Cycle B - Year I:  

3 May 2015: Fifth Sunday of Easter
(Liturgical color: White)

John 15:1-8


"I am the vine, you are the branches!"


The greatest tragedy of man is to believe that he can survive without God. Even with our boast that we have conquered the universe, when powerful wrath of nature strikes, man remains helpless in the face of destructive forces much greater and stronger than his humanity.

The message of this Sunday's liturgy reminds us that we are no superman, even in our own planet.

Our Lord uses the parable of the vine and the branches to deliver a timely message to us all.

Let us put ourselves in the scene of the parable to better appreciate the message. The land of Israel was covered with numerous vineyards during the time of Jesus. Thus, the image of the vine was a rich one for the Jews. Jesus used this practical reality to catch the attention of his listeners to the message He wanted to convey.

A short lesson on planting vine: to make the vine fruitful, it needs the caring hand of the vinedresser by carefully pruning  the vine so it can bear good fruit. Because vines characteristically have two kind of branches --those which bear fruit and those which do not bear fruit. The secret is to carefully prune back the non-bearing branches in order for the vine to conserve its strength for the branches the bear good fruit.

In the parable, Jesus uses this image of the vine to describe the kind of life He produces in those who

are united with Him:

"I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing." (Jn 15:5)

Thus, the central message of the Gospel is simple and clear: we need Christ as surely as a branch needs to remain on the vine. And we are either fruit bearing or non-fruit bearing. There is no in-between.

In other words, the Lord promises that we will bear much fruit if we abide in Him and allow Him to purify us. For it is through our Lord Jesus that we are reconciled with the Father. We need God's grace and strength that we may do good and face the trials and suffering in this life.

Do we trust and believe in the Lord's abiding presence with us?

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year I:  26 April 2015

Fourth Sunday of Easter
(Liturgical color: White)

John 10:11-18


I am the Good Shepherd!


Recent tragic events and calamities that befell our country have put our national leaders to the test. And it seems they have been found wanting and disappointing, to say the least.

Someone wrote that a true leader shows how to respond in time of grief, and knows that his first duty is to heal, not confuse, lie, or go AWOL. Because leaders occupy the front line, not the back passage.

On the Fourth Sunday of the Easter season, the liturgy inspires us with the timely message about what a leader should be in the image of our Lord as the Good Shepherd.

Of the many titles of Jesus, the most consoling and reassuring perhaps is that of the Good Shepherd.

It is the Lord Himself who claims that title (Jn 10:11). The image of the Good Shepherd effectively conveys his divine solicitude and concern for his people, and foster in them the spirit of trust and confidence.

Let us understand the significance of the Gospel narratives. Shepherding was the main occupation of people during the time of Jesus. Hence, the imagery of a "Good Shepherd" relates to the practical realities of the daily living of people at that time.

In our country, however, shepherding may be alien to our consciousness because agriculture and farming is our traditional livelihood. Nonetheless, we can reflect on the qualities of a good shepherd and the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep to remind us how to properly exercise authority and leadership.

A depiction of our Lord as a shepherd carrying a sheep on his shoulders summarizes well the shepherd's sacrifice. For he takes the sheep's burden as his own and spends himself in bringing the sheep to safety and green pasture.

Thus, in a general sense "good shepherd" is an image the implies someone who gives caring, compassionate leadership. A good shepherd walks in front of the sheep and the sheep follow the shepherd freely; they are not driven or coerced.

What can shepherding teach us about God and our relationship with Him?

Well, the scriptures describe God as a shepherd who brings security and peace to his people. Just as the shepherd keeps watch over his sheep and protects them from danger, so our Lord Jesus stands watch over his people as the Shepherd and Guardian of souls.

Also in practical life, we can use the imagery of the Good Shepherd to guide us in choosing our leaders comes election time. We should support and elect only those leaders who by their examples of caring, compassionate leadership, love and respect for human life can truly lead us to be a God-fearing nation.

The second point in our reflection speaks also about our  Church leaders. Christ gives a succinct definition of the Good Shepherd, and therefore of every priest: the Good Shepherd "lays down his life for the sheep." (Jn 10:11) Take note, he lays down his life. It is not just his possession, time, energy or talent, but in fact his very life. Thus, priestly service of Christ's flock cannot be a part-time job or piece-meal giving of one's self. It needs total commitment. As the representative of the Good Shepherd Himself, a priest must possess the willingness, and even the instinct, to sacrifice for his people.

This Sunday is also World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Let us implore the Lord to send committed and dedicated "shepherd of souls" in His Church. Let us also pray for our political leaders, that they follow the good examples of leadership of our Lord as the Good Shepherd.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year I:  19 April 2015

Third Sunday of Easter
(Liturgical color: White)

Luke 24:35-48

Witnessing the risen Christ!

The universal Church rejoiced as we celebrated Easter Sunday two weeks ago. The Lord is risen, we proclaim, Alleluia! Are we now people full of love, hope and charity towards each other? Have our lives changed because our Lord is risen again?

The risen Lord appears to his disciples again. Something is worth noting in the way Jesus reveals himself to his followers after his Resurrection. The risen Christ usually made himself known to his disciples when they were gathered together as a group or community. There is a message that Jesus wants to convey in this. Easter is a good season for us to realize that followers of Jesus are called as community of believers, the new People of God or the new Church.

During this appearance of Jesus to his disciples, he commissioned them to be witnesses to what God has done to his people through the death and resurrection of Jesus, and opened their minds to understand fully the Scriptures in the context of his Paschal Mystery.

Everything that Jesus Christ said and did during his public ministry pointed to the Paschal Mystery, meaning his passion, death and resurrection. Every miraculous healing, every powerful sermon, and every life changing encounter with our Lord Jesus was in fact pointing to and drawing power from these saving events. Jesus conquered sin and death by offering his life on the cross in complete obedient to the Father and rising again on the third day.

Thus, our Lord won victory in the most important war that we all face as humans, achieving forgiveness from the Father, reconciling us to God, and restoring us to a life of grace.

What do we make of the Gospel reading for this Sunday? How does it impact on us today?

Well, we are the new Easter people of our generation. It means we, too, are sent to preach the Good News of the Easter event in our world today. St. Peter makes it clear in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles that the crucial role of an apostle, and so every Christian, is precisely to bear witness to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Thus, the Easter event is our "commissioning" to also become witnesses of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ to all who live on the face of the earth. And we should not be afraid to do that, because the risen Lord has shown us the way and gives us the power to overcome sin, despair, and even death.

In our practical life, do we become witnesses of the joy of the Gospel to those around us? Do we live our lives like Easter, or liberated, people, who reconciled once more with our heavenly Father through the sacrificial death of Jesus and his resurrection on Easter?

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, open our minds too to be able to understand the fullness of the Scriptures, so that we may comprehend the truth of your word. Anoint us with power to be your witnesses to all nations, even at the expense of our very own lives. Amen.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year I:  12 April 2015

Second Sunday of Easter
(Liturgical color: White)

John 20:19-31

Believe in your heart!

Sometimes, our human experience tells us that life's most beautiful things are not seen by the eyes, but felt by the heart.

Let us use these wise words to connect us to the Gospel message for the second Sunday of Easter.

On Easter Sunday the universal Church proclaimed that the Lord is risen indeed! But He has yet to appear to the disciples, who kept themselves locked up in a room for fear of the Jews.

By this time the disciples have already heard from the testimonies of Simon Peter, John and Mary of Magdala that Jesus is alive. But they were all the more afraid to face Him because they realized that they were cowardly during the passion and death of their Master.

Yet when the risen Lord appeared to the disciples, He greets them, "Peace be with you." Thus, the Lord's first words to the disciples are a declaration of forgiveness, peace, and mercy, even before the disciples could even ask for forgiveness for their unfaithfulness and cowardice.

One of the original twelve disciples, Thomas was his name, was not with them when the risen Lord first appeared. The rest of the disciples shared their experience with the risen Christ, but Thomas refused to believe and said instead, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." (Jn 20:25)

Now a week later the risen Lord appeared again, and this time, Thomas was with them. Jesus allowed 

Thomas to put his finger in Jesus' wounds, and he saw and believed. Jesus said to Thomas: "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." (Jn 20:29)

What is the message of the Gospel narrative for us today?

We too are often fearful to face the risen Lord. Perhaps, it is because we spend so much time focusing on our sins and failures, and not enough on God's mercy and compassion. Or, sometimes we feel like the doubting Thomas in today's Gospel --our faith is not strong enough to withstand suffering, trials and evils in our world. That is why, like Thomas, we demand clear signs of Jesus' victory over death and sin.

But the Good News this Sunday is that God's mercy precedes our sins, precisely because of the saving work of Jesus. This means that we are forgiven long before we even think of committing sins. God only waits for us to claim the mercy already prepared for us through the saving work of Jesus.

In the Holy Eucharist at Mass, let us pray that like Thomas, may the risen Christ open our eyes to the power of the Resurrection and transform our doubts and fear into confident faith and boundless joy.

This second Sunday of Easter, the Church also celebrates the Divine Mercy Sunday, promoted by Sister Faustina Kowalska. Let us claim our own share of God's divine mercy, which the heart of the risen Jesus has in abundance for all of us. In other words, let us believe with our hearts that indeed Jesus Christ is risen and lives forever. Alleluia, alleluia!

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

Ad Jesus per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year I:  5 April 2015 - Easter Sunday
(Liturgical color: White)

John 20:1-9

The Lord is risen!

Today the universal Church declares: Jesus our Lord is risen! Alleluia! And so we rejoice with today's

Psalmist with shouts of joy: "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad!" (Ps 118) Because today we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead.

The evangelist John brings us the Good News this Sunday. The gist of his Gospel narratives:

When Mary of Magdala came to visit the tomb of Jesus early morning on the third day, she saw the stone cover already removed from the entrance of the tomb, and the tomb empty. Hurriedly she went back to the other disciples and reported what she saw. Simon Peter and John went with Mary again to the empty tomb. They saw the burial clothes there, and the cloth that covered Jesus' head neatly rolled up in a separate place. They saw and believed that the Lord is risen, even when they did not yet understand what is written in the Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.

By the account and personal testimonies of his closest disciples, Jesus is risen and wins over sin and death for all of us. The Resurrection of Jesus is the very cornerstone of our Christian faith. Because if Jesus did not rise to redeem us from sin, then everything we did during the Holy Week, and everything we do now, is going to be meaningless.

In the Catholic faith, Easter is the principal feast of the ecclesiastical year. That is why it is called the greatest feast (festum festorum). The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a concrete and historical event which is the strength and foundation of Christianity. It is a day of celebration because it represents the fulfillment of our faith as Christians.

John, we too believe that the Lord is indeed risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! That is why in every Eucharistic celebration of the Mass we share in Jesus' Paschal Mystery, meaning to say, in His Passion, Death and Resurrection. In other words, we encounter the risen Christ again in the Holy Eucharist.

Easter invites us to be witnesses to the world that our Lord Jesus Christ is truly risen from the dead.

We do this witnessing through our authentic Christian living. That is to say, we must live like liberated and joyful people in whatever situation of our earthly life from here on, repentant yet full of hope and happiness. And united with our risen Lord, we too become children again of our loving Father in heaven.

Happy Easter to all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Holy Saturday 2015: The Paschal Triduum, Day 3

In the Catholic faith, the sacred Paschal Triduum of the Passion, Burial and Resurrection of the Lord is the high point of the entire liturgical year. The Paschal Triduum is really one great and beautiful liturgy that began with the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper last Holy Thursday, continuing through Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday, has its center in the Easter Vigil, and closes with the Evening Prayer (Vespers) of the Sunday of the Resurrection.

Holy Saturday in the Catholic Church

Holy Saturday is the last day of Holy Week, and the last day of the Easter Triduum. It commemorates the day that Jesus Christ's body is laid into the tomb.

Christ lies in the grave, the Church waits at the Lord's tomb, mourning and meditating on his suffering

and death. After the great battle, He is resting in peace, but upon Him we see the scars of intense suffering. The mortal wounds of his body remain visible to us.

The whole day we keep our spiritual silence to reflect on God's redeeming love who gave up his only Son to save us from sin. Holy Saturday is and should be the most calm and quiet for the entire Church year. The altar remains stripped and completely bare to reflect our deep sorrow and contrition for Jesus' death.

But although we are in mourning, there is much preparation during the day for the Easter celebration. Liturgically, Holy Saturday lasts until 6 o'clock in the evening or dusk, after which the Easter season begins.

Easter Vigil

The Easter vigil service begins around 10 o'clock in the evening with the blessing of fire and the lighting of a new Paschal Candle.

Nine readings are assigned to the Easter vigil: seven from the Old Testament, and two from the New Testament.

After the last reading from the Old Testament, the priest intones the "Gloria". At that moment the candles at the altar are lit, the lights are switched on, and the church bells are rung again. The statues and icons, in places where they are covered with purple veils during Passiontide are dramatically unveiled.

After the homily portion, the liturgy of baptism and renewal of baptismal promises are done. The rest of the liturgy proceeds like a regular Mass.

The entire celebration of the Easter vigil should begin after nightfall and end before dawn of Sunday. Those who participate at the Easter vigil Mass fulfill their Sunday obligation. However, they may still attend regular Easter Sunday Mass and receive Holy Communion.

"Salubong"

In most parishes in the Philippines, the traditional "Salubong" is done.

"Salubong" (or the meeting) is a celebration of Christ's resurrection where two processions proceed from opposite ends of the parish towards the church in early morning (4 or 5 in the morning usually, just before dawn).

One procession is a statue of the Risen Lord, and the second procession is of the Virgin Mary wearing dark clothes (black or dark purple) and a black veil, in mourning, and traditionally accompanied by the women faithful.

The two processions meet up in front of the church, where there is a high platform where usually a child dressed as an angel would lift the veil of the Virgin Mary as soon as she meets up (Salubong) with the Risen Christ. Then the procession heads into the church for Mass.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Good Friday 2015: The Paschal Triduum, Day 2

Good Friday in the Catholic Church

Good Friday is the second day of our Triduum. It is the day on which we commemorate the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, the act that brought salvation to all.

"It is accomplished," And bowing his head he gave up his spirit. (Jn 19:30)

So today the whole Church, stripped of its ornaments, the altar bare with no cloths, candles nor cross, and the door of the empty tabernacle stands open, mourns the death of our Savior.

The organ music is silent from Holy Thursday until the Alleluia at the Easter Vigil, as well as bells and other instruments; the only music permitted during this period is unaccompanied chant.

The liturgy in the afternoon consists of three parts:

(a) The Liturgy of the Word

The priest and assisting ministers enter in complete silence, without any singing. They prostrate

themselves for a few moments of silent prayer in front of the altar, signifying both the abasement of earthly man, and also the grief and sorrow of the Church.

The Passion account from the Gospel of John is read. (During Holy Week, the Passion is read three times: on Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday.)

(b) Veneration of the Cross

A cross, either veiled or unveiled, is processed through the Church, and then venerated by the congregation. We reverently venerate and kiss the wooden cross on which hung the Savior of the world in order to honor the great sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for us.

Adoration or veneration of an image or representation of Christ's cross does not mean we are actually honoring the material image but rather what it represents. In kneeling before the crucifix and kissing it we are paying the highest honor to our Lord's cross as the instrument of our salvation. Because the Cross is inseparable from His sacrifice; in reverencing His Cross we are, in effect, adoring Christ.

Thus we affirm: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy Holy Cross Thou has redeemed the world.

(c) Holy Communion

The altar is covered with cloth for the Holy Communion part and the ciboria containing the Blessed Sacrament consecrated on Holy Thursday are brought to the altar from the place of reposition.

The Our Father and the Ecce Agnus Dei (This is the Lamb of God) are recited before Holy Communion.

Then the congregation receives Holy Communion.

The Prayer after Communion is said, followed by the final Prayer Over the People.

At the end of the rite, the priest and people depart in silence, and the altar cloth is removed, leaving the altar bare again except for the Cross and two or more candlesticks.

Seven Last Words:

In some Churches the reflections on the Seven Last Words of Jesus are done prior to the afternoon liturgy.

Day of Fasting and Abstinence:

The Catholic Church treats Good Friday as a day of fast and abstinence. According to Church's rule, fasting is required for ages 18 to 60, and abstinence is from age 14.

The Church mourns in silence:

The rest of the day we keep our meditative silence to mourn the death of our Lord Jesus Christ who

saved us from our sins, as we await with joyful expectation his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!