purposes, the Advent season does not exist. It is our task to re-discover the meaning and the importance of Advent as the time to prepare for a fruitful and meaningful celebration of Christmas. We must not allow ourselves to be dazzled by the glitter of the Christmas lights or by the perks and trappings thrust upon us by the department stores.

Lest we forget, it is not Santa Claus, loaded with goodies that we are waiting for. It is the poor, little Baby laid on a manger that we are waiting for. He, not Santa, is the reason for the season.

The liturgy of Advent is divided into two parts: The first, from today up to December 16, focuses on the second coming of Christ at the end of time. The second, from December 17 to 24, draws our attention to his coming as man in Bethlehem. This structure is clearly expressed in the two Prefaces of the Advent season.

In today’s gospel we heard the announcement of Christ’s coming amid cosmic upheavals: Signs in the sun, the moon and the stars, the roaring of the sea, etc. To those unfamiliar with apocalyptic writings (and that includes most of us) this gospel may sound scary. In fact, through the centuries, this gospel has been used as the basis to predict the end of the world. But then, deadlines (such as 12-12-12) came and went… and here we are still, alive and kicking.

As a matter of fact, the message of today’s gospel is not one of fear and trembling, but rather one of joy and hope—as are all apocalyptic writings: “When these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your head because your redemption is at hand.” We are not told to run and hide, but to stand erect… Your redemption is at hand! Being redeemed means being ransomed, being set free. Advent’s favorite song is: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel.”

It is not only Israel that is captive. We are all captive in one way or another. O yes, we are free to move around. But if we carry within us anger, or hatred, or envy, or pride… we are captives. Then, we are all captive of fear—fear of bombings, of terrorists attacks a la-Paris, of drug addicts, of hold-uppers, of kidnappers… Captive of political and economic uncertainty; captive of the hopelessness and helplessness which envelop much of our society.

Rightly then, today’s gospel invites us to be vigilant and to pray constantly. Let us not spend these days of Advent in endless shopping and partying. Saving a little cash in order to feed some empty stomachs is much more meaningful and Christmassy. Also, let us spend some extra time in prayer with the Lord—who is the reason for the season. We will discover the true meaning of Christmas, not in the noise of the shopping malls or restaurants but in the silence of the adoration chapel; in the silence of prayer.

About Fr. Jesus and his reflections…..

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“He has done all things well!” 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time B SUNDAY GOSPEL REFLECTION By Fr. Jesús Galindo, OFM

Today’s gospel is unique for several reasons: 1) It is proper to Mark, i.e., not found in any other gospel; 2) The cure took place in pagan territory; 3) It was the people who brought the sick man to Jesus (stress on the role of the Christian community); and 4) Jesus performed an unusually elaborate ritual: “He took him apart; put his finger into his ears; spat; touched his tongue; looked up to heaven; groaned, and said ‘ephphatha’ (be opened).” Usually, Jesus performed cures and expulsions of demons by a word of command: “Be cured.” “Go out of him.” Why this elaborate ritual in today’s gospel? Several explanations are given: One: The man could not hear, so this was for him some sort of sign language. Two: That’s what faith healers at the time of Jesus used to do. Jesus wanted to act like one of them in order to conceal his divine power.

In today’s first reading, prophet Isaiah foretells the coming of the Messiah in terms of healing and abundance of water — healing of persons and healing of the land. Health is our most precious possession (health is wealth, we say). We give anything in exchange for it, and spend any amount of money in order to regain it. Hence healing is the greatest sign of God’s presence. By healing the sick, Jesus made God’s presence felt among the people, hence their remark: “He has done all things well” (Cf. Gen 1:31). When John the Baptist’s disciples asked Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come or shall we wait for someone else?” Jesus simply said: “Go and tell John what you see. The blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk,” (Mt. 11:3-5). In other words, the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled by Jesus: The Lord is here!

The Church carries on the healing ministry of Jesus. Wherever it is established, the first thing the Church does is to set up clinics, hospitals and leprosaria (in the Philippines, San Lazaro and San Juan de Dios were put up by the early Franciscan missionaries). It is not true that the Church’s mission is just to “save souls.” It cares for the bodies as well. We must remember that Jesus left to us the sacrament of healing for us to carry on his healing ministry. Too bad this sacrament has been known as the Extreme Unction and is (wrongly) believed by many to be reserved for the dying.

Today’s readings remind us that we are all in need of healing, both physical and spiritual. In the second reading, St. James warns us against practicing selective behavior and discrimination. And that is precisely a sickness most of us suffer from: selective hearing, selective seeing and selective speaking. We hear what we want to hear. Once a parish priest heard the confession of his sacristan. When the latter had mentioned his sins the priest told him: “You forgot to mention that you made kupit from the collection and drank Mass wine in the sacristy.” Complete silence. The priest went out of the confessional and said, “You are not answering; can’t you not hear me?” “Not a word, Father,” replied the sacristan. “How about exchanging places?” said the priest, “you do the talking and I will listen.” The sacristan, in a solemn voice, said, “Father, why are you not giving me my sick leave benefit, SSS, living allowance…?” “You are right,” said the priest, “I cannot hear anything from this side.” (Bel San Luis, Word Alive, Year B, p. 104). Selective hearing!

We gladly listen to news, music, gossip, etc., but we are deaf to God’s voice and to the cry of the poor, the sick and the aged. We talk no end about money, about politics, and about other people, but we are mute when it comes to talking about God, about religion, and about Christian values. That is our illness: selective hearing, seeing and talking.

As we approach the table of the Eucharist, may the Lord touch our eyes, our ears and our lips so that we may see, hear and speak only what is pleasing to him.

About Fr. Jesus and his other reflections…..

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“Feeding the Crowds by Sharing”, 17th Sunday on Ordinary Time (B) by Fr. Jesus Galindo

For five consecutive Sundays, starting today, we will read chapter 6 of the gospel of John—the longest chapter of said gospel (71 verses) – about the Eucharist. This insertion of John’s gospel is due to the fact that Mark’s gospel is too short to cover all the Sundays of Year B.

The multiplication of the loaves is the only miracle of Jesus recorded by all four gospels. This shows how important this event was and how deep an impression it made on the early Christian communities. In the gospel of John, the multiplication of the loaves is related to the holy Eucharist. After feeding the crowd with material bread, Jesus, as we will see, goes on to explain to the people about the bread of life that came down from heaven—his own body. Perhaps this is the reason why John has omitted the account of the institution of the holy Eucharist during the Last Supper and has replaced it with this lengthy discourse.

To begin with, Jesus shows compassion for the people, even though they follow him for the wrong reason — not for the love of Jesus or his word, but for the love of themselves: “because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.” Just the same, Jesus has pity on them and takes responsibility for them.

Even though Jesus could solve the problem all by himself, nevertheless he sought help from his disciples: “Where can we buy enough food for them?” Obviously, the disciples were overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem staring at them: “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little bit.” Then a young boy offered his five barley loaves and two fish. Utterly insufficient, of course. But that is all that Jesus wanted: a gesture of solidarity, to let us know that all he needs is a gesture of good will, and then he will do the rest. Jesus seems to be telling us: When confronted with a problem or crisis situation, don’t pass it all on to me; do whatever you can — no matter how little or how inadequate. Then I will come in. I am here, not to work miracles for you, but to work miracles with you.

Hunger is still one of the plagues of our time. We are confronted, not with five thousand but with hundreds of millions of hungry people. Over 800 million people across the world suffer from hunger. More than 16,000 children die of hunger or under-nutrition every day — one child every five seconds. Hunger is a man-made problem. According to the Food Aid Organization (FAO), the earth can feed 36 billion people—six or seven times the present world population.

Developed countries blame the plague of hunger on the fast growth of the world population — which needs to be curbed. And so, instead of giving aid to increase food production, to create jobs, to improve the infrastructures, they send to the poor countries birth control gadgets and contraceptive programs. Meantime, rich countries spend huge amounts of money in arms production (used to kill), and throw away or destroy large amounts of surplus food in order to maintain high prices. Hunger is indeed a man-made problem, brought about, not so much by lack of food as by lack of solidarity.

Pope Francis has something to say in this regard: “Instead of resolving the problems of the poor and thinking of how the world can be different, some can only propose a reduction in the birth rate. At times, developing countries face forms of international pressure which make economic assistance contingent on certain policies of “reproductive health”… To blame population growth instead of extreme and selective consumerism on the part of some, is one way of refusing to face the issues. Besides, we know that approximately a third of all food produced is discarded, and whenever food is thrown out it is as if it were stolen from the table of the poor.” (Encyclical letter Laudato si’, n. 50). You can say it more loudly, but you can’t say it more clearly.

Like the disciples of Jesus in today’s gospel, we feel sorely inadequate to tackle this enormous problem of hunger; however, let us resolve to do our little something. Let us share our five loaves and our two fish. Only then have we the right to ask the Lord to do the rest.

About Fr. Jesus and his other reflections…..

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“Let’s work for the growth of God’s Kingdom” 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time B Reflection by Fr. Jesus Galindo, OFM

Exactly three years ago now, we watched on TV the four-day Diamond Jubilee celebration of Queen Elizabeth II of England. It was a spectacular display of pomp and pageantry with horse-drawn carriages, soldiers, flags, boat parades, music bands, concerts… you name it. We got a glimpse of royalty’s gold and glitter. Shows that shape our idea of a monarchy and a kingdom, namely, an institution of power, wealth and pageantry.

With this in mind, we might be inclined to imagine the Kingdom of God somehow similar to earthly kingdoms. Nothing further from the truth. Jesus often spoke of the Kingdom of God. In fact, from the very first moment of his public ministry, that was the core of his preaching: “Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Jesus spoke of God’s Kingdom using terms and images which were familiar to his audience, composed mostly of farmers, fishermen, and shepherds: the seed, the fold, the dragnet, the vineyard…

In today’s gospel, he first compares the Kingdom of God to the seed that is sown in the field and then grows by itself, without the sower knowing it. With this parable Jesus is telling us that our task is to sow the seed of the gospel, the seed of goodness, of honesty, of truth and of justice, without worrying about the outcome. Our task is to sow, not to harvest. Others will reap what we sow—just as we reap the fruits of what our predecessors planted.

Then Jesus goes on to compare God’s Kingdom to a mustard seed—the smallest of all seeds. What a disappointment! God’s Kingdom, like a mustard seed, tiny, insignificant, devoid of all glitter, pomp and pageantry? Well, God already warned us, many centuries ago, through the prophet Isaiah, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are my ways your ways.” (Is. 55:8) We have to learn to understand God’s ways and God’s thoughts.

The gospel parables about the seed express, first of all, the inner vitality and dynamism of God’s Kingdom. Like the seed, it has life within itself. Once the seed is sown in the ground, no one can stop its growth. Same with the Kingdom, once it is sown in the heart of men, it keeps growing and expanding. The seed sown in the hearts of 12 fishermen has now spread to the whole wide world.

Like the seed, so also God’s Kingdom grows slowly and quietly, unlike the swift and noisy way of earthly kingdoms. God is patient; he takes his time; he respects growth’s natural process. We have much to learn from Him: We are impatient; we want instant results; we live in a world of “instant” products: instant coffee, instant soup, instant communication. When starting new projects or plans, we are fond of noisy and impressive beginnings—which often end up in “ningas kogon” We have so much to learn from the slow and humble way of the mustard seed; and from Jesus himself, who spent 30 long years of quiet, hidden life in Nazareth before starting his public ministry.

In some places, God’s Kingdom has grown into a big tree; in others, it is still a tiny mustard seed. As Christians, it is our task to pray and to work for the growth of God’s Kingdom, in our own personal life, in our family, in our profession, and in all the sectors of our society. A big challenge lies ahead of us! “Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.”

About Fr. Jesús and his other reflections…

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Why Do People Suffer?, A SUNDAY GOSPEL REFLECTION for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time by Fr. Jesús Galindo, OFM

In an indirect way, today’s gospel gives us a precious little piece of information about Peter’s marital status. By mentioning his mother-in-law, we come to know that Peter was a married man (no other way to have a mother-in-law!). This is the only reference recorded in the gospels about the marital status of any of the twelve apostles. Too bad her name is not given; she could be the much needed patron saint of all mothers-in-law.

Now, let’s go to the core and message of today’s readings. In the first reading, we heard the loud lament of Job: “I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been allotted to me… I shall not see happiness again.” Job is just voicing out what millions of people all over the world are going through: hunger, pain, sickness, suffering, starvation, violence. They keep asking: Where is God? Why does he allow this to happen? Why does this happen to me?

The story of Job was written in order to challenge the Old Testament people’s belief that pain, sickness and suffering are punishment for sin. Job is a righteous and holy man; yet he loses all his properties one after the other, his fields, his cattle, and even his children; besides, he is stricken with leprosy. Job professes his innocence, against the accusations of his wife and friends who insist that he must have done something wrong. The book of Job proves that sickness and suffering are not punishment for sin—not always, anyway. But it leaves unanswered the basic question: Why then do people suffer? Above all, why do innocent people suffer? Like in the Old Testament so also today many among us blame God, if not for inflicting pain at least for not doing enough to alleviate it.

Today’s gospel belies such stand. Jesus, the God-made-man spent most of his time healing the sick and alleviating suffering. On this particular day, he cured a possessed man inside the synagogue; then he cured Simon’s mother-in-law; and then, “when it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons.” All in a day’s time! Jesus is like a walking hospital; he cannot stand seeing people suffer. What a beautiful gospel to read at the threshold of the World Day of the Sick, three days from now!

We may not know why people suffer, or where suffering comes from. But this much we know: It does not come from God. A lot of suffering is man-made and even self-inflicted, brought about by our own excesses in eating, drinking, smoking, drugs, careless driving, etc. We do know why the Palestinians and the Israelis–and people in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Nigeria, and other war-torn places, are suffering. We do know why the victims of terrorism, corruption and injustice are suffering. Definitely, not God’s doing.

Where did Jesus get the strength needed to carry on his relentless healing and preaching activity? In prayer, that’s where. “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went to a deserted place, where he prayed.” Now we have the complete picture of Jesus’ life and his two points of reference: prayer and action: the Father and the sick. Communion with Father in prayer gave him the strength to remain faithful to his calling. Simon and the others came to him with a tempting proposition: “Everybody is looking for you!” Wow, what a chance to be popular. Jesus could have said: “Now we are in business! Our strategy is working!” But he didn’t go for it: “Let us go on to the neighboring towns…” Prayer kept him focused on and faithful to the Father’s will.

Prayer will do for us what it did for Jesus. It will help us remain faithful to the Father’s will and to overcome the temptations of pride and selfishness. It will give meaning and a sense of direction to our life.

About Fr. Jesús and his reflections.

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“He will Lease His Vineyard to Other Tenants”, A Sunday Gospel Reflection 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time by Fr. Jesus Galindo, OFM

A married couple with five children adopted a young boy who had been allowed to go out on parole from a rehabilitation center. First, they took him on probation under their custody. He was a model boy, so they decided to adopt him. They treated him exactly like one of their own children and asked him to follow the same house rules. One house rule was that he be home by 11 in the evening. One night he did not come home on time; he showed up at one in the morning. The adoptive parents gently told him that they had been worrying about him and asked him to come home on time. The boy said nothing and went straight to bed. The next morning, when the father had gone to work and the children to school, the mother went down to the basement to do the laundry. The adopted son followed her, sneaked from behind, and with an iron bar, struck her in the head and beat her to death. Then he left.

This true story resembles Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard (today’s first reading) and the parable of the vineyard, in the gospel. The goodness, care and attention showered by the owner on his vineyard failed to produce the expected results. We can feel the owner’s pain and disappointment.

The parable of the vineyard is the second of three so-called “rejection parables” addressed by Jesus to the priests and the elders of the Jewish people in order to berate them for refusing to believe in him. Last Sunday’s parable of the two sons was the first, and next Sunday’s parable of the wedding banquet is the third.

The parable is addressed to us too. Like the people of Israel, we too have been blessed, cherished and cared for by God in many ways. As a nation, God has chosen this country from among all other countries in Asia to be the recipient of the Christian faith. God has blessed it also with rich and abundant natural resources.

On the personal level, we have been endowed with manifold gifts and blessings: our life, our health, a sound mind, our family and friends, our livelihood and, above all, our Christian faith. After counting our blessings, we must ask ourselves: What kind of fruits are we yielding? I don’t think I need to describe the situation our country is in: rampant kidnapping, carnappings, hold-ups, criminality, corruption, drug pushing, etc. In short, lots of wild grapes.

What is it that led the tenants to deny the owner his share of the produce and to kill his men and his own son? Nothing but greed: “Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.” Nothing new, really. Even today, greed is the spark that kindles wars around the world – even those euphemistically called “anti-terrorist wars.” Greed is emptying our nation’s coffers. Greed is behind poor roads and substandard infrastructures. Greed is another name for corruption. Greed is behind kidnappings and acts of violence.

The parable of the vineyard reminds us that we are tenants and administrators, not owners, of God’s goods. We have to administer God’s goods and gifts wisely and responsibly, because one day we will be asked to render an account of our administration, We are also expected to share God’s blessings. God’s share of the produce of his vineyard is that which we give to others.

The word of God being proclaimed in our midst today is like one of the servants, or like one of the prophet of old, sent by the divine Owner of the vineyard to remind us to be responsible administrators. May we heed it and act on it!

About Fr. Jesus and his reflections

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