Advisory

I will be away for a month. I will resume Sunday Reflections in March.

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
Lk 4:21-30

And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”

The comment "Isn't this the son of Joseph?" served to throw cold water on the enthusiasm of the crowd in the synagogue. For in that statement, they belittled Jesus. It was as if they were saying: "Who does he think he is? He is ONLY the son of a carpenter." They were cutting him down to size. This initial arrogance will turn into a murderous rage at the end when they attempted to throw him over the cliff.

Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.

I sense here a feeling of hurt and anger. Nazareth was his home. They and not the people of Capernaum should have been the first witnesses of his miracles. Jesus indeed grew up in Nazareth but it was Capernaum which he made into a sort of headquarters for his ministry.

They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.

What made the people in the synagogue so angry that they wanted to murder Jesus? Why did they find the mention of Elisha coming to the aid of a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon and to no one else so offensive? Why did they find it intolerable for Jesus to assert that only Naaman the Syrian and no one else did Elisha cure of leprosy?

We have to examine the Jewish mentality in order to explain this violent reaction of his fellow villagers. In the mind of the Jews, being the Chosen People meant that they and they alone were loved by God. For them the gentiles (non-Jews) were created to go to hell. With this background it is easy to explain why his fellow villagers became enraged.

The widow of Zarephath lived in Sidon. She was a gentile. And she--and not a Jew--was the lone beneficiary of Elijah's kindness. This the people in the synagogue could not accept.

And as if to fan the flame into a conflagration, Jesus continued by observing that Elisha did not cure any Jewish leper. In fact he cured only one leper and it was the gentile Naaman.

I don't think that Jesus was disputing the special place of the Jews as God's Chosen People. What he was pointing out was that the Jews were not the exclusive recipients of God's love. God loves everybody.

The Jews who rightly claims to be the Chosen People developed a wrong mentality. They carried with them a superiority complex that expressed itself in pride and arrogance.

SUPERIORITY COMPLEX

I was told that a certain actress who is "married" to a man from a wealthy clan went to one of the elegant buildings along Ayala Ave. She was going to take an elevator. Another woman wanted to take that elevator. This actress instructed her bodyguards to tell that woman to take another elevator as she wanted to take that elevator for herself. The woman--very understandably--blew her top. She identified herself as the owner of the building. She called security and had her and her bodyguards thrown out of her building, but not before telling her to never set foot on her building again.

Perhaps this actress, because she was now "married" to a very rich person, thought she has acquired a superior status and therefore, had the right to be arrogant.

Superiority complex has done so much harm to mankind.

The Nazis considered themselves a superior race and killed not only 6 million Jews but others classes of people they considered defective.

The Japanese have not been very open in the books they use in school about the atrocities their military have committed in World War II. Some have attributed this to their attitude towards us as inferior to them.

On the other hand, there are people who in spite of their status have avoided becoming arrogant. Instead they have learned to treat people with respect.

Consider Jaime Augusto Ayala de Zobel, known as JAZA. I was invited to one of the fine hotels in Makati for a function related to education. The President was expected to come and address the assembly and inaugurate a project. She did come. But because of another appointment she had to leave after her speech and after inaugurating the project. JAZA was one of the big shots who was present. After she had left, JAZA went to our table and asked: "May I sit with you?" He was rich but not arrogant. He was a fine gentleman--polite, well-mannered. No air of superiority. No trace of arrogance.

Consider Masay (I don't remember if this is her correct name.) Yulo, second wife of Jose Yulo, Sr. After the Mass on the 40th day after the death of Jose Yulo Sr., we were invited for dinner. After enjoying the main meal, I went for dessert. It so happened that Mrs. Masay Yulo and I wanted to take the same dessert. Perhaps because I was younger and faster I was able to get the fork ahead of her. I realized too late what I had done. She could have been annoyed. But I saw nothing of that sort on her face. She simply smiled and made a motion telling me to go ahead and get the dessert. I put down the fork and motioned to her to please go ahead and I will get mine after her. She was rich but not arrogant.

On this Sunday the Gospel provides us with an ugly picture of what arrogance and pride can do--the people in the synagogue were willing to kill Jesus because he went against their idea of the Jewish People as being the exclusive object of God's love.

Jesus insists that we take on the mindset that we are all God's children. We are brothers and sisters. With that mindset we shall treat each other with respect. And when there is respect, there is harmony and peace.

Sto. Nino

Sto. Nino (Proper to the Philippines)

History

The Feast of the Sto. Nino is a feast proper to the Philippines, meaning that it is celebrated only in the Philippines. It is special to the Philippines because it is connected to the history of our country.

On March 16, 1521 Magellan was the first European to set foot on the Philippines. On April 14 he arrived in Cebu and there converted Rajah Humabon and his wife Queen Juana as well as their 800 people. After the baptism, Magellan gave Queen Juana a gift, the statue of the Sto. Nino. What Queen Juana did was to put the statue where there used to be the idols that they worshipped.

Today the Sto. Nino is enshrined in the minor Basilica of the Sto. Nino. And every third Sunday of January the Sto. Nino is honored with a festival that is called Sinulog.

Theological Reflection

Douglas Elwood and Patricia Magdamo wrote a book in 1970, Christ in the Philippine Context. They observed that two favorite images of Filipinos are the Sto. Nino and the Santo Entierro. The first is the child Christ and the second is the Dead Christ. And they asked: “What does this say about Filipino Catholics?” We forgot about the adult Christ. And our faith has remained immature and infantile.

I have my own interpretation. I think that the Sto. Nino is dear to us because we love children. We are also devoted to the Santo Entierro and to the Poon Nazareno for that matter because we can relate to the suffering Christ. We are after all living in a third world country where economic hardship is a fact of daily life. And because Jesus knows what suffering means, he is able to sympathize with us. Consequently, we find it so natural to approach the Santo Entierro and the Poon Nazareno in the midst of life's challenges.

Folk Religiosity

A few nights ago I happened to see on TV a documentary on a medium who claims to receive messages from the Sto. Nino. The clips showed the Sto. Nino rocking sideways. Of course, the medium was touching the base of the statue. In the past we have heard news of a dancing Sto. Nino. More common is the news of people whose voice changes because the Sto. Nino is said to speak through him. We have reason to question the authenticity of these claims.

There are the Sto. Nino de Cebu and the Infant Jesus of Prague. But do you know that there is such a thing as Sto. Nino de la Swerte? He is clothed in green (the normal color is red.). He is holding a pouch containing coins. This Sto. Nino is supposed to bring good luck (swerte). Who invented this Sto. Nino, I do not know.

Here is the case for the need for a solid grounding in the Catholic Faith. For unless there is sufficient grounding we would expect aberrations such as these to continue.

Child-like Not Childish (Tulad ng Bata, Hindi Isip-Bata)

Jesus said that unless we change and become like little children, we can not enter the Kingdom of God. He also said that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to people who are like them. Obviously, Jesus is thinking of specific characteristics we associate with children.

I should like to think that dependence on God is one of them. Now I do not mean to say that we leave everything to God and nothing to ourselves. The saying "Nasa Diyos ang awa. Nasa tao ang gawa" (We rely on God's mercy but we still have to work.) holds true.

Scriptures remind us that unless the Lord builds the house they labor in vain who build it. I should like to think that this expresses what dependence on God mean. To illustrate, in our church people offer Masses for a variety of intentions. One intention would be passing the board exams. Another would be healing. Still another would be a blessing on one's birthday. We express our dependence on God by invoking his blessing and asking for his help.

Conclusion

After I read the life of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, I immediately liked her. I mean I was able to relate with her. Hers was a spirituality that was so simple and unencumbered. She taught me the spiritual life and all our life for that matter is letting God and letting go. She painted an image of her child-like spirituality as God coming down the staircase and carrying you in his arms bringing you up the same staircase. I altered it a bit since I could not relate to the image of being picked up like a child. This is how I see it: God comes down the staircase. He takes me by the arm and together we climb the stairs.

As long as we need God, there will be a place for him in our life. Woe to us if we outgrow the need for God. There will be no place for him in our life.

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee.
Jn 2:1-11

The mother of Jesus was there.

Interestingly Mary is referred to either as 'woman' or mother of Jesus in the Gospel of John. She is never named.

“Woman, how does your concern affect me?"

While woman in the context of Jewish culture is a polite form of address, there is no indication that it was used with reference to one's mother. However, does John use it here in order to allude to Mary as the new Eve? As Eve's disobedience led to mankind's fall from grace so now the new Eve's obedience led to mankind's return to grace.

In the NT this expression was used by demons to Jesus. In the OT it expresses either hostility or lack of common interest.

Perhaps Jesus did not want to work miracles for family and friends.

My hour has not yet come.

The hour of Jesus was his passion, death, resurrection and ascension.

Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons.

That is a lot of water which will be turned into wine. The abundance of wine is associated with the last days or the end time.

Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory.

In John the miracles of Jesus are called signs. John relates seven signs and this is the first. These miracles are called signs because they point to Jesus as the Messiah.

In the Exodus event, the wondrous deeds performed by Yahweh for his people were called signs. So also the miracles performed by Jesus are to be seen also as God's intervention on behalf of his people.

MARRIAGE

Let's talk about marriage.

What do you think about the following statements? Agree or disagree?

• A woman has the last word in any argument.
• Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

• A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
• A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, and she does.

• Married men live longer than single men do, but married men are a lot more willing to die.

• A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
• A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
  

In the United States for every 10 marriages, 5 end up in divorce. They asked those whose marriage endured what their secret was. The answer was not at all unexpected. They said that at the very start they made divorce a non-option. Consequently, when difficulties come that try their marriage, they were forced to work on it.

Another study was the reasons for divorce. The number one reason is? Yes, it's money. When I asked couples here in the Philippines what was the number one cause of quarrels, the answer was the same--money. Before getting married, the couple should have already discussed and agreed on the ground rules regarding money, raising children, career, etc. And later they should learn how to talk things over.

Will Smith of Men In Black fame was interviewed by Reader's Digest. These are his thoughts about marriage.

Q: You and Jada have been married nine years and, by all accounts, are very happy. What's the key?
WS: Communication. And divorce cannot be an option.

Q: Your first marriage ended in divorce.
WS: That is probably the most painful loss of my life. I quit. I could have fixed it. It really was not that bad.

Q: Some would say there's no reason to stay if a marriage isn't good.
WS: Once you say that, you've lost. With Jada, I stood up in front of God and my family and friends and said, ''Till death do us part.'' So there are two possible outcomes: We are going to be together till death, or I am dead.

A long time ago this was what we were told about marriage: Marriage is not like taking rice into your mouth and finding out it's hot you then proceed to vomit it out of your mouth. Marriage was and still is about commitment. For this reason every year on the occasion of one's wedding anniversary it is a good practice for husband and wife to come before the altar of God, not only to renew their wedding vows but also to ask God for the grace to be faithful to those vows.

Epiphany (C)

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem.

Mt 2:1-12

GOSPEL TEXT

Herod

The Great. He deserved the title. He was the only king who was able to bring peace and order in Palestine. He was the builder of the Temple in Jerusalem.

He could be compassionate. During the famine of 25 BC he melted his golden plate so as to be able to buy corn for the starving people.

But he could be savage. He murdered his wife and her mother. He had 3 of his sons assasinated. Near death he had distinguished citizens of Jerusalem arrested on trumped up charges. He ordered that at his death, they would be executed. Why? So that at his death, tears would be shed, even if it were not for him. We should not be surprised therefore at the killing of the Holy Innocents.

Wise Men

Or magi. Or astrologers. Pantas. No number is given. But since there were three gifts, it was assumed that they were three. They even have names and the gifts were assigned to each: Melchor (old man) (gold), Gaspar (young man) (frankincense) and Baltazar (black complexion) (myrrh).

They are called astrologers because they studied the heavens not for science (otherwise, they would be called astronomers) but because of the the belief that the stars could foretell the future.

They are Medes and recognized as belonging to a priestly tribe in the empire of Persia. They were like the Levites in Israel.

Star

Tala. The star was moving that is why some were of the opinion that the star of Bethlehem was either a comet or the result of the conjunction of planets.

The parol symbolizes that star of Bethlehem.

When you go down to the crypt of the Church of the Nativity, you will find there a big silver star on the floor. That star is in memory of the star that guided the Magi.

Disturbed

Naligalig. Herod was disturbed because the child represented a threat to his throne. Jerusalem was disturbed because they knew Herod would not take that threat sitting down. Something unpleasant was bound to happen. It did with the slaughter of the innocents.

Prophet

The prophecy was made by the prophet Micah.

Secretly

Lihim. Herod was planning murder and he didn’t want the people to get wind of it.

House

There is no longer any mention of a stable. Perhaps, the census was over and people left and so now there was place for them.

Prostrated

Adored. They recognized God’s presence in the baby.

Gifts

Gold for the King. Frankincense (insenso) for God. Myrrh (mapait na inumin) for suffering; or (for embalming) for death.

Dream

Panag-inip. God communicates through dreams. God through an angel communicated to Joseph in a dream to take Mary as his wife, that is, go through with the wedding. Later God again in a dream commanded him through an angel to escape to Egypt with Mary and Jesus.

THE FEAST

This Solemnity is commonly called Three Kings. But this is incorrect. For two reasons. First, they are not kings. And second, this is not about the magi. It is about Jesus.

The correct name is Epiphany = manifestation = pagpapakita. In this solemnity Jesus manifested himself as the Savior also of the Gentiles, represented by the magi. In other words, Jesus is the savior of all, Jews and Gentiles alike.

This is not only the instance when Jesus manifested himself. There is a second instance. His baptism. In that event, the Father proclaimed Jesus as: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him.”