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“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.

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“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

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

Every Christian, by virtue of baptism, is a missionary or is called to be a missionary.

Today’s Gospel periscope contains some of the principles of missiology and the demands of missionary discipleship. From the beginning, it is very clear that Jesus’ mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God is intended for all peoples and for all places.

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.

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.

The injunction to pray for more laborers is a summons to the reality that the mission is God’s. It is also a reminder that prayer is the first posture of the missionary. It is God who directs the mission and sends workers for the mission. The “abundance” or the “scarcity” of missionary laborers is linked to the disciples’ prayerful supplication before the Master of the harvest.

Although mission involves different forms of missionary activities and endeavors, prayer is the first missionary disposition. Mission is a divine-human cooperation and this is shown particularly in the missionary’s life and ministry grounded in God in prayer. Indeed, prayer is a necessary component of mission.

The shift in the metaphor from harvesters or laborers to “lambs among wolves” highlights the difficulties and dangers the disciples are expected to encounter along the missionary way. The disciples must expect what the Lord Jesus himself had experienced.

The Gospel also focuses on how the disciples must behave as they participate in God’s mission. They are to travel light and without attachments in any forms that can bog them down in their primary missionary pursuit. They must have a sense of urgency and should not allow any distractions by other concerns, including familial and social amenities. They must be heralds of God’s peace. They must accept with gratitude and joy any hospitality and acceptance accorded them. However, they must also be ready for any forms of rejection and be prepared to move to another place where the message of the God’s Kingdom may be welcomed.

The primary message of the missionary disciple is the Lord’s own message: “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” God’s Kingdom can be described 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” (Anthony Hoekema). This missionary message has to be proclaimed whether it is accepted or rejected.

Every Christian, by virtue of baptism, is a missionary or is called to be a missionary. In whatever forms of mission we find ourselves engaged in, it is important to keep in mind the above basic principles of doing mission and of missionary discipleship.

as published on July 7, 2013, Parish Bulletin
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“LUKE 9; 51-62” by Fr. Tasang

Discipleship therefore is about following Jesus, calling us to a life in common and in communion with him. The common ground of communion of life with Jesus is: detachment from material things so that one is open and ready, freedom from fear of death, and finally a rejection of any fetters from the past so that one will be open to the event, newness to the initiative and the unforeseen.

Luke 9:51 sets the stage and hints at what is coming. Two points are made; the determined intent of Jesus to go to Jerusalem and that the trip will conclude with his exaltation, the completion of divine purpose. The persistence of Jesus in the final events of his ministry is not to be equated with fate or some unavoidable social force, but a fulfilment of divine plan for the salvation of God’s people. Jesus’ single-mindedness in finishing his task paves the way for the later words to his disciples that they too must not let even plausible distractions deter them from persistent discipleship. Thus, in this verse which clearly foreshadows the mystery of Christ’ death, we have the key to the whole message. The evangelist goes on to consider the conditions necessary in order to be Christ’ disciples, not only just now in the journey to Jerusalem, but also in a definite way in the conduct of daily life.

1. The first condition is patience under trial. James and John thought they should have fire from heaven to deal with the hostile Samaritans. However, Jesus consistent with his teaching of the parables of the darnel, recommends his disciples to allow time
for conversion and development.

2. The second condition is common life with the master. As in all rabbinic schools, this is manifested by the material services which the disciples perform for the rabbi. Christ being an itinerant master above all, common life with him entails discomfort and poverty. The disciples may have to live in the open air, or content with whatever hospitality is offered, something that will train him to share the tragic destiny of the suffering servant.

3. A third condition of the disciple must be his missionary involvement, to which everything else is subordinated. Christ demands from his disciples the severance of ties necessary for proclaiming the kingdom and he brooks no delay.

4. Finally, the disciples must renounce all human ties. Following Christ then becomes really a state of life, of common life which parallels a family life. (Thierry Maertens – Jean Frisque)

Discipleship therefore is about following Jesus, calling us to a life in common and in communion with him. Christianity is not primarily about dogmas and doctrines, not about performing rites and rituals, and not about observing laws and ethical standards. It is about relationship with the person of Jesus. Following Jesus in a sense involves matter of home and social responsibilities. Homelessness is a condition that involves not only physical but social dislocation; one is no longer related to family of origin, but becomes a member of a community of wanderers. Rejecting the sacred obligations to bury one’s parent entails separation from the structures of biological family. Not saying goodbyes and not even looking back, vividly depicts the stark choices to be made. It confronts the family oriented social system that everything revolves around the family. Accommodation to social structures rather than separation from them, divided loyalties rather than single mindedness are most likely the characteristics of modern Christians. These recommendations of Christ seem harsh; it seems to be intended for those who vow to live in poverty and celibacy. Jesus does not intend these for certain states of life; this call is for all. The common ground of communion of life with Jesus is: detachment from material things so that one is open and ready, freedom from fear of death, and finally a rejection of any fetters from the past so that one will be open to the event, newness to the initiative and the unforeseen.

as published on June 30, 2013, Parish Bulletin

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“Personal Queries” by Fr. Joel

“If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, that man will save it.”

Let’s imagine Jesus being physically present m our contemporary times. Let’s imagine further himself posting a comment in His Facebook or Twitter account: ‘”Who do people say that I am?”. Then, reposting His comment to His close friends or to people who befriended Him in the social network: “But who do you say that I am?” These queries are very interesting because this concerns an individual who is so interested in others, and their impressions about him. Jesus is not afraid of what people will tell Him. He wants to know their impressions about Him. He is more interested in listening to their comments and not just clicking the ”LIKE” box in His network page.

One day when Jesus was praying alone in the presence of His disciples, He put this question to them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” (vs. 18.)This query clearly tells us that it is a product of Jesus’ discernment. The scene is in a very serious mode. The situation is ”He was praying alone.” It seemed that when He asked His disciples this question (whatever was in His mind), the consciousness or mindfulness of His disciples was being challenged. Jesus was developing in them the ability to use their “senses” in following Him. Perhaps, He is developing in them that “role-modelling” attitude. Be that as it may, the tone of Jesus was felt in the immediately following queries when they answered: “John the Baptist, others Elijah, and others one of the ancient prophets come back to life.” These are good people, role models in the practice of the faith, and perhaps, this is really what Jesus was driving at.

The query of Jesus however was reduced into a very personal question: “But you,” He said ”who do you say I am?” This response of Jesus is an invitation to know Him all the more. He wants his disciples to know him deeply – his aspirations, dreams, indepth impressions about him, about his life. When such query is reduced into a very personal level, this means that there is an established relationship that was already developed There is a very close encounter – heart to heart, mind to mind, soul to soul- that has transpired. It is like “I am close to you now. I am ready to listen to your affirmations and admonitions.” Imagine a husband and wife in their old age talking about their beautiful experiences in the past, over a cup of coffee. Imagine best friends who have not met for years reminiscing their past. Imagine a boyfriend and a girlfriend under a tree, holding hands together, praying that God will have a better future in store for them. It is through these instances that the encounter becomes personal and up close, that the spirit of knowing ”the other” leads to a closer tie, a deeper relationship.

Jesus is very interested in us. In the first place, we are the reason for His coming. We are the reason for His sacrifice, for His dying on the cross. And we are the reason for His coming again. Every now and then, He reminded His apostles about this. But some of them, if not most of them are not keen in knowing him more. That is why He would tell them” How slow you are in understanding all these things.” The Scripture says that ”they were able to realize many things only” after His Resurrection. Itwas only Peter who spoke up when Jesus queried them about Himself:” You are the Christ of God”. (vs 20) But He gave them strict orders not to tell anyone anything about this. Why? Because He doesn’t want them to do a “shortcut” on the very purpose of His coming. He doesn’t want them to miss the whole script of His life written through the will of the Father. Jesus wants us to learn every inch of His story. Thus, the reason why He is very interested in letting the apostles know ”Who He is” as the God, made-man. “The Son of Man” He said “is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.” This is the Paschal Mystery, the story of Jesus that He wants us to know and participate in. It is through this mystery that the wholeness of our being can experience the life of our Saviour. So, why should we complain if there are sufferings in our midst? Why should we lose hope when everything seems to be lifeless? Why should we worry when we are assured that there is more to this life of ours after death?

Then Jesus said, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him
renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me. (vs 23) I guess these are clear conditions that Jesus is reminding us of. If we want to become his authentic followers then we have to find a way how we can abide by these conditions and thus develop meaningful lives.

Nowadays, the Roman Catholic Church in the country is bombarded with many issues regarding inconsistent faith practices of both the clergy and the faithful. These experiences are in no way different from the same issues thrown at the face of our Church. And for these, we should repeat time and again the words: “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me.”

“For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, that man will save it.”

Have we done something good for our Church and have we defended our faith? Have we ever followed the advise of Jesus when faced with the same difficulties? Do we really know Jesus?

as published on June 23, 2013, Parish Bulletin

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“Compassion Leads to Action”, by Fr. Reu

What belongs to Jesus – his authority and triumph over death — he first shared with the lowly.

Both the first reading and the gospel present two almost similar stories of God’s action of bringing bring back to life a dead person. It is easy to rationalize these events especially in terms of acknowledging God’s power over death – the forces of evil and death are no match compared to the forces of good and life and that God never allows suffering and sorrow to overshadow compassion and comfort. Let us reflect on some of the details specifically on the gospel.

The weeping of the mother, a widow, for her only son is essentially for herself than for her son. While death brings sadness, it also frees the person from so many concerns and responsibilities in order to overcome the different challenges of life. The cultural setting of this widow and mother placed her in isolation, alienation and in the margins — or worst, as a non-existent person in the community because she has no husband or a son to protect and to give her identity. Her son’s death is hers too. In this context, to be physically dead is better than the suffering of emotional death or having physical life but bereft of meaning.

On the part of Jesus, this is not the first time he encounters people going to bury a dead person for his was a mobile office … he was always with people on the road. His compassion to this widowed mother flowed out from his knowledge of his Father who is compassionate and to which he invites his followers to be like him. Jesus acted upon what he saw and felt for this weeping mother by giving back life to her son so she may have life as well. It makes us think that this new life for the son is not for himself but for his powerless mother – God’s way of taking good care of God’s partner in nurturing and propagating the precious gift of life.

The prophetic side of Jesus’ action is his ability to use his authority and power to ensure that those considered insignificant are not relegated to the sideline or to the margins but are protected and that their dignity are preserved. What belongs to Jesus — his authority and triumph over death — he first shared with the lowly. This is truly the Gospel incarnate in the person of Jesus – the action of Jesus at Nain — God telling us to reject all forms of evil, of separation, alienation, marginalization and deprivation that leads to human suffering. Truly, it is Jesus’ compassion that leads to life-giving action.

as published in the Parish Bulletin, June 16, 2013

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“Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ” (Corpus Christi), by Fr. Tasang

Corpus Cbristi means above all the mystical body of Christ, the community of believers.

Background: Today’s feast is in a sense an unexpected feast for
several reasons: It duplicates Holy Thursday, we are repeating the Last supper celebration without the sadness of Good Friday. Secondly, because every Eucharistic celebration is a feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus. Unexpected, because of the origin of its feast. An Augustinian nun, Juliana if Liege reported a vision. She had seen a full moon in splendour, save for the dark area on one side. As she understood it, the moon was the Church, the area that was dark was because the Church had no feast of the Blessed Sacrament. Fifty five years later, Corpus Christi became a universal feast of the Church.

GOSPEL: Today we hear Jesus’ feeding the hungry multitude of five thousand. The actions of Jesus, taking loaves, looking up to heaven, breaking the loaves and distributing them are the very same actions of Jesus at the last supper. The memory of feeding, points to the Eucharist at the Last Supper, when Jesus finally gives the bread that comes down from heaven. The multiplication of the loaves is the same miracle that John the Evangelist uses as a starting point of his presentation of Jesus as the Bread of Life in John 6. In this sense, the feeding of the multitude is not a simple act of satisfying the people’s hunger. Early Christians gave a Eucharistic interpretation to this event, the reason was that bodily nourishment is closely linked to the nourishment of the heart. The Eucharistic bread provides nourishment of the heart only when a man is led to more intense love of ills brothers and to provide them with the bread which they lack. Within the miracle of Jesus’ multiplication of the loaves and fish is the parallel event of conversion and transformation of the disciples. From people turned only on themselves to disciples who share and are sensitive and responsive.

WORD
1. Corpus Christi means first of all the physical body of Christ. It is this body that suffered torture, bloodied by whipping. It is the same body that took all the cruelty thrown at him, the same body that was nailed and hung on the cross. Jesus took all of them not in stoic indifference neither with a revengeful spirit but in dignified silence. His body took all these without eliciting sympathy and exhibiting anger. There is serenity and strength that an only spring from a heart in communion with God – his words are only forgiveness. When Jesus took upon his physical body all the injuries inflicted on him and breathed his last on the cross, he acted out and fulfilled the words he said on the Last Supper when he said “This is my body which will be given up for you.” Therefore when we receive the Body of Christ, we want to conform ourselves to the depth of Christ’s love. We should be able to bear the suffering for the sake of others. We too are willing to give up our bodies for others. When Jesus asks us, “to do this in memory of me” he was referring to that kind of love for others.
2. Corpus Christi also means the Eucharistic body of Christ in the
Eucharistic species. In the Eucharist we have Jesus himself, body and blood, soul and divinity. When we receive Holy Communion, we have a closer contact with Jesus than was possible to anybody during his earthly life. In the Eucharist the actual distance between ourselves and Christ vanishes. The God-man out of sheer love gives the lowly bread and wine as his flesh to eat and his blood to drink. We can only respond in awe and wonder because something marvellous and enrapturing has broken into our common place world. As we grow older, most of us lose our sense of wonder. We get blase, wordly wise and sophisticated. We have grown up. Heschel saw it as modem man’s trap, believing that everything can be explained, that all of reality is simply an affair which has only to be organized in order to be mastered. All enigmas can be solved and all wonder is nothing but the effect of novelty on ignorance. The enemy of wonder is to take things for granted. We need to recover this sense of wonder. We have nothing to rely on except the words of Jesus, when he said “this is my body”. He did not say this is the symbol of his body. His words are trustworthy.
3. Corpus Christi means above all the mystical body of Christ, the community of believers. The Eucharist is essentially a meal. It intends to bring together not only us with God but with one another. When we receive the body of Christ in communion, we are also accepting the presence of Christ in one another. We can’t share fruitfully in the first if we are unmindful of the second. When we as a family have a meal at home together, we are drawn closer by that sharing more’than anything else. When we provide hospitality to friends by way of a meal or they for us, we have the opportunity for closeness too. In the Eucharist, God is providing us the same opportunity, with the addition that the closeness, intimacy and union are provided for by God in abundance. The more we eat together, the more we become his mystical body.

published, June 2, 2013 Parish Bulletin

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“Trinity Sunday” by Fr. EJ

The fullness of redemption is to be found in the Spirit. The Spirit completes the mystery of creation and redemption, guiding us into “all truth”, bringing us all together.

After the cycle of Feasts celebrating the events and phases of Christ’s life among us, the liturgy moves into “ordinary time” But it passes through two transition Sundays: Trinity Sunday this week, and Corpus Christi next week. Ordinary time means living in “the sphere of God’s grace, where we now stand.” And it means gathering around the Eucharist to deepen our true identity, our relationship to the mystery of our redemption and to one another and the world.

What is clearly the formulated mystery of the Trinity is not found in the readings and this lack makes us wonder what the doctrine of the Trinity means and particularly what it means for us. What these readings convey is that it means for us a world transformed into a sphere of grace, the guidance of spirit of truth, and the providence of God’s own wisdom at all times.

The passage about wisdom in the book of Proverbs, is wisdom personified, a maternal figure. The text is at pain to tell us wisdom is at the source and patterns of creation. It is quoted with law of God (Torah) revealed to Israel. In Christian thought, it points to Jesus as the wisdom of God – Jesus is the same at the heart of all creation, accessible to all in the sphere of God’s grace.

In Paul’s thought (second reading) we are justified through faith brought into the realm of faith. This kind of wisdom and transforming love seems to be what Jesus promises to His disciples. In His farewell address Jesus signified to where the disciples are going. So we ask where do you find our orientation? And the answer is: the fullness of redemption is to be found in the Spirit. The Spirit completes the mystery of creation and redemption, guiding us into “all truth”, bringing us all together.

Although the scriptures do not give us a formulation of Trinitarian doctrine as such, the Scripture leads us to come to terms with the Paradox of God who is intimately known yet never comprehended, so intimately present, yet always transcendent. Such is our God, so profoundly mysterious yet dwells in our hearts – Tenere me ama!

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“Pentecost”, by Fr. Tasang

The Gift of the Spirit is Unity in the Midst of Differences and Diversities. The month of May is a month

The month of May is a month of festivities in many parts of the country. Last May 15, we had the famous tourist-drawing Pahiyas of Lukban, Quezon, with their colorful display of food and agricultural products in the facade of their houses. Neighboring towns that are located at the foot of Mount Banahaw have similar versions of this harvest festival. The month of May is a month of harvesting and it is the most opportune time for thanksgiving and festivities.

The feast of Pentecost is originally a feast of harvest, people thanking God for the abundance of his blessings. Later on, following the development of Jewish liturgy from the cosmic to the historic, this feast became rapidly the celebration of the deliverance from Egypt, particularly the Sinai covenant which took place fifty days after the Jews’ departure from Egypt. The Sinai now becomes the symbol of abundance of life as God considered them as his people.

Literally, the word Pentecost means fifty. Today is the fiftieth day after Easter and we celebrate the outpouring of the Spirit on the disciples. It is the fullness of God’s gifts, the abundance of God’s love. It is the beginning of the Church’s mission to the world, a harvest of people instead of agricultural produce. At its heart is the gift of the Spirit that created the Church and continued to move people to undertake the preaching of the word.

The gospel today is the same one that we read on Easter Sunday. It is an account of how Jesus gave his disciples the Holy Spirit wherein they were recreated. They in turn were sent to forgive sins. The word used is “ruah”, the same word the sacred scriptures used in the Genesis creation account. Christ in breathing on them reproduced the creative breath of the Genesis. As new creation, the disciples are empowered to preach the Good News of God’s mercy, the heart of which is the forgiveness of sins.

1. Today, the charismatic movements, especially in Metro Manila, have their annual gathering. They consider this feast as their feast day. It seems that they have also appropriated this feast as their own. Since most of us are not into the renewal/ charismatic movement, it makes us feel that we are not filled with the Spirit. There is a tendency to highlight the extraordinary manifestations of the Spirit, like gifts of tongues and gifts of healing, to the detriment of the far more numerous routine outpouring of the Spirit. There is a penchant for unabashed emotionalism, enthusiasm on prophetic trances and orgiastic frenzies. Sometimes our charismatic brothers/sisters can make us feel insecure if we don’t experience radical change in bodily temperature or what they call, “slain by the spirit” as if it is the sole mode of being Spirit-filled. The bottom line criterion for determining the authenticity of an alleged gift of the Spirit is whether it strengthens faith and the bond of unity.

2. The Spirit breathes where it wills. It is through the individual with his unique gifts that the Holy Spirit operates par excellence. Everybody has experienced his gentle urgings. Those moments in our lives when we are tempted to surpass ourselves, to do something bordering on the heroic, to reach and help out someone in trouble, to sacrifice our time and well-being for totally unselfish reasons, those are moments when we are spirit-inspired. In reality, those moments are rare and the number of times we yielded to those temptations is rarer still. Probably the real failures in our lives are not bad temptations we succumbed to, but the good we resist to do. We should give way to our generous impulses instead of pulling back at the last moment, thereby thwarting the promptings of the Spirit.

3. Most importantly, the gift of the Spirit is unity in the midst of
differences and diversities. The Acts of the Apostles implies that Pentecost is the reversal of the Tower of Babel. The biblical imagery of confusion, division and despair that reigned among the people is contrasted with the unifying gift of the Holy Spirit. With the descent of the Spirit, people of different races understood the disciples’ proclamation in their own language. Unity is not uniformity. We should see differences as enriching, not threatening the unity of the community. We should be able to harness, rather than alienate others with their various gifts, affirm and appreciate them but putting them into service for the common good.

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“Habilin” by Fr. Joel

“Repentance and forgiveness in his name would be proclaimed to all the nations. You shall be witnesses to this. I will send you what my Father promised. “(v.47-49)

After graduating from high school in Samar, I was determined to pursue my theological studies and readied myself to enter the diocesan seminary in our place. Since my Dad didn’t like me to pursue my dream as a priest, he encouraged me to enroll in a pre-law course in Manila. He was the one who accompanied me, making sure that I would not be going somewhere else. The night before we left, I very well remember my Mom telling me only one thing: “You will always be in my prayers. Let God do the rest for you!” This has always been my Mom’s reminder to me.

Ascension Day is a time given to the faithful to reflect on the very inspiration left by Jesus to his disciples. It is the best time of the year to reflect as well on the missions of our Church and the very inspiration attached to it – the role of the Scriptures or the words of Jesus, and the importance of worship in fulfilling the missions entrusted to us by Jesus.

What was the advice received by the disciples before he finally was ascended into heaven? “Repentance and forgiveness in his name would be proclaimed to all the nations. You shall be witnesses to this. I will send you what my Father promised. “(v.47-49) This is Jesus’ commissioning to his disciples urging them to go first to Jerusalem, and wait because because something would happen there. They followed him, and returned to the Temple in Jerusalem, the place of worship, their place of waiting.

Biblical scholars believe that the antecedent of “you” in the context of the gospel refers to either “the disciples”, “the Jewish community”, or to a broader community including ourselves. We are all encouraged not to be mere participants in a stage drama unfolding in our midst but to be active protagonists able to fulfill our roles.

Have you noticed the holy intent of Jesus? It is part of God’s plan that His intention will be completed and the divine strategy will work. This is the reason why one of the repeated themes in the context of this gospel is the understanding of the Messiah and His destiny. It is his valued mission that justicethat justice and peace may reign in humankind so much so that the Kingdom can be inaugurated. This started when they came to realize and recognize Jesus when he opened their hearts and minds about the many things he had told them, and the numerous advice he gave them.

The last part of the narrative tells us that instead of experiencing the so called “separation anxiety”, we are told that they experienced the joy of Jesus’ ascension. It was coming from the blessing given by Jesus himself (v.51). This moved them to worship him and He was their inspiration and the reason why they frequented the Temple, giving praises to God. It is in this context that we affirm the presence of God in the Holy Eucharist. We pattern our worship on this spiritual experience of the disciples. We sing hymns, recite our prayers as one community, expose the Word of God, share the holy inspiration of the Word, break and share the bread together because this was what our forefathers in faith had done. But while practicing all these, a faithful follower of Christ should not neglect the true value of being a good witness. And a good witness shows an evident presence of Christ in everything that he/she does. Likewise, a good missionary is one who possesses a virtue.

The way the mothers care for their children is one evident sign of being a true disciple of Jesus. Mama Mary championed this. Let us pray as we celebrate Mothers’ Day this Sunday, that we honor our mothers for showing us the way to become a true follower of Christ through their unblemished dedication and service to us. What is the best inheritance/advice or inspiration that we can keep in our hearts coming from our parents? It is no other than to witness the Gospel or Kingdom values that they have lived by and deeply nurtured in us. Let our lives be possessed by the same.

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