Tag: Jesus Galindo

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives (peace) do I give it to you.”

The Farewell Discourse of Jesus (John 13-17), to which today’s
gospel belongs, is his last will and testament, wherein he gives his
apostles precious pieces of advice in order to help them live without his physical presence, after his departure.

First, he tells them-and us too, how best to express their love for him: Not by long prayers or endless processions, rosaries, novenas and votive candles, but by “keeping my word, ” by doing his will. Love is shown in deeds, not in words. Nothing wrong, of course, with prayers, so long as they help us discern and do God’s will.

To anyone who keeps his word, Jesus promises: “My Father will love him, and we will come to him.” We tend to associate God’s presence with the temple. The temple is the house of God, his dwelling place. Some people travel to faraway places (Rome, Holy Land) to visit famous basilicas and shrines, hoping to experience God’s presence. Jesus tells us that God is not to be sought in faraway temples. We do not need to travel at all. God dwells within us. We are God’s temple-so long as we keep hisword. In the second reading, the book of Revelation tells us that in the new Jerusalem there is no temple, “for its temple is the Lord God and the Lamb.”

Then Jesus promises further to send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who “will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. ” The Holy Spirit will continue the work of Christ and will teach his disciples to apply the teachings of Jesus to new situations. We see this promise fulfilled in the Acts of the Apostles (read daily during the Easter season). And we will hear a lot more about the Holy Spirit in the coming days, as we approach the feast of Pentecost.

Some people wonder: “If the Holy Spirit teaches and explains everything, as Jesus says, how come he has allowed Christians to split into over 20,000 denominations?” The fault is not the Holy Spirit’s but ours. We have failed to understand that the Holy Spirit is with us, not just for our personal benefit but to build up the Christian community. In the first reading from the Book of Acts we hear how the Holy Spirit helped and guided the early Christian community in solving its first major crisis, namely, the acceptance of the Gentiles into the Church. Paul’s and Bamabas’ opinion ran counter to that of James, Peter and others in Jerusalem. All of
them probably thought that the Holy Spirit was on their side. However, they gathered together, and prayed and discerned together as a community. And the Holy Spirit did help them find a solution favorable to the whole community.

Lastly, Jesus bestows his peace to his disciples, and to us all: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Not power, not money (which are usually the primary sources of violence and war), but peace. These precious words of Jesus have become part of the communion rite. We repeat them at every Mass shortly before holy communion. Jesus, however, adds an important distinction: “Not as the world gives [peace] do I give it to you. What is the difference between the peace of the world and the peace that Jesus gives? The peace of the world is often imposed by force. It is silence imposed by the winner. It is compromise; it is un-involvement; it is playing safe. It is the passing joy of getting our wishes and our whims fulfilled.

The peace of Christ, on the other hand, is not imposed from outside; it comes from within us. It is the peace and joy we experience when we do or hold on to what is right, when we fulfill the will of the Father–even if it means persecution and suffering; when we sacrifice our personal comfort for the good of others. The peace of Christ is that sense of satisfaction we have when we spend our life at the service of God and of fellowmen.

When we read the gospels, one thing that strikes us is Jesus’ poor choice of disciples: rude fishermen, unlearned, incompetent men. Particularly, the choice of Peter, impulsive and cowardly, as leader of the group and caretaker of the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Nowadays, those men wouldn’t have a chance to be admitted to the seminary!

However, when we read the Acts of the Apostles, we see the wisdom
of Jesus’ choice. We see a different Peter, bold, courageous, confronting the members of the Sanhedrin and telling them to their faces: “You had him killed.” Peter, who during the trial of Jesus chickened out and denied him when confronted by a house maid, boldly professes now his faith in the risen Lord before the highest authorities of the land. Jesus was right in his choice of Peter after all.

Peter’s immortal words, “Better for us to obey God than men” have been repeated over and over again by countless martyrs when brought before the courts, accused of disobeying the law. In our recent history, during martial law days, those words were engraved in an underground periodical, Ichthys [Greek for fish, and acronym for Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior], published in mimeographed form by the Association of Major Religious Superiors, when the free press was either suppressed or censored by the dictatorship.

We may have to repeat Peter’s words ourselves, when the need arises
(as in the case of the RH bill), in order to oppose government’s moves in favor of divorce, of same-sex marriage, of abortion, or of human rights violations. As Christians, we are law-abiding citizens; we obey the duly constituted authorities. However, we draw the line where the laws of the state run counter to the law of God. “Better for us to obey God than men.”

The gospel brings us back to Peter. Impatient and disappointed, he goes back to his former job, fishing. Other disciples follow him. “It is all over,” they thought. But Jesus did not give up on them. Once again he goes to the seashore, as he had done three years earlier, to look for them and call them back. It is the parable of the Good Shepherd in the reverse: Jesus goes in search of the 99 lost sheep.

As in most resurrection narratives, the disciples fail to recognize Jesus at first. Only John, the beloved disciple, does. Also, Jesus has food prepared. Our relationship with the Lord now is not based on his physical presence but on faith and the sacraments, especially
the Eucharist.

The number of fish caught, 153, represents, according to St. Jerome, all kinds of fishes known at that time; hence the catch signifies the universality of salvation: The Church is the net which gathers all the peoples and nations. Finally, Jesus asks Peter three times: “Do you love me”? Peter is given the chance to make up for his threefold denial of Jesus during the trial. A very tender scene indeed. There is no recrimination, no scolding, no settling of accounts. Just a threefold profession of love. Peter is re-instated
as the supreme leader and shepherd of the Church. The only qualification he needs is love. Not theology, church history or canon law, but love. His role, and that of every shepherd in the
Church, is to feed the flock-Jesus’ flock. In the span of a few weeks, Pope Francis has shown to be such a loving shepherd-and has endeared himself to the flock.

Jesus feeds the apostles so that they, in turn, can feed the lambs and the ewes. In like manner, we are fed here at the Eucharistic banquet, not just to become spiritually robust, but in order that we may feed others.

In today’s gospel, Jesus argues with the Pharisees and the scribes, inviting them to look beyond the letter of the law and to discover the spirit of the law. He explains to them, and to us too, that true religion does not consist in the mere performance of external rituals and external cleanliness; rather it is a matter of internal righteousness. Having clean hands and clean attire is fine; but it is by far more important to have a clean heart.

A newly-installed bishop who held a doctorate in Canon Law gave his first talk to the priests of his diocese. He told them: “From now on, this diocese will be ruled by Canon Law.” An old priest who was hard of hearing leaned towards a younger priest sitting beside him and asked, “What did he say?” Raising his voice for everybody to hear, the priest replied, “The bishop says that henceforth this diocese will be ruined by Canon Law.”

Rules and laws are good and helpful so long as they remain a means to achieve an end. Once they become ends in themselves, laws and rules can indeed ruin people. And that is precisely what happened to the Scribes and the Pharisees: They turned rules and traditions into absolutes–to be observed blindly, no matter what. For them, religion consisted in faithful and blind compliance with the letter of the law.

In today’s gospel, Jesus argues with the Pharisees and the scribes, inviting them to look beyond the letter of the law and to discover the spirit of the law. He explains to them, and to us too, that true religion does not consist in the mere performance of external rituals and external cleanliness; rather it is a matter of internal righteousness. Having clean hands and clean attire is fine; but it is by far more important to have a clean heart.

Jesus often berated the scribes and Pharisees because of their superficiality, that is, for remaining at the level of externals. He called them “whitened sepulchers,” clean on the outside but full of rottenness within. In today’s gospel, he applies to them the words of prophet Isaiah 29:13: “This people honors me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.”

These words of prophet Isaiah invite us all to do some soul-searching. Are we not in many respects like the Scribes and Pharisees? Our religion is a Sunday morning affair. Once we are done with our Sunday “obligation,” we go back to do our own thing. There is a story about some hold-uppers preying on bus passengers. While they were divesting the passengers of their valuables, the bus passed in front of a church; when the hold-uppers saw it, they made the sign of the cross.

Our celebration of the sacraments, especially weddings, has become a mere social affair, a fashion show of sorts, rather than an encounter with the Lord. The Church is much to blame for allowing this to happen. We bless our new homes, of course, but then we turn them into a venue for holding mahjong sessions or drinking sprees. We bless our new car, but then we show no respect for traffic rules. We have endless superstitions, particularly those connected with the dead; for instance, when bringing their remains to the church for blessing, we argue about which should go first, feet or head; and yet, when they were alive, we never encouraged them to go to church.

We could go on and on listing the inconsistencies of our so-called “split-level Christianity” that cause some people to ask: How come our country, the only Catholic country in Asia, is so full of graft and corruption, violence, scandals, pornography, drug addiction, etc.? Obviously, because our religious practices remain at the level of externals and have no bearing on our life and values. “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”

May these words of Jesus help us realize that true religion consists, not in the performance of certain external rituals but, above all, in forging a personal relationship with the Lord—one that shapes and permeates our core values and our behavior, our personal as well as our professional undertakings.

The New Testament covenant, ratified by the blood of Christ, is eternal because Christ is eternally faithful to it by doing the will of the Father to the end.

The feast of Corpus Christi is like an extension of the Holy Thursday
celebration when our Lord instituted the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist during the last supper. It is commonly believed that the feast of Corpus Christi was established upon the insistent request of an Augustinian nun, now a saint, Juliana de Liege (Belgium, 1193-1252). For over twenty years, she repeatedly had a vision in which a bright full moon appeared to her. The moon was perfect except for some dark spots which Juliana interpreted, after long prayer and consultations, to be due to the absence of a feast of the Eucharist.
To make a long story short, the feast of Corpus Christi was introduced first in Liege in 1246; then it was introduced into the Church calendar in 1264.

Not too many Catholics know that the Eucharist has a twofold character, namely, it is a memorial banquet and also a memorial sacrifice. Emphasis on one or the other has determined the mood or expression of the Church’s spirituality through the centuries. For instance, during the Middle Ages, the sacrificial aspect of the holy Eucharist was stressed. It was called The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Awe, respect, silence and veneration were instilled in the hearts of the faithful Any expression of glee, like clapping of hands and the like, was frowned upon and considered improper. This form of Eucharistic spirituality appeals mostly to the “young once.”

In recent times, especially after the Second Vatican Council, the banquet or meal aspect of the Eucharist has been emphasized. We speak of the Mass as the Eucharistic Banquet. The ambo or lectern is called the table of the Word; the altar is called the table of the Eucharist. Since it is a family meal, the Eucharist must be a joyful celebration. Hence community singing is encouraged as well as full and active participation by the whole assembly. At Mass, there are no spectators, so the liturgical norms say: Everyone has something to do or to say. This form of Eucharistic spirituality appeals most to the young ones.

Nowadays, with the approval of the Latin Mass, as decreed by the Council of Trent (16th century) and the revision of the Ordinary of the Mass (effective the beginning of Advent this year) aimed to better express the centuries-old Latin text, there is a marked tendency to restore the sacrificial aspect or mood of the Eucharist, with emphasis on respect, silence and veneration.
Whether this is progress or retrogression, time will tell. We hope and pray for the best.

Today’s Mass readings, all three, speak of the sacrificial aspect of the Eucharist. In the first reading from the book of Exodus, Moses tells the Israelites, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you.” In the Old Testament, covenants were ratified by slaughtering some animals; part of the blood (God’s portion) was set apart, while the other part (people’s portion) was sprinkled on the people-as we read in today’s passage.
The Letter to the Hebrews (second reading) tells us that we have been
redeemed, not with the blood, of goats and calves but with the blood of Christ, our high priest and mediator of a new covenant.

In the Gospel, during the Last Supper Jesus, in anticipation of his
death the following day, gave the cup to his disciples, saying: “This is my blood of the covenant which will be shed for many. ” The Old Testament covenant, ratified with the blood of animals, was broken again and again by the Israelites. The New Testament covenant, ratified by the blood of Christ, is eternal because Christ is eternally faithful to it by doing the will of the Father to the end.

Whenever we eat the body of Christ and drink his blood in the holy
Eucharist, we commit ourselves to observe the covenant which Jesus
ratified with his own blood. And if circumstances so warrant, we are
ready to shed our own blood for the covenant-as countless martyrs did.

…peace
…mission
…Holy Spirit
…forgiveness and
…faith

That’s how today’s gospel (In 20: 19-31) might be titled. Jesus gives to his disciples, and to all of us, the first and choicest fruits of his passion, death and resurrection.

First, he offers peace. Not once, not twice, but three times he greets his disciples with “Peace be with you!” The disciples were hiding in a locked room – “for fear of the Jews, ” says the gospel. Very likely, they were afraid of Jesus too, expecting to get a good scolding from him, like: “Where were you when I needed you most? Why were you such cowards? Peter, why did you deny me?” But they heard nothing of the sort from Jesus. Not a word of recrimination. Only a greeting of peace the first fruits of the resurrection; the peace which we need so very badly, even today-first and foremost in Jesus’ own country.

Second, Jesus conveys his own mission to his disciples: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you. ” It is substitution time. Like a runner handing the baton on to the next runner in a relay race track competition, so Jesus passes on to his disciples the mission he had received from the Father; as if he were saying: My task is finished; now it is your turn; carry on. The above text is very important from the viewpoint of ecclesiology. It helps us understand what the church is and what we, the members of the Church, are. We are extensions of Christ. He uses our hands, our feet, our tongue, our heart. He continues to fulfill his mission through us.

Third, Jesus confers the Holy Spirit upon his disciples to help them carry out their mission: “He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit ‘.” We know from another New Testament source that the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles on Pentecost
day. For John, however, whose gospel is not concerned with chronology but rather with theology, the ascension of Jesus and the descent of the Holy Spirit happened on Easter Sunday. For him, the Holy Spirit too is the first fruits of the resurrection. He transformed the apostles from frightened individuals into fearless witnesses. He can also transform us, if we allow him, from routine-driven churchgoers into dynamic and committed members of the Christian community.

Fourth, Jesus bestows on his disciples the power to impart forgiveness: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them … ” What a marvelous gift! Jesus knew that we would need it very badly. The Church is not an assembly of angels, as today’s first reading from Acts might lead us to believe, but a community of sinners in need of forgiveness. The risen Lord made that forgiveness available to us in the Church: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven. ” Those who prefer to confess their sins directly to God (some people apparently have a direct line to heaven) rather than to priests or bishops who are fellow-sinners, should remember that Jesus gave the power to forgive, not to angels but to this bunch of “coward” disciples including Peter who had denied him a couple of days earlier.

Lastly, the stubborn refusal of Thomas to believe in the resurrection of Jesus–unless he saw and touched his hands and his side, prompted Jesus to explain to Thomas, and to us, that after the resurrection, our relationship with him will no longer be based on his physical presence but on faith: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have
believed. ” We are blessed if and when we believe that Christ is present in the Scriptures, in the Holy Eucharist, and in our brothers and sisters-even though we do not see him. Thank you, Doubting Thomas! Your hesitancy to believe the testimony of your peers elicited a most beautiful and important statement from the risen Lord!

as published April 15, 2012, Parish Bulletin