21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Strive to enter through the narrow gate.

Lk 13:22-30

EXEGESIS

Jerusalem

Luke’s gospel has a framework which I call “Trip to Jerusalem”, that is, he tells his gospel story with Jesus moving towards Jerusalem where he will meet this death. This means that he was not forced to die. He willingly met his death in obedience to the Father’s will. And that was why he came. He came to die so that we might be saved. And that was also the reason why he was given the name of Jesus. The angel Gabriel said: “Because he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus is called “Redeemer” or “Manunubos”. Sometimes when people are hard up they are forced to pawn jewelry, even those with sentimental value. Later they return to the pawnshop to redeem or “tubusin” that piece of jewelry. When we sin, Jesus comes to redeem us (tubusin) from the power of the devil. And the price is his obedience until death.

Saved

The Jews (at least in the time of Jesus) believed that only Jews will be saved. Some even went as far as to think that hell was created for non-Jews.

I had a relative who used to be a Methodist but turned Baptist. One day she asked me a question that no one ever asked me before: “Are you saved?” I answered, “Not yet”. But Baptists teach that once you accept Jesus as Lord, you are already saved. I read an article in the Catholic Digest that says that the answer of Catholics is this: “Yes, I am saved because Jesus already died for me. But I am also in the process of being saved by Jesus because I am still here on earth. And I hope to be saved and go to heaven when I die.”

Door / Gate

Remember when you had to go to the toilet of an airplane? The door is so narrow and the space is so cramped that it takes some effort to get in and do your thing.

It is true that Jesus already paid the price of our redemption. But it is also true that God who created us without our cooperation can not save us without our co-operation. We also need to do our part and it is not always easy.

Antonio Bernardo used to be the Customs Bureau chief. Once he told us that even before he sat in his office he was already receiving thick envelopes. He asked us to pray for him because the temptation was so great. It is not easy to be faithful to God’s commandments. We need sipag at tiyaga.

SIPAG AT TIYAGA (HARDWORK AND PERSEVERANCE)

We have heard of the saying: Kung may tiyaga, may nilaga. Or kung may sipag at tiyaga, may nilaga. My brother is working in the US. Last year he brought his family along. His life in US is tough. He works for a programming company. He has a salary enough to survive. He has two children in elementary grade. His wife can’t work because her visa doesn’t allow her to work and even if she can work there are too many applicants. When he started looking for a job, he sent out his resume to many companies. One company called for him. The job was to clean the theater after every show. He was willing to take that job only another company offered him a job that was along his line. I know that my brother would make it in the US not only because he is intelligent and he has sipag at tiyaga.

I was riding a taxi once in the Philippines. The man had children in college. One thing he told me: “Huwag ka lang tatamad-tamad hindi ka magugutom sa Pilipinas.”

Warren Buffett is worth $52 billion. He is the third richest man in the world after Bill Gates and the Mexican, Carlos Helu. He is giving about $30 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. His business is in investments. How did he get so rich? He studied hard as a student. He worked hard. Forbes magazine said that he used to spend hours studying financial statements of companies in order to find out in which companies to invest in. Warren Buffett has sipag at tiyaga.

Filipinos like you who are working abroad succeed because of abilidad and sipag at tiyaga. I know of a man now working in Ireland. Do you know that he owns two houses now? He is renting out his first house.

But there is danger in success. I heard the ASEAN manager of Johnson and Johnson say that he doesn’t want his children to experience the hardships he went through when his father died. At the time he was in college. He had other brothers and sisters who were also studying. Being the eldest, he became a working stu-dent. He said that he didn’t want his children to go through the same experience. I would understand that but he shouldn’t make life to easy for his children because if he does that his children will not develop sipag at tiyaga.

For example, I read about a wealthy family. His two sons were studying in an well-known university. Yet he refused to buy them a car each even though he could afford them. Why? Because he didn’t want too easy a life for them. He wanted them to develop sipag at tiyaga.

Sipag at tiyaga is also a good rule for the spiritual life. Someone said that saints are sinners who kept on trying. Saints and we are both sinners. The only difference is that they had sipag at tiyaga in trying to be good. St. John Bosco himself said that he had to work hard to put his tempter under control.

Among the Saints there are those we call martyrs and those we call confessors. martyrs die or the faith. Confessors profess the faith by living it. It is said that what confessors lack in intensity, they make up for endurance. St. Dominic did not die a martyr’s death like St. Tarcisius. But he became a Saint by living his faith day by day. He was not ningas cugon. May tiyaga siya.

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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 - finvoc@yahoo.com - Bro. MON CALLO SDB.

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”

Lk 12:32-48

Last July 20 (?) we recalled the terrible earthquake of 1990 (?). I remember being in a car at the intersection of Ayala Avenue and EDSA. We were waiting for the traffic light to turn green. Along the way we noticed a lot of people were on the streets. That was strange. When we arrived home, to our dismay we saw furniture and cabinets in disarray. What happened? We learned soon enough about the earth-quake that had struck which we did not feel. We also learned later that the Hyatt and Nevada Hotels crumbled to the ground. The wife of Jaime Laya died, but Senator Roco's wife survived. She was under the rubbles of Nevada Hotel for 36 hours.

Because of that terrible tragedy schools were ordered to organize evacuation drills. We live in what is called the ring of fire. Earthquake and volcanic eruption is common in this part of the world. In order to minimize the loss of human life in the event of another killer earthquake, students and school personnel must be ready. They must be prepared.

Preparedness requires planning and foresight.

If you own a family business, you know that you will not live forever. You have to prepare for your exit. Do you want your children take over? Will any of them be willing and competent to take over the family business?

Bawal magkasakit. It’s expensive. Will you enroll in one of the HMO’s?

Death strikes unexpectedly. What will happen to your spouse and children? Will you buy an insurance policy? Will you buy a life plan?

With the birth of a child, you will have to plan ahead for his education. Will you buy an educational plan for him?

Opportunity knocks on the door of those who are prepared. What is your dream? What is your ambition in life? Do you already have a plan how to get there? Was it PGMA who observed that after the May elections, the campaign for the Presidency which is still in 2010 has already begun? And perhaps that is why the alliances for the May elections have crumbled and new ones are being formed. You just have to look at the Senate.

Preparedness requires planning and foresight.

I have said that death sometimes come unexpectedly. Are we ready to meet our God?

St. Aloysius Gonzaga was with a group of friends. One of them asked, “If you were to die today, what would you do?” Some said that they will go to confession. Some said that they will go to church and pray. Others said that they will say good-bye to their loved ones. St. Aloysius Gonzaga said, “I will do what I ordinarily do everyday.” He was prepared to meet death.

But not all of us are ready to face death today.

When I was in the minor seminary, we had what we used to call the monthly exercise for a happy death. It was a monthly preparation for death. We had to put our places in the study hall and in the dormitory in order. We had to return the things we borrowed. And we were encouraged to make our confession as if it were our last. Making sure we were at peace with God was an important part of that monthly exercise.

But making peace with God may not be enough. Consider this true to life story.

A man all his life was craving for his father’s blessing. He needed to hear that his father loved him. He needed to hear his father’s approval, that his father was proud of him. His father was the type who didn’t say much and seemed to be uncomfortable about showing his feelings. Then one day his father who was already ill called for him in the hospital. When the son entered the room, the face of the father brightened up. The father told his son to pull the chair close to his bed and sit down. The father held his son’s hand in a way he never did before. Father looked with tenderness at his son. Tears started to fall down from the father’s eyes. With great emotion, the father said, “Anak, I am happy to have you as my son. And I want you to know how proud I am of you.” It was the turn of the son to cry. Maybe for the first time since he was a child, he hugged his father.

Perhaps, making peace with God is not enough preparation for death. Maybe we need to deal with some issues affecting our relationships. And maybe we don’t need to wait for death to deal with those issues and put them to rest.

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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 - finvoc@yahoo.com - Bro. MON CALLO SDB.

Death Gives Birth to Life

Scene 1

Voldemort had raised his wand. His head was stilted to one side, like a curious child, wondering what would happen if he proceeded. Harry looked back into the red eyes, and wanted it to happen now, quickly, while he could still stand, before he lost control, before he betrayed fear—

He saw the mouth move and a flash of green light, and everything was gone.

Scene 2

“But you’re dead,” said Harry.

“Oh yes,” said Dumbledore matter-of-factly.

“Then….I’m dead too?”

“Ah,” said Dumbledore, smiling still more broadly. “That is the question, isn’t it? On the whole, dear boy, I think not.”

They looked at each other, the old man still beaming.

“Not?” repeated Harry.

“Not,” said Dumbledore.

“But…but I should have died – I didn’t defend myself! I meant to let him kill me!”

“And that,” said Dumbledore, “will, I think, have made all the difference.”

“But you want me to go back?”

“I think,” said Dumbledore, “that if you choose to return, there is a chance that he may be finished for good.”

Harry nodded and sighed.

Scene 3

Harry heard the high voice shriek as he too yelled his best hope to the heavens, pointing Draco’s wand:

“Avada Kedavra!”

“Expelliarmus!”

The spells collided. Harry saw Voldemort’s green jet meet his own spell. Voldemort fell backward, arms played, the slit pupil of the scarlet eyes rolling upward. Tom Riddle hit the floor with mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands empty; the snakelike face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse, and Harry stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at his enemy’s shell.

REFLECTION

I couldn't help but think that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is but a reprise of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ in the garb of wizards and witches.

Harry's death brought him life and ultimately a second leash on life for the Hogwarts and for all that was good. It brought death to Voldemort and his cohorts.

The Death of Jesus Christ brought life to the world.

How paradoxical! Death gives birth to life!

It is the law of life. For only when the seed falls to the ground and dies will there be new life sprouting from the ground. Only when we put to "death" traumatic experiences can we move on with our life.

It is the law of the spiritual life. Only when we put to death our evil desires is there the possibility of the good that is in us to come out into the light.

Death gives birth to life.

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.

Lk 12:13-21

EXEGESIS

Ecclesiastes

The title of the book is Ecclesiastes. Another name for the book is Qoheleth, the author of the book. It belongs to the group of books called the Wisdom Books. There is another book belonging to the Wisdom Books which is called the Book of Sirach. Again the name comes from the author. The book has also another name, Ecclesiasticus. Do not confuse them.

The often repeated word in the reading is vanity. What does it mean? Empty. Worthless. Useless. Qoheleth says that you worked hard to gain property but when you die you can not take it with you. Someone who has not worked for it will enjoy it. So your effort has been empty, worthless, useless. Your effort has been in vain.

Gospel

The gospel for this Sunday offers us three nuggets of wisdom.

• Take care to guard against all greed.
• Though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.
• Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.

It has a timely reminder to parents. A man came to Jesus because his brother wouldn’t share their inheritance with him. Dear parents, you will prevent animosity among your children if you make your will. If you die without a will, your children might fight over inheritance.

CONNECTION BETWEEN FIRST READING AND GOSPEL

Gospel – “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?”

First reading – “Here is one who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill, and yet to another who has not labored over it, he must leave is property. This also is vanity and a great misfortune.”

LESSON: WEALTH

How does the OT look at wealth and poverty?

Wealth is a sign of being blessed by God while poverty is looked upon as punishment from God.

Job, for example, lost his children, wealth and last of all, his health. His friends came to console him. But they also said that he was being punished for his sins. But Job asserted that he knows of no transgressions that would merit punishment. With the Book of Job the belief that poverty and misfortune are punishment for sin is challenged.

What does the NT say about wealth?

Jesus uttered strong words about wealth. He said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for the rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”

St. Paul says that the desire for money is the root of all evil.

It is easy to understand these strong statements. Wealth can make people commit evil. The money from quarrying obtained in one year by the provincial government of Pampanga during the tenure of the previous governor is now obtained in only one month. There must have been stealing going on. Wealth can make people commit evil.

Wealth can make even good people forget God. A former seminarian admitted that when he left the seminary money became his concern. He wanted to become rich. But in the process, he put God in the sideline. It was only when he became seriously ill with a life-threatening condition that he realized what happened to him. It was as if when he left the seminary, he also left God behind. He survived the illness and God is once again in his mind. Wealth can make even good people forget God.

Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘treasure’? Probably a wooden chest with gold or jewels inside.

But let us use treasure in this sense: “What is it that you treasure most?” Another way of putting it is: “What is it that you VALUE most?” Or this, “What is most IMPORTANT to you?”

Is money important? Of course it is. I read an article about a girl of elementary-age who got burned when she rescued her 2 younger siblings from their burning hut. They were far away from the town but the mother brought her there medical treatment. The only thing the mother was willing to spend for was first aid. The mother was not being cruel. She said that she also had to think of the other 2 children. Would the mother be faced with this dilemma if she had the money? Is money important? Of course it is.

So what is the problem?

Is God important? Yes. Is your family important? Yes. Are your friends important? Yes. Is your health important? Yes. Are your ethical principles important? Yes. Is money important? Yes.

So what is the problem?

Put money in the number 1 spot. By doing that you’re willing to throw overboard your ethical principles for the sake of money. You’ll be willing to sacrifice your family and friends for the sake of money. You’ll be willing to risk your marriage for the sake of money. Do you now see what the problem is?

It is not that wealth is bad. It is not that wealth is not important. The problem comes when wealth takes number one spot. The problem comes when our priorities in life go wrong.

CONCLUSION

This Sunday God is asking us to do an inventory. First, he is asks us to find out what are the things we value I life. And when that is done, he asks us to examine how we prioritize the things we value in life. In particular he asks us to find out where we have placed wealth in the scheme of things.

What we will discover may surprise us. But more than that, the changes that we may have to make in our life may in the end make us happier and more fulfilled.

Do it then. It’s worth the effort. You’ll see.

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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 - finvoc@yahoo.com - Bro. MON CALLO SDB.

First Friday, Week 17

And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.

There is a saying that goes this way: “No one is a saint to one’s valet.” The valet is a man's male servant, who takes care of his clothes and performs other personal services. In other words, ‘alalay’ siya. The valet is so close to his master that he knows many things about him, including his defects. Therefore, there is a tendency for the valet not to look up to his master with admiration.

In the case of Jesus, his town mates know about his family background. His father was merely a carpenter. His mother had no social standing in the community. Jesus himself was not taught by any outstanding religious teacher. So his town mates looked down on him and did not put much faith in him.

The result according to the Gospel was that he did not work many miracles there. What does that mean? It means that since his town mates did not believe in him, only a few brought their sick to him and consequently only a few were healed.

This means that it is not God who limits the good that he wants to do for us. It is our faith or lack of it that sets the limits. It’s like God is ready to give us his blessings. But unless our hands are open to receive it, he can not give it to us.

So what is it that will make us open our hands to receive the good things that come from the hand of God?

1. We must believe in our hearts that God is good. Only then will we have the confidence to go to him to receive his blessings. If you have a difficult boss, will you find it easy to go to him?

We might think that it is easy to see God as good. But it’s not. A man came to me because his bunso, still a baby, died in spite of the efforts of the hospital. He admits that he has committed many sins in his life. And he asks, “Why did he punish my child? I should be the one he punished.” Do you think it’s easy for this man to believe that God is good?

But faith in the goodness of God means precisely this: to believe that God is good even when things do not seem to show that God is good.

So what is it that will make us open our hands to receive the good things that come from the hand of God?

2. We must believe in our hearts that God is powerful. If he is powerful, then he can help us. Will you go to someone who can not help you? A long, long time ago I asked my classmate to get me an appointment with the mayor of Paranaque. We know he was the big boss and he can help us.

Some people will find it difficult to believe God is powerful. The common objection is this: If God is so powerful, why is there evil in the world? If God is so powerful, why did he not prevent my mother from dying of cancer?

But to believe in the power of God means precisely this: that God can bring good out of evil; that no matter what happens, he can make things turn out well for you.

So what is it that will make us open our hands to receive the good things that come from the hand of God?

3. We must pray for faith. We must know that faith is a gift. We can not give our faith in God unless God gives us the gift of faith. Therefore, we must pray for it.

When a man brought his son to Jesus for healing, Jesus asked the father, “Do you believe I can cure him?” The man answered, “Lord, I do believe. Help my unbelief.” In other words, the man admitted that his faith was not enough and so asked Jesus to add to his faith. Did Jesus give him that faith? Certainly. How do we know? Jesus was able to cure his son.

When Don Bosco was at his deathbed, he said in regret, “If only I had more faith, I could have done more.” And he was right. For faith is opening our hands believing that God will fill our hands with good things.