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“GOD’S LOVE IN JESUS, IN THE DISCIPLES AND IN THE SAINTS,” By Fr. Robert Manansala, OFM, Sunday Gospel Reflection for 6th Sunday of Easter, Year A

The gospel passage on the 6th Sunday of Easter, Year A underscores, among others, the link between love and obedience and the presence of God in the person who loves.

Love is the very motive for and the essence of the Father’s sending of Jesus into our midst. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” It is also the fundamental message of Jesus’ life and ministry. In Luke 10:17, Mark 12: 30-31 and Matthew 22:37-39, we find Jesus summarizing all the commandments into the love of God and neighbors. John underlines the very nature of God as love. He writes, “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

But the love that Jesus commands is a demanding love. It is a sacrificial and sacrificing love, one that is patterned after the very love of Jesus himself. Jesus says that only those who follow His example and obey His commands can be said to genuinely love. Thus, we find here that love is obedient.

In Christian life, obedience is not a prerequisite for love; it is rather the result or the consequence of love. If we, as disciples, truly love Jesus, then we obey Him and His commands and follow His example. Jesus Himself has shown us this obedient love. Because He loved the Father and He loved each and every one of us, He was obedient to His Father even to the point of laying down His life on the cross for our salvation.

Jesus made a promise to those who obey His commands out of love for Him. He will ask the Father to send to them the Spirit of truth, Who will not leave them despite Jesus’ return to the Father (ascension) but will remain with them until the end of time. It is this Spirit of truth that will make the disciples witnesses of love in the world.

If love is God’s very nature, therefore anybody who loves, especially after the example of Jesus, manifests God’s presence in the world. As one line from a Les Miserables song states, “To love somebody is to see the face of God.” We dare to add, “Anybody who loves reflects the face of God.”

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says that Jesus has revealed the face of God. He writes in his Jesus of Nazareth, Volume 1: “The great question that will be with us throughout this entire book: But what has Jesus really brought, then, if He has not brought world peace, universal prosperity, and a better world? What has He brought? The answer is very simple: God. He has brought God! He has brought God, and now we know His face, now we can call upon Him. Now we know the path that we human beings have to take in this world. Jesus has brought God and with God, the truth about where we are going and where we come from: faith, hope, and love.”

Jesus, as the human face of God, is the face of a compassionate, unconditional, boundless and obedient love. He is the Incarnate love of the Father.

The saints, in a powerful and special way, reveal the loving and living presence of God in our midst. Having just visited and prayed before the incorrupt body of the Franciscan Capuchin Stigmatist St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina at the San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy as part of our recent pilgrimage itinerary (May 3-19, 2014), I am reminded of what Pope Paul VI remarked of St. Padre Pio. Pope Paul VI said: “See what fame he had! What a world-wide clientele gathered around him! But why? Was it because he was a philosopher, because he was a learned man, because he was a man of means? It was because he said Mass humbly, because he confessed from morning to evening, and because, difficult as it is to say, he was a marked representative of the Lord” (Pope Paul VI, February 30, 1971).

Jesus, the disciples and the saints have revealed and continue to reveal the loving face of God. What about us?

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“I am the Gate of the Sheep” by Fr. Jesus Galindo, OFM, A Sunday Gospel Reflection on the 4th Sunday of Easter (A)

Most of the images of Jesus we see in our churches are those of the Sto. Niño, the Sacred Heart and Christ the King — all with crown and scepter, symbols of power. We seldom see an image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, carrying a lamb on his lap or on his shoulders, or leading his flock. Yet this is how Jesus described himself — not as a mighty king but as a humble shepherd; not in terms of power and prestige but in terms of love, service and sacrifice.

The shepherd image is very much a part of the Old Testament. Yahweh is often called the “Shepherd of Israel.” One of the most beautiful and best known psalms in the bible is psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.” A shepherd differs very much from office or factory workers; the latter handle tools, machines, computers, and telephones—all of which they leave behind after office hours. A shepherd, however, deals with sheep—living creatures. He cares for them, feeds them, protects them day and night, and treats them almost as if they were human beings: “They hear my voice… and follow me. I give them eternal life.”

Today’s gospel is part of Jesus’ Good Shepherd discourse (Jn 10:1-30). Jesus describes himself as the gate of the sheepfold. He sets himself in contrast to “those who came before me who were thieves and robbers.” Jesus is a good shepherd and a good leader because he feeds and cares for the sheep; while the false shepherds and leaders feed on the sheep, exploit them and take advantage of them for their (the leaders’) own profit. Jesus is the gate leading to fullness of life and salvation.

Today’s gospel is particularly relevant and challenging for all of us who exercise leadership roles in the Church or in society: priests, parents and public servants. Jesus sets himself as the model we should strive to imitate. We priests (and bishops, of course) should ask ourselves: Am I a good shepherd, or just a good administrator, a good manager, a good fund raiser and a good constructor? Where do I spend most of my time and resources, in feeding the sheep or in putting up structures? More often than not, promotion in the ranks is based on a priest’s ability to raise funds or build churches rather than in his work of visiting the sick and the poor or in building basic ecclesial communities.

Parents should also ask themselves: Are we good shepherds or just good providers? Quite often, parents, especially in well-to-do families, think that their main role is to provide for the material needs of their children. “Why do you complain?” they ask their children. “We give you everything you want. You are enrolled in the best school, have the best car, computer… everything.” Yet the young need more than money, cars and computers. They need their parents’ care, affection and quality time. Students in the best schools (who have every gadget) are often victims of psychological problems, drug addiction, etc. So, parents, by all means, be good providers; but, above all, be good shepherds.

As for public “servants,” it is only during electoral campaigns that we hear the word “servant,” when candidates woo their constituents, shake hands, caress children, and issue motherhood statements and unbelievable promises: ”Give me a chance to serve you and I will remove poverty, hunger, unemployment, etc.” Once in office, however, it is an entirely different story; instead of feeding the flock, they feed on it. Anyone who has had to transact business in a government office knows this. It is our task, therefore, to discern and to pray, so that we may find truly good shepherds who will look after the welfare of the sheep and not after own profit.

Good Shepherd Sunday is also World Day of Prayer for Vocations—a day to pray for the increase of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life. It is no secret that vocations all over the world, most especially in first world countries, are dwindling. Smaller families, wider range of options open to the youth, and the tarnished image of priests as a result of the sexual abuse controversy are some of the contributing factors. Parents play an important role in sowing the seed of vocation in their children. The Christian community must be made aware of its responsibility to provide shepherds to minister to the flock. Today, while attending Mass and praying for vocations, the members of every parish assembly might look at the Mass presider and ask themselves: “How many priests has our family, or our community, given to the Church?” May the Lord fill the hearts of parents and children with the spirit of service and generosity.

***

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“Whoever Believes in Me Will Never Die”, by Fr. Jesus Galindo, OFM

Water→Light→Life. There is a steady crescendo, a growing intensity, in the gospels of the last three Sundays—all from St. John. On the third Sunday of Lent, Jesus was portrayed as the living water that gave new life to the Samaritan woman and to her town mates. Last Sunday, fourth of Lent, Jesus was the life-giving light, which opened the eyes of the blind man—and his heart too. Today, Jesus is the resurrection and the life—the Lord and giver of life.

All three gospel events were signs (a favorite term of John’s gospel) meant to bring about faith in Jesus. The Samaritan woman and her town mates believed in Jesus. The blind man bowed down and worshipped him. And in today’s gospel, “many Jews began to believe in him.” Not only did they become believers—in all three instances; they also became apostles: The Samaritan woman brought her town mates to Jesus. The blind man defended Jesus before the Pharisees to the point of being expelled from the synagogue because of that. And Lazarus caused many Jews to believe in Jesus; so much so that the chief priests wanted to kill, not only Jesus but Lazarus as well, “because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.” (Jn. 12:10-11).

These three gospels of John were used already in the early Church to instruct the catechumens (those who prepared themselves for baptism) in the faith, telling them that, through baptism, they were to become, not only believers but also apostles—and even martyrs, of Jesus Christ.

Today’s gospel about the rising of Lazarus proclaims above all the divinity of Jesus, the Lord and Master of life and death. It also underlines his humanity; he is a true man, with human feelings. No other gospel passage plays up Jesus’ feelings and emotions as much as this one. Like anyone of us, Jesus developed strong bonds of friendship. He was no cold and detached preacher but a very warm human being: “Lord, the one you love is sick.” No name is given, and no name was needed. Jesus’ love for Lazarus must have been so special that there could be no doubt about his identity.

Further down, in verse 36, the Jews themselves attest to Jesus’ love for Lazarus, “See how he loved him,” they said. Jesus’ love however was not confined to Lazarus; it extended to his two sisters as well: “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” What a lucky family indeed to have enjoyed the special love and friendship of Jesus!

The gospels are usually silent about Jesus’ feelings and emotions. Verses 33 to 38 however are an exception; they are truly emotion-laden. They bare the humanity of Jesus and reveal how deeply the death of his friend Lazarus affected him—even though he knew that he was about to raise him up from the dead: “Jesus became perturbed and deeply troubled.” “Jesus wept.” “So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb.”

The core and centerpiece of today’s gospel is, of course, the dialogue of Jesus and Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life… Whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” These words of Jesus are the backbone of our Christian religion; they sustain us in our grief over the death of a loved one, with the assurance that death is not the end of it all but rather the beginning of a more beautiful life with the Lord.

Those words of Jesus give us the courage we need to take up our daily cross and to accept illness, and even death, in a spirit of loving submission to the will of God. They dispose us too to enter into the approaching mystery of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection with the firm conviction that suffering, sickness and death will not have the last word. With Martha, we burst into a profession of faith in the promise made by Jesus: “Yes, Lord, we have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is to come into the world.”

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“Blindness and Power Play” by Fr. Joel Sulse, OFM

“You were born a sinner and now you teach us!”

This remark by the Pharisees to the man-born-blind is a very paralyzing and belittling statement. This is borne out of a certain bias against him since they believe that his physical disability is a product of a curse or a sin done by his ancestors. The blind man suffers all the more from this merciless cultural bias.

I have been ministering to a few thousands of inmates in my ten years as a priest. I became close to them that I have often seen the others going back and forth to the penitentiary even though their cases had already been dismissed. One of the compelling realities I have discovered which has really surprised me is the common remark from the inmates. I have known of the sad state that they have encountered outside. They have experienced the most difficult and most trying moments in convincing people and the company they apply for in seeking a job. One inmate said “Applying for a job is very difficult than having policemen catch us.” They said it was double agony on their part experiencing rejection from the society where they belong. The bias is so enormous that the rejection is like a two-edged sword slashing them to the bone. Even their closest friends and their families have developed the same kind of prejudice against them. Too sad to think but indeed it is a reality happening every minute of the day in their lives.

The experience of the man-bornblind and the inmates I have known are in no way different. They tell a story of power play at work in our society. The sad thing is that this power play of authority is mostly present in the human heart. It pierces through the brain of every human individual and dictates us to commit and develop a more biased culture amongst us. The reason why Jesus healed the man-born-blind is to shake the authority of the Pharisees regarding their on-going neglect in understanding the very essence of the Sabbath Law, and that is to give and nurture life and not to curtail one’s freedom to experience God’s mercy and compassion. Who is really in control of the situation? To which type of authority do we belong? What other related biases have we done?

Jesus in the gospel would like us to recognize that the spiritual blindnessof the Pharisees is a serious crime far greater than the physical blindness of a person. What is so inspiring in the story is the challenge asked by Jesus to the man-born-blind, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” And the response He got was “Lord, I believe!” And we were told that he worshiped Him. Indeed “Blessed are the lowly for they will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Superiority separated all God’s creation beyond human imaginings. It divided the world into countless groups. Differences were solidified that instead of experiencing the universality of the innateness in each one of us, it penetrated into the instincts of human and other living beings. It became a culture, and thus, the sufferings of the world are but products of this enormous mistake. Superiority has always been the problem. But a solution has been offered to us in the humanity of Christ himself…that though He is a God, He did not deem equality with God. Rather, He emptied himself and took the form of a slave. This is the humility of God shared to help humankind understand that there is another way to become great in His eyes.

Can we stop belittling others and stop subscribing to the offers of being superior to others? What about choosing the path of the man-bornblind? He believed and worshiped Jesus! Let us continue to move on to this meaningful Lenten journey.

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“Jesus as the Messiah From Which We Drink Living Water” by Fr. Efren Jimenez, OFM

Jesus declared, “if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture says, out of his heart will flow a river of flowing water.” (John 7:37-38)

Our Country is so blessed with natural beauty, an archipelago of 7,107 Islands, vast oceans from all sides surround it – The Pacific Ocean, the China Sea, Sulu and Celebes seas. Land and water define the Filipino life. But it is a sad fact that greed and ignorance about the living earth resulted in excessive exploitation of natural resources – reminding how its destruction impacts on our lives. (Common to all the readings this Sunday of Lent is an affirmation of God’s benevolent care for those who place their well-being in God’s hand, that is, an affirmation of God’s unconditional love.)

An important symbol of God’s sustaining grace is the element of water. The symbolism of water is ambivalent in the Bible representing both evil and good (Jonah 2:3). We knew the story of the Israelites wandering through the desert, water was critical to their survival. But in the midst of this God was testing them. The dependence of the people on this element becomes a statement concerning their dependence on God, a malicious manner in which they obtain their water stands in the text as a commentary on human pride and arrogance.

The episode in the gospel points to the central role water brings to our longing for life’s fullness. In the context of Lenten struggle and longing for rebirth, we enter into the heart of the conversation between Jesus and the woman by the well. Undaunted Jesus greatly but firmly brings us to a deeper perception of life through a conversation about water.

1. He asks us to give him a drink but only as a lead-in to the central difficulty confronting us, to know Jesus as the Messiah from which we could drink living water.

In the water of Baptism, God uses the sacrament of water to wash away our sin, death, and power in our lives.

It is with deep mystery of faith to experience Jesus’ offering on the cross, where blood and water flows, for our salvation.

2. “I thirst ..!” one of the last words of Jesus on the cross, St. Paul gave a deeper explanation of these haunting words of Jesus: “Each of us is now as part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain his spirit – where we all come to drink.” 1 Cor. 12:13

We are reminded that each of us in our lives may have a dehydrated heart. In fact our maker wired us with thirst. Stop drinking and see what happens. Physical changes occur in our body – dry mouth, thick tongue, no moisture in the mouth, we can suffer delirium. Deprive your soul of spiritual water, and suffer the consequences. Confusion, waves of worry, instability of thoughts. Jesus declared, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture says, out of his heart will flow a river of flowing water .” (John 7:37-38)

This is a challenge for us to drink him often, all the time. Communicate with him, talk to him, listen to him as in this prayerful thought:

“I come thirsty for you, I received your redeeming love on the cross. My sins are pardoned, my death defeated. I received your energy, in the spirit who strengthened me. I received your Lordship, you are mine. St. Augustine reminded me: “My soul is restless, until it rest in thee.”

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“Transfiguration: A Lenten Journey to Reclaim the Divine Presence in Our Life,” by Fr. Reu Jose C. Galoy, OFM

The essence of transfiguration begins in our fidelity to God’s mission, appreciation of our own humanity, and celebrating life’s potential as God’s gift to all.

Listening to the radio was one of the best pastimes I and my friends usually spent in my home province. We talked about the stories we heard – as if we were active participants and shapers of scenarios in the story. At some other time, debating on a particular topic consumed our entire afternoon. I still can recall vividly one of our most interesting discussions on selecting your future wife or husband. One of us will volunteer to provide the problem or situation. For instance, when you choose your future wife or husband, will it be someone who is good looking or beautiful but with undesirable attitude; or the other way around, ugly but with good character and attitude? After our long discussion and debate, the person who provided the case made his/her position. For this particular case, the answer was, character and attitude can be changed but there is no hope to change an ugly face.

This idea might be true twenty years ago but does not hold true today. The advent of technology, plastic surgery or altering and enhancing some parts of our body can be done easily especially if one has the financial resources. There are pros and cons that go with it; the discussion requires another avenue of expression. My simple point is, there are different ways and means for change to happen. And it should not be limited to the physical aspect of our humanity nor to prioritize the external over the internal dimension of our being.

Michael Kent succinctly put it in this way: Everyone is unimaginably complex; there is always more to us than what is visible. Our purpose in life is to let our complexity unfold. While we all have our own pace, it is our destiny to achieve the fullness of humanity in our lifetime. The possibilities for our development are beyond measure. We become “transfigured” as we achieve more and more our potential and let the best in us shine through. Every day presents a new opportunity to expand our horizons, develop new talents, better ourselves and the lives of the people we love around us. Divine-like qualities of expanded vision, unconditional love, tolerance, forgiveness, and wisdom are waiting to be revealed in us.

Indeed, the transfiguration of Jesus is an invitation for all us to live a meaningful life. This journey might not be easy because it will demand from us the process of self-denial, selfemptying, and self-sacrifice as Jesus did. Paradoxically, it is the means for us to see through these events that by being for others and with others we can uniquely see the divine presence in a humble way. The essence of transfiguration begins in our fidelity to God’s mission, appreciation of our own humanity, and celebrating life’s potential as God’s gift to all.

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“The Transfiguration of Jesus: A Cosmic Disclosure” Second Sunday of Lent, Year A, by Fr. Robert B. Manansala, OFM

The late Bishop Ian Ramsey of Durkham, who wrote extensively on the problem of religious language, Christian ethics, the relationship between science and religion, and Christian apologetics, often used the term “cosmic disclosure.”

A cosmic disclosure is when you encounter an incident or a person and this brings about infinite dimension and meaning, that without this incident or person, one’s whole life makes no more significance or is changed drastically. An example of this is when, for the first time in your life, you truly recognize how much you love your husband or wife and children, and without them, your life will have no more meaning or will already be completely different. If this happens to you and this incident changes you and your life, you are experiencing a cosmic disclosure.

The spiritual author Anthony Bloom, according Fr. Gil Guillimette, SJ, describes what Bishop Ian Ramsey is trying to say in the following words: “There are moments when things which surround us – people, situations – suddenly acquire depth, become transparent, as it were, and allow us to see them with a new significance… We see people apparently as they are, and someday we suddenly spot something else…. All of a sudden a face… appears to us completely new, lending us a depth of meaning, depth of significance. In such moments occurs what Ian Ramsey calls ‘cosmic disclosure.’”

The transfiguration incident in the life of Jesus can very well be described as a cosmic disclosure of who Jesus Christ really is. It is a moment of cosmic disclosure for the apostles Peter, James and John who accompany Jesus on Mt. tabor. Found in all the synoptic gospels, it basically deals with the issue concerning the divinity of Jesus and with the connection between Jesus’ appearance in glory and his passion and death.

Historically and chronologically, the transfiguration of Jesus took place after Peter’s confession of Jesus as “the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Peter’s confession, in turn, took place on the Jewish Feast of Yom ba-Kippurim, the great feast of atonement. On this Jewish feast, for the one time in the year, the high priest solemnly pronounced the name YHWH in the Temple’s Holy of Holies. It is significant that Jesus is pronounced by Peter as the Messiah and the Son of the living God on the day that the Jews can only mention the personal and direct name of God, Yahweh. And on the day of the transfiguration, it is the divine identity of Jesus that is revealed in glory.

It is also significant to note that the transfiguration of Jesus took place on the last day of the Jewish Feast of the Booths, a commemoration that lasted for a week. This feast commemorates the journey of the Israelite people in the desert. In Hebrew, the feast is called Sukkot, which means huts, in reference to the huts or booths in which the Israelites lived during their forty years of sojourn after the exodus from Egypt. In this desert journey, the Israelites were people on the go, unable to build permanent structures but only temporary huts. The Promised Land was their final destination; the desert, as a place of journey, was only transitional.

That the transfiguration event took place on the last day of the feast of the booths, which was considered its high point and the synthesis of its inner meaning, highlights for us the journey that Jesus is undertaking at this point in his life. The mountain top experience of the transfiguration on Mt. Tabor is only transitional, although a much needed boost before embracing his passion and death. His destiny is the Cross in Jerusalem. We can understand here Jesus’ refusal to allow Peter to build three tents on the mountain in his desire to stay put and to freeze the glorious moment and not to proceed to the destiny of the cross. Just like the Israelites on the desert, Jesus and the disciples with him cannot stay permanently on the mountain of glorification; they must proceed to Jerusalem and there face the cross of passion and death.

That the transfiguration incident is a manifestation of the divinity of Jesus is further shown by some theophanic elements in the passage. As in the case of the many mountain experiences of Jesus throughout his life, Mt. Tabor serves as a locus of God’s manifestation of presence, identity and closeness. On this day on Mt. Tabor, the three closest disciples encounter the Son of God in his glory. Matthew tells us that Jesus’ “face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light” (Mt. 17:2). According to Diane Bergant, the transformation of Jesus “before Peter, James and John is more than a vision of the future glorification of Jesus but an insight into his identity during his public life.” Jesus’ inner reality shines forth and his outer appearance is transfigured. Like Moses in the Book of Exodus (Ex. 34:35), Jesus’ face shines brightly, revealing his divine identity as the Son of God.

As in the other biblical instances, the cloud mentioned in the incident also symbolizes the presence of God. From the cloud God the Father identifies Jesus as the Son of God and lends authority to his teaching. The heavenly Father’s voice says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, listen to him.” The Father’s voce and words remind us of the baptism of Jesus, wherein the divine identity of Jesus is first revealed.

The presence of two of most important figures of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah, further adds to the significance of the transfiguration event of Jesus. While Matthew is silent about the matter of the discussion between Jesus and Moses and Elijah, the Lukan account of the transfiguration incident alludes to the Cross. In the gospel of Luke, we find that Moses and Elijah “appeared in glory and spoke of his departure which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem” (Lk 9:31). Pope Benedict XVI, commenting on this detail, says: “Their topic of conversation is the Cross, but understood in an inclusive sense as Jesus’ Exodus: a departure from his life, a passage through the ‘Red Sea’ of the Passion, and a transition into glory – a glory, however, that forever bears the mark of Jesus’ wounds.”

Thus, we find in the transfiguration incident that the divine identity of Jesus is not only revealed in glory but also in the Cross. Jesus’ appearance is intimately connected with his passion and death. Pope Benedict XVI writes: “Jesus’ divinity belongs with his Cross – only when we put the two together do we recognize Jesus correctly. John expressed this intrinsic connectedness of the Cross and glory when he said that the Cross is Jesus’ ‘exaltation,’ and his exaltation is accomplished in no other way than in the Cross.” What the Holy Father says is confirmed by the fact that the transfiguration of Jesus takes place just before his entry triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the beginning of his passion.

Moses and Elijah are themselves representatives and witnesses of the passion. This scene of Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah does not only show that Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Law and the Prophets, of the entire Old Testament and, in fact, the entire biblical tradition and revelation, it also shows that “Jesus’ passion,” according to Pope Benedict, “brings salvation that is filled with the glory of God; that the Passion is transformed into light, into freedom and joy.”

At this point in the life journey of Jesus, he has been making predictions of his passion and death. Right after Peter’s confession, Jesus makes it clear that the Son of must undergo his passion and death. Peter and the disciples cannot understand and take this. They resist that the Messiah and the Son of God can and must suffer passion and death to bring salvation. The voice of the Father, addressing the disciples, appeals to them to listen to Jesus, to listen to what he has been telling them all along.

Peter, James and John are overwhelmed by the immensity of the transfiguration incident. They fall prostrate and are very afraid. But Jesus assures them, “Rise and do not be afraid.”

Jesus needs this cosmic disclosure of his divine identity as the beloved Son of God before he faces his passion and death in Jerusalem. It is just like a spiritual shot in the arm, so that assured of his grounding in the love of the Father, he can courageously and faithfully embrace the will of the Father for the salvation of the world.

The transfiguration is a prayer event and it shows to us what happens when Jesus is united with his Father. There is an interpenetration of his being with the Father, and, as a result, his being becomes pure light. His true identity is revealed and he is able to face and embrace the mission entrusted to him by the Father.

If the true divine identity of the Son of God is revealed on the cross, the true identity of a Christian, a follower of Jesus, is also seen in his or her faithful and loving carrying of his or her own cross and in participation in the Cross of Jesus. This feast reminds us that we too can only be truly transformed by encountering the Lord, in prayer and in the events of our lives marked by the Cross. It is only by denying ourselves and taking up our crosses that we become disciples or imitators of Christ, reflections of Jesus. Jesus can only shine in and through us when we ourselves become truly conformed to him and transformed into his likeness.

Dasmarinas Village, Santuario de San Antonio, Manila Polo Club
March 15/16/2014

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“Not on Bread Alone Is Man to Live” by Fr. Jesus Galindo, OFM

Lent is not mainly about “giving up,” rather it is about “growing up.” It is a time to enrich and strengthen our faith and to reinforce our weak spots—where temptations are more likely to get through; it might be anger, unforgiveness, addiction to gambling, alcohol or drugs, pride or infidelity. The aim is to get rid of the idols in our life, so as to worship and serve God alone.

Every year, on the first Sunday of Lent, we read at Mass one of the gospel accounts of Jesus’ temptations (this year, Matthew’s). We are reminded that, during the Lenten season, we must gather up strength to be able to fight against the power of evil. For that, we need to intensify our prayer life and our acts of penance and charity. In the Philippines, this Sunday is marked every year as “National Migrants’ Day.” Is it, perhaps, because migrants are easily exposed to temptation? That seems to be the implication, since in the Prayer of the Faithful we are invited to pray, “that the families of migrant workers may remain steadfast in the face of temptation, resist the lure of materialism and strive to stay united in prayer.” (Sambuhay)

When we pray the Our Father and say, “… lead us not into temptation,” we are not asking God to keep temptations away from us, but rather to help us not to give in, or to fall into, temptation. Temptations are part and parcel of human life. They afford us an opportunity to show how strong or how weak our love for God is. If overcome, temptations become a source of merit and grace. The strength of iron is tested by fire. We discover the worth of true love and friendship when they are tested. Likewise, we prove our love for God when we fight and overcome temptations. “The absence of temptation is the absence of virtue.” (Goethe)

Temptation is an invitation to take the easy road and to deviate from God’s commands. This is particularly clear in the account of the temptations of Jesus. He had just begun his public ministry and had committed himself to do the will of the Father by submitting to John’s baptism of repentance. But Satan comes around telling him to take it easy: “Why go hungry? You have the power to turn stones into bread; use it. Show ‘em who you are.” It is an invitation to be selfish, to use power for his own good. Jesus would experience this sort of temptation again and again in his life. For instance, when Peter told him, after the first announcement of his passion: “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” Jesus told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! (Mt. 16:22- 23) Or when, after the multiplication of
the loaves, the people wanted to make him king. (Jn. 6:15) Jesus withdrew to the mountain alone. Or when people asked him for a sign from heaven—so they could believe in him (Mt. 16:1; Mk 8:11)
Jesus simply refused.

Perhaps Satan’s fiercest attack on Jesus took place when Jesus was hanging on the cross and Satan put in the mouth of people the same old mantra, “If you are the Son of God…” First, “Those passing by reviled him… If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Mt. 27:39) Next, “The chief priests and the scribes mocked him and said, ‘Let him come down from the cross now and we will believe in him… for he said: I am the Son of God’.” And then, “One of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.’” (Lk. 23:39) The temptation of power and greed haunted Jesus up to the very last moment of his life. But he came out victorious by staying on the cross, doing the Father’s will.

Notice how Jesus quotes Scripture passages (Dt. 8:3; 6:13 and 6:16) in order to fend off the devil’s ploys. The Word of God is a powerful source of grace and strength against temptation. But then the devil also quotes a Scripture passage himself. (Ps. 91: 1, 2) Indeed the Word of God can be used in the wrong way and for the wrong purpose too. Discernment is needed before lending credence to any “bible babbler.”

Last Wednesday we started the Lenten season with the imposition of ashes. Lent is not mainly about “giving up,” rather it is about “growing up.” It is a time to enrich and strengthen our faith and to reinforce our weak spots—where temptations are more likely to get through; it might be anger, unforgiveness, addiction to gambling, alcohol or drugs, pride or infidelity. The aim is to get rid of the idols in our life, so as to worship and serve God alone.

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“IF YOU ARE THE SON OF GOD… TEMPTATION AND TEMPTATIONS.” FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR A by Fr. Robert B. Manansala, OFM

March 8/9, 2014
Dasmarinas Village/Santuario de San Antonio/North Forbes

A story is told about a driver who parked his car in a no-parking area and attached the following message to the windshield: “I have circled this block twenty times. I cannot find an available parking space. I have an urgent appointment to keep. The Lord Jesus taught, ‘Forgive us our trespasses.’’

When the driver of the car returned, he saw this reply attached to his own note. “I am a police officer. I have circled this block twenty years. If I don’t give you a ticket, I will not be doing my job and I can lose it. The Lord Jesus also taught, ‘Lead us not into temptation.’”

The word temptation comes from the Latin word temptare, which means “to handle, test, or try.” Although temptation is an inducement to sin, to disobey God and his precepts and to betray our identity and dignity as God’s children, it is also a time of testing and trial. The Protestant evangelist Rick Warren says, “Temptation simply provides the choice… Every time you choose to do good instead of sin, you are growing in the character of Christ.” Jesus is tested in the desert by the Devil but he chooses to be on the side of God and his will and, in the process, he comes out victorious. He shows himself a real Son of God, truly obedient to the will and ways of the Father.

To better appreciate the import of the Temptation of Jesus, we need to take note of three important considerations:

First, the temptation of Jesus is preceded by his baptism in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. In the said baptism, the theme of Jesus as the “Son of God” is very prominent. The voice of he Father is heard, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Mt. 3:17). The heavenly Father reveals that Jesus is the Son of God and it is precisely this divine identity as God’s beloved Son that is under attack by Satan. Satan introduces two of his tests or temptations with the phrase “If you are the Son of God…”

Indeed, the fundamental temptation of Jesus, on which the three particular temptations are anchored, has something to do with his divine identity. The Devil is daring him to prove his divine identity as the Son of God. He wants him to compromise his filial trust in the Father. He is challenging his identity as beloved Son and inducing him to doubt it and to put his trust in other things such pleasure, power, and prestige instead of reaffirming his trust in his heavenly Father and his will for him. The Devil wants him to take a different route instead of keeping steady on the way of the cross that the Father has designed for him in bringing about the Kingdom of God and for the salvation of humanity.

Is this not also the fundamental temptation that we all experience in life? When we are tempted, it is a test of who God is really for us and who we are before God. In the face of temptations, do I continue to cling to God and to his ways? Do I remain faithful to his will and to his teachings? Will I try to be a true child of God and of the light or will I allow myself to be a child of Satan, of darkness and of this world? Will I continue to put my trust in God and in his providential care for me or do I change allegiance by putting my trust in pleasure, wealth, power, and prestige and in anything that is not of God or that leads me away from God and his will?

Second, about a hundred years before Jesus began his ministry of proclaiming the Kingdom of God, the Roman Empire had conquered Palestine and annexed it as a Roman colony. Understandably, the Jewish people, who considered themselves the God’s Chosen people, resented their subjugation to the foreign and pagan Roman Empire. Before the coming of Jesus, the environment became saturated with expectations for a Messiah from the line of David who would take on a politico-military role to liberate the people from the yoke of the Roman Empire. What the people had been expecting was a type of temporal, worldly and political messianism that would exhibit might and power.

The different temptations offered by Satan are a trap leading to this type of messanism. The Devil does not only challenge the identity of Jesus; he also induces him to accept the worldly concept of messianism and not the type of messianism that is according to the plan of the Father. He is challenging him to take things into his hands and do things according to the values of the world and according to his deceitful dictations. But the messianic way of the Father is not a temporal, worldly, political and even violent messianic way; the way of the Messiah, as designed by God, is the way of the cross, of love, peace, service and humility. We see this very clearly in Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem commemorated on Palm Sunday. Jesus comes on a humble donkey and not on a horse, a symbol of power, might, wealth and prestige. Jesus bluntly rejects the false enticements of the Devil and sticks to the way of the heavenly Father.

In this world, in order to reach whatever goals and aspirations that we have set for ourselves, for our families, inner circles and companies, we can be tempted to take things our way and according to the ways of the world at the expense of some fundamental spiritual, moral and gospel values. We can embrace immoral and illegal means in pursuit of power, riches and prestige and other things and values that can become mammons or idols. Our end goals, no matter how noble, do not justify illegal and immoral means. A true child of God, as the temptation incident reminds us, always seeks and pursues both God’s goals and ways in all things.

Finally, the Temptation of Jesus reminds us of the desert experience of Israel after their experience of slavery in Egypt and of the fall of Adam and Eve. On those 40 days in the desert, the Jewish people were also tested in many different ways. On one instance, for example, the people became hungry and were unwilling to trust in the providence of God (Ex 16 = Deut 8:2-3). While Israel of old succumbed to temptations, Jesus proves victorious in the face of temptations.

Much earlier in the Biblical account, Adam and Eve were also tempted. Like the Israel of old, they also succumbed to temptations and disobeyed God. But such is not the case with Jesus. Jesus is victorious over sin, temptations and death and has broken the cycle of sinfulness. Jesus as the New Adam and the New Israel is presented to us in the Temptation account as a model of fidelity to God and to his will.

The gospel incident also gives us some clues that enable Jesus to defeat the Devil and his machinations. Jesus is secure in his divine identity as the Son of God. He lives in close intimacy with and connection to his heavenly Father. It is only when we are truly grounded in God and in our identity as children of God that we are able to resist evil and temptations in this world. Our traditional theological terminology calls this a “state of grace.” When we are in a state of grace, when we are filled with God’s spirit and presence, we are stronger to say no to the evils and temptations of this world. Indeed, when our lives are directed more towards God, them we are able to turn more away from evil and temptations.

We can also see here the importance of prayer and fasting and other spiritual disciplines and of being grounded in the Word of God. Jesus has been praying hard and fasting in the desert when the Devil comes into the scene. Jesus is equipped with the necessary spiritual weapons to combat the enemy. Someone said, “Unless we have within us that which is above us, we shall soon yield to that which is about us.” Every Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, we are reminded of the spiritual weapons of prayer, fasting and almsgiving to help us grow in holiness and to combat the evil within and outside of us.

The Devil can also quote the Scriptures for evil designs and to make things appear to be good, noble and even holy and according to God’s will. Is this not the nature of evil and temptation? They usually appear to be good and enticing, hiding the destructions that they bring. But Jesus is truly steeped in the Word of God and can very well discern those that are from God from those that are not from God. In life, we also need this discerning spirit that is guided by the knowledge and the living out of the Word of God in order to see what is truly of God and embrace it and reject what is not of God.

Jesus is quick in resisting the Devil. Spiritual writers and saints tell us that we can never dilly-dally before Satan, his temptations and machinations. We can never negotiate with Satan and his ways. We must resist at once for we are stronger at the first moment of temptation. We need to be resolute in immediately dismissing the Evil One. Jesus is firm in his responses to the Devil and he dismisses him, “Get away, Satan.” And if we do not have the courage to dismiss Satan, we need to remove ourselves from the territory of the Devil, from evil and sinful occasions, and flee. The Desert Fathers have a simple but wise advice: “Pray and flee.”

In the Our Father we pray, “Lead us not into temptation.” As we pray to God to deliver us from evil and temptations, it is important that we also do not expose ourselves to temptations for we may fall. Arnold Glasow says, “Temptation usually comes in through a door that has been deliberately left open.” John Ruskin also says, “No one can be delivered from temptation unless he has finally determined to do the best he can to keep out of it.”

To end, someone said, “To pray against temptations, and yet rush into occasions, is to thrust your fingers into the fire, and then pray they may not be burned.”

May this Lenten Season be truly a desert experience for us, an experience of purification and transformation and of reaffirming our identity as beloved children of God whose sole allegiance is to God and to his will even in the midst of trials and temptations.

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“Who Do You Serve? God or Mammon?” by Fr. Robert Manansala, OFM

Our God is a demanding God and He demands absolute loyalty. Jesus
highlights this in the Gospel passage by declaring categorically that one cannot serve two masters (God and mammon) and that wealth can compete with our commitment to God.

The word mammon is from the Greek word mamonas and it refers to earthly wealth. In the New Testament, only Jesus utters the word to contrast earthly goods with heavenly realities. However, this does not speak of Jesus’ negative attitudes and opposition to possessions in themselves but of the inordinate attachment to them and their materialistic character. Indeed, the problem is not about material goods per se but about our selfish, hedonistic and greedy attachments to them.

Jesus does not deny our human and basic need for food, drink, clothing, shelter and other material support. He does not also espouse passivity, laziness and apathy in the face of our duty to work in support of ourselves, our families and other people. But we must know our priorities in life and in this world. Our first priority is to “seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.” (Mt 6:33)

We must recognize our noble place and unique value in the natural world. Jesus says that we are more important than the birds and wild flowers. (Mt 6:26) We must put our trust and confidence in the providential goodness of God. Jesus says that if God takes care of the birds in the sky and the grass in the field, “will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?” (Mt 6:30) Our heavenly Father knows what we need even before we ask for it from Him. (Mt. 6:32)

Following the Wisdom teachers and to drive home his important
points regarding material goods, Jesus instructs his listeners through the use of two examples from nature. First, he compares the human need for food with that of the birds. In the scheme of things, although according to their nature, the birds do not sow, reap and gather in contrast to humans, God still takes care of them. We must trust that God will provide for us as we live according to our nature as human beings.

Second, Jesus also compares the human need for clothing with the raiment of the field flowers. They too follow their nature, which clothes them magnificently and in a way more beautiful than the royal splendor of Solomon. Likewise, as in the case of the need for food, we must trust that God will care for us as we live according to the nature fashioned for us by God.

Using the Jewish rabbinical argument “from the lesser to the greater,” Jesus then puts a challenge to the disciples’ faith. If through their respective natures God provides for the birds and the flowers and other creatures, for that matter, how much
more God will provide for us through our nature.

What we have in the gospel passage is one of Jesus’ Wisdom teachings. It is about putting our trust and confidence in God and living according to our nature as human beings.

But is this really what we see around us? How come some people, for example, seem to be more provided with material goods than the others? While we see so many people living in dehumanizing poverty and destitution, we also see others living in luxury and opulence? Is worrying not justifiable in the midst of uncertainty?

The gospel passage suggests a clue to the possible root cause of the problem: we do not really live according to our nature. Hoarding, greed, insensitivity, selfishness, apathy, laziness, among others, are not according to the nature God has fashioned for us.

The Social Teaching of the Church speaks of responsible stewardship, the universal destination of goods and solidarity with others, especially the poor and the needy. God has given us the goods of the earth for our proper use and not abuse. They are for our wellbeing and not for accumulation for the sake of profit and selfish interests. They are meant for sharing and equitable distribution according to the needs of people, not according to their wants. But this does not take place if we serve mammon more than we serve God and other people, especially the least, the lost and the last.

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