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Fr. Laurian Janicki

“The Joy of the Gospel” SUNDAY GOSPEL REFLECTION By Fr. Laurian Janecki, OFM

“I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ.”

All quotes are from The Joy of the Gospel – by Pope Francis.

How to have a renewed personal encounter with Christ.

Adsum

With this simple word, Mary allowed her heart to be drawn into God’s heart. Adsum means in Latin “I am present” and it is the posture of prayer. Let this word now lead us to to draw closer to Christ.

1. God loves you and is always ready to embrace and forgive you.

Like the father of the prodigal son, God stands at the crossroads, looking for you, hoping you will return to him with your whole heart. God desires that you draw near to him.“Come to me, “ God tells us, “I have forgiven you completely. I love you unconditionally. You will always be my child and my mercy is always offered to you.”

2. We tend to be distracted from God and from love, caught up in selfish designs of our own, for we are sinners.

We often do not walk with God in our daily lives. We’re busy about so many other matters. We often do not listen carefully to the divine voice which echoes within us. Calling us to do what is good and to avoid evil.

And yet, whenever we seek God’s mercy, it is gladly given to us. God speaks to us like this: “I forgive you, you are my daughter or on and I love you. Take my hand and walk with me, sin no more.”
This wonderful hope draws us ever closer to Christ. In him we find joy.

“Let me say this once more; God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking mercy.” Pope Francis, Joy of the Gospel #3

3. Christ’s self-giving love on the cross opens the pathway to love in our own lives.

By this love, we are being saved all the time, saved from our own selfish selves. Pause here in the midst of everything and simply turn your heart to Jesus. Let yourself be in his presence and sense how near to you he is. Like a shepherd cares for his sheep, so Jesus Christ cares for you. In the nighttime, when you awaken from sleep, turn your heart to the shepherd of your soul. Speak to him as a friend. There is an element of surrender in this just as the lamb surrenders to the care of the shepherd. Give yourself over to Christ and trust him. You will not be disappointed.

4. Living in Christ brings us great joy; it is, indeed, the only pathway to true human happiness and fulfillment.

Let the spirit judge your heart to be more open to encountering Christ in your daily life. Let forgiveness be your first impulse when you are wronged. Let generosity drive your decisions. Learn the art of selfgiving love and you will be on the pathway to great happiness.
As you become the servant of all, your own heart will fill with meaning, happiness, and peace. You will be eager to share it with others.

You will soon find a sense of direction for your life in the constant turning of your heart toward Christ and you will encounter him. Listen to him carefully as he speaks to you, and follow his lead. Invite others to also share in the great joy. It is the joy of the gospel.

In these words, Christ speaks to you: “I love you tenderly and my love is forever. Even when you suffer difficulty, imitate my self-giving love, and you will be at peace. Walk with me and allow me to guide you.”

5. Sustain your faith through life in the church, the people of God, the Body of Christ.

Drawing close to Christ also draws us to one another. We do not come to mass for our own good but in order to donate ourselves to the parish. Let yourself be drawn into the Eucharist by the love of Christ.

This will also draw you into greater attention to the poor, the suffering, and the rejected. Examine your own life in the light of the gospel. Do you have room in your heart for these poor ones who are beloved of Christ?

Because God loved and has forgiven you so often and so completely, you must now also become someone ready to love and forgive no matter what. As Jesus told his disciples after he has washed their feet, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:15)

(How to turn your heart to Christ/Pastoral planning)

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Fr. EJ

SUNDAY GOSPEL REFLECTION By Fr. Efren Jimenez, OFM

The new encyclical of Pope Francis about the Environmentspeaks of the church thinking on the value of care for creation, since, “it cries out to us because we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed us.”

It is characteristic of God to give life, to sustain life and to desire not death but the fullness of life (Gospel of Thirteenth Sunday B).

We feature in this section some relevant themes of life from the encyclical Laudato Si.

Paragraph 8 – The statement of ecumenical patriarch Bartholomew, with whom we share the hope of full ecclesial communion has spoken in particular of the need for each of us to repent of the ways we have harmed the planet, for, “in as much as we all generate small ecological damage,” we are called to acknowledge “our contribution, smaller or greater, to the disfigurement and destruction of creation.” [14] He has repeatedly stated this firmly and persuasively, challenging us to acknowledge our sins against creation: “For human beings…to destroy the biological diversity of God’s creation; for human beings to degrade the integrity of the earth by causing changes in its climate, by stripping the earth of is natural forests or destroying its wetlands; for human beings to contaminate the earth’s waters, its land, its air, and its life – these are sins.” [15] For “to commit a crime against the natural world is a sin against ourselves and a sin against God.” [16]

Paragraph 9 – At the same time, Bartholomew has drawn attention to the ethical and spiritual roots of environmental problems, which require that we look for solutions not only in technology but in a change of humanity; otherwise we would be dealing merely with symptoms. He asks us to replace consumption with sacrifice, greed with generosity, wastefulness with a spirit of sharing, an asceticism which “entails learning to give, and not simply to give up. It is a way of loving, of moving gradually away from what I want to what God’s world needs. It is liberation from fear, greed and compulsion.” [17] As Christians, we are called to “accept the world as a sacrament of communion, as a way of sharing with God and our neighbors on a global scale. It is our humble conviction that the divine and the human meet in the slightest detail in the seamless garment of God’s creation, in the last speck of dust of our planet.” [18]

Paragraph 25 – Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day. Its worst impact will probably be felt by developing countries in coming decades. Many of the poor live in areas particularly affected by phenomena related to warming, and their means of subsistence are largely dependent of natural reserves and ecosystemic services such as agriculture, fishing and forestry. They have no other financial activities or resources, which can enable them to adapt to climate change or to face natural disasters, and their access to social services and protection is very limited. For example, changes in climate, to which animals and plants cannot adapt, lead them to migrate; this in turn affects the livelihood of the poor, who are then forced to leave their homes, with great uncertainty for their future and that of their children. There has been a tragic rise in the number of migrants seeking to flee from the growing poverty caused by environmental degradation. They are not recognized by international conventions as refugees; they bear the loss of the lives they have left behind, without enjoying any legal protection whatever. Sadly there is widespread indifference to such suffering, which is even now taking place throughout our world. Our lack of response to these tragedies involving our brothers and sisters points to the loss of that sense of responsibility for our fellow men and women upon which all civil society is founded.

Paragraph 29 – One particularly serious problem is the quality of water available to the poor. Everyday, unsafe water results in many deaths and the spread of water-related diseases, including those caused by microorganisms and chemical substances. Dysentery and cholera, linked to inadequate hygiene and water supplies, are a significant cause of suffering and of infant mortality. Underground water sources in many places are threatened by the pollution produced in certain mining, farming and industrial activities, especially in countries lacking adequate regulation or controls. It is not only a question of industrial waste. Detergents and chemical products, commonly used in many places of the world, continue to pour into our rivers, lakes and seas.

Paragraph 48 – The human environment and the natural environment deteriorate together; we cannot adequately combat environmental degradation unless we attend to causes related to human and social degradation. In fact, the deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most vulnerable people on the planet: “Both everyday experience and scientific research show that the gravest effect of all attacks on the environment are suffered by the poorest.” [26] For example, the depletion of fishing reserves especially hurts small fishing communities without the means to replace those resources; water pollution particularly affects the poor who cannot buy bottled water; and rises in the sea level mainly affect impoverished coastal populations who have nowhere else to go. The impact of present imbalances is also seen in the premature death of many of the poor, in conflicts sparked by the shortage of resources, and in any number of other problems, which are insufficiently represented on global agendas. [27]

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Fr. EJ Reflections

Ascension Sunday (B) SUNDAY GOSPEL REFLECTION by Fr. Efren Jimenez, OFM

There is much pathos and longing in the story of the ascension which these readings give us twice. The story contains on the one hand the theme of the exaltation of Jesus to the right hand of the Father, as we have preserved it in the creeds – the theme of the indication of Jesus and of all he stood for and all he taught. But the story contains, on the other hand, the sending of the followers of Jesus to continue his mission, to be his presence in the world. That is why there is a gentle irony in the question raised by the assembled disciples in Acts I. Is this the time at which Jesus will establish his Kingdom, restore sovereignty to Israel? It seems that they who are sent have by no means grasped even now what is the nature of Christ’s kingdom and what is the nature of the hope that is offered to them.

The Ascension story really raises all the important questions about the nature of that hope not only for the disciples of those five years, but or all of us even in our own times. The Ascension means that there is no magic answer to the troubles of the world – no answer that can bypass or dispense with true conversion and transformation of our human society with all its distorted values and inauthentic relationships. The Ascension challenges us to realize that the grace of God does not work above or alongside of our own freedom but within it, and to know that what is accomplished within the human freedom of Jesus cannot substitute for our own conversion but must yet come to include it.

Even the apparently simple imagery of the Ascension story is important. Jesus has gathered his disciples about him one last time, giving final instructions and encouragement. Then he was “lifted up” and enveloped in a cloud. It is an image that recalls the presence of God with Israel in the form of a cloud. It also recalls the passing of Elijah (who was expected to return at the end-time) in a fiery chariot. And the two white clad figures are like those at the tomb, exhorting the disciples not to look here into the past, but out to the community and the future, knowing what is the hope in which they live and reach out to others.

The mission of the apostles was a simple one. It was to teach others all that he had taught them. Just as he asked his disciples to obey him, they were to ask that others obey his directions and instructions also. This is like when a doctor puts you on a course of antibiotics. The original sin was a lie. The Spirit is a spirit of truth. One of the rules connected with taking antibiotics is that it is essential to complete the course. Some people begin to feel well after a few days, and they discontinue taking the medicine and, of course, their condition gets worse. The program of redemption and salvation must continue from generation to generation, until the end of time. With all the changes in the church and in society, the two things that have not changed are Jesus himself, and every word of his message. The Message and the Messenger have never, and never will change. People who are bothered about changes in the church today should be reminded that the only two things that matter have not changed at all.

“You write a new page of the gospel each day, through the things that you do and the words that you say. People will read what you write, whether faithful or true. What is the gospel according to you?” Even sharing with another something you heard here today that you find helpful is to give witness. It must seem obvious to anyone who wishes to see, that the evidence of someone who is trying to live the sort of life that Jesus has taught us to live, must be a powerful witness, indeed.

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Fr. Reu Galoy

“Love one another as I have loved you.” A Sunday Reflection, 5th Sunday of Easter B By Fr. Jesus Galindo, OFM

During the early centuries of the Church, when Christians were being persecuted and martyred, some of them offered to die in place of others (just like St. Maximilian Kolbe did during World War II in the concentration camp of Auschwich). The pagans were amazed at this and remarked, “See how they love one another.” Reading today’s papers or watching the news on TV, all we can say is, “See how they kill one another. See how they cheat one another. See how they insult one another.” (Wait till the electoral campaign begins.)

The great Mahatma Gandhi, when asked to express his views about Christianity, said: “ I have great respect for Christianity. I often read the Sermon of the Mount and have gained much from it. I know of no one who has done more for humanity than Jesus. However, the trouble is with you, Christians. You do not being to live up to your own teachings.”Another Hindu monk who read the story of Jesus in the gospel said to a Christian: “If you can live what is taught in this book, you will convert the whole of India in five years.”

Of course, not everything is dark and negative about us. There are also some good things going for us. Fr. Joseph Dau Vu, SVD, chaplain to Vietnamese refugees in Morong, Bataan, tells how the “boat people” were abused, robbed and even killed by fishermen from neighboring countries. But when Filipino fishermen spotted them, they offered them food and shelter. Why – they wondered? Because they are Christians. (Cf. Bel San Luis, SVD, Word Alive, Year C. p. 57)

“I give you a new commandment: love one another.” Jesus made this pronouncement in his farewell discourse, during the Last Supper. Hence, it is his last and most urgent wish. As if he were saying: “I am going now. You might forget all the other things I did and said. Just don’t forget this one. This is the summary of everything I have told you.” And so it is indeed; for this is what our final “exam” will be about: Not about doctrines, not about catechism, not about the Bible, but about LOVE: “I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink.” Etc.

Why is this commandment called new? What is new about it? Love of neighbor is found in the Old Testament: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Lev.19:18) All other religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam) teach about love also. What, then, is new in Christ’s commandment? “As I have loved you,” that’s what is new. Our love has to be like Christ’s, that is, sacrificial. Not emotional, not romantic, but self-sacrificing – to the point of death.

Love means different things to different people. It is perhaps the most used and abused word in the dictionary. In the name of love, young lovers elope, or steal. In the name of a newly-found “love” some spouses abandon home and children. That might be passion, infatuation or lust; but certainly not Christ’s love.

“This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. ”We usually recognize people by their uniform or attire, by which we can tell whether a person is a doctor, a policeman or a security guard. In church we wear habits, pins or crosses. We know well, however, that these external symbols can be quite deceiving. We often hear stories about truants disguised as priests, policemen, collectors etc. whose sole purpose is to extort money.

Christ did not choose any external mark or symbol to identify his followers. Love is, or should be, the mark of our identity, our uniform and our habit. We may wear crosses or pins, recite rosaries and novenas, receive holy communions, etc. If then we go home and abuse or insult our household help, our yayas, our drivers…we simply are not true disciplesof Christ. Discipleship is not a matter of external attire; it is a matter of a loving heart.

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“The Birth of Jesus: An Embodiment of God’s Humility”, by Fr. Reu Galoy, OFM

Simply put, our salvation is not exclusively dependent on the divine initiative in the sense that we are completely passive recipients of this salvation. God saves humanity only through their cooperation and fidelity.

It is quite difficult to think of a God who is almighty and powerful yet humble in many ways. As human beings we tend to traverse our existence by desiring to be in control of everything. We also want to be powerful at the expense of the innocent and ordinary people. Wielding power and position seems to be what gives meaning to our lives. Or else having these is the solution that we so much need.

Our gospel this Sunday is leading us to see another perspective–how God’s plan become acceptable through his dealings that are beneficial to us as seen in the characters involved in the story of Jesus’ birth. Unlike Isaiah, John the Baptist, Mary and even the Wise Men and the Shepherds, Joseph is not a towering Advent figure. He only took the embarrassing role of taking Mary’s child that is not his. The most logical thing to do was to divorce Mary because he knew that he will not be able to publicly show the “token of virginity” (Deut 22:13-21) on his wedding night. Of course, as an honorable man, divorcing Mary quietly was an act of hope that the rightful father will seize the opportunity to claim the child and marry her.

So God through an angel had to explain to Joseph that Mary is pregnant by a spirit that is holy and made an appeal to him to take Mary as his wife and into his home. Joseph could have rejected the proposal because his human right and and his male ego have been trampled upon. But Joseph is also a servant of the Lord. He said “yes” in faith to his own annunciation of God’s will.

Prior to Joseph, God needed to deal with Mary also who even questioned God’s plan: “how can this be since I have no relation with a man? “(Lk 1:34). In the same way with Joseph, God had to explain and even convince Mary, through the angel Gabriel, before she said “yes” to God’s plan. Mary could have replied otherwise because of her situation. She was already betrothed to Joseph. She knew the immediate consequence of her decision – shameful death.

In both instances, God had to negotiate with Joseph and Mary for the birth of Jesus, the Emmanuel. This life and history-changing act of the God of love is done in the spirit of humility. God presented and submitted his plan to human freedom for cooperation and participation even when this plan was for the salvation of the human family and the rest of creation. Simply put, our salvation is not exclusively dependent on the divine initiative in the sense that we are completely passive recipients of this salvation. God saves humanity only through their cooperation and fidelity.

The birth of the Emmanuel, the “God with us” is the embodiment of a humble God in our midst. In and through humility, the love of God is made manifest.

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“God’s Forgiving, All-embracing, Patient, Searching and Seeking Love”, by Fr. Robert Manansala, OFM

Fr. Frank Mihalik, SVD tells a story about God’s forgiveness. One day, a woman on one of the Pacific Islands came to a missionary carrying a handful of sand, which was still dripping water.

The woman asked, “Do you know what this is?” “It looks like sand,” answered the missionary. “Do you know why I brought it here,” she asked. “No, I can’t imagine why,” the missionary replied.

The woman explained, “Well, these are my sins, which are as countless as the sands of the sea. How can I ever obtain forgiveness for all of them?”

The missionary said, “You got the sand down by the shore. Well, take it back there and pile up a heaping mound of sand. Then sit back and watch the waves come in and wash the pile slowly but surely and completely away. That is how God’s forgiveness works. His mercy is as big as the ocean. Be truly sorry and the Lord will forgive. (Franck Mihalik, SVD, 1000 Stories You can Use, Volume II, 95)

Indeed, God’s loving mercy is bigger than any sins that we can possibly commit. And there are no sins that God cannot and will not forgive. The only sins that cannot be forgiven are the sins that we refuse God to forgive.

We can arrive at another very striking insight on God’s forgiveness by reflecting on the word “forgiven.” “Forgiven” is “given before.” This is how God’s forgiveness works. Even before we ask for it, it is already given. Our forgiveness has already won by Jesus on the cross. All we need to do is to receive it, to claim it and to make it effective. It is not something that we merit or deserve. God’s forgiveness is gratuitously and lovingly given even before we ask for it. But even if God’s forgiveness is already freely given, if we refuse or do not want to receive and welcome it, it can never be effective in our lives.

God’s forgiveness is also so different from man’s forgiveness, which tends to be conditional and so difficult to earn. Sometimes, we already kneel down and beg to be forgiven; we will still not get it. We deprive others or are deprived of forgiveness by others and we often miss imitating our Lord who is compassionate. Jesus has taught us, “Be compassionate as your Heavenly Father is compassionate.” We can also say, among others, “Be forgiving as your heavenly Father is forgiving.”

The gospel passage today is about the parable of the lost or prodigal son. This parable is one of the three parables in Luke 15. The other parables are the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of lost coin. It is obvious from these parables that the owner of the lost coin, the shepherd of the lost sheep and the father of the lost son represent God.

Biblical scholars and commentators say that if we do not have a copy of the Bible, as long as we have a copy of Luke 15 and we get its message, we get the message of the entire Bible. And what is the central message of Luke 15, which reveals the message of the Bible by way of the parables?

The central message of the three parables in Luke 15 is about the unconditional, forgiving, all embracing, patient, searching and seeking love of God the Father. And this is the very message of the entire Bible as shown in the person, teachings, ministry, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus the Son of God.

The English poet Francis Thompson, in his poem entitled The Hounds of Heaven, illustrates this loving and forgiving God. He shows God as Someone running after the sinner not to make him or her pay for his or sins, not to condemn the sinner but to offer him or her His unconditional, forgiving and boundless love. Indeed, God runs after us in loving and hot pursuit despite our sins and transgressions against Him and others. This divine assurance made the English mystic Blessed Julian of Norwich confident in the love of God even in the midst of sinfulness. There was nothing that could discourage her – not even her own sinfulness. She believed that with and in God, “all shall be well.” Blessed Julian Norwich said, “All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”

Patricia Datchuck Sanchez says that the parable of the lost son is a double-edged parable. The father’s dealing with the younger son is a lesson of divine mercy and compassion offered to sinners. In the exchange between the father and the older son, we see a strong warning against those who are self-righteous and cannot share in God’s joy of boundless goodness over the repentance of sinners.

In the face of the father’s unconditional love, both sons are actually in need of conversion. Both sons need to return to their Father. In fact, for the older son it is not even returning to the Father; it is first turning to the Father and allowing himself to truly experience being a beloved son and not a hired servant. He also needs to turn to his brother and be truly a brother who rejoices at the return of his brother. One can say that the older son, in fact, needs more conversion that the younger son.

It is very evident is that God, as represented by the father in the story, can never change the way He relates with us despite our transgressions, mistakes and sins. He remains the loving Father who runs after us even if we run away from Him and His love.

St. Paul, in his Second Letter to the Corinthians, says that God has reconciled the world to himself in Christ, not counting our trespasses.” In the story, the father of the lost son restores him to his status as one of his beloved sons and reconciles him to himself and the rest of his household. He brings back the dignity that the son has lost as a result of separating himself from the father and living a life of disrepute. This loss of dignity is exemplified by the experience of the son living and eating with pigs, considered the dirtiest animals by the Jews.

God can never be “offended” by us. The only thing that can “offend” Him is when we harm ourselves and others. As St. Thomas of Aquinas says, “We offend God only inasmuch as we act against our own good.” Thus, God does not and cannot turn his back on us. When we sin, we are the ones who turn our backs on Him.

God can never turn his back on us despite all the bad, evil and harmful things that we may do to ourselves and to others. In fact, he runs towards and after us so that He can bring us back to the right and holy path. In the story, we see the father running towards his lost son to happily welcome him.

The Jewish culture dictates that it is undignified for old people to still be running. An old person must always try to walk in dignity and, in fact, it is the offending son who must run or come to him. But the heart of the father is overwhelming with joy, happiness and love over the return of his lost son. The father does not mind anymore all these cultural norms. So, he runs towards his lost but returning son and lovingly welcomes him embraces. His son was lost; he is alive again. He was lost and now he is found. It is time to rejoice and be glad.

Parables serve as windows and mirrors. They are windows for they enable us to look into the loving mystery of God and His kingdom. Through the parables we “taste and see the goodness of the Lord” (Psalm 34:9). They are also mirrors for they enable us not only to see God through them but also to see ourselves being reflected in the story.

Whenever we read or hear a parable, it is important that we place ourselves into the shoes of any of the characters. If we are honest, we will admit that we have played all the roles of the characters in the parable. At times, we have been the belligerent and squandering younger son. We have also been the father who is prodigal in lavishing compassion and forgiveness on others. We have also played the part of the resentful and righteous older son. But the big question is – which of them do we usually play or live?

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Parish Bulletin Pastoral Team

Hallelujah by Fr. John Muscat, OFM

The greatest joy we can have is to encounter the living Lord and to know him personally.

Early Sunday morning the women went to the tomb to pay their last tribute to a dead body. The disciples thought that everything had ended in tragedy. No one was ready to see an empty tomb and hear the angel’s message, “Why do you seek the living among the dead”?(Luke 24:5) Mary Magdalene is the first to report the startling news of the empty tomb! She assumed that Jesus’ body had been stolen! She was not yet prepared to meet the risen Lord, who would reveal himself to her while she later lingered in the garden near the tomb (John 20:11-18).

What is the significance of the stone being rolled away? It would have taken several people to roll away such a stone. And besides, the sealed tomb had been guarded by soldiers! This is clearly the first sign of the resurrection . Peter Chrysologus, Church father, remarked: “To behold the resurrection, the stone must first be rolled away from our hearts”. It is significant that the disciples had to first deal with the empty tomb before they could come to grips with the fact that scripture had foretold that Jesus would die for our sins and then rise triumphant. They disbelieved until they saw the empty tomb.

John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, wrote his gospel as an eye-witness of the Word of God, who became flesh and dwelt among us, and who died and rose for our salvation. John was the only apostle, along with the women who stood with Jesus at the foot of the cross, who witnessed Jesus’ death on Good Friday. Now John is the first of the apostles, along with Peter, to see the empty tomb on Easter Sunday morning, after the women returned and gave their report. What did John see in the tomb that led him to believe in the resurrection
of Jesus? It was certainly not a dead body. The dead body of Jesus would have disproven the resurrection and made his death a tragic conclusion to a glorious career as a great teacher and miracle worker. When John saw the empty tomb, he must have recalled Jesus’ prophecy that he would rise again after three days. Through the gift of faith John realized that no tomb on earth could contain the Lord and giver of life.

John in his first epistle testifies: What we have seen, heard, and touched we proclaim as the word of life which existed “from the beginning” (l John 1:1-4). John bears witness to what has existed from all eternity. This “word of life” is Jesus the word incarnate, but also Jesus as the word announced by the prophets and Jesus the word now preached throughout the Christian Church for all ages to come. One thing is certain, if Jesus had not risen from the dead and appeared to his disciples, we would never have heard of him. Nothing else could have changed sad and despairing men and women into people radiant with joy and courage. The reality of the resurrection is the central fact of the Christian faith. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord gives us “eyes of faith” to know him and the power of his resurrection. The greatest joy we can have is to encounter the living Lord and to know him personally. Do you celebrate the feast of Easter with joy and thanksgiving for the victory which Jesus has won for you over sin and death?

“Lord Jesus Christ, you have triumphed over the grave and you have won new life for us. Give me the eyes of faith to see you in your glory. Help me to draw near to you and to grow in the knowledge of your great love and victory over sin and death.”

published April 8, 2012 Parish Bulletin
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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

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