Category: Reflections

Categories
Articles Parish Services Pastoral Team Reflections

“Vigilance” by Fr. Balltazar Obico, OFM

“Be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.“

It has been said by many cultural anthropologists that one of our cultural traits as Filipinos is the mañana habit; to postpone tasks to be done for some other days with the thought of having ample time to finish them. In most cases people wait for the deadline, either in the payment of taxes, registrations in the Comelec, enrollments; we have students cramming in the last few days before the final exams or rushing their research papers. Basketball players trying to make up in the last two minutes in the ball game. I think we don’t have the monopoly of procrastination; it is fundamentally a human weakness to think that we are in control of the events in our lives, that everything is in our hands.

The gospel begins by once again speaking of the goods we possess and of their prudent use. As addressed to the community of believers, it clearly concerns men’s preparation and vigilance for the return of their Lord. They are constantly admonished to be on guard, to remain ready, wide awake, busy during their master’s absence in order not to be surprised by the arrival of the Son of Man. Be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. Similarly, the steward will render accountability of his stewardship. He can get distracted with the presumed delay of the master’s return. He will be shocked to find the master is coming at an unknown hour. All of life is lived in expectation of the Lord’s return, the time of his arrival is unknown, his coming certain.

At first reading we can argue that it seems unfair on the part of the master to be assuring us of his return without giving us the specific timetable. Justice demands that at least we know some approximate time. Our objection loses its force because God does not exist in time. With God, all is eternal. There is no yesterday, today or tomorrow in God. All time is eternal present; every second, every minute is a potential grace encounter with Him if we are faithful stewards. For one who is in love, time does not matter. He does not exist in time. One lives in the eternal present.

1. To live in the eternal present is to be vigilant. If God were to give specific time, we are most likely to squander time and opportunity with the thought that it is still a long way off. If God says it is next month in September, with our tendency to procrastinate, we will say to ourselves we still have plenty of
time. The absence of a timetable is an invitation for us to live in the sacrament of the present moment, not to pine for the lost golden ages of yesteryears or to be anxious for a future that is yet to come.

2. Secondly if God were to give us the exact timetable of His return, then our response to his invitation will be tainted with ulterior motives other than loving him freely in return. It is like a patient who is terminally ill and the doctor has given him three months to live. The patient will give up his old ways of unhealthy lifestyle so that he can still prolong his life. He will be forced to shape up, motivated by fear, not by a free response to the invitation of God. If there is one characteristic that makes us children of God, it is freedom. Grace is freely offered and it must be freely accepted.

3. There is something beautiful in the absence of a timetable, apart from the fact that every moment is a potential encounter with Him. The best way of preparing for the Lord’s return is not by trying “to get in under the wire” by doing some great things just in time; but by being faithful, all the time! Imagine every day is the potential day of His coming. If that is the case, then each day I become a faithful steward; spending quality time in my daily work and quality time as well with my loved ones. If I take each day as the potential last day, then every thing I do is my last performance; I shall be doing my best in the task at hand; there is no waste of time and effort as I focus on the last performance. In the same way, with my relationships; if every time I leave home, I take it as the last time I will see my loved ones, then I will hug them tight, and express my love to them with all the warmth that I can muster.

as published August 11, 2013, Parish Bulletin
About Fr. Tasang and his reflections >>>>>>

Categories
Articles Pastoral Team Reflections

“The Real Security” by Fr. Joel Sulse, OFM

“Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” (v.15)

The international media absorbed it right in their headlines, “The Pope Urges Us to denounce materialism!” This emotional plea by our beloved Pontiff became like a dewfall, leaving young people, especially those who were in the World Youth Day, with the desire to be more serious about it this time. He even encouraged young people to “make a mess” in their dioceses by sharing their faith in the streets. This radical call which has shaken the whole world is Pope Francis’ way of introducing a reform in the Church, which will make more people aware of the call of Christ to follow him in his
way of living the Gospel.

The story this Sunday begins with an anonymous person in the crowd asking Jesus to tell his brother to share the inheritance they had received from their family. It is an open invitation for Jesus to become an arbitrator to the land and money that they have inherited. But Jesus went straight to tell the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” (v.15)

The statement of Jesus is clear. He reminds us of the danger of greed and power to accumulate possessions. Jesus wants us to take note of one of the erroneous ideas confronting people today, that wealth and power are signs of God’s approval. He wants to correct this attitude in us too. He exhorts all of us not to be lured by the passing splendor of materialism and greed. He is giving us a warning signal about the selfish demands of the same, and the danger attached to all these.

Why did Jesus insert the parable of the Rich Fool? He wants to emphasize that security can never be assured by building larger barns to accommodate our possessions. It is like saying that security can never be assured by the increasing amount of our deposits in the bank or by increasing our investments on something that promises us more returns or profits. He is inculcating in us the value of real security, which can only be attained in our relationship with God and with our neighbors. He wants us to recognize the true value of the real treasure deep inside us that moth, and robbers, and marauders can never destroy.

But what are the implications of being materially secure? Well, there is the presence of happiness and joy, and peace but we can notice that we are not perfectly content. There is something that is lacking. Oftentimes, arrogance and pride are roots of these possessions. Enslavement even of ourselves, as our desire to have some more, forces us to go against our good nature. Thus, Jesus wants us to see the other perspective of this reality. We need to transcend our human understanding of these possessions around us.

I am oftentimes awed with such realizations as: “It could have been better if we didn’t have this inheritance. It divided our family!” “I wouldn’t have suffered much from this turmoil, if my family had given me the best inheritance, not money!” “Money becomes immaterial if confronted with the realities of the real dangers of death.” “My properties made me a slave, and made others slaved by me.” “I am under the spell of my possessions!” “How I wish I could live in the quietness of the moment, thinking of God, and not of something else.” All these realizations can lead to a very positive light. And that is by heeding the reminders of Jesus in our Gospel story.

Pope Francis has this to say: “No one can remain insensitive to the inequalities that persist in this world.” Let us begin anew to plant the seeds of social justice that don’t affirm riches for one’s own sake. Rather, let us invest our best efforts in the real security that can assure us of eternal joy and peace. May the foolishness for Christ discovered by St. John Marie Vianney,
be endowed unto us so that graced by God, we can become rich with Himself as our only valued-possession. “There can never be a secured life except with God!

as published on August 4, 2013, Parish Bulletin
About Fr. Joel and his reflections >>>>>

Categories
Fr. Robert Manansala Reflections

“TEMPUS FUGIT, MEMENTO MORI”

A Reflection for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
by Fr. Robert B. Manansala, OFM

The Trappist Monks, known for their strict observance of monastic life of silence, prayer, work and study used to greet one another with the greeting “Memento Mori.” “Memento mori” can be translated as “Remember death.” A translation that can have more impact is: “Remember that you will die.” In Pilipino, “Alalahanin mo, mamamatay ka rin.” This greeting is a reminder of one’s mortality and the need to live faithfully in this world. Life is short; live your life well.

The Knights of Columbus’ fraternal motto is even more explicit: “Tempus Fugit, Memento Mori,” “Time Flies, Remember Death.” According to John P. Martin, the Grand Knight of Council 14557, New Bedford, Massachusetts, “the Knights of Columbus are called to constantly reflect on the fact that we have only a short earthly existence in which to prove ourselves worthy of eternal life.” Martin traces this motto “Tempus Fugit, Mememto Mori” to the Knights of Columbus’ Founder Fr. Michael J. McGivney’s commitment to an immigrant parish consisting of hard working men and women – who died young. Fr. McGivney himself succumbed to death due to pneumonia at the age of 36.

I think this reminder is not only for the Trappists and the Knights of Columbus; it is for all of us.

“Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” All things are passing, all things are transient. Time flies, remember death. Remember that you will die. This may sound frightening, but it is true. This is not being pessimistic; it is just being realistic. Life on earth is short when seen from the perspective of eternity.

The Biblical scholar Sr. Diane Bergant says this phrase from the Book of Ecclesiastes and the other readings for today all highlight “what we all know so well from experience, namely, that everything and everyone is ‘here today and gone tomorrow.’ Thus, the author of Ecclesiastes insists that the meaning of life cannot be found in possessions that do not last.” Luke, for his part, says, “One’s life does not consist of possessions.”

This can be a very hard and disturbing warning in a world where one’s value is measured by the extent and quality of one’s possessions. In the words of Bergant, “Those who are admired are the people who have money; those who have power are the people who have money; those who set so many of the standards of society are the people who have money.”

Money per se is not the root of all evil; it is greed. Greed is the inordinate desire to possess money, wealth, goods and others with the intention to keep these for oneself far beyond the dictates of basic needs. It is the inordinate desire to acquire, possess, and accumulate more than what one needs or deserves. What is worse is when this desire is pursued at the expense of others people, especially the poor. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “There is always enough for everybody’s needs but not for the greed of a few.” It is the head of greed that we see in many of the scandals, scams and corruption cases in our country today.

The Bible clearly condemns greed. But how do we really distinguish reasonable and just profit from profit propelled by greed? How do we earn a living honestly, raise a family decently, and live responsibly in a world that values people in terms of what they have than who they are and who they can become? Is it morally okay to live luxuriously, extravagantly and scandalously, even if one’s money is hard-earned, in the midst of poverty and destitution of many people?

In the Lukan gospel passage today, Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem, the place of his passion and death. As he led them on the way to the cross, Jesus instructed them in the costs of discipleship and the demands of the Kingdom of God. Today’s gospel focuses on Jesus’ teaching on appropriate attitude toward possessions and preparedness for the coming reign of God.

Jesus’ teaching was occasioned by a request to arbitrate between two brothers. One can very well see that the reality of family members quarreling and getting divided over inheritance is not something new. It has been there since time immemorial.

According to Patricia Datchuk Sanchez, Jesus refused to act as arbiter in the family feud on possession, not because he did not have the authority to do so, but in order to correct the misplaced attention of the people… Jesus wished to align the attitudes of his disciples toward their true purpose and concerns in life. As his followers and as heirs of the eternal inheritance, believers in Jesus are called to reevaluate themselves and their possessions in terms of the new way of life he held out to them. The heart of the… story was Jesus’ exhortation to avoid greed and to understand that possessions, even great possessions, are no guarantee of life.” In other words, the disciples must avoid greed of any forms because life does not consist in possessions.

Jesus was not condemning the man who had asked him to mediate in his property feud with his brother. The man may have been justified in his claim. Nonetheless, Jesus instructed him to be on perpetual watch against the variety of ways greed operates in human life. For Jesus, greed is an attitude foreign to the coming of the Kingdom and his disciples must be free from this evil tendency. Greed results into idolatry.

To make his point more compelling, Jesus told a parable of a rich man who thought about nothing but enlarging his barns for the overflowing harvest he was expecting. The parable does not tell us that the rich man acquired his wealth dishonestly, illegally and immorally. There is also no indication that he was manipulating and oppressing his neighbors or workers. But still, Jesus considered this man a fool because he invested all of himself in a treasure which he would not carry with him when he died. There is a stark indication that although this man was rich in wealth, he was “not rich in what matters to God.”

In the Old Testament, the term “fool” is used to refer to someone who has denied or forgotten God (Psalm 13:1). Anybody who makes money or wealth above God is a fool. Anybody who forgets that everything, especially one’s life, is but a loan which God can recall at any time is a fool. And anybody who forgets the reality “here today and gone tomorrow” is a fool. For the foolish man, death would be a rude but late awakening.

The main message of the gospel resonates with the main insights of the first and second readings. The word vanity is “hebel” in Hebrew and it means “transient as a vapor” or “wisp of air.” Again, Ecclesiastes says, “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” All things are transient and are but a vapor or a wisp of air. And to be absorbed by what is transient and passing is “a great misfortune.” Indeed, what does it profit a man if, in the end, he must leave everything?

Because all things are transient and passing, we must focus our energies on those things that have lasting significance. St. Paul, in his Letter to the Colossians, writes: “Seek what is above… Think of what is above, not of what is on earth… Put to death, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry.”

Lest we misunderstand the main message of the three readings today, they do not tell us that we do not need material things and possessions in this world. We are not angels. We are embodied beings with material, bodily and physical needs. But there is a big difference between needs and wants, between decent life and ostentatious life, between simple life and scandalous life, between earning to live and living to earn, between earning money to live and living for money.

The readings do not also tell us not to get involved in this passing world and just focus ourselves on heaven or the things of heaven. Far from it! In fact, we are asked to give ourselves to the task of the transformation of the earth but with the perspective that we are only pilgrims in this earthly journey.

We are asked to give our best shot in living our lives and in doing something good and beautiful for God, for others and for the world, knowing that everything is a gift from God and belongs to God, that everything must be shared, that our time and opportunities are limited and what is important is how we live godly and loving lives. We only have one life on earth to live and we must live it from the perspective of eternity. Indeed, how we live our lives and how we use, handle and share the gifts and resources that God has given us have eternal repercussions.

St. Bonaventure, follower of St. Francis of Assisi, said, “To lead a good life a man should always imagine himself at the hour of death.” In the same light, St. Alphonsus Liguori also said”…if you wish to live well, spend the remaining days of life with death before your eyes.”

St. Alphonsus Liguori said further: “…Oh! hasten to apply a remedy in time, resolve to give yourself sincerely to God, and begin from this moment a life which, at the hour of death, will be to you a source, not of affliction, but of consolation. Give yourself up to prayer, frequent the sacraments, avoid all dangerous occasions,…secure yourself eternal salvation, and be persuaded that to secure eternal life, no precaution can be too great.”

About Fr. Robert and his reflections.

Categories
Articles Pastoral Team Reflections

“Efficacy of and Persistence in Prayer”, by Fr. Balltazar Obico, OFM

Our prayers are efficacious not because of their forms. They are helpful and facilitative, but because of the goodness and generosity of the Father, prayer is rooted in the kindness and generosity of God.

Introduction.
There was a time during the height of the popularity of the Cursillo
Movement when every Cursillista addressed Jesus as Brother Jess. He is not considered as a brother but can be called by his nickname. It gives one a weird feeling as calling Jesus in a very casual, intimate manner borders on disrespect and too much familiarity. It gives one an eerie feeling. It was most natural for us to realize and stress the gap and distance between God and us, that we feel unworthy to even pronounce the name of God. In fact there are still many, especially the old, the pious and the devout today, who when speaking about God won’t pronounce his name, simply point upwards to the sky and say it is up to someone up there.

GOSPEL.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus was requested by his disciples to teach them how to pray. They were expecting that Jesus would give them some kind of effective formula that would give them assurance that they will be heard by the Father. Instead, Jesus taught them the Our Father. For the Jews, it was bordering on the scandalous, that they cannot call God their father like someone very close and intimate with them. They have always related to Him as a transcendent deity so far removed from our earthly reality. God is totally unlike us. Any insinuation of anthropomorphism on God is considered blasphemous and sacrilegious. In Jesus he has bridged the immense gap between the transcendent realities and earthly ones.

Now God is our Father. He is so near, the head of our household, so intimate that we are his children. Matthew even used the Aramaic word Abba, which is the informal address, akin to the youth’s lingo as Erpat. Try visualizing calling God as Erpat! How does it grab you? It’s edgy. Jesus is saying what is important in prayer is not the methods and strategies but first of all our relationship with God whom we are calling upon. God is our Father, we are his children. What is crucial in prayer is our filial trust and confidence.

When we address God as our father, we are invited to pray with the
same familiarity that Jesus showed when he prayed. The fact that the
one to whom we pray can be thought of in such an intimate way, markedly affects the confidence with which we offer our prayer. God is not some withdrawn figure, unmoved by our pleas. He is not the impersonal deity who is arbitrary and capricious. He is not even a domineering figure up there watching us from a distance, ready to pounce on us whenever we fail. He is a Father, generous and kind.

We need to pray. Its indispensability emerges from the fact that it puts us in touch with the incredible generosity of God. “Successful prayer” depends not on the methods and strategies (what day of the week and what time of the day we pray or the posture we assume.) In this age of charismatic renewal of our prayers, other forms have evolved. There is more singing, dancing, clapping, amid other body movements.

Most prayers are spontaneous, scripture based and are prayers of worship. It is a laudable development. On the other hand we have no right to look down on others who are still comfortable in the traditional forms, formulas, novenas, rosaries, saint-inspired. What is important is regularity, persistence and trust. Our prayers are efficacious not because of their forms. They are helpful and facilitative, but because of the goodness and generosity of the Father, prayer is rooted in the kindness and generosity of God.

published on July 28, 2013 Parish Bulletin

To read more reflections by Fr. Tasang>>>>>

Categories
Articles Pastoral Team Reflections

“Discipleship: Hospitality in Reverse”, by Fr. Reu Galoy, OFM

Discipleship then is first and foremost “going to Jesus” and finding time to listen so we can do what God wills.

Hospitality is one of the remarkable traits of Filipinos. We love to prepare something special for our guests. Others would even spend beyond their means to give their best. For some it is an issue of practicality, for others it is but an expression of valuing people even if it would mean sacrifice for them. For moralists, it can be an issue of right or wrong priority. For power trippers, the act can either be of subservience or of control. An ordinaryevent is open to various interpretations and sense-making.

In the case of our Gospel this Sunday, I strongly believe that Jesus’ answer to Martha: “…you are worried and troubled about many things. One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her” (Lk. 10:41-42) is not a judgment on whether Martha’s action is right or wrong because God created each of us unique. What then does this encounter convey and challenge the disciples of Jesus, the man from Nazareth and Son of the compassionate God?

To connect our reflection on this Sunday’s Gospel with that of last Sunday, allow me to refresh your memory with the gospel story of the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10:25-37). While the parable of the Good Samaritan answered the question – who is my neighbor, let us look at the action or movement of the characters. The priest and the Levite WENT AWAY from the victim because both needed to prepare themselves for their respective services. The Samaritan, on the other hand, CAME NEAR to the victim with compassion. The story in today’s Gospel indicates a similar movement, Mary CAME NEAR to Jesus to listen to him and Martha WENT AWAY from Jesus because she was doing other things, presumably also for Jesus, the guest. Furthermore, the intentions of “coming near” to Jesus were different for the two sisters. Mary came to Jesus to listen (Jesus is an active presence). Martha came near to air out her concerns and complaints (Jesus in passive presence).

If the Parable of the Good Samaritan answered the question that the neighbor is any person in need, in the context of our Gospel today can we raise the question of who God is in the person of Jesus? Can we dare answer that God is someone who needs our active listening and that BEING WITH HIM is far more important than the best of what we do for Him. Being with God is an experience that no other force can take away from us and which we can joyfully share with others.

Discipleship then is first and foremost “going to Jesus” and finding time to listen so we can do what God wills. Hospitality is one expression of this discipleship that values the guest rather than what the host can do for the guest.

Let us LISTEN MORE to render our BEST SERVICE!!!

as published, July 21, 2013 Parish Bulletin READ MORE articles by Fr. Reu >>>>>

Categories
Articles Pastoral Team Reflections

“Burning One’s Bridges and One’s Boats”, by Fr. Robert Manansala, OFM

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Last Saturday, I officiated the beautiful wedding of a wonderful couple named Christian and Chassie. One of the highlights of the ceremony was the couple’s touching personally written exchange of vows. This was done before the official and canonical exchange of vows prescribed by the Church, which can never be done away with to make the wedding valid.

In the said exchange of vows, one could clearly sense the strong commitment made for the present and the future. The bride and the groom pledged themselves to each other and to unconditional and faithful love in marriage and family life. They appeared, using the words in the gospel today, “resolutely determined” to make their marriage work or succeed and to keep their vows till death do them part. According to them, without using the words, there was no more turning back. They were, as if, burning their bridges.

The idiomatic expression “to burn one’s bridges” can mean “cutting the way back where you came from, making it impossible to retreat” or “making decisions that cannot be changed in the future.” Etymologically, it is based on the military action of burning a bridge you have just crossed to prevent the enemy from crossing it after you.

Nil Guillemette says that an equivalent expression of this idiom “to burn one’s bridge” is “to burn one’s boat.” This expression is an allusion to Julius Caesar and other military officers who burned their boats or ships when they invaded an enemy country to make their soldiers realize that retreat would be impossible and that they must either win the battle or die.

“To burn one’s bridges” or “to burn one’s boats” is to give everything to succeed, to make an unchangeable decision, to get rid of everything that can distract or deter one from pursuing what one has set oneself on.”

Burning one’s bridge or one’s boat is, I believe, the challenge of the readings today.

In the First Reading from the First Book of Kings, when God called Elisha to be a prophet through the prophet Elijah, we see Elisha burning his bridges and boats to respond resolutely to the prophetic call of God. He threw his cloak over Elijah. He left the oxen. He acceded that he could not even kiss his parents to bid goodbye. God’s call was urgent and Elisha responded promptly.

The Second Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians tells us of freedom given to us by God so that we can stand firm and not succumb to the yoke of slavery. This freedom enables us to love and serve others and to be always guided by God. Indeed, one who can be truly be firm is free and one who is unfree will have a hard time being resolute.

The Gospel according to Luke tells us that Jesus was “resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.” Jesus was fully aware of what awaited him in Jerusalem – suffering and death. Twice in Luke he had predicted his passion and death before today’s gospel passage.

According to Guillimette, Jesus’ being resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem can be rendered in Greek as ‘he hardened his face” or “he stiffened his face.” Any of these is a metaphor that indicates “determination and courage in overcoming fear.” Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem was the beginning of his passion and death as God’s Suffering Servant. By showing resolute determination, he was burning his bridges and his boats. There was no more turning back for him.

While on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Samaria and was met with unwelcoming reactions of the Samaritans. The Jews and the Samaritans were enemies. The Jews considered the Samaritans inferiors and outsiders because of their association with foreigners. They refused their help to build the temple in Jerusalem. In return, the Samaritans built their own temple on Mount Gerizin as an alternative to the temple in Jerusalem.

The gospel passage clearly states that the Samaritans did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. This led James and John to suggest to him to respond to the Samaritans’ inhospitality by sending a consuming fire upon them. Jesus rebuked James and John. In doing this Jesus, in effect, reminded them that his Gospel is not involved in wiping people out of vengeance and violence. They must never allow themselves to be dictated by the mean reactions of people against him. They must always act out of graciousness and compassion. And in this particularly incident, they must not allow the adverse reactions of the Samaritans to distract them from their journey to Jerusalem. So, Jesus instructed his disciples to be focused on their journey to Jerusalem and to move on.

Indeed, what can distract us from pursuing what we need to pursue are not only inviting alternatives but also difficulties and adverse reactions along the way. Thus, being resolutely determined is a quality that is most needed so that we can reach what we need to reach or achieve what we need to achieve. And these include giving up – things, relationships, attitudes, values, ways – that can make us out of focus.

In the gospel we find also three prospective disciples of Jesus. Fundamental in the exchange between Jesus and the prospective followers was the question: “How does one follow Jesus?” Jesus, in his individual responses to the prospective disciples, outlined a triple demand: anyone who follows the Lord must give up all security and put his security only in God; one must subordinate everything without delay to the following of Jesus and the duty of evangelizing; and, one must forget the past and face the future. In short, anyone who wants to follow the Lord must act decisively and burn one’s bridges or boats.

Indeed, following Jesus requires resolute, courageous, firm decision and action. There can never be discipleship if we do not want to pay the price. There is cost in following Jesus, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it in his book “The Cost of Discipleship.” We either follow the Lord faithfully or not.

This is also very true in the different forms of Christian life and commitment we embrace. One who decides to get married cannot remain a bachelor in his lifestyle. One who decides to be a priest or a religious cannot but be single-hearted in his commitment to the Lord and to God’s people. One who decides to change the direction of his life cannot keep on looking back to his former life. One who decides to turn to the Lord cannot but turn away from sin or from what is not of God. In short, one must burn his bridges or boats.

It seems this is one of the big problems regarding decisions and commitments. Many of them are not made and sustained with resolute determination by the grace of God. There is really no burning of bridges and boats as we often want to enjoy both worlds.

St. John of the Cross, the great Carmelite mystic, had a beautiful insight into this resolute determination and single-heartedness of purpose and action. He said: “The soul that is attached to anything however much good there may be in it, will not arrive at the liberty of divine union. For whether it be a strong wire rope or a slender and delicate thread that holds the bird, it matters not, if it really holds it fast; for, until the cord be broken the bird cannot fly.”

To put is simply, a bird cannot fly whether what binds it is a strong rope or a slender and delicate thread. The cord must be broken before it can be free to really fly.

What are those bridges and boats that we need to burn so that we can truly be true and faithful to the commitments that we have made in life?

About Fr. Robert and his reflections

Categories
Articles Pastoral Team Reflections

“God’s Mission, Jessica Kunz, and the Call to Missionary Evangelization”, by Fr. Robert Manansala, OFM

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

As Christians, one of the transitions that we have to make is the transition from being a disciple to being an apostle. A disciple is one who is called to follow the Lord. An apostle is a disciple who is sent out to proclaim the Lord and his message of the Kingdom of God.

As Christians, we are called not only to be in intimacy with the Lord but also to proclaim the Lord and his message of love, peace and reconciliation to others. We are called to share and proclaim what we have experienced. By virtue of our baptism and confirmation, we are called to be missionaries. Indeed, it is not enough that we receive the Lord and the Christian faith, we are also mandated to share the Lord and our Christian faith with others.

When I was serving at the St. John’s Catholic Newman Center and St. John’s Catholic Chapel, the Catholic Chaplaincy at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, I worked with some American priests and the so-called FOCUS Missionaries. FOCUS stands for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students.

FOCUS Missionaries are college graduates who give at least a minimum of two years of their lives to serve as Catholic Lay Missionaries on university and college campuses across the United States. Some have been serving as FOCUS Missionaries for a good number of years.

After an intensive training, FOCUS Missionaries are sent to help spread the Gospel on campuses through one-on-one evangelization, Bible studies, personal and group accompaniment and other missionary activities. I personally witnessed the great and transforming impact of these modern day missionaries on university and college students.

One of the current FOCUS Missionaries serving at the University of Nebraska is Jessica Kunz. I first knew her when she was in college at the University of Illinois. She became actively involved in our Newman Chaplaincy Community and activities and was influenced a lot by other FOCUS Missionaries. I remember going with her and other college students on a mission trip to Mississippi to serve the victims of the Hurricane Katrina. After college, she volunteered to be a FOCUS Missionary.

Jessica Kunz recently shared: “I was raised in a Catholic family, was active in my home parish and attended 14 years of Catholic schools. Entering college, I knew a lot about God, but did not really know Him.

Then she narrated what led her to join the Newman Center and the impact it had on her. She said: “With some encouragement from my parents, I lived at the Newman Hall, a part of the Newman Center at the University of Illinois my freshman year. Little did I know that the people and community there were about to rock my life.”

Jessica continued: “I ignored the invitation to bible study my freshman year but could no longer resist the desire to attend, and eventually immersed myself in the Newman Community. Through FOCUS bible studies, conferences, retreats and one-on-one mentoring with student leaders and missionaries, I developed a relationship with Christ.” (Source: http://teams.focusonline.org/unl/missionaries/).

Jessica Kunz, in her own way, is now doing her share in the task of missionary evangelization. She has transitioned from being a disciple to being a missionary apostle. She has been truly evangelized; now she can help in evangelizing others. As she put it, the Newman Community rocked her life. She is now helping rock others’ lives by helping them become closer to the Lord.

Today’s Gospel periscope is about Jesus’ mission and the call to missionary discipleship. It is very clear from the beginning that the said mission of proclaiming Christ and Kingdom of God is intended for all peoples and for all places and that the Lord needs and calls collaborators in this task.

Jesus did not only send into the world his core group of 12 apostles. He called others to be sent. In the Book of Genesis, according to the Greek version (Septuagint), seventy-two is the number of people in the whole world (Gen 10). Therefore, the appointment of the seventy-two other disciples in the Gospel passage is symbolic. It is symbolic of the need to preach the good news to all peoples and it is symbolic of the many followers needed to help in this mission.

Christ’s mission, which is God’s mission (“Missio Dei”), is as wide as the world. There will always be a need for more workers in this huge field of the mission. In fact, even for the produce that is already ripe for harvest, there are not enough workers. Indeed, there will always be a need for disciples to be sent. There will always be a need for people like Jessica Kunz who are badly needed to help in the evangelization even on a full time basis. Yes, God needs you and He needs me to continue His mission in the world.

Some say that although the Philippines has been Christianized and sacramentalized, there is still a great need for it to be truly evangelized. The gospel values still need to permeate all areas of life. The task of evangelization continues to be great and may even be greater in the face of many values, ways and systems that contradict authentic Christian and gospel values. We find so much corruption, division and poverty in a country that used to pride itself as the only Catholic country in Asia before the separation of East Timor from Indonesia.

Jesus’ injunction to pray for more laborers in the vineyard must be understood not only in terms of praying hard so that God may send more laborers. While we need to do this, the injunction must also be taken as a reminder for us to be truly connected to and grounded in God especially within the context of prayerful and loving relationship. It is a call first to be disciples, followers and lovers of the Lord, for we can only share with others what we have and have experienced.

In her years at the Newman Center at the University of Illinois, Jessica Kunz really fell in love with the Lord. I witnessed the times she spent in personal prayer, in the daily celebration of the Eucharist and in retreats. I heard a good number of her confessions and had great conversations, interactions and collaborations with her. I witnessed how she allowed God to draw her closer unto Himself so that the time would come for her to be drawn to proclaim this Lord to others and to draw others to God. Indeed, there can never be a true disciple, a true apostle and a true missionary without a good life of prayer, without a deep relationship with God, the Master of the harvest.

The gospel also contains reminders on the behavior of God’s missionaries. As God’s disciples and apostles, we must expect difficulties and hardships along the way. We are to travel light and without attachments in any forms that can bog us down in their primary missionary pursuit. We must have a sense of urgency and should not allow any distractions by other concerns, including familial and social amenities. We must be heralds of God’s peace. We must accept with gratitude and joy any hospitality and acceptance accorded us. We must also be ready for any forms of rejection and be prepared to move to another place where the message of God’s Kingdom may be welcomed.

Our primary message as missionary disciples is the Lord’s own message: “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” Anthony Hoekema describes God’s Kingdom as “the reign of God dynamically active in human history through Jesus Christ, the purpose of which is the redemption of His people from sin and from demonic powers, and the final establishment of the new heavens and the new earth.” This Gospel message has to be proclaimed whether it is accepted or rejected.

Jessica Kunz has been deliberately and devotedly doing her share in the call to spreading the Gospel. How are we doing our share in embracing and proclaiming the mission of the Lord in our own ways – in the home, in the workplace, in the school, in the community, in the parish and in the society?

About Fr. Robert and his reflections

Categories
Articles Pastoral Team Reflections

“The Good Samaritan’s Concrete and Practical Love”, by Fr. Robert Manansala, OFM

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Roy B. Zuck tells a story about a pastor who announced his topic for his sermon as “Ignorance and Indifference.” A person in the congregation saw that in the bulletin and asked his friend, “What does that mean?”

His friend answered, “I don’t know and I don’t care.”

Elie Wiesel said, “The opposite of love is not hate – it’s indifference.” To put it simply, the opposite of love is “I don’t care.”

While the priest and the Levite in Jesus’ parable in today’s Gospel passage exhibit “I don’t care” attitudes, the Good Samaritan is an example of “I care” practices.

One modern day Good Samaritan was William Booth. At the end of a fruitful life of caring and loving, he was buried with great honors. Members of the Royal Family attended his funeral. Next to the queen was a poor woman who placed a flower on the casket as it passed. The queen asked, “How did you know him?” The woman’s answer was simple but direct, “He cared for the likes of us.” William Booth was a good Samaritan to many poor people in need. (The story is also narrated by Roy B. Zuck).

Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan is found only in the Gospel according to Luke and is occasioned by the question of the scholar of the law, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The intention of testing the Lord may not have been a good motive, yet the question is an existential question that must be asked by every person. This, I believe, is the first challenge of the Gospel passage today.

Everyone of us, at some point in our lives, the sooner the better, for it may become too late, must truly and sincerely ask and grapple with the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” This we must do in view of finding the right answer to the question so that we can live it and put it into practice.

The road to eternal life is given in the scholar’s answer: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” In short, eternal life consists in the practice of the love of God and neighbors. Jesus himself affirms this: “You have answered correctly; do this and your will live.”

However, knowing that the combined love of God and neighbors, as found in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 respectively, leads to eternal life is just the beginning. It is not enough to know and give the right answer; one must live the right answer. One must live and practice the love of God and neighbors to attain eternal life.

Eugene H. Peterson, commenting beautifully on the parable in his book “Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading,” says “there was nothing wrong with the scholar’s knowledge of Scripture. But there was something terribly wrong in the way he read it, the how of the reading” (Peterson, Eat This Book, 83).

This point is made clear when Jesus, according to Peterson, asks, “How do you read this, and not what have you just read?”

This becomes even more evident when the scholar, wanting to justify himself, asks, “And who is my neighbor?” He asks for a definition of a neighbor. Peterson says that the scholar wants to talk about the text, treat the text as a thing, dissect it, analyze it, discuss it endlessly… The scholar has just rightly quoted the words of the Scripture. But these words must be listened to, submitted to, obeyed and lived.” Indeed, we listen to and read the Word of God in order to live it.

Jesus does not give the scholar a definition of the neighbor, which, in the context of the time of Jesus, was expected to be in terms of one’s fellow countrymen (Leviticus 19:18). Instead, he gives a story of practical love, compassion and care.

The “I do not care” attitude and behavior of the priest and the Levite in the parable are expected. Not to allow oneself to be defiled by not touching what they probably perceived to be a dead body was actually observing the law found in the books of Numbers and Leviticus (Numbers 9:11-13; 14-19; Leviticus 21:1-3, 10-11).

What is shocking in the story, at least to the Jewish people in that time, is that the person who cared for the dying neighbor was a Samaritan. The Jews and the Samaritans were enemies. The Jews harbored resentments against the Samaritans, who were considered heretics and schismatics for being descendants of a mixed population resulting from the Assyrian defeat of the northern kingdom in 722 BCE. Of all people, it was a Samaritan, an enemy, who helped the dying Jew.

In concluding the story of the Good Samaritan with the question, “Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man?” Jesus introduces a transition in the understanding of a neighbor – from being someone in need to someone who shows benevolence and practical love and compassion.

The scholar of the law again gives the right answer. The one who treated the dying man with mercy is the one who proved neighbor to the dying man. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said: “Neighborliness is not a quality in other people; it is simply their claim on ourselves. We have literally no time to sit down and ask ourselves whether so-and-so is our neighbor or not. We must get into action and obey; we must behave like a neighbor to him.”

Once again, Jesus recognizes the right answer of the scholar, but utters the challenge, “Go and do likewise.” This is the second time Jesus is challenging him to live and do what he rightly knows. In effect, Jesus is telling the scholar to transition from knowing and understanding to living, practicing and doing. This is the only way for him to gain eternal life. “Do and practice the Word of God and His commands of love of God and neighbors and you will have eternal life.”

The Good Samaritan’s compassionate love is practical and concrete. The gospel passage tells us that he approached the Jewish victim, he poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them, he lifted him up on his own animal, he took him to an inn and cared for him. And he did many more. This is love and compassion in action and in the concrete. This is what God through the gospel parable today is asking us to do. We show our love for our families, relatives and friends and other neighbors, especially those in need, through concrete acts of love and compassion.

Someone commented, “Love is never in the abstract. The good ‘feeling’ is nice but isn’t love. Love is concrete.”

St. John of the Cross said, “In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.”

Blessed Mother Teresa also said, “At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by ‘I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.’”

Indeed, in the end, we will be judged on concrete and practical love. The outsider and despised Samaritan has become for us a model of practical love and of entry into eternal life. To gain eternal life, we must be Good Samaritans or be like the Good Samaritan.

About Fr. Robert and his reflections

Categories
Articles Pastoral Team Reflections

“Who is my Neighbor?” by Fr. EJ

For Jesus it was shockingly so simple, loving the neighbor as oneself is taken very literally.

The Story of the lawyer’s question and its answer in parables is a familiar one, not only because we hear it often and it is easy to remember, but because we often find ourselves situated in that story.

The lawyer who puts this test question seems to present it in a minimal way- that are the necessary conditions for salvation. Jesus responds that the law has already covered this question-but asks the lawyer how he interprets the law. He receives a good answer, straight to the master, quoting from the SHEMA (Deut.6:5). Morever, the lawyer adds to it LEV 19: 18 concerning duty to one’s neighbor.

Jesus then responds in effect. “You see yourself how simple it is.” Precisely that is the point being made in the section of Deuteronomy read today. It is not necessary to seek in esoteric sources the meaning of the Law of God, for the essence of the Law is recited in the people’s most common prayers. It comes readily to the lips and is already in their hearts, calling them to observe it.

It is not difficult to understand the lawyer’s question because it is a common human thinking. He asks to have it made quite explicit – sakto – and specific so that he will know exactly now for he must go to observe the law, “Who is my neighbor?”

For Jesus it was shockingly so simple, loving the neighbor as oneself is taken very literally. The neighbor as oneself is to devote all available time, energy, and resources when they are required to help the needy. No doubt the Evangelist wants us to reflect that Jesus himself if the good Samaritan, and that to follow Him is to do likewise.

as published on July 14, 2013, Parish Bulletin

Categories
Fr. Robert Manansala Pastoral Team Reflections

WHOSE AUTHORITY? GOD’S!!! Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, Reflection by Fr. Robert B. Manansala, OFM

(Dt 18:15-20; 1Cor 7:32-35; Mk 1:21-28)
What do you think is the difference between an orator of the world and an orator of God’s Word? In the ongoing Impeachment Trial in the Senate of the Philippines as an Impeachment Court, we see a lot of orators and hear a lot of orations.

The Dominican Fr. John Francis Ku, writing beautifully on the Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen as Master Preacher, says that while a man becomes an orator in the world by learning how to orate, a man becomes an orator of Christ by learning how to “orare”. “Orare” is the Latin verb for “to pray.” An orator of the world is a dealer in words. An orator of Christ is a communicator of God’s Word. Fr. Ku further says that an orator of the world is like a flint that kindles its own fires while an orator of Christ is like a brand lit by the torch of God.

The Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen was an orator of Christ and a master preacher of God’s Word. As a master preacher, he spoke and taught as one having an authority and not as the others, as the Gospel reading today tells of Jesus.

One cannot deny that the Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen was truly a gifted and learned man, but his authority in preaching, as he himself would attribute it, came from God. His authority was not personal and not of his own but one that ultimately came from his deep relationship and intimacy with Jesus, especially in moments of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

The Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen is known for his personal devotion, commitment and promotion of the daily One Hour of Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. He promoted this commitment especially to the priests and the preachers of God’s Word. In his autobiography, Archbishop Sheen entitled a chapter The Hour That Makes My Day. On the day of his ordination to the priesthood, as Fr. Ku also relates, he resolved to spend an hour of prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament every day of his life, a promise he observed faithfully until the end. This nourishment served as the very root of his prayer life, his vocation, his perseverance and his fruitfulness in ministry, including his preaching. All of Archbishop Sheen’s homilies and sermons were prepared in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Archbishop Fulton Sheen spoke with authority because he was truly a man of God, a man of prayer, a man of God’s Word and a man of the Eucharist.

In the gospel today, Jesus’ authority was recognized not only by the people but also by an evil spirit. The gospel says, “The people were astonished at the way he taught…” “They wondered, ‘What is this?’ With what authority he preached? He even orders evil spirits and they obey him.” Indeed, the evil spirit, at the command of Jesus, came out of the man it had possessed.

The context of the teaching of Jesus was the synagogue worship. As an adult member of the community, he took his turn at teaching those gathered in the synagogue. The people were used to the manner of teaching of the other scribes. The scribes as official teachers usually relied on the authority of the others preceding them. This was not the case with Jesus. He taught as having an authority in his own right. The people recognized this and were amazed at it. The exorcism he performed was another manifestation of the unusual authority that he had.

It was actually the evil spirit which articulated the source of the authority of Jesus, both in teaching and in exorcising. While the name Jesus of Nazareth was a recognition of Jesus’ natural and human origin, as someone coming from the little and obscure town of Nazareth, the title “the Holy One of God” that the evil spirit used to refer to Jesus was a recognition of Jesus’ distinctive relationship with God and of his unique status and superiority. The evil spirit admitted this when it uttered, “Have you come to destroy us?” The evil spirit knew that it was in confrontation with Jesus and that Jesus was far more superior over and against it and the other evil spirits. Jesus was definitely more powerful than the evil spirits because he was from God, he was sent by God and he spoke the Word of God. Later on, Jesus’ followers would recognize him not only as coming from God, but the Son of God himself.

Jesus’ authority was divine as it came from God and was of God. Jesus also used this authority for the good of others, which included instructing and teaching people to turn to the Lord and to his Kingdom and freeing people from the power of Satan and his cohorts. The preaching of Jesus did not only bring about admiration, as can be seen in the reactions of the people. More important were the transformation, liberation and renewal that it brought to the man freed from the chains of the evil spirit. Jesus’ teaching was with authority not only in terms of its divine source but also because of its transforming and liberating effects on the part of the listeners and recipients.

Etymologically, the word authority comes from the Latin word auctoritas, which literally means “a producing” or “a cause.” An authority is that something that produces or causes one to do what one is doing in a particular way and with a particular result. What caused Archbishop Fulton Sheen to preach with authority? What caused Jesus to preach and expel evil spirits with authority? Ultimately, the question, in fact, is not “what” but “who”. Who caused Archbishop Fulton Sheen to preach with authority? Who caused Jesus to teach and expel evil spirits with authority? It was GOD.

Authority has also something to do with influence. What is the influence of the person on another or the others? What effects does the person with authority have on others? Again, we see in the examples of Jesus and of Archbishop Fulton Sheen the good influences and effects of their teaching and preaching on the listeners and recipients. By its fruits, we know not only the tree but also the source of one’s authority.

What does this gospel reading have to do with us? Most of us are not priests or preachers and teachers. Maybe, not in the official sense. But, whether we like it or not, we are all teachers and preachers. We are all priests, prophets and kings by virtue of common baptism. St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach at all times, and if necessary use words.” We, ordained ministers, preach to God’s people in a more official capacity. Parents teach their children. Parents have a lot to learn from their children. We all teach and preach to one another, whether we like or not.

Don’t we often hear the following statements? “I have learned a lot from this person and from his example.” “I have been touched by his show of kindness.” “I have been inspired by his leadership by good example.” As Christians, we must preach the Word of God with words, by our deeds and by the way we live our lives. Do we really do this? Do we teach or preach with authority? Are we truly receptacles and channels of God’s message of love, peace, justice and forgiveness? St. Bernard of Clairvaux says, “We cannot be channels of God’s love unless we are first receptacles.” And, in everything that we do, do we always seek the good and betterment of others?

Some weeks ago, I saw an attempted robbery in a store in the US that had been captured on CCTV, broadcasted by TV station KDFW Fox 4, and made available on YouTube. In the presence of a client, the masked robber pointed his gun at the lone sales lady and owner and asked for money. Marian Chadwick, the sales lady and owner, did not give the robber money but instead commanded him to leave the place in the name of Jesus. She shouted, “In the name of Jesus, get out of my store. Right now! I bid you in the name of Jesus, leave my store.” The robber was taken aback and left without hurting the sales lady and owner and taking anything from the store.

Did Marian Chadwick speak with authority? More than we could ever imagine. We may never do what Marian Chadwick did. But the truth remains: We can teach or speak with authority when we allow God, his Word and his power to be the one speaking in and through us. We can witness to Christ with authority when our lives are credible witnesses of selflessness and God-centeredness. We live with authority when it is Christ who truly lives in and through us.

St. Joseph Cupertino, pointing to the preacher as God’s instrument, says: “A preacher is like a trumpet which produces no tone unless one blows into it. So, before preaching pray to God: You are the spirit and I am only a trumpet, and without your breath, I can give you no sound.”

This is true not only in terms of preaching, teaching and witnessing. This is true in the very way we live our lives as Christians. We are nothing without Christ. We have no authority without Christ. We have no impact without Christ. We can only make a difference when we allow ourselves to be humble instruments of the Lord. The paradox of human instrumentality vis-à-vis God’s initiative and action was expressed by Archbishop Fulton Sheen when he said: “Everything is done by God and nothing is done without us.” As Christians, we teach, preach, witness, minister and live in Christ’s behalf just as the prophet Moses, as the First Reading from the Book of Deuteronomy says, was raised by the Lord and spoke in his name.

The Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 95) exhorts us not to harden our hearts when we hear God’s voice. God’s voice is spoken in a very special way in the Scriptures and in the words, deeds and lives of God’s faithful servants and witnesses as they try to live God’s Word in their lives. God is proclaimed in and through the lives of people who live passionate and single-hearted lives, as the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians insinuates. Indeed, when we hear and recognize God’s voice and presence, we need to heed him. God is coming not to destroy us, in contrast to the experience of the evil spirits mentioned in the gospel, but to save us and claim us as God’s beloved children.

When God speaks, he always speaks with authority. When we respond to God, we should respond with the totality of our being, with all honesty and integrity. “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” “I come to do your will.” “You have the words of eternal life.”

About Fr. Robert and his other reflections

Santuario de San Antonio Parish
Makati City
January 28-29, 2012

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started