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“Wealth or Kingdom?(Mk 10:17-30)” by Fr. Joel

…a disciple who followed him will receive a hundredfold as much; houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children, and lands, along with persecutions, and in the age to come, life everlasting (v.30). The rewards mentioned by Jesus are a “great reversal” of the sacrifices and sufferings a disciple will endure for a moment, but which will end in the gratifying life that awaits at the gate.

Is following Jesus an easy one? What should be sacrificed? What reward awaits the follower? This Sunday’s Gospel of Mark is part of the second instructions of Jesus to His disciples on their Way to Jerusalem. His teaching is about riches, reminding the disciples on the importance of discipleship. This final section consists of three parts.

The Story of the Rich Man ( v. 17-22 )

This part of the gospel has generated many interpretations down the centuries. Said interpretations have tried to modify this very difficult teaching, that even the rich man left, very sad. The story revolves on the question: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” This paved the way for Jesus to remind him of the tenets of the Decalogue that talks on human relationships. But something is demanded from this reminder – radical discipleship. And this entails giving everything that one possesses, which is not limited to material possessions alone.

I guess, the difficulty lies on the aspect of detachment. After all, I am not in my proper frame of mind if I have given myself all these years working for my keep; then, in a sudden turn of events, I will give away what I valued most in life? But this is really the point. “Am I willing to sacrifice?” For truly, wealth can be a hindrance
in following Jesus, but the rewards of his being a disciple are greater than the sacrifices.

Instructions to the Disciples (v.23-27 )

Can mere renunciation of wealth guarantee our salvation? The personal instructions of Jesus to his disciples, which became public,
emphasize the power of God and faith in Him, being the ways to salvation. These two spiritual elements are very important because they will usher the followers/disciples of Jesus to a more
fulfilling life, as servants of God. Renunciation therefore, with reliance on Him as our ultimate Redeemer, will assure us of eternal rewards. With this assurance given us, we need to follow therefore the spirit of Jesus and his ways. We should make it a point in our
lives to have Him at the very center of our relationship. When we make him our guidepost in achieving spiritual ends, we need to redirect our lives in accord to his direction. Jesus is our salvation, and therefore, we should lead others towards him. By making him our model for living, it will surely be easier for us to pass through the narrow gate, for he will be there to widen the gate
for us. Therefore, with renunciation of material wealth comes the follow up responsibility of how we can really give everything to God, including our own selves. This is the way He showed us, how to become more than less, to be a man for God and for others and not
only for ourselves.

Teaching on Giving up Riches (v.28-31 )

What is now the reward for accepting the invitation of Jesus? Jesus gave the response to this query that both in the present and in
the future, a disciple who followed him will receive a hundredfold as
much; houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children, and lands, along with persecutions, and in the age to come, life everlasting (v.30). The rewards mentioned by Jesus are a “great reversal” of the sacrifices and sufferings a disciple will endure for a moment, but which will end in the gratifying life that awaits at the gate.

As our Church launches the Year of the Faith, let us be encouraged by the inspiring words of reminders from Jesus, keeping ourselves focused on how we can journey as a COMMUNITY IN FAITH, willing to undergo persecutions but with hearts open to the gates of HOPE towards HIM. We pray that may our lives continue to witness the FAITH that we have embraced.

published on October 14, 2012 Parish Bulletin

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“Give Us This Bread Always” by Fr. Jesus

They were looking for him, not because of their faith and love for him but because he fed them. (We might pause right here for a while to reflect on our own motivation in following Jesus, in coming to mass, in joining church activities, etc.)

For five consecutive Sundays, we will be reading almost in its entirety chapter 6 of the Gospel of John which deals with the holy Eucharist. (This insertion of John 6 is done because Mark’s gospel is too short to cover all the Sundays of Year B). Last Sunday, we heard the account of the feeding of five thousand men with only five barley loaves and two dry fish. Today’s gospel tells us how Jesus, after feeding the crowd, masterfully led the people from seeking material bread to the bread of life. Let’s do a little text analysis.

The people began by asking Jesus, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Perhaps they were surprised to see that he had left them so soon after feeding them. Jesus ignored their question-a mere curiosity-and went straight into the heart of the matter: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” Right off, Jesus tells them to their face that their motivation in following him was tainted with selfishness. They were looking for him, not because of their faith and love for him but because he fed them. (We might pause right here for a while to reflect on our own motivation in following Jesus, in coming to mass, in joining church activities, etc.)

Then comes an invitation: “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life.” This is the turning point in the gospel story. Jesus begins to speak of another kind of food, one that does not grow stale but rather endures for ever-for eternal life. This means that there must be another kind of hunger which only that bread can satisfy. At once, that deeper hunger begins to surface in the people’s mind as they ask: “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” How quickly has Jesus changed the people’s outlook!

Now that he has brought the people’s attention away from material
food unto the things of God, Jesus goes on to impart his intended instruction on “the bread which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” It doesn’t take long for him to convince the crowd. At once the people express their newly-felt hunger for the newlyfound bread: “SIR, GIVE US THIS BREAD ALWAYS.” What a wonderful catechist Jesus was. Step by step, he prepared the people to listen to his most startling revelation: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”From a simple hi-hello to the discovery of the life-giving bread.

Unfortunately, the gospel story does not end on this happy note. Succeeding events will show that the people’s interest in and hunger for the living bread were more apparent than real, as we will see in the forthcoming Sundays. For the moment, however, let us reflect on today’s gospel passage.

There is no denying that physical hunger is a serious problem in the world, aggravated by the current global economic crisis and by the relentless increase of the price of prime commodities. Attached to this reflection is a chart showing some figures on the extent of the problem of hunger in the world. Keeping a printed copy of that chart posted near our dining table might easily arouse in us a sense of gratitude to the Lord for the food set before us-of which millions of people are deprived. As followers of Christ we must do our very best to alleviate, if not to overcome, this problem.

At the same time we must realize that there are deeper and more important kinds of hunger being felt by the people, such as hunger for justice, for peace, for freedom, for equality, for respect and for acceptance. And, yes, hunger for God. These forms of hunger, perhaps more subtle but in no way less real, must be addressed too. We who feed regularly on the living bread of Christ’s body must commit ourselves to become bearers of life and hope to others.

The world hunger problem:
Facts, figures and statistics

• In the Asian, African and Latin American countries, well over 500 million people are living in what the World Bank has called “absolute poverty”
• Every year 15 million children die of hunger For the price of one missile, a school full of hungry children could eat lunch every day for 5 years
• The World Health Organization estimates that one-third of the world is wellfed, one-third is under-fed one-third is starving- Since you’ve entered this site at least 200 people have died of starvation. Over 4 million will die this year.
• One in twelve people worldwide is malnourished, including 160 million children under the age of 5. United Nations Food and agriculture
• The Indian subcontinent has nearly half the world’s hungry people. Africa and the rest of Asia together have approximately 40%, and the remaining hungry people are found in Latin America and other parts of the world. Hunger in Global Economy
• Nearly one in four people, 1.3 billion – a majority of humanity – live on less than $1 per day, while the world’s 358 billionaires have assets exceeding the combined annual incomes of countries with 45 percent of the world’s people.
UNICEF
• 3 billion people in the world today struggle to survive on US$2/day.
In the U.S. hunger and race are related. In 1991 46% of African-American children were chronically hungry, and 40% of Latino children were chronically hungry compared to 16% of white children.
• The infant mortality rate is closely linked to inadequate nutrition among pregnant women. The U.S. ranks 23rd among industrial nations in infant mortality. African-American infants die at nearly twice the rate of white infants.
• One out of every eight children under the age of twelve in the U.S. goes to bed hungry every night.
• Half of all children under five years of age in South Asia and one third of those in sub-Saharan Africa are malnourished.
• In 1997 alone, the lives of at least 300,000 young children were saved by vitamin A supplementation programmes in developing countries.
• Malnutrition is implicated in more than half of all child deaths worldwide – a proportion unmatched by any infectious disease since the Black Death
• About 183 million children weigh less than they should for their age
• To satisfy the world’s sanitation and food requirements would cost only US$13 billion- what the people of the United States and the European Union spend on perfume each year.
• The assets of the world’s three richest men are more than the combined GNP of all the least developed countries on the planet.
• Every 3.6 seconds someone dies of hunger
• It is estimated that some 800 million people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition, about 100 times as many as those who actually die from it each year.

as published on August 5, 2012 Parish Bulletin

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“Honoring God with the Heart”, by Fr. Jesus

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.

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“Lord, to Whom Shall We Go? You have the Words of Eternal Life”, by Fr. John

A true Christian, who realizes and appreciates what the Son of God has done and is still doing for him, will try always to make himself less unworthy, for not even the greatest saint was worthy to partake of this act of divine love.

Last Sunday we read of the murmurs of objection among the multitude,
the ordinary people. “How could this man,” they had said, “give us his flesh to eat?” They looked on him as a man who was promising to give them his human flesh, as it then was, to eat. “Who could accept this?”, they asked. Christ did not explain, he simply went on to demand “faith in his word.” He had come down from heaven, he was more than mere man, he had the words of eternal life.

Today we read of objectors among his “disciples,” the outer band of followers who had been continually with him for sometime now. They were a group distinct from the Apostles. Their reason for objecting was the same as that of the multitude – they thought he was a mere man. He knew of their lack of faith and told them so: “some of you do not believe,” but he made no attempt to remove this obstacle. He simply referred again to his divine origin and the divine knowledge he possessed.

The “disciples”, who murmured, evidently saw nothing but a man in Christ. It was very natural, therefore, what they could not accept his saying that they should eat his body and drink his blood. Thus, it seems most probable that when Christ says they lacked “faith,” he had given them sufficient proofs that he was more than a man. These individuals among the disciples, however, refused to open their minds to these proofs, therein was their guilt. Their minds were earth-bound and were determined to remain earth-bound. Faith is a gift of the Father, as Christ says to those disciples: “no one can
come to me unless it is granted him by the Father,” but the Father has offered them this gift and they have refused to accept it, otherwise they would not be guilty.

No one who accepts Christ for what he is, the Son of God in human
form, has any difficulty in believing that he left us himself in the Eucharist as a sacrifice and a sacrament. This does not mean that we understand this gift of Christ in all its details. It was an act of divine power and as such beyond full human comprehension. However, we can understand enough about the actuality of the Eucharist because we accept the words of Christ, who “has the words of eternal life,” even though its innermost nature escapes us. We are doing no violence to our intelligence when we accept as fact from a trustworthy witness, what we cannot prove or confirm for ourselves.
No more trustworthy witness than Christ ever existed. In Galilee he
promised to give his body and blood—in the Eucharist—to be our spiritual nourishment—communion—and our means of offering an absolutely pleasing sacrifice to God every time his body and blood are made present by the words of his ordained ministers.

He fulfilled that promise at the Last Supper. He gave to his Apostles and their successors the power to repeat this act of divine love when he said, “Do this in memory of me.” When Simon Peter answered Christ’s challenge—”will you too go away?”—he spoke not only for his fellow-Apostles that day with, “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,” but for all Christians who really believe that Christ was the incarnate Son of God. Peter, be it noted, made his act of faith before he was fully convinced of the divinity of Christ, but he was already convinced that Christ was close to God and spoke nothing but the truth.

Many of us may need to examine ourselves as regards the full and
effective use we make of that gift. Every time we attend at Mass do we realize that Christ is offering himself to his Father for our sanctification and the sanctification of the world? Do we realize that we, through his minister at the altar, are offering infinite thanksgiving, infinite atonement, infinite adoration, infinitely effective petition, to our Father in heaven through the sacrifice of his divine Son in the Mass? Are we always worthy to act this part?

Are our consciences fit to allow us to partake of this sacrifice in Holy Communion? A true Christian, who realizes and appreciates what the Son of God has done and is still doing for him, will try always to make himself less unworthy, for not even the greatest saint was worthy to partake of this act of divine love.

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“This is my blood of the covenant”, by Fr. Jesus

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.

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“Pentecost Sunday”, by Fr. Joel

Pentecost is the feast of the Spirit manifesting within the people the will of God. This is a Jewish feast fifty days after Passover. St. Luke recalled in the Acts of the Apostles the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (2:4). The large crowd that was gathered during the feast were confused and amazed how the disciples expressed themselves in foreign tongues and how the Spirit prompted them to proclaim more boldly the faith in the Resurrected Christ. It was through the power of the Holy Spirit that the first Christian Community was born (CCC1301). Acts of the Apostles 2:38 tells us about the answer of Peter to the query of the people. He said “You must reform and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, that your sins may be forgiven; then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” In other words, the Holy Spirit will
reign in our lives.

How does the Spirit reign in our lives? The Spirit comes in the spirit of nature- wind, fire, even in the stillness of water that brings life during our baptism, even in a form of a dove that signified on Jesus as the Son of God. In all these concrete realities, the Spirit comes into the hearts and minds of the people through their remarkable manifestations – wisdom and rightful decisions carved, a dialogue for peace forged, a healing experienced by human persons either through reconciliation or release from physical pains, speaking in tongues, praises to God, even concrete expressions of joy through a dance, soulful songs, poetry and the like. For this is how the Spirit works if lifted in man’s realm.

The encyclical Lumen Gentium (par.7) tells us the three functions of the Holy Spirit: (1) to give life to, (2) to unify, and (3) to move the whole body. I John 4:8, 16 tell us that this Spirit is the “gift of God” who is Love, and is poured out into our hearts. 2 Cor 3:3 tells us of the Spirit of the living God written on the tablets of human hearts. Thus, mission, renewal and purification form part of the divine indwelling in us through the power of the Holy Spirit manifested to the disciples during the Pentecost. This divine moment moved them to embrace the challenge of bringing the good news of the Risen Lord to the ends of the earth. We were told how they embrace the cross of Jesus, witnessed their lives in suffering, but focused on his assurance- “I will be with you, do not be afraid!”

But what have we done to these gifts of the Holy Spirit freely given
us? Have we shared the fruits of the same to others? How can we make
these gifts as God’s manifestations of love and concern for others? How can we encourage others to walk the inspiration of the Holy Spirit towards God’s kingdom?

The Gospel this Sunday tells us of the meeting of Jesus with His disciples after His Resurrection. It was on this first meeting that Jesus breathed the Spirit on the apostles. This memory is recalled in the church during the celebration of the Chrism Mass when the bishop breathes unto the holy oils which are eventually used as very important elements during the celebration of the sacraments. But the message remains: the Spirit came from Jesus, and His intent is to give us life. If this life is coming from Jesus, then we have to live like Him. We have to pattern our life on Him. We have to continue what He has started. In the first place, we have been mission sent!

But how can the divine moment of the Pentecost transform us? Forgiveness! This is the core of the last sentence of our gospel text. An unforgiving heart brings destruction both in the personal level and on others. This comes at times in a very subtle way like a wind in its swiftness but deep inside the human heart, spiritual destruction buds forth. Thus, sin becomes the rallying point. In this instance therefore, we need to pray to the Holy Spirit to possess our heart and enkindle and rekindle in us the fire of the love of Jesus. This is what we all need. This is what our family, our communities, our country and the whole world needs. Let us help each other keep this beautiful wisdom in our hearts.

As we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, let us pray that may the same tongues of fire bring to fulfillment in us to speak of the love of Jesus and inspire us to share the same with others. And may the divine Spirit sealed unto us in Baptism and Confirmation bring to fulfillment in us His Divine Will.

as published on May 27, 2012, Parish Bulletin

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“Good Shepherd Sunday” Fr. Joel

We are celebrating the life of Jesus, His being the Good Shepherd for all of us …. we are celebrating as well His great invitation on how we can truly imitate Him.

Why are we celebrating Good Shepherd Sunday? What are we really celebrating? What makes Jesus a good shepherd for all of us?

Good Shepherd Sunday is a reminder for all of us of the distinct character of the shepherd whose exceptional life is of great value in enhancing to others. He is not too preoccupied inwardly about Himself. He busied His life in total surrender to the will of the Father, doing the great task of giving more, and more, leaving nothing for Himself. He is more after the blessings of the Father for others, thus, He spends most of His time guiding people through His parables, continuously sharing His being a gift to the world.

What are we celebrating in our communities this Sunday? We are celebrating the life of Jesus, His being the Good Shepherd for all of us. We are also celebrating His great invitation on how we can truly imitate Him. But how has He been as a Shepherd for all of us?

First. His way of love. He showed us His sacrificial love. He laid down His life for all of us. He stretched out His hands and showed how much more He is willing to sacrifice. Even in His Resurrection and Ascencion, He wants His spirit of love felt by all!He wants men to live this way of life, promoted to the well-being of others. Jesus’ love being communicated to the family begets in itself a transforming power that, even changes in the course of our life can never withstand that spirit of love.

Is our way of loving others patterned after the Good Shepherd?

Second. His way of life Jesus’ ministry speaks for itself that “giving life” has been His mantra wherever He goes and whenever He performs His ministry. He goes against those that contradict life. He confronts those who oppose and violate life. He is a hardline advocate and promoter of life. He brings in respect and honor for life. It is in Him that life springs forth.

Is our way of life patterned after His?

Third. His obedience to the Father. Jesus wholeheartedly followed the will of the Father for Him. As an obedient son, He remained focused on the instructions of the Father. It was engraved in His heart. Jesus professed His loyalty to the Father, thus, even the last moment of His life, He commended His spirit to the Father. When He died in Calvary, He submitted His being to the Father. And He continues to manifest His presence to us through the sacraments.

Are we obedient to the will of the Father?

As we celebrate this Good Shepherd Sunday, we pray that our communities, especially our families, will continue to show love and respect for life, freely and gratuitously given to us by God. We pray that may the younger generation learn to love, appreciate life and develop the spirit of obedience to the will of God. We pray that they may blossom to become like the Good Shepherd. As we celebrate the spirit of the Good Shepherd also, may the springing-forth of life, the concrete manifestation of God’s love and the proceeding-forth obedience to the Father inspire all our lives to make ourselves like the Good Shepherd.

published on April 29, 2012, Parish Bulletin

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“The First Fruits of the Resurrection”, by Fr. Jesus

…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

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“God so loved the world…” by Fr. Greg Redoblado, OFM

Pagans cannot accept a weak and powerless God. However it is Good News to us because He is not an indifferent and distant God. A God who is not only close to us but also who truly suffers with us. I love this kind of God! God is truly regal and glorious in his cross. It may look ugly and bloody but it is beautiful because it is love.

We are now getting closer to holy week. Next Sunday is already Palm or Passion Sunday. But this Sunday’s gospel reading already actually begins this tone of the passion of Jesus with these words, “now my soul is troubled … – Father, save me from this hour.” If we pause for a while and reflect on these words, we can really feel that Jesus is in agony and pain. Yet, it touches us deeply to remember this agony with him comforting us with these words, “do not let your hearts be troubled.” Yes, it takes one, whose soul is troubled, to sympathize with those whose hearts are also troubled. A true healer is one who has been wounded. God’s glory and power are, according to the gospel of John, Jesus lifted on the cross for love of us!

This, I believe, is what the Lord wants us to see today. In the first reading from the book of Jeremiah, God wants us to write this new covenant in our hearts. The old law written on stone tablets will now be re-written and carved in our hearts. His troubled heart and ours will be forged into one.

The gospel begins with people, strangely in fact, Greeks (non believers) who “wished to see Jesus.” John, the evangelist, must already have in mind the universal call to discipleship. Lent is the season to remind us, first of all, of our call to discipleship to follow him and his mission which entails, first and foremost, to “see” and “know” him in a loving relationship – to write Jesus’ very life and mission in our hearts. To reflect on his passion story in the Via Crucis is not only for us to romantically feel his pain, but to follow him in his life offering and loving mission.

Secondly, Lent is a time, once again for us, to see a God who suffers in Jesus. As I said above, holy week is near and so Jesus’ passion looms in our gospel reading today. Jesus cries that his soul or innermost being is troubled. This and the rest of the passion story -suffering, crucifixion and death – is not only a dramatic stage play that we usually re-enact in our senakulo but Jesus’ real human experience of suffering. Our God therefore is a God who suffers in the person of his beloved Son, Jesus. The Greeks and pagans cannot accept a weak and powerless God. However it is Good News to us because He is not an indifferent and distant God. A God who is not only close to us but also who truly suffers with us. I love this kind of God! God is truly regal and glorious in his cross. It may look ugly and bloody but it is beautiful because it is love.

Finally, he wants us to see what a true disciple is: “Amen, amen I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” Lent, indeed, is springtime. We have to blossom, we have to bear fruit but that only happens when we fall to the ground and die to our sins and selfishness. For “whoever loves his life, loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.” Jesus is presenting himself to us that very model to follow. Life is truly glorious and meaningful in the giving of oneself. If we claim to be Christians – followers of Jesus – we need to follow the only way to Jesus. He said, “whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am there also will my servants be.”

as published on March 25, 2012, Parish Bulletin
About Fr. Greg and a few of his Reflections

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Parish Bulletin Pastoral Team

“God so loved the world…” by Fr. Jesus

Love is measured by its cost, that is, by how much we are willing to
sacrifice.

The fourth Sunday of Lent has a festive character. It comes as a break in the Lenten penitential mood: “Rejoice, Jerusalem! Be glad for her!” exclaims the entrance antiphon. Some of us, many perhaps, will say: What good reason is there for rejoicing? There are a good number of reasons to be sad and to mourn: worldwide terrorism, political bickering, economic crisis, growing unemployment, rising prices of basic commodities, natural calamities, and a long etcetera. Pray tell, what is there to rejoice over?

Today’s gospel gives us a good reason: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” Is that all?– you might say; we know that already; this is the most oft-quoted verse of the bible. Yes, indeed, we know that; we have heard it over and over again. But has it really sunk into our heart and mind? This is the favorite verse of our Protestant brothers. In the introductory pages of the King James Bible (the Protestants’ most revered version of the Bible) it says: This verse (Jn. 3:16) has been translated into more than
1,100 languages. It is here recorded in 27 languages, which are understood by more than three-quarters of the earths population.”

The title of Pope Benedict XVI’s first encyclical letter (2005) is “God is Love,” (Deus caritas est). Its opening words are: “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 Jn 4:16). Here we have the shortest, richest, and deepest definition of God: He is love. Therefore, he cannot do anything but to love. All his actions, from creation to redemption, are motivated by love. Again, in Pope Benedict XVI’s words: “Everything has its origin in God s love, everything is shaped by it, everything is directed towards it. Love is God s greatest gift to humanity, it is his promise and our hope.” Now we can more easily understand the words of today’s gospel: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” As someone has said, “you can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”

When Johann Gutemberg was printing the first Bible at Mainz in 1456, his little daughter, Alice, picked up a discarded piece of paper with only one line of print: “God loved the world so much that he gave.” She put it in her pocket and kept on thinking about God being so loving. Her face lit up. Her mother notice her changed behaviour and asked Alice what was making her so happy. Alice showed her mother the piece of paper with the printed line. The mother looked at it for a while, then said, “So, what did God give?” “I don’t know,” said the girl, “but if God loves us well enough to give us something, then we need not be afraid of him.” (Remember, those were the years of the Inquisition, when people lived their faith in fear and trembling).

Love is measured by its cost, that is, by how much we are willing to sacrifice. Once a husband asked his wife: “Hon, what gift do you want for our anniversary?” The wife answered, “Anything… so long as there is a diamond on it.” Come anniversary day, the husband gave her a set of playing cards. God gave us the most precious gift he had: His only-begotten Son. He sent him, not just to pay a visit to us that would have been great in itself, but to become one like us in all things but sin, to share in our pains and sufferings, and to die for our sake. Indeed, no greater love is possible.

The gospel goes on: “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save it.”God condemns no one. Condemnation is self-inflicted– it is our choice: “The light came into the world, but people preferred darkness.” We condemn ourselves when we refuse God’s friendship and love; when we refuse to abide by the teachings of Jesus Christ. When a patient refuses to obey the doctor’s orders or decides to leave the hospital against the doctor’s advice, he is responsible for whatever may happen to him. Same with us whenever we refuse God’s love. God loves us to the point of respecting our free choices, no matter how wrong.

published March 18, 2012, Parish Bulletin

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