Cycle B - Year II:  

4 February 2018: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Job 7:1-4, 6-7

Second Reading:   1 Corinthians 9:16-19

Gospel:Please Read  Mark 1:29-39

Praying and healing!

In hot news these days.....the unrest of Mt. Mayon in Albay province, the controversies surrounding the dengue vaccine, the fires and floods in the southern part of the country..... all these are depressing news we hear or read.

How do we deal with these tragedies, and how do we heal the nation's wound, sometimes of our own making?

In his first ever visit to the Philippines to comfort the victims of the powerful typhoon Yolanda, Pope Francis said that sometimes we have no words to say amidst tragedies. And so it is alright for us to cry, the Pope said, perhaps to ease the pain, to cleanse our hearts of , despair, hopelessness and bitterness.

For we live in a world of pain, where physical, emotional and moral sufferings are realities. So we turn to God for hope and refuge in the most trying times in our lives.

The Gospel narrative from Mark this Sunday offers a glimpse of a day in the public life of our Lord Jesus Christ. St. Mark presents Jesus tirelessly preaching to large crowds and healing a mounting number of sick and suffering. On entering the house of Simon Peter, Jesus healed Simon's mother-in-law and she waited on them.

There is a lesson to learn from this incident. When Jesus heals us physically or even spiritually, the best way to thank the Lord is to serve Him in our brothers and sisters, like what Simon's mother-in-law did after being healed by Jesus. 

The Gospel narrative continues and that even after sunset, people keep bringing to Jesus all who are ill. But after this exhausting day, Jesus gets up early the next morning and goes off to a quiet place to be alone in prayer with His heavenly Father. Because in prayer and conversation with the Father, Jesus finds strength and energy in His demanding ministry. We can certainly learn from the example of Jesus as well, and make praying the primary source of our activities and actions while living in this busy, sometimes chaotic, world.

So we ask: what then is the relevance of the Gospel message in dealing with our national tragedies and hurt?

Well, the Gospel presents Jesus as the healer of the sick and suffering. He is God-made-man who is always close to those broken and suffering in soul and body. In Jesus, God comes into our world of tears and sufferings in order to transform our despair into hope, to transform death into new life. 

This is the only way we find meaning in our sufferings, national or personal, to find our way back to God, who is gracious and heals the brokenhearted.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:  

28 January 2018: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Second Reading:   1 Corinthians 7:32-35

Gospel:Please Read  Mark 1:21-28

Jesus speaks with authority!

What comes to mind when you hear about "authority"? Power, perhaps, or fame, or money. Because our traditional mind-set is that someone with authority has power to command or give orders, or fame that attracts followers, or money to make things happen.

But that understanding of "authority" can be intimidating, even fearsome. Are you a person in authority, or have you experienced dealing with authorities?

The Gospel narrative this Sunday will change our understanding of "authority".

On the Sabbath day our Lord Jesus entered the synagogue at Capernaum and began to teach. The people were astonished at His teaching for He taught them as one having authority of his own.

Now consider that in Jesus' time teachers of the law didn't speak with their own authority. They usually prefaced their comments with something like, "There is a saying that...." or "Rabbi so-and-so said....."  Recall that even the prophets when they spoke attributed their pronouncements to... "Thus says the Lord...." But our Lord Jesus simply said.."I say to you...."

In other words, Jesus spoke with His own authority, not in the name of another. And that is amazing. Jesus demonstrated His own authority when He commanded even the evil spirits to come out of a possessed man, and the evil spirits obeyed.

Now the people in the synagogue had never seen anything like it. Who would have such authority that even evil spirits have to obey His command?

In truth, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, had all the authority in the world... in the whole universe. Because God created all things through Him and put all things under Him.

But then, Jesus did not use His incomparable authority the way we humans tend to use our little semblance of authority. Because for many humans, authority becomes merely a means of enriching one's self, of getting one's own way even at the expense of others, of suppressing the truth, and of getting and holding the power to keep doing these things.

In sum, the Gospel this Sunday is a lesson about authority. From our Lord's own examples, He uses authority to serve, not to be served. And that is how our Lord Jesus wants us humans to use whatever authority we might have. That is to say, whether our authority is at home, a work, or somewhere else, our Lord Jesus Christ wants us to use it to help others, and never to take advantage of others, or to make ourselves big shots.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:  

21 January 2018: Feast of the Sto. Nino 

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Isaiah 9:1-6

Second Reading:   Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18

Gospel:Please Read  Mark 10:13-16

The Sto. Nino: the Child Who is God!

Why did God choose to be a Child? It is an interesting question. Let us reflect on this Sunday's Gospel to search for the answer.

The Church celebrates the Feast of the Sto. Nino this Sunday. Filipinos revere the image of the Holy Child or the Sto. Nino throughout the country. The devotion to the Holy Child is said to be the oldest and one of the most popular in the Philippines, recalling the birth of the Catholic faith  in our country in 1521. The Holy See granted us special permission to celebrate the Feast of the Sto. Nino on third Sunday of January, which falls on the 21st this year 2018.

The Feast of the Holy Child is a celebration of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. That is, God came to us as a child to show us how to become children of God, and how we must entrust our lives to our heavenly Father. God chose to make Himself visible in Jesus as an appealing child in order to draw us to Himself. Jesus Himself loves the little children as today's Gospel narrates. He sees in their eyes the reflection of the freshness and holiness of God's kingdom.

Do we show kindness to the youth we encounter in the neighborhood, home, and Church? Do we pray for them that they may grow in the knowledge  and wisdom of our Lord Jesus Christ?

Going back to the Gospel narratives, perhaps the disciples want to shield Jesus from the nuisance or noisy children. But Jesus delighted in the children, and He wanted to demonstrate by His actions of welcoming the children instead that God's love has ample room for everyone. Because no one is unimportant to God. He comes to each person individually that He might touch them with His healing love and power. In fact, Jesus said that anyone who "does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it."

In sum, instead of using complicated language Jesus shows His followers a child as a model and standard by which we can measure ourselves if we are growing in virtue and grace for God's kingdom.

For a child is without ambition, pride and self-importance, and thus our model of humility before God. In such a transparent humble soul without deceit or guile we are able to see our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

"Children" here  can be taken in a wider sense to include all those who approach Jesus with a completely open,unprejudiced mind. And also those who have a low status in our society. Such people are often more ready to hear the message of the kingdom and to take an active part in it.

The devotion to the Sto. Nino instills the virtue of simplicity, obedience and trust in God. Such is the lesson for the Gospel reading for this Sunday. It brings to our attention the mystery of childhood. We are called to become like children, having the open and trusting disposition to accept the Lord's gifts with gratitude and without reservations, ever humble and careful not to despise others, so that we may enter the kingdom of heaven.

Today is also our Village Fiesta since our Patron is the Sto. Nino. We started our celebration with a nine-day novena in the evening in our community chapel from January 12 to 20. On the Feast Day our celebration starts with a procession of the Sto. Nino around the village and Thanksgiving Mass at 8:30 in the morning.

Happy Feast Day of the Sto. Nino! Viva Pit Senyor! And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:

14 January 2018: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading: 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a,17-20

Gospel:Please Read John 1:35-42

What are we looking for?

We are back to the liturgical season called Ordinary Time, after a series of solemnities, or special feasts, following the observance of the Christmas season. Today is the second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

A brief refresher on the liturgical season:

In the liturgical calendar, Ordinary Time is a specific season in the Church which focuses on the life of Christ during His three years of public ministry. There is no particular aspect of the mystery of Christ that is celebrated. Instead, the focus in on the mystery of Christ in all fullness or totality. Ordinary Tine is a yearly cycle of 33 or 34 weeks.

Green is the color assigned for this season, which is most associate with growth. Thus, Ordinary Time is viewed as a time of growing in our knowledge and love of Jesus, our Lord.

The Gospel tells us about the encounter of Jesus with the first disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, and an unnamed disciple. They were originally disciples of John the Baptist.

John saw our Lord Jesus approaching along the sea and tells his disciples, "Behold, the Lamb of God." Thus, John the Baptist continues to point his own followers towards Jesus, "the Lamb of God." And the two disciples followed Jesus.

But when Jesus noticed them following Him, He asked them, "What are you looking for?" They answered Him with another question, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" Jesus answers them, "Come and you will see." This incident, and the conversation, is really Jesus' open invitation to become His disciples.

The encounter by the two disciples with Jesus is a classic scene of a call or a vocation. And having experienced the attraction of Jesus, Andrew goes back to inform his brother Simon Peter, "We have found the Messiah!" and brought him to Jesus as well.

What is remarkable in the Gospel is the utter lack of hesitation mentioned in the answer to Jesus' call by His disciples. They instantly become of the first disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, leaving everything behind to follow Him. This led them to become Heralds of the Good News.

And so Jesus is walking along the sea in our generation, along the shores of our lives, and John the Baptist points us to Him as well as "the Lamb of God". Jesus asks about our desires so that He can respond to them, "What are we looking for?" or "What do we want?: from our Lord Today is the. In other words, the Lord calls to us constantly, to help us seek our salvation. Yet we often resist, considering it something to put off... to the last minute.

As we follow our Lord Jesus Christ today, are we looking for material wealth, honor or power? Or are we looking to deepen our relationship with Jesus, as our Lord and Messiah?

Let us answer our Lord with this prayer: "Here am I Lord; I come to follow You, and do Your will." Amen.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:  

7 January 2018: Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord 

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Isaiah 60:1-6

Second Reading:   Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6

Gospel:Please Read  Matthew 2:1-12

The Lord's Epiphany: Salvation is for all!

 Today is the Feast of the Lord's Epiphany, or traditionally known as the Feast of the Three Kings. According to tradition, it is our last chance to receive Christmas gifts, in case we didn't receive any last Christmas. But it is unlikely though because Filipinos are known as generous and lavish people, especially during the Christmas season.

The word "epiphany" means manifestation or appearance of God in person like us through the humanity of Jesus our Lord. In the Lord's epiphany we see the plan of God to give His only Son as King and Savior, not just for the Jewish people who are God's chosen people in the Old Testament, but to all nations as well. Because the three kings were foreigner and non-Jews. Thus, the implication of today's feast is that the Lord Jesus comes to both the Jews and the Gentiles (or non-Jews), including our present generation of believers in Christ, so that all may find true and last peace with God.

The bible account of the journey of the three kings (or Magi, or Wise Men) is one of the favorite stories in the Gospel. It is a story of the journey of life, of guidance on the way, of delight in finding faith and God. A star started them on the journey and guided them to the end. Like our faith, the star which we share at baptism is the promise of God to guide us through life. 

We will hear from Matthew's narrative about the three kings looking for the infant Jesus in order to pay Him homage with the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Western Church has assigned them the names of Melchor (believed to be a Babylonian scholar), Caspar (a Persian scholar), and Balthazar (an Arab scholar). Because these three kings brought gifts to the baby Jesus, by tradition today is also considered the last day of sharing Christmas gifts to our loved ones.

The gifts of the three kings have symbolic significance to the divine identity and mission of Jesus. That is to say, gold has great value which symbolizes the kingship of Jesus. Frankincense is a perfume, and the symbol of the divinity of Jesus. And myrrh is a common anointing oil which symbolizes the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross that brought about salvation of the whole humanity. These gifts they brought to the infant Jesus speak of their respect for His divine identity and the realism about His death at the hands of humankind.

What is the relevance of the Feast of the Epiphany to our lives today?  Let us consider the following reflections:

Epiphany tells us that God became visible and audible for us in the person of Jesus, who is the human image of the invisible God. So that even to our generation we experience God living among us and within us in the Holy Eucharist.

Epiphany makes known to us the way to the Father through Jesus Christ. He leads our path in our journey in this present life to our heavenly home. As Jesus Himself declares: "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me." (Jn 14:6)

Epiphany reveals to us God's plan for all men and women to be saved, from the fall of our first parents Adam and Eve, by believing that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Because God's kingdom is meant for all people of all generations.

In sum, as we conclude our celebration of the Christmas season, we pray that the examples of the three kings be our guide in our own spiritual pilgrimage in the New Year 2018. Like them, we too acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior and do Him homage. And may the Lord's revelation shine on everyone so that the gift of salvation may be shared by all.

Happy Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord to everyone. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:  

1 January 2018: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God 

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Numbers 6:22-27

Second Reading:   Galatians 4:4-7

Gospel:Please Read  Luke 2:16-21

A new journey with Mary, Mother of God!

With great joy I greet my readers and friends "A Happy and Prosperous New Year 2018!"

New Year fills our heart with new hope, inspiring us to reach out to new opportunities, and celebrate anew the gift of life.

The Catholic Church opens the new calendar year by proclaiming Mary as the Mother of God.  The Council of Ephesus affirmed in June 431 that Mary can rightfully be called "Mother of God"

Let us understand this title of Mary in its proper context.

Since Mary is Jesus' mother, it must be concluded that she is also the Mother of God. We can affirm this fact by logical syllogism: "If Mary is the mother of Jesus, and if Jesus is God, then Mary is the Mother of God."  

However, it is important to clarify that "although Mary is the Mother of God, she is not his mother in the sense that she is older than God or the source of her Son's divinity, for she is neither. Rather, we say that she is the Mother of God in the sense  that she carried in her womb a divine person -- Jesus Christ, God in the flesh -- and in the sense that she contributed the generic matter to the human form God took in Jesus Christ." (Catholic Answers at www.catholic.com)

We honor Mary, Mother of God, for her courage, faith, devotion, and humility. Like all other mothers, Mary must have felt afraid at certain moments in her maternal role, like when Jesus was lost and found in the temple after three days, and also during the agony and death of the grown-up Jesus. But Mary's complete trust in God made her accept the role of a mother to God the Son.  

In the Gospel from St. Luke, we read about the poor shepherds who were the first witnesses of the birth of the Messiah. They went in haste to Bethlehem after receiving the Good News from the angel. There they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant Jesus lying in a manger, just as what the angel told them.

We can hear from the Gospel reading about Mary's humility and complete obedience to God's will: "Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." (Lk 2:19)

Thus, in Mary we find a perfect model of being a Christian and disciple of Jesus. She was the joy-filled mother of the new born Jesus; she was the mother of sorrow cradling her lifeless Son in the "Pieta"; and she was the Queen-Mother standing at the right hand of the glorified Lord, which we proclaim in the Fifth Glorious Mystery of the Rosary.

And so, as we begin a new journey int he Year 2018, let us pray to Mary, Mother of God and out mother too:

"O Blessed Virgin, pray to God for us always, that He may pardon and give us grace; pray to God for us always, that He may grant us peace in this life; pray to God for us always, that He may reward us with Paradise at our death. Amen."

Finally, the Church also celebrates this Sunday the 51st World Day of Prayer for Peace. Let us pray that Jesus, the King of peace, bless our country and all humanity with the gift of His peace.

Again, I wish you A Happy and Prosperous New Year 2018!  And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle B - Year II:  

31 December 2017: Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus,Mary, and Joseph 

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14

Second Reading:   Colossians 3:12-21

Gospel:Please Read  Luke 2:22-40

The role of family in God's plan....

 It's only in the Philippines that Christmas season is celebrated the longest. Because from the start of the "ber" months (September to December) the festive atmosphere of Christmas becomes alive. 

But then time seems to pass so fast, and so Christmas 2017 will soon  be part of history.

How did we celebrate Christmas this year? Was it all only just material celebration?

In the Christian world, Christmas is when the almighty God comes to our world as a "helpless" infant. The Lord of lords and King of kings chooses to be born in a human family, with Mary as His mother and Joseph as protector. Thus, this reality speaks loudly how God regards family life.

The Gospel narrative from St. Luke for the Feast of the Holy Family places Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the Temple as they came to Jerusalem to present the child Jesus to the Lord in accordance with the Law of Moses.

We can learn from this event about the humble obedience of the Holy Family in adhering to the requirements of the Law of Moses during their generation, even though Jesus had no real reason to be presented in the Temple, because it was the Lord Himself being presented to the Father. But in the drama of the Presentation in the Temple, Jesus closes the Mosaic Law and begins the fulfillment of that Law in His very Person.

The Church picks this narrative about the Presentation of the child Jesus in the Temple on this Feast of the Holy Family perhaps in order for us to meditate on the importance of the family in God's design for salvation. For God Himself willed that His only begotten Son be subject to human parents and receives His human formation within a family. Thus, God is showing us how Jesus truly identifies with our human experiences, including family life.

What then is the message of the Feat of the Holy Family on us today?

In practical life, we can start with the reality that family life is challenging and never easy. This fact was no different for Mary and Joseph. They had to work through the circumstances of Jesus' conception, with a little divine intervention perhaps. And Mary had to give birth to Jesus away from home, in the town of Bethlehem. And soon after the birth of Jesus the Holy Family had to flee to Egypt to avoid King Herod who was searching for the child Jesus in order to kill Him.

We can learn something from the examples of the Holy Family on their love, concern and respect for each other. God loves the family. By the incarnation of God the Son, God unites Himself with everyone through the family. Mother Teresa wrote: "The family that prays together stays together, because such a family learns something about how God loves each one of us."

It is in His human family, fraught with trials and challenges of everyday living that Jesus grew in wisdom, age and grace as He prepares for His saving work. In much the same way, God intends to prepare us for the many challenges in life in the environment of a family to make us strong through the ups and downs of family life through His grace.

Thus, in fulfilling our role in caring and sustaining our respective families, it is important for both parents to be close to God, to be prayerful and to have an obedient spirit so that we can hear God speak and follow His plan for the family entrusted to our care and guardianship.

Let us pray, that our celebration of the Feast of the Holy Family makes us realize how highly God regards family life. May we dedicate ourselves to building a strong relationship with Christ so that we can be a member of our own family that builds unity through our sincere caring attitude and virtuous deeds.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam!