13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

Lk 9:51-62

The gospel is of two parts. The first part is about the refusal of a Samaritan village to give hospitality to Jesus and his disciples. The second part is about discipleship.

When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.
Being taken up refers not only to his ascension into heaven but also he’s be-ing raised on the cross. Resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem means that Jesus is resolutely determined to obey his Father’s will which is to die on the cross.

On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When Israel as a nation was exiled to Babylon, some were left behind. The Babylonians transplanted other peoples to Canaan. The remaining Israelites inter-married with these newcomers. The result was not only mixed race but a Jewish religion that was infected with the religion of these newcomers. As a result when the Israelite nation returned from the Babylonian exile, they refused to recognize the mixed race. Animosity developed. The Samaritans built their own temple on Mt. Gerizim to rival the temple in Jerusalem. This animosity explains why many Jews from Galilee skirted Samaria when they would go down to Jerusalem. And this also explains why the Samaritan village refused to give them hospitality.

When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.
James and John were brothers. Zebedee was their father. They were called “sons of thunder” perhaps because of their impulsiveness—which is what we witness here. It is worth nothing how confident they were in the power of Jesus to give them the ability of destroying the Samaritan village.

The reaction of Jesus proves the words of Jesus: “The Son of Man did not come to condemn the world, but to save it.” Jesus did not come to destroy but to save.

We come now to the second part which is about discipleship. Disciple comes from a Latin word which means to follow. Hence, a disciple is a follower. In this instance, the disciple of Jesus is he/she who bears the name “Christian”.

“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
Jesus was an itinerant preacher. He was an NPA, no permanent address. He moved from village to village. When someone volunteered to follow up, Jesus up front tells him that life with him won’t be easy.

Let the dead bury their dead.
This seems to be saying that means “Don’t follow me, if you are hesitating.” Jesus demands 100% commitment from his followers.

No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.
If you plow and keep looking back, the furrows you make will be crooked. You can not be a disciple if you keep on regretting the things that you had to sac-rifice in order to be a disciple. Again Jesus demands 100% commitment.

LESSONS FOR LIFE

Jesus with his disciples in tow was making a journey to Jerusalem. I would like to use the paradigm of a journey to learn or re-learn lessons about life.

Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem by stages. Psychologists have identified several stages of life. The first few years of life are critical. The word of adults can de-stroy a child. Tell a child that his drawing is awful and he will never draw again. Tell a child that he is stupid and he will grow up convinced that he is stupid. In his letter, St. James went so far as to say that the tongue is like a flame whose fire comes from hell.
Conversely, we need external validation. We need to hear that we’re OK, that we’re doing well, that we are appreciated. Those studying to become teachers are taught in educational psychology that praise gets more results than blame. There should be more praise than blame. External validation is critical in the growing years so that the child will develop self-esteem. But we all need it. Don’t you feel good when you receive an affirmation? And it doesn’t cost you anything to give someone a tap on the shoulder and say: “Congratulations.” By the way, when you are praised for an accomplishment, what is the correct response? Don’t say: “Chamba lang yun.” Sino niloloko mo? Say, “Thank you.”

When you are on a hike, it is important to have a compass. If you get lost and you don’t have a compass, chances are you’ll just be walking in circles. You get nowhere. It’s so sad when a person has no direction in life. When a student keeps on shifting courses, he probably doesn’t know where he is going. God has a plan for each one of us. It is for us to discover what that is. Why? Because when we carry out that plan, we fulfil the meaning of our existence. When you feel fulfilled, you also feel happy. Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga might be ene of the happiest persons on earth.

Sometimes the journey is long. Sometimes it is short. St. Dominic Savio did not even live to celebrate his 15th birthday. It really doesn’t matter. What matters is not how many years there are in your life. What matters is how much life you have put into your years. St. Iraeneus agrees. He says: “The glory of God is a man fully alive.”

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The Salesians of Don Bosco is a religious congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to the welfare of the young. If you feel called by God to give your life for the good of the young, you may want help in discovering if this is really God's will for you. Please get in touch with the Vocation Director (Don Bosco North Province, Philippines) - 0917-7930112 - Bro. MON CALLO SDB.

Birth of St. John the Baptist

He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
Lk 1:57-66. 80

Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.

The birth of John the Baptist was a joyful event two times over. First, Eliza-beth was childless. That condition was a curse and a shame. With the birth of the child, the curse and the shame were taken away.

Second, like other cultures boys were preferred to girls. The birth of a boy was another source of joy.

When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name.”

In the book of Exodus, circumcision became the external sign of membership in God’s chosen people. It was a religious ceremony that took place 8 days after the birth of a boy.

It was also on this occasion that the boy was given his name. The act of naming is the privilege of the father. Naming is an act by which the father recognizing the baby as his. Neither Zechariah nor Elizabeth named the child. John was the name given by God through the angel Gabriel. God was setting apart the child for himself. God was giving John the Baptist the mission of preparing the way of Jesus Christ.

Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors.

Because Zechariah did not put faith in the words of the angel Gabriel, he was punished. He became dumb. But with the fulfillment of God’s promise, the punishment was lifted. He could now speak.

And his first words were a prayer of blessing which came to be known as the Benedictus. The title is taken from the first word of the prayer which is “Blessed” – “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel.” Blessed in Latin is Benedictus. The Benedictus is essentially a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God.

The reaction of the people was one of fear. But it is not the fear that arises in front of something frightening. The better word would be awe (pagkamangha) which would be the reaction in front of a spectacular deed. In this case, it was God’s hand surrounding the birth of John the Baptist.

Message

1. Childless. Difficult pregnancy. There are couples who are unable to con-ceive a child. Some avail of expensive medical intervention. Others choose to adopt a child. Still others go to Obando, hoping to obtain a miracle. St. Dominic Savio is an unofficial patron saint of couples who are unable to conceive or moth-ers experiencing a difficult pregnancy. Wear a medal of St. Dominic Savio and make a novena. You don’t have to have any official prayers. Your own words will do.

2. Prayer. Often we equate praying with asking. But that is not so. Traditionally there are four kinds of prayer--ACTS. A is adoration. C is contrition. T is thanksgiving. And S is supplication.

3. Raising a boy. McCann Ericson did a study of men in Metro Manila. The study reveals that a great number of men are Mama's boy. Four practicing clinical psychologists agree. And they quickly add that that is bad news because a man who is unable to tear himself from his mommy's skirt will probably be neither a good husband nor a good father. He will probably not be a good husband because the mother not the wife who will continue to exert a powerful influence in his life. He will probably not be a good father because he will not be able to model to his children how a man should related to his wife and to his mother.

For mothers. When your son enters puberty, be the one to draw back and let your son bond with his father. Sons are not yet emotionally mature to “leave” you and put himself under the mentorship of his father.

For fathers. Bond with your son and mentor him. Bonding means creat-ing an emotional attachment. Mentoring means teaching him how to be a man, to be an adult, to be a husband and to be a father.

Your involvement at the various transitions in his life is critical. Circumcision can be a powerful ritual that signifies that the phase of learning to be a man under the tutelage of his father has begun. Learning to drive can be another rite of pas-sage as in the US. You yourself can teach your son not only how to drive but also discipline, responsibility and service. Another important transition is marriage. You should prepare your son for that important step and then give him your support in the early years of his married life.

And finally, many fathers forget this. And yet it is so important. A son craves for his father’s approval. He must hear it from your lips. A man wrote about his father who he felt was emotionally distant. That created a gaping hole in his heart. At his deathbed, his father called for him. He gestured for his son to come closer. His father held his hand and looking at him with tenderness, said, “Son, I am proud of you and I am happy to have you as my son.” The man wept. All his life he was longing for his father’s approval.

Conclusion

Parenting is a great privilege and a grave responsibility. Fathers and mothers, don't do it alone. You can’t really do it alone. Learn to fall on your knees and pray for yourselves and your children.

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The Salesians of Don Bosco is a religious congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to he welfare of the young. If you feel called by God to give your life for the good of the young, you may want help in discovering if this is really God's will for you. Please get in touch with the Vocation Director (Don Bosco North Province, Philippines) - 0917-7930112 - Bro. MON CALLO SDB.

Eleventh Sunday in Orindary Time (C)

He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Lk 7:36-50

Exegesis

Now there was a sinful woman in the city.
The woman is not named. Some translations say that the woman was of ill-repute. It is commonly assumed that she was a prostitute. Furthermore, this woman has wrongly been identified as Mary Magdalene because the gospel say that Jesus cast out 7 demons from her. But this probably meant that Jesus cured her of a grave sickness. Take note that it was commonly believed that evil spirits caused sickness.

Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment
The alabaster flask is an expensive container. We assume that the ointment or perfume it contains is expensive, too. This implies that the sinful woman held Je-sus in high regard. You don’t give cheap things to people you consider important.

She stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears.
Did the sinful woman weep for sorrow or for joy? Probably both. Don Bosco wrote in the biography of Mickey Magone that on his first confession, Mickey cried because he realized how many sins he had committed. But at the end of his confession, he cried again. But this time it was because his heart could not contain the joy and peace he felt.

Then she wiped them with her hair
In her culture to let her hair loose was immodest.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.”
She knew that she had a bad reputation in that town. But she didn't give a damn about what people will say.

Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet…
It was the custom that servants wash the feet of guests and that the host greet them with a kiss. And if they were special guests and the host was wealthy enough, the guests were anointed with perfume. All this Simon did not give to Jesus. Unlike the sinful woman, Simon did not hold Jesus in high regard.

A Problem

Was the sinful woman forgiven because she showed great love? Or did she show great love because she was forgiven?

The parable holds the key. The one who had a bigger debt loved the creditor more. In the same way the woman who was aware of her great sinfulness was for-given and because of that showed a corresponding great gratitude.

Jesus and Simon

Simon was a Pharisee and therefore, was a strict observer of the Law. He was right in disapproving her way of life. But his attitude was worthy of reproach. He loathed the woman like a leper.

Jesus did not take sin lightly. Remember the woman caught in adultery? Jesus told her: “From now on sin no more.” But Jesus was compassionate in contrast to Simon. Why? Jesus himself said that the Son came not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him.

Story

PDI has a regular column entitled, “Young Blood”. One contributor wrote that her boyfriend got her pregnant. She was very confused. She didn’t know what to do. Her boyfriend kept urging her to get an abortion because he was not in a position to marry her. She finally agreed to have an abortion.

But her conscience wouldn’t leave her alone. It bothered her. She couldn’t even enter a church because she felt too dirty to enter into the presence of God.

One day she could stand it no longer. She went to church to confess. She was afraid the priest would scold her. Instead, she was received with kindness. The priest made her feel that God had forgiven her. She had been crying all the time. But this time she was crying for joy. God had forgiven her.

Conclusion

Is there something bothering you? Is your conscience carrying a heavy bur-den? Are you in search of peace? The sinful woman found peace in the forgive-ness of Jesus. You, too, can find peace in the forgiveness of Jesus.

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The Salesians of Don Bosco is a religious congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to he welfare of the young. If you feel called by God to give your life for the good of the young, you may want help in discovering if this is really God's will for you. Please get in touch with the Vocation Director (Don Bosco North Province, Philippines) - 0917-7930112 - Bro. MON CALLO SDB.

Corpus Christi (C)

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

Introduction

There used to be an advice column in the Philippine Star that I used to read. In one of her columns I was surprised to read a statement to the effect that the Eucharist is merely a symbol of the presence of Jesus Christ. She probably was not a Catholic. Or if she were, her ignorance is appalling.

If indeed the Eucharist is merely a symbol, how would explain the death of St. Tarcisius? He has been called the martyr of the Eucharist. In those days when being a Christian was a capital crime, Tarcisius was tasked to being the Eucharist to those Christians who were about to be executed. On the way he was accosted by some Roman youths who noticed he was carrying something inside his tunic. They wanted him to hand over the Eucharist. He refused. Angered by his refusal, they beat him up and left him dying. If the Eucharist was merely a symbol, why would he defend the Eucharist with his life?

Theology

How can bread and wine become changed into Jesus Christ? This question is similar to the question of the Jews in John 6 who complained: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat and his blood to drink?”

Jesus demanded faith. He wanted his hearers to accept what he said because he was the one who said it. In fact, he did not stop his disciples from leaving him when they couldn’t understand how he could give his flesh and blood as food and drink.

Nevertheless theologians have tried to use philosophy to gain some under-standing. But our acceptance of the Eucharist is not based on the explanation of theologians but on Jesus Christ. By the way, theology has been described as faith seeking understanding (fides quaerens intellectu).

The change from bread and wine to the Person of Jesus Christ is called transubstantiation. Substance is defined as that which makes a thing what it is. At the moment of consecration the substance of bread and wine is transformed into the Divine Substance of Jesus Christ.

Why does it still look like bread and wine and taste like bread and wine? Because the consecration does not alter the accidents of bread and wine. ‘Accident’ does not mean ‘mishap’. In philosophy accident is that which is not essential. Color is an accident. The color of your skin, for example, is an accident. Whether you are white, black, red, yellow or brown does not make you less human.

But there is a reason why the accidents of bread and wine do not change. Jesus said that his flesh and blood is to be food and drink. Consequently, the appearance of the Eucharist must remain that of food and drink, that is, the appear-ance of bread and wine.

The Spirituality of St. John Bosco

In simple terms spirituality is the way we nourish and live our faith. One characteristic of Don Bosco’s spirituality is that it is sacramental. He gave importance to confession and communion. He used to say: Confession and communion are the two wings with which you fly to heaven.

Don Bosco said that it is important that God should be the first one ahead of the devil to take possession of our heart. That is why Don Bosco insisted that when a child is able to distinguish between ordinary bread and communion, he should be allowed make his first communion. Of course, the child should have a serious preparation. He also said that you should not force the young to receive communion. But you should give him the possibility of doing so. Also, the young will develop the love for the Eucharist from the example of his parents.

When Don Bosco faced some difficulty, he would ask his boys to go and pray for his intentions before the tabernacle. He used to say: “Do you want many graces? Visit the Blessed Sacrament often. Do you want only a few graces? Visit the Blessed Sacrament only a few times. The adoration chapel in our parishes are sacred spaces that are so conducive to prayer.

Don Bosco said that communion is the bread that makes us strong. How many of us here want to be bad people? And yet are we always good? Do we always do the right thing? Why is it that now and then we find ourselves committing sin? Is it because we are bad people? Or is it because we are weak? Don Bosco believed that communion is not only for saints. It is for us who want to be good but fail because we are week. By the way, if we have committed a mortal sin we should go to confession first before receiving communion. If we only have venial sins we can receive communion. Of course, we should be sorry for the venial sins we have committed.

Conclusion

In summary
- Parents, encourage your children to receive communion as often as possible. But be examples yourselves.
- Are you worried? Are you afraid? Are you carrying a heavy burden. Bring all of them to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
- Gusto kong bumaet pero di ko magawa. Go to communion as often as you can because communion is the bread that makes us strong.

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The Salesians of Don Bosco is a religious congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to he welfare of the young. If you feel called by God to give your life for the good of the young, you may want help in discovering if this is really God's will for you. Please get in touch with the Vocation Director (Don Bosco North Province, Philippines) - 0917-7930112 - Bro. MON CALLO SDB.

Trinity Sunday

The story is told of St. Augustine walking along the seashore trying to fathom the mystery of the Blessed Trinity. He saw a boy running back and forth between the sea and a hole he has dug along the beach. With a seashell he getting sea water and pouring it into the hole. St. Augustine asked what he has doing and the boy replied that he was going to empty the sea and pour all the water into the hole. Laughing, St. Augustine blurted out: “But that’s impossible.” But the boy replied: “It’s easier to pour all the sea water into this hole than for you to fathom the mystery of the Blessed Trinity.”

It is really an impossible task to explain and to understand something that is beyond and even contradictory to our experience.

Sr. Marie is a nun. Sr. Tita is a nun. Sr. Bing is a nun. What do you have? Three nuns. The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Spirit is God. What do you have? Not three Gods. One God.

How do you explain that?

Of course theologians have tried to explain the Blessed Trinity. St. Thomas attempted to do that in his “De Deo Uno et Trino”. Evangelizers like St. Patrick explained that to the Celts of Ireland using a shamrock. Catechists use an equilat-eral triangle to communicate what we mean by the Trinity.

This is good because we need to satisfy the need of our minds to make sense of what we believe as Christians. But we need also to satisfy our hearts.

The Trinity as Family

Just yesterday at breakfast we were talking about how people we know who desperately want to have children and couldn’t. We mentioned instances when St. Dominic Savio helped couples to finally have a child.

Another related his experiences in helping Italian couples adopt Filipino babies and children. In one instance, the biological mother left a letter for the adopting parents and another for her child. In the letter for her child the biological mother was trying to explain why she had to give him up. It was not because she didn’t love him, but because she couldn’t give him a decent life. She ended her letter with “I love you” 84 times. When the letter to the adopting parents was read, the adopting father had to leave the room several times. He was crying. After the letter had been read, the adopting parents promised to love the baby as if he were their own flesh and blood.

To me this real story can tell us something about the Blessed Trinity and ourselves.

The Blessed Trinity is like a perfect family. They love one another with an infinite love. They are infinitely happy together. They can ask for nothing more. But they don’t want to keep that love and happiness to themselves. They’d like to share it. That’s where we come in.

The Father adopted us. We’re no longer outsiders. We’re family. We’re not just creatures. We’re God’s children. And here it is important to note that God does not just consider us his children. The bible says that we are REALLY his children. And this makes us more blessed than the angels. Have you read in the bible of any angel being adopted by God?

The Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity reminds us that we belong to God’s family. God is our dad. Jesus is our kuya. And the Holy Spirit is our companion.

God is our dad. That is what “abba” means. For that to sink in, let’s do this. How do you call your father? If you call him “papa” I want you to call God “papa” several times.

Jesus is our kuya. For me kuya is takbuhan. Is there a problem? Go to kuya. Kuya is sumbungan, Are you hurt? Are you angry? Do you feel unjustly treated? Isumbong kay kuya. Kuya is confidant. Ibulong kay kuya ang mga plano, panga-rap, saloobin.

And the Holy Spirit is our companion as we journey toward heaven. If you were going on a trip, would you rather be alone or be with someone else? If you were going to the mall, would you rather be alone or be with someone else? If you were going to watch a movie, would rather be alone or be with someone else? Well, we are not alone in this life. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be our companion. Hindi tayo nag-iisa.

The second thing is this: Because we belong to God’s family, he has special concern for us. Sure, God takes care of all his creatures but because we are his children God has a special concern for us. To what do I compare this concern?

An old woman was supposed to be dying but she would not die. Why? Because she was worried about her unmarried daughter. Her daughter had no husband and no children. Who would take care of her? It was only when her daughter told her mother that she had nothing to worry about because she, the daughter, was financially independent that she finally died. That old woman’s concern for her daughter was strong, even stronger than death.

If we believe that God is really concerned about us, we would say with St. Teresa of Avila: “Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee.” Why? Because we are in God’s hands.

Conclusion

Let’s leave to the theologians the task of finding the ways by which to explain the mystery of the Blessed Trinity. Instead, for us let our concern be that of nurtur-ing our relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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The Salesians of Don Bosco is a religious congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to he welfare of the young. If you feel called by God to give your life for the good of the young, you may want help in discovering if this is really God's will for you. Please get in touch with the Vocation Director (Don Bosco North Province, Philippines) - 0917-7930112 - Bro. MON CALLO SDB.