Cycle C - Year I: 

01 September 2013: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical color: Green)

Luke 14:1, 7-14

The grace of humility 

How can some personalities flaunt their wealth amidst the suffering of so many of our countrymen? The worst is that their wealth is allegedly ill-gotten and the product of corrupting government officials.

Can material wealth buy a ticket to eternal Kingdom? In the Gospel last Sunday, Jesus admonishes us to travel light, meaning without excess baggage, so that we can enter through the narrow gate to God's Kingdom.

In a world so much consumed by materialism, power and greed, Jesus reminds us again to be authentic Christian witnesses for the Lord's Kingdom in our every day life situations.

In today's Gospel narrative from Saint Luke, Jesus accepts an invitation from a leading Pharisee to come and dine at his house. But while there, Jesus observes how the guests scramble for choice seats of honor at the table.

Now we know that Jesus is a great and practical teacher. He was always looking for ways to preach to his followers. Occasionally, he would masterfully craft a story to explain the Good News. At other times, Jesus would take a real life event and use it as a powerful teaching moment. Still on other occasions, Jesus would use a combination of these two modes of preaching. This week's Gospel passage is an example of this last method.

So Jesus seizes the gathering at the house of the Pharisee to teach his followers, not with proper table manner, but the virtue of humility.

Humility begins with God and gently flows into all of our other relationships. Before God, at the Lord's table, there is no place for self-righteousness nor for our human desire for honor and recognition. Because our faith teaches and empowers us to see everyone around us as a beloved child of God, equally deserving of God's blessing and love.

For Christians, humility is the queen or foundation of all other virtues, which enable us to see others more as our brothers and sisters deserving of our love and charity. Jesus tells us that we are his disciples if we love one another.

In practical life, rather than thinking that we are entitled to respect, honor and a life of ease, we see ourselves as blessed, so that we can share with others the bountiful blessings we also receive from the Lord. It is humility that frees us to love and serve others selflessly for their own sake, rather than our own.

More importantly, humility invites us to be honest about our faults, weaknesses and sins. Thus, it keeps us on our knees, praying for God's strength, mercy and assistance. At the same time, humility encourages us to be honest about our gifts and talents as well, and encourages us to discover them, cultivate them, and put them to good use for the greater glory of God, through Christian charity and love.A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle C - Year I:

25 August 2013: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical color: Green)

Luke 13:22-30

"Strive to enter through the narrow gate!" 

The last FIBA Asian Basketball Championship was a triumph of the Filipino spirit. The nation was ecstatic when our national team finally earned a ticket to the World Basketball Series in Spain next year, after more than three decades of unsuccessful campaign. It was not an easy task though against the taller and better trained competitors from other Asian countries. In a way, our national basketball team passed through the proverbial eye of a needle in winning second place in the Asian FIBA series.

Today in the Gospel, our Lord is telling us that the path to the heavenly Kingdom is also full of challenges and hardships, echoing the "eye of the needle" thing as well. It means knowing the Lord and the gospel is not enough.

As He makes his way to Jerusalem, Jesus is asked, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" Jesus' reply is rather startling. He says that although many will attempt to enter heaven through the narrow gate, but will not be strong enough.

Let us start our reflection from where we are coming from. The road of the life of this world is wide, and many follow it because it is like a river of desires and pleasures. On the other hand, the road to heaven is narrow and difficult to follow because it demands following the gospel in words and actions. It is so easy to stray from it because of the so many distractions of the world.

We often forget that salvation is realized according to God's terms and not merely our own interpretation of God's terms to be. In other words, just because you may claim to love God, it doesn't necessarily mean that you love Him as He desires or expects to be loved. Thus, the gospel passage reminds us not to presume  that all who claim friendship with God are in fact and in truth his friends.

In practical life, the pursuit of the kingdom of Heaven demands hard work, obedience and perseverance. Many start the walk on the road to salvation but few stay on it or persevere in the journey. It is because the evil one is constantly setting obstacles in the path of holiness. We need to pray constantly for our faith, hope and love of God  to be stronger, and atone for our sins by practicing Christian charity.

Jesus reminds us, "if you love me, keep my commandments!" And He means all his commandments expressed in the official teachings of the Catholic church. This is not going to be easy for many Christians because it requires humility. For it is the humble soul who is disposed to listening and obeying God in all things, loving Him on God's terms.

In Holy Mass this Sunday, let us pray for humility to see that God's kingdom is a gift which we have to accept with joy and gratitude, so that it may bear fruits in our daily lives.
A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle C - Year I:

18 August 2013: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical color: Green)

Luke 12:49-53

Walking the difficult path!

We are more than half past the year 2013, and soon the "ber" months (September, October, November, December) will come. In the Philippines, the advent of the "ber" months starts our preparation for the Christmas season.

Christmas celebrates the coming of Jesus Christ into our world to assume our human nature and become like us in all but sin. It is the joyous of all seasons in the Christian world as the angels greet the birth of Jesus "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will!" Indeed the Holy Child born is called the "Prince of Peace". For Jesus reconciles  sinners with God. He unites fallen man with God once more.

In the Gospel narrative this Sunday, we hear our Lord say something that is rather startling and perhaps disturbing. Jesus asks, "Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. (Lk 12:51)

So now we also ask, if Jesus is the "Prince of Peace" then how come that he now says to his disciples that he comes to bring division?

Well, Jesus is talking about the impact of his teachings on relationships.

In a world that seems to be consumed with materialism and things pleasurable here and now, to be a follower of Jesus Christ is like walking the difficult path. So that preaching the Good News is met with great resistance,  and sometimes ridicule. It seems that being a disciple of Jesus Christ means sacrificing a big deal in terms of our relationships with others and among ourselves.

For example, the government pushing for the RH law and the Catholic Church strong opposition to it caused a deep division among the nation. Yet, it is the moral obligation for the Church to oppose something that is against the will of God for us, even if it may create division.

Even in our respective lives, we encounter instances that challenge our Catholic values. We must not be afraid to oppose them even if this may create division and enmity. Because we believe that God always takes the side of those who are pushing for what is good, what is moral and righteous.

We know that the very essence of Christianity is loyalty to Jesus Christ, our Lord, a kind of loyalty that takes precedence over every other relationships. Jesus insists that his disciples give him the loyalty which is only due to God, a loyalty which is higher than spouse or kin. Our love for God compels us to choose who will be first in our lives.

As Christians we believe that the same Jesus Christ who warns us that he will be a source of division also offers a great reassurance to those who seek to follow Him faithfully: "Everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life." (Mt 19:29)

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Deo Optimo Maximo!

Cycle C - Year I:

11 August 2013: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical color: Green)

Luke 12:32-48

Stay vigilant!

A mantra says, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life!" But what if today is actually the last day, and that there is no more tomorrow? How would you spend your last day?

How we deal with the last day spells the difference between believers and non-believers. For the latter, there is nothing more after this life. So enjoy and be merry till the end. But for believers, we know that life is not ended; it is only changed.

Whether believers or non-believers the surest thing that will happen is the "end time". Everyone and everything will come to pass some day. For the living, "death" is our experience of the end time. For human beings in particular, it may come at any time, at any age, anywhere. Sometimes, people may know that death is imminent and can actually prepare for it, like those with terminal illness. Others are put off just with the thought of dying soon, and may rebel against anybody, against the world, and even against God. They are in denial mode and refuse to prepare for death. The vast majority of us have no idea or don't get any advance warning of the end time. It can come like a thief in the night, at an hour we don't expect, and thus catches us unprepared.

The sad thing is that we are a society of procrastinators. Whether we just don't want to face difficult challenges in life, or we are afraid to fail, and so we have the tendency to say, "I'll do it later."

Today's Gospel reminds us that of all that we are given in knowledge, we do not know when we will be called to account for our lives. The theme of readiness for the second coming of the Lord is to be found towards the end of the Gospel story from Saint Luke.

So the message of the parable in the Gospel reading is that disciple-servant must be ready for the return of the master, who will come and knock at the door.

We don't know when the Master will come and take us to the heavenly banquet of eternal union with God. Will we be ready? We will not be ready if we are more interested in feeding our worldly desires. So Jesus warns us not to waste time being lazy about purging our lives of earthly treasures.

In practical life, how do we prepare for the end time? In other words, since we do not know when death will come, what should we do?

Jesus says that we must stand ready at all times. We don't wait for God to tell us when or where we will die, because He will not tell us. Instead, we must live a life of vigilant faith, putting things right today, here and now. There is nothing more urgent today than to cleanse our heart and pray for God's forgiveness. Then we need not worry when the call to final judgment comes.

Because for the good Christian, death will be like our graduation day, and not an examination day.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Deo Optimo Maximo!