Cycle B - Year II:  

3 June 2018: Solemnity of Corpus Christi  

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Exodus 24:3-8

Second Reading:  Hebrews 9:11-15

Gospel:Please Read  Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

The Eucharist: source of our Christian life...

This Sunday is the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, or the most holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Holy Eucharist, or Corpus Christi, is the very center and source of our Christian life.  Even after His ascension, our Lord Jesus chose to remain with us in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Because in the Eucharist we encounter Jesus Himself and receive a foretaste of heavenly glory.  It is unique to our Christian faith that God becomes present in a real way in ordinary bread and wine.

 We use St. Mark's version of the Last Supper for the Gospel proclamation. Now take note that his narrative includes a detailed account of the precise preparation that Jesus asks two of His disciples to make in anticipation of the Feast of Passover.  The emphasis on details of this preparation convey within themselves rich messages of how we ought to prepare ourselves properly when we also encounter our Lord Jesus Christ in His body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist.

It is within the holy sacrifice of the Mass that we have our immediate experience of this encounter with Jesus. We are invited to prepare our minds, hearts and bodies in anticipation of the representation of the paschal mystery. That means to say, our minds and hearts and bodies ought to be oriented toward adoration of our Lord, contrition for our sins, thanksgiving for our blessings and crosses and supplications offered with our particular intention in mind.

Catholics believe that the doctrine of the Real Presence asserts that in the Holy Eucharist our Lord Jesus Christ is literally and wholly present body and blood, soul and divinity, under the appearances of bread and wine.

The great Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote that Jesus' presence in the Eucharist is visus, tactus, gustus. That means His presence is not imaginary in our mind. Because when we receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, we actually see (visus), touch (tactus), and taste (gustus) Him. As some theologians would say, our Lord Jesus is an "edible" God.

And so, as Jesus makes Himself present to us as a gift  in the Holy Eucharist at Mass, so too we must prepare ourselves to respond to His gift of self by our proper disposition during Mass. Thus, our bodily postures of kneeling and genuflecting should remind us of who we are about to encounter as we approach  the altar for Holy Communion. Even our discipline of an hour fasting before receiving the Lord into our bodies and souls should remind us of the purity and sense of mortification we must adopt if we want to imitate Him authentically. In the first place, we must also see to it that we are in proper attire when we go to Mass out of respect for the Lord.

In sum, our preparation for Holy Mass, like the disciples' preparation for the Passover, must be precise and meticulous. As we prepare to go to Mass, we should ask: "How will I offer myself to God during Mass in order to match Jesus' love and gift of self to me?" And we will soon discover that as much as we think we are giving ourselves to Jesus, in reality He is never outdone in His generous outpouring of His very life into our own, in the Holy Eucharist at Mass.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:  

27 May 2018: Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity  

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40

Second Reading:   Romans 8:14-17

Gospel:Please Read  Matthew 28:16-20

The Trinity: an affirmation of God's intimate communion with us!

How often do we make the sign of the cross? Do we cross ourselves as we wake up in the morning, and at night time before we sleep?  The sign of the cross is the "trademark" of every Christian.

Every time we make the sign of the cross, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" we actually profess and proclaim the most important truth in our Catholic faith: one God, one Lord, yet three divine Persons equal in majesty! This Sunday is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.

What do we understand about the Holy Trinity?

The Holy Trinity is admittedly the most difficult to comprehend and even more difficult to fully communicate with human words. We end up acknowledging that the Trinitarian character of God will always be, in reality, a great mystery. In fact, this would be easily the shortest Gospel commentary: the Trinity is a mystery, and that is the end of the story.

But the Church did not invent the teaching on the Trinity. Jesus Himself revealed this mystery of the Trinity to us through the first disciples. Thus, the doctrine of the Trinity developed first out of the Scriptures and the communal prayer of the early church. The doctrine was officially formulated at the Councils of Nicea (325) and Constantinople (381).

Today's Gospel is from St. Matthew. Jesus commands the Apostles to go out to all nations and teach as well as baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Here, we have God revealing Himself to us as a communion of three divine Persons. God Himself shares with us the truth about Himself, by revealing to us His real identity.

Does the Church's teaching on the Trinity make sense at all to us today? Yes it does greatly, to help us grow in faith and strengthen us in practical ways in our Christian living. Let us see how.

First, God allows us to know Him more intimately as He truly is. For we cannot love Him unless we know Him: one God in three divine Persons. Thus, He reveals Himself to us as a divine family. And we are all invited to be part of that family.

In the words of St. John Paul II:  "God in His deepest mystery is not a solitude, but a family, since He has in Himself fatherhood, sonship, and love, which is the essence of the family.

Second, because we know that God is a communion of Persons, we who are made in His image and likeness are likewise made to be in relationship with God and with each other. We are made to be communal beings, meant to live for others. This is the nature of love and the nature of God who formed us in His image.

And finally, through the Holy Trinity God reveals Himself to us as a family, a loving communion of Persons. So, therefore, our family should be a communion of life and love modeled after the Trinity. It is in the family that we first learn some important lessons about Christian living, like sharing, about being patient and forgiving. It is in the family that we also learn how to practice a selfless, sacrificial love that is an image of the selfless love of the Trinity.

In summary, the Trinity is the affirmation of God's intimate communion with us through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. Christians believe that God intervenes in our lives and is involved in human history.

And in the fullness of time, God became one with humanity in Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit God continues to be altogether present to us, seeking everlasting communion with all creatures.

In Holy Mass, let us give glory to God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- one God, three Persons-- from whom everything in the world and in history comes, and to whom everything returns, in time.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:  

20 May 2018: Pentecost Sunday  

(Liturgical Color: Red)

Readings:

First Reading:        Acts 2:1-11

Second Reading:  1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13

Gospel:Please Read  John 20:19-23

Come, Holy Spirit, Come!

The Church celebrates Pentecost Sunday fifty days after the resurrection of our Lord. That is why it is called "Pentecost". And so after Jesus ascended into heaven, now it is the turn of the Holy Spirit to continue the work of our Lord Jesus Christ through His disciples and Holy Mother Church.

The Acts of the Apostles in the first reading describe the great event of the first Pentecost: "When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Holy Spirit enabled them to proclaim." (Acts 2:1-4)

And so, Pentecost Sunday celebrates the great beginning of the Catholic Church, often called as the birthday of the Church. So today we can greet ourselves a Happy Birthday or Happy Anniversary, as we mark a fresh start for all of us as the New Church, the People of God in journey toward the Father's house.

The Gospel narratives from St. John speak about the very first encounter of the risen Lord with His disciples. When the resurrected Christ appears, He offered proof of His resurrection by showing the disciples the wounds of His passion, His pierced hands and side. Then He calmed their fears and brought them peace, the peace which reconciles sinners and makes one a friend of God. Jesus then commissioned His weak and timid apostles to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth. He breathes on them the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts would help them to fulfill their mission to preach the Gospel to all nations. And so, the Apostles, who were not especially learned men, suddenly began to speak in the languages of all those around them. They become eloquent when prophesying "the mighty acts of God and expert in exegesis of the Scriptures.

The same gifts from the Holy Spirit, which were granted to us when we are infused with sanctifying grace, the life of God in our souls,  help us to live authentic Christian life, In other words, we are empowered by the same Holy Spirit to continue the missionary work of the Church, to face the challenges of our time, especially in matters of faith and morality.

And so, through the gift of faith we proclaim that Jesus Christ is our personal Lord and our God. He died and rose again that we might have new life in Him. The Lord offers each of us a new life in His Holy Spirit that we may know Him personally and walk in this new way of life through the power of His resurrection.

And that is why, at times when we struggle to pray because of so many distractions, or when we  want to pray but do not have the words, it is the Holy Spirit that links us to God and interprets our desire before Him. In the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, "It is the Holy Spirit who helps our inability, who enlightens our minds and warms our hearts, guiding us as we turn to God."

In the Eucharist at Mass, let us pray that the Holy Spirit empowers us with His seven gifts (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord) to keep us unwavering in our faith and remain committed  to all the teachings of the Church handed down from the Apostles to the bishops and the Pope. And let us use these gifts to build and strengthen the Church as the Body of Christ through constant prayers. Because it is through prayers that the Holy Spirit works in our humanity, strengthens our weaknesses and transforms us from men bound to material realities into men filled with the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:  

13 May 2018: Solemnity of the Lord's Ascension  

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Acts 1:1-11

Second Reading:  Ephesians 1:17-23

Gospel:Please Read  Mark 16:15-20

Our own mission begins......

 The Church celebrates this Sunday the Solemnity of the Lord's Ascension. It comes forty days after our Lord's Resurrection.

What does our Catechism tell us about this great event in the life of Jesus?

The Lord's Ascension into heaven to the right hand of the Father is among the articles of Faith we profess in the Apostles/ Creed. We believe by this mystery that Jesus Christ, in His resurrected body and soul, went up to heaven and took His seat at the right hand of God the Father. Thus, the Ascension makes way for the Holy Spirit to come down to earth and inspires the Apostles to preach the Gospel to every land.

The Church further teaches that when Christ ascended into heaven He did so on His own power and He ascended as true God and true Man. This belief is rooted in the eyewitnesses testimony of the Apostles themselves. The first reading in the Acts of the Apostles describes this momentous event: "When he (Jesus) had said this, as they were looking on,he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight." (Acts 1:9)

So for the Apostles, the Lord's Ascension becomes their great hope. It was this encounter with the Resurrected One that compelled the Apostles to preach the Gospel without fear, even to the point of shedding their blood as martyrs.

The Lord's departure and ascension were both an end and the beginning for the first disciples. It was the end of Jesus' physical presence with them, but at the same time it is also the beginning of the Lord's presence in a new way.

The Gospel narrative from St. Mark says that the Lord gives the Apostles His final command to continue His mission on earth: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature." (Mk 16:15) Thus, Ascension Sunday is the great commissioning which the risen Christ gives to the first disciples and now also to the whole Church. That means, for all of us who believe in the risen Christ our mission begins to be heralds of the Good News and ambassadors for our Lord Jesus Christ to the whole world in our generation.

In other words, the mysterious nature of the Ascension event must draw us to an increase in the virtue of hope, a filial trust in God that helps us transcend all of the sufferings of this life and assures us that we can one day join the Lord in heaven. So that whenever we are beleaguered by the rigorous demands of authentic Christian living, the Ascension of Jesus reminds us that heaven awaits those who are faithful to the end. Because all of our sacrifices in this life are our merits in the life of the world to come.

The Ascension must also compel us to continue with the Church missionary work to seek the souls who are still far from knowing Jesus. It should move us, for example, to share our hope in Christ with the person who is near despair, or a co-worker or neighbor who needs to know that life is worth living. The hope of the Ascension reminds us to witness to others that what we do here on earth will reap either a great reward or eternal punishment in the next life.

Also this Sunday the Church celebrates the 52nd World Communications Day with the theme: "The truth will set you free: Fake News and Journalism for Peace." Let us listen to Pope Francis as he reminds all of us "of our shared commitment to stop the spread of fake news and to rediscover the dignity of journalism and the personal responsibility of journalists to communicate the truth." This is indeed a very timely message at this time for us using the social media in the Philippines.  

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!