2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."

Jn 1:29-34

BIBLICAL

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

This title may be an allusion to the victorious lamb who would destroy evil in the world (Rev 5-7; 17:14); or to the paschal lamb, whose blood saved the first-born of Israel (Exodus 12); and/or the suffering servant led like a lamb to the slaughter as a sin-offering (Isaiah 53:7, 10).

A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.
We are reminded of the prologue of John’s gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

I did not know him.

This gospel is unaware of the tradition found in Luke that Jesus and John the Bap-tist are relatives because their mothers are cousins.

But the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.
In John’s gospel, the baptism of John was not for the forgiveness of sins but for the revelation of Jesus to Israel. “But the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel” (Jn 1:23).

I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him.

Remain is a favourite verb of St. John. In the parable of the vine and the branches, he uses the verb remain. “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5).

CATECHETICAL: SIN

Sin is disobeying the commandments.

But it is not just a matter of disobedience. In the case of Adam and Eve, it was an act of defiance (they wouldn’t recognize the authority of God) and also an act of in-gratitude (God said everything in the garden was for them, except that particular tree.).

The commandments are not meant to make life difficult for us. They are like street signs that warm us not to do this or not to do that otherwise we’ll get into an accident. For instance, God says, “Do not lie.” Imagine how the relationship between parents and children will be if they lie to one another!

Sin in the bible also understands it as missing the mark.

Once I saw boys playing softball. The pitcher threw the ball and the batter tried to hit it. He missed. “Strike 1!” the umpire said. Instead, an onlooker said: “Sala!” The batter missed. And in fact, sin is “sala”. When we sin, we miss the mark. We fail to be what we should be. The prodigal son sinned. He failed to behave as a son should behave towards his father.

When we fail to go to Mass on Sunday for reason of laziness, for example, we fail to behave the way a son or a daughter should behave toward the Father in heaven.

What can we do about sin?

First, we must remember that we can not on our own overcome sin. If we can overcome sin on our own, Jesus did not need to come down from heaven to be our Savior. How does Jesus save us from sin? Yes, he already died on the cross and so paid for sins of everybody. He applies that payment to us individually through the sacraments, especially in confession and communion. In communion, we receive the Bread that makes us strong against sin. In confession, he takes away our sins and at the same time, also makes us strong against sin.

Second, someone says: “Tukso, layuan mo ako. (Temptation, get away from me.)” Wrong. Ikaw ang lumayo sa tukso (You should be the one to run away from temptation.). If we want to avoid sin, we must avoid the occasions of sin. The occasions of sin may be people, places or things. Kung ayaw nating mapasama, umiwas sa mga BI. If you don’ want to fall into the sin of talking about the faults of others, don’t join the conversations of those who like to talk about the faults of others.

How do I know if I committed sin?

M-A-S. Masama ba (was it evil)? Alam mo bang masama (did you know it was evil? Sinadya mo ba (did you do it on purspose)? If one of them has an answer of “no”, you have not committed sin. Therefore, if you did not go to Mass on Sunday because you were sick, there is no sin. Why? Because hindi mo ginusto (you didn’t want it). Hindi mo sinadya (you didn’t mean to do it).

CONCLUSION

Baptists have been known to ask Catholics: “Are you saved?” And Catholics would not know how to answer that because it is something that we do not ask. This is the answer to that question. In fact there are three answers. First, yes, I am saved. Why? Because Jesus already died on the cross for me. He already paid for my sins. Second, I am being saved. Why? Because even today when I sin, Jesus continues to offer me his forgiveness. And finally, I hope to be saved. Because one day, I hope to be definitely be freed from sin. I hope to enter heaven where sin can not enter. All this because of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.


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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.

Baptism of our Lord (A)

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Mt 3:13-17

Liturgical Note

Last Sunday was the Epiphany. But this Sunday is also an Epiphany.

Epiphany is translated as manifestation (“pagpapakita” in the tagalong liturgical text). What exactly does Epiphany mean? I can compare to a debut. A debut is a for-mal presentation to society that a girl is now a young woman and is available (marriageable). Epiphany is a formal presentation of Jesus as Savior.

Last Sunday he was presented to the Gentiles through the magi as Savior of the Gentiles. This Sunday at his Baptism, he is also being presented to the Jewish people as their Savior, as the one promised in the Old Testament.

Biblical Note

Last Sunday where was Jesus? In Bethlehem. This Sunday he is in Galilee at the Jordan River. Last Sunday Jesus was about 1 year old. This Sunday he is already about 30 years old. Last Sunday with Jesus were Mary, Joseph and the three magi. This Sun-day he is with John the Baptist and other Jews.

Baptism

Jesus came to John to be baptized. Take note that the baptism of John is not the sacrament of Baptism that we have. It is a ceremony publicly declaring repentance. That is the reason why John did not want to baptize Jesus. But Jesus insisted because as Savior he had to be identified with sinful humanity.

Spirit of God

Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending upon him like a dove. Why is this detail important?

When Jesus went back to Nazareth and was given the prophet Isaiah during the service at the synagogue, this was what he read: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” He ended by saying: Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."

And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

That declaration recalls Isaac. In Gen 22:2 we read: “Then God said: ‘Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him up as a holocaust on a height that I will point out to you.’”

What is the significance of this detail? Like Isaac Jesus is going to be offered in sacrifice. The offering of Isaac did not push through. The offering of Jesus on the cross will push through.

This seems to be the only occasion in the gospel when Father, Son and Holy Spirit are together.

Baptism as Sacrament

It is one of the 7 sacraments.

Channel of Grace

Because it is a sacrament, it is a channel of grace. Grace means what is given is a gift from God. It is free. It is something good. And God gives it because he is good! So what gift does Baptism give us? In fact, Baptism gives us two gifts. The first is God welcomes us as his children. If you have a good relationship with your father, try talk-ing to God and calling him: “Tatay. Itay. Dad. Papa.” The second gift is forgiveness of sins both original sin and personal sin. What that means is that God takes away our sins so that nothing comes between us and God.

Sacrament of Initiation

Baptism is one of the three Sacraments of Initiation. Initiation is entry into the Church, into the community of believers. Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist are the Sacraments of Initiation. That is why if you do not participate in Sunday mass, you are not “in na in sa pamilya ng Diyos”.

Sign

Because it is a sacrament, Baptism must have a sign that we can sense. For exam-ple, the sign of the Eucharist is the bread and wine. For Baptism, it is water. Now the sign must give you an idea of what the sacrament is all about. For the Eucharist, bread and wine gives us an idea that it must have something to do with spiritual nourishment. And indeed, Jesus declares himself to be the Bread of Life. For Baptism, water gives us an idea that Baptism must have something to do with cleansing and with life. And in fact, Baptism cleanses us from sin and gives us new life, life as a child of God.

Formula

Because it is a sacrament, Baptism must have a formula. For example, the formula of the Eucharist is: This is my body. This is my blood.” For Baptism, it is: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The formula clarifies the meaning of the sign. For the Eucharist, the bread and wine becomes the body and blood of Christ which is our spiritual nourishment. For the Baptism, the water makes us belong to the Blessed Trinity as child of God.

Commitment

Sacraments are not mere ceremonies. Ceremonies are things that you do and then forget. Sacraments are commitments, that is, when you celebrate them you take upon yourself some obligation. For example, when you receive Holy Communion, you commit yourself to avoid sin and become more and more like Jesus. It’s like the song, “Day by day, oh dear Lord, three things I pray. To see thee more clearly. To love thee more dearly. To follow thee more nearly.” For Baptism, our commitment is to grow in the faith. Parents have the special obligation to help their children to grow in the faith by word and example. Ninong and ninang should also follow-up their ina-anak.

Faith means believing in certain things, some of which are difficult to believe. But it is more than just believing in certain things. Faith is primarily living according to those things that you say you believe in. And that can be more difficult. For example, how would your life look like if you really believe that God is always with you? I would suppose that in the midst of your work, once in a while, you would remember him and say something to him.

Conclusion

Today we do not only remember the Baptism of Jesus. We also remember our own Baptism. Today God reminds us that because of the commitment of our Baptism we have to keep our faith growing. And faith is not just about believing in certain things. It is about living according to the things we say we believe in.



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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.

Epiphany of the Lord (A)

They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother.

Mt 2: 1-12

LITURGICAL NOTE

This used to be called the Feast of the Three Kings. With the liturgical reform, it has been called the Solemnity of the Epiphany. Why the change of name? Because the focus of the feast is not the Three Kings but the Savior Jesus.

Epiphany comes from the Greek word which means “manifestation”. The Pilipino translation of the feast is “pagpapakita”. Jesus is manifested to the Gentiles in the per-son of the Magi. (I’ll explain later why the change from Three Kings to Magi.) He is being presented to them as Savior. Now to the Jews, there are only two kinds of people in the world. If you are not a Jew, then you are a gentile. Jesus is then being presented as the Savior of both Jew and Gentile. He is Savior of the World. He is the Savior of everybody.

The closest thing I can compare this feast is to a debut. The debut is nothing else but this: a young woman of 18 is being formally presented to society as eligible for marriage. In the same way, Jesus is being presented to the Gentiles as their Savior.

There is another important thing to remember. There is not one but two epiphanies. The first happened when Jesus was still a baby. The second happened when he began his public ministry, that is, at his baptism. That is why next Sunday we shall celebrate the Baptism of our Lord.
At his baptism, the Father presented Jesus before his fellow Jews with the words: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

EXEGESIS

Bethlehem of Judea

Bethlehem means “House of Bread”. Where was Jesus born? In a manger. A man-ger is where animals eat. At the very beginning the Gospel already hints that Jesus is spiritual food. It is only in John 6 that Jesus explicitly tells us that he is the Bread of Life.

Palestine during the time of Jesus was divided into three major parts: Galilee, Samaria and Judea. He was born in Judea but he will grow up in Galilee.

King Herod

He was king from 37 to 4 BC. He was a great builder. He rebuilt the Temple of Jerusalem. He was also paranoid. He even killed his sons who he suspected of plotting to overthrow him. That prompted the Roman emperor to say that it was better to be Herod’s pig than to be his son. That he could kill baby boys because he saw a threat to his throne is entirely consistent with Herod’s character.

Magi from the East

There is no mention of any king among the visitors of Jesus. The Greek word used is “magoi”. The word refers to a priestly class in Persia (modern day Iran). It came to be used for those who possessed supernatural knowledge. In the Gospel, the magi were astrologers.

How did they become Three Kings? Because the gifts they brought were three so it was assumed that the visitors were also three. They also became kings under the influence of messianic prophesies of the OT. For example, “May the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute, the kings of Arabia and Seba offer gifts. May all kings bow before him, all nations serve him” (Ps 72:10).

We saw his star at its rising.

It was an ancient belief that a new star appeared at the birth of a ruler. And since the magi were astrologers, they saw the new star and understood its meaning.

Was there really a star? Some say that it was not a star but the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn that caused a bright body to appear in the skies. Others say that it was a comet or even a supernova. But it is possible that it is a literary device that Matthew used in connection with OT story of Balaam who prophesied that a star shall advance from Jacob (Numbers 24:17).

And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.

This prophecy comes from the prophet Micah 5:1.

Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.

This will enable Herod to estimate the age of the baby. He was probably one year old. But to make sure Herod ordered the massacre of baby boys two years and below.

He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage."

Of course, the real reason is to be able to kill the baby.

And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

Stars don't move. But this star is unusual because it moved and finally stopped to point the location of the child.

And on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother.

The Holy Family was still in Bethlehem but now living in a house.

Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

We find in the prophet Isaiah a statement regarding the gifts that would be offered to the Messiah: “Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; All from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD” (Is 60:6).

Gold is a recognition of Jesus as a King. Frankincense is a recognition of his di-vinity. Incense is used in worship. Myrrh is a recognition of Jesus as Priest and Victim. In Jesus’ time it as used for embalming and as incense during funerals. It was said that when Nero's wife died, he burned a one-year supply of myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

By not giving Herod the information he desired, the Magi gave the Holy Family enough time to escape.


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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.

Third Sunday of Avent (A)

Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.

Mt 11:2-11

John was in prison.

Why? Because John the Baptist dared to tell Herod that it was wrong for him to take his brother’s wife and make her his own wife. Herod didn’t like that and so he put him in prison. What does this say about John the Baptist? That he was brave. That he was not afraid of calling a spade, a spade even if it landed him in prison.

He sent his disciples to Jesus with this question,“Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”

When John spoke about the Messiah, he spoke about the ax that is ready to cut down the trees that did not bear fruit. He spoke about burning the useless chaff. In other words, he thought the Messiah would come to punish sinners.

And when Jesus came to be baptized, John the Baptist pointed him out as the Lamb of God.

But when Jesus began his public ministry, he did not act the way John the Baptist expected him to act. Instead of being hard on sinners, he was welcoming towards them.

So John sent his disciples to Jesus to find out if he really was the Messiah.

“Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.”

The answer of Jesus was a quotation from the Prophet Isaiah. In that passage, Isaiah described how the time of the Messiah would look like. And in fact, Jesus was doing just that. In other words, Jesus was telling John the Baptist that he was indeed the Messiah.

And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.

And Jesus adds this sentence. What he means is that John should not lose faith in him just because Jesus did not fit his expectations about the Messiah,

As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

John the Baptist was the last and the greatest of the Prophets. Why? Because he was the one given the privilege of announcing the nearness of the Kingdom. Although that is the case, those who are part of the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Why? Because belonging to the Kingdom is a greater privilege.

LESSONS

1. Jesus spoke well about John the Baptist before the people.

How often do we speak ill about people? Someone gives this advice. If you’ve got nothing good to say about someone, just keep quiet.

Do you know that if somebody has done something bad we are not allowed to spread the news to other people? It is sinful. Once upon a time someone went to St. Philip Neri and confessed that she had spread around the bad things that a neighbour had done. For penance, St. Philip told her to bring the feathers of a dressed chicken on top of a hill and throw them into the winds. Then she should go back to him. She did her penance and went back to St. Philip. He then told the woman to go back up the hill and gather the feathers. The woman protested that it was impossible to do that. St. Philip told the woman, “Do you now see how bad it is to spread bad things about people? You can no longer undo the harm that you caused.”

2. John expected the Messiah to act in a certain way. But Jesus acted in a different way. Jesus tells John to continue believing in him in spite of that.

God’s ways are not our ways. Many times we can’t understand why God acted in a way that is different from our expectations. When that happens, God asks us to continue believing just as Jesus asked John to continue believing in him. Why? Because God knows what he is doing.

For example, many years ago, I was working in a place called Joriz. One weekend I was invited to the birthday celebration of the first child of a young couple. It was his first birthday. The following weekend when I passed by their barong-barong I saw lights inside. There was a small coffin. The baby had died! Why should God allow an innocent baby to die? I don’t know. It seems unfair. We just have to believe that God knows what he is doing.

3. John’s role was to prepare the way of Jesus. He did that by preaching: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

In the gospel, the Greek word for repentance is “metanoia”. Metanoia means a change of mind, a change of heart. In other words, repentance must come from within. And because something has happened inside us, something will have to happen outside us. In other words, the change in behaviour outside must be the result of a change of mind and heart.

I read in the newspaper the story of a young man. He comes from the province and his family sent him to Manila to study. Being away from home for the first time, he fell into the company of bad companions. He started skipping classes. He started spending the money send to him in ‘gimmicks’. As a consequence, he even failed many subjects. He wouldn’t even go home during vacation and sem breaks. His excuse was that he had extra-curricular activities. Then one day he received a phone call. He was told to go home at once. When he arrived home, he saw a coffin. His father had just died. His mother told him that his father had been very sick but they did not tell him because they didn’t want him to worry as it could affect his studies. They also told him that since his father was sick, the family business started to fail. But they tightened their belts so that he could continue studying in Manila. When he heard that, he burst into tears. He confessed to his mother how he had behaved in Manila. And he asked pardon from his mother. In the newspaper article, he wrote that at that moment he was willing to receive any punishment that his mother would give him because of what he had done. Instead, his mother hugged him and told him that she forgave him. After the funeral, he returned to Manila a changed person. His behaviour changed because something in him changed. He finished schooling. And when he wrote that article, he had already seen the result of the board exams. He had passed it. He had passed the medical board exams.

What will make Christmas a meaningful religious event? When we are able to bring about a change in behaviour that springs from a change of mind and a change of heart.

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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.

2nd Sunday of Advent (A)

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!

Mt 3:1-12

If there is one person who should be in the spotlight during the Advent season, it is John the Baptist. During his lifetime, he prepared the people of Israel for Jesus. The prophet Isaiah describes him as “A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Advent is the time of preparation for Christmas. He can teach us how to welcome Christ on Christmas. And this is what we shall learn today.

According to the Gospel, John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. Why did St. Matthew mention this detail? I am sure it was not because he wanted to inform us about what was in fashion in those days. You see, the Jews believed that Elijah would be the one to herald or to announce the coming of the Messiah. If you read the OT (Old Testament), you will discover that Elijah wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. What St. Matthew wants to tell us is that John the Baptist is the Elijah who is to announce the coming of the Messiah.

If you see St. John the Baptist wearing clothes made of camel’s hair and further, if you see him eat only locusts and wild honey, you would say that he is an austere man. Austere people are credible because your first impression is of a holy man. They strike you as sincere. You don’t get the impression that they are after money or power. And that is why they are credible. Take Gandhi, for example. He is called Mahatma. Mahatma means great soul. He wore a white loincloth which he himself wove. He comes across as a holy man, as an austere man. What you see is what you get. He is sincere. That makes him credible. And that is why he was able to rally all of India to use non-violence in order to force the British to grant independence.

Sincere comes from two Latin words, ‘sine’ and ‘cera’. ‘Sine’ means without and ‘cera’ mean wax. Sincere means without wax. What does this mean? In Greek plays actors wear masks made of wax. The masks tell the audience about the character the actor is portraying. In so doing, the masks hide from the public who the real person is. And so when a person is sincere, he doesn’t wear any mask. What you see is what you get.

If we want to respond positively to the invitation of John the Baptist to repent, then we have to take off our masks so that we can see who we truly are. For it is only when we see the ‘real me’ that we can know what we need to repent of and where we need to change.

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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 Sunday of Advent (A)

As it was in the days of Noah,so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Mt 24:37-44

Happy New Year! Yup, it’s New Year alright. It’s not the civil New Year but the New Year of the Liturgical Calendar.

The Liturgical Year begins with the First Sunday of Advent and ends on Saturday after the Solemnity of Christ the King.

During the Liturgical Year we commemorate the important events in the life of Christ. The two most important events are Christmas (God fulfills his promise of sending the Savior.) and Easter (Jesus by rising from the dead has conquered sin and death for us.)

Important events need preparation. We prepare for Christmas during the season of Advent. We prepare for Easter during the season of Lent.

Out of sight. Out of mind. We need to see something so that we will not forget. The Advent Wreath is what Mother Church uses to remind us to prepare ourselves for Christmas.

ADVENT WREATH

It has four candles to represent the four Sundays of Advent. Each Sunday one candle is lighted until all four are lit.

Three candles are violet. One is pink.

Violet is the color of preparation. That is why the color of Lent is also violet. How do we prepare ourselves? St. John the Baptist tells us how: “Make straight his paths!” In other words, our preparation consists in repentance and conversion. That is why, confession is an important act during Advent and during Lent.

Is there a difference in the preparation of Advent and Lent? Yes, there is. The Advent preparation is a joyful one. The Lenten preparation is a somber one.

Why is one candle pink? The pink candle is lighted on the Third Sunday of Advent. Pink stands for joy. Ilang tulog na lang Pasko na! (Literally, a few more sleeps and it will be Christmas!) That is why we are joyful.

Then the shape of the Advent wreath is a circle. The circle has no beginning and no end. The circle stands for eternity. Eternity has no beginning and no end. Why are we being reminded of eternity during Advent? The first part of Advent is about the Second Coming of Christ. The second part of Advent is about the First coming of Christ. When Christ comes again, time will end and eternity will begin. For those who are found worthy of heaven, it will be happiness—body and soul—without end.

Green is the color of the Advent Wreath. Green stands for hope. We are invited to put our hope in Jesus. What does that mean? It means that we trust that Jesus in his goodness will enable us to be happy in heaven for all eternity.

NOAH’S ARK

The gospel for this Sunday begins by mentioning Noah’s Ark. God commanded Noah to build an Ark so that he and his family might be saved from the great flood that he was going to send. The flood was going to kill off all life on earth. Humanity’s sins have reached such proportions that God could no longer stand it. But since Noah was a just man, God was going to save him and his family. And while Noah was building his Ark, people laughed at him. But Noah was not deterred. God gave the command. He believed in God. And he built the Ark. And when the flood came, he and his family were saved.

God sent the flood because God couldn’t stand anymore the sins of men. It is interesting to note that some Saints could smell the stench of sin. The more serious the sins, the more intense the stench was. St. John Bosco (or Don Bosco) said that sometimes the smell was so bad, he was at the point of vomiting.

The season of Advent calls us to repent and be converted. St. Francis de Sales says that repentance should include an abhorrence of sin. Abhorrence of sin may be compared to our reaction to stench. Dapat nating pandirihan ang ating mga kasalanan.

An ark is a boat or a ship. One of the symbols of the Church is a boat. St. John Bosco had a vision about the Church. (Don Bosco used to call his visions “dreams” because these visions usually came to him in his sleep.) In that vision the Church was represented by a ship. That vision came to be known as the Dream of the Two Pillars.

In that vision, the boat under the command of the Pope was being attacked on all sides. The enemy ships wanted to sink the ship of the Church. The Pope ordered the ship to seek safety between two giant pillars coming out of the sea. Upon reaching the two pillars, he ordered the ship to be tied to the two pillars. On top of the higher pillar was the Sacred Host. On top of the lower pillar was a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Once the ship of the Church was tied securely to the two pillars, a violent wind sprung from nowhere and sunk the enemy ships. Only the ship of the Church under the command of the Pope was saved.

Jesus is our Savior. We can not save ourselves. That is why Jesus had to come down from heaven and be born on Christmas day. But he can not save us unless we come to him, in the same way that the ship of the Church had to go to the Pillar of the Eucharist in order to be saved. How do we come to Jesus? We come to Jesus especially through confession and communion.

In the dream of the Two Pillars, there is also the lower pillar of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is fortunate that the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception occurs during the First Week of Advent. The Blessed Mother teaches us how to prepare ourselves for Christmas. The Immaculate Conception means that Mary was never touched by sin, not even from the first moment of her existence. Obviously, we can not imitate her in that aspect. But we can go to confession and be cleansed of our sins and make every effort of avoiding mortal sins so that when Christmas comes we can present to Jesus a heart that is ready for him.

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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.

CHRIST THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE (C)

"Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Lk 23:35-43

JESUS

The sign says that Jesus is the King of the Jews. He is the King not only for the Jews but for everyone. His throne is the heart of people. And therefore, he can not be your King unless you open your heart to him.

There is a painting entitled, “Christ, the Light of the World.” There is a story behind this painting. When the painter finished the painting, his son examined it. After a while the son turned to the father and said, “You forgot something, Dad.” “What is it?” And the son re-plied, “You forgot to paint the door knob.” The father smiled and said, “No, son. I did not. You see the door symbolizes the human heart. Jesus can not open it and enter our hearts. We have to open it for him.” Jesus can not be King over us unless we willingly put our faith in him.

GOOD THIEF

What is it that made the Good Thief ask Jesus to allow him to enter his King-dom? In other words, what made him give his faith to Jesus? I think that the behavior of Jesus on the cross touched him and made him think. In other words, the good example of Jesus opened the eyes of the Good Thief and made him see Jesus as coming from God. Here we see the power of good example. That is why parents are reminded that it is not enough to talk to your children about "magandang asal". They also need to see you practising magandang asal. Also remember that when you brought your children to be baptized, you accepted the responsibility of raising them in the faith. That means you have to talk to your children about the Christian life and they also have to see you living the Christian life.

When Jesus promised heaven to Dimas, the Good Thief, what he was actually doing was saving him. When Jesus saves us, he opens the door of heaven to us. What can we learn from this? First, no one is so bad that he can not change. Second, anyone can be saved, no matter how bad he has been. God will always give us the opportunity to be repent and be saved at the last moment of our life. Why? Because God is good. The only thing asked of us is to acknowledge our sins and to ask Jesus to open the doors of heaven for us.

Two additional things. First, perhaps it is more accurate to call Dimas the Repentant Thief rather than the Good Thief. Second, the name of the unrepentant thief was Hestas. Both of them were thieves. The only difference was that Dimas repented. Peter and Judas were both disloyal to Jesus. The only difference was that Peter repented, while Judas despaired of ever being forgiven.

SOLDIERS

Soldiers offered wine to Jesus. We should see this as an act of kindness. No one is so bad that there is nothing good in him. Why were they there? Were they guarding Jesus and the two thieves? Of course not! Jesus and the thieves can not run away. They were probably protecting Jesus from the leaders of the people and their supporters. Parents protect their children from sickness. But also protect them from bad companions. I have seen how good boys become bad because they became involved with bad barkada. I suppose it’s the same with the girls.

You need to tell you children how to spot bad barkada. You need to warn them about the consequences of bad barkada. There is one advise that I read and would like to share it with you. Let your children know that their friends are welcome at home. That way you can get to know your children’s friends and spot those who might be BI (bad influence).

PEOPLE

These people are called “Uzi’s” (usisero). They are curious onlookers. When there is heavy traffic at the SLEX (South Luzon Expressway), there’s probably an accident or a car has stalled. Even if the car is already on the shoulder, there’s still heavy traffic. Why? Because cars slow down to look at what happened. I do not know if it will work here but in the Philippines try to stop and look up. In no time many people will also stop and look up. Usiseros are merely curious onlookers. They are not involved.

It is possible to be usiseros at Mass. We can be present but uninvolved. To be involved means to be physically and mentally present. We listen. We respond. We sing. We sit, stand and kneel. Nakiki-isa tayo.

RULERS

The rulers were sneering at Jesus. Mga alaskador sila. What do you do with people who behave like them? Once upon a time there were two monks. As they were walking, a man started to hurl insults at them. The older monk remained un-perturbed. But the young monk was red in the face. When they were already far away, the young monk asked the older monk why he remained unaffected. The older monk took a stone and gave it to the younger monk. The younger monk took it. The older monk then said to the younger monk, “You were red in the face be-cause you accepted the insults of that man. I was not affected because I refused to accept his insults.” Perhaps, our lives will be more peaceful if we stop accepting the bad things people say to us or about us.

ADVENT

Next week we shall begin the new year of the church with the first Sunday of Advent. While this Sunday invites us to welcome Jesus as King of our Hearts, the Sundays of Advent will invite us to give to the Baby Jesus a place in our hearts. Remember that in the first Christmas, Jesus had to be born in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Let this Christmas be different. Let him find welcoming hearts.


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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.

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Jesus said, "All that you see here--the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

Lk 21:5-19

BIBLICAL NOTES

Biblical scholars call this passage the eschatological discourse. Eschatology deals with the end time, that is, the return of Jesus. What will happen when Jesus returns?

1. The world will end. It does not mean the destruction of the world. Instead, it means that the universe will be transformed.
   
2. The resurrection of the dead. The souls of those who died will rejoin their bodies. But their bodies will be changed.
   
3. There will be the general judgment. Those who are worthy of heaven will go to heaven body and soul. Those who are worthy of hell will go to hell body and soul.
   
4. Time will end and eternity will begin. Eternity means no end. This means that those who are in heaven will always be in heaven. And those who are in hell will always be in hell.

But before Jesus returns, Jerusalem and its temple will be destroyed. And between the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the return of Jesus, there is a period of time called the time of the gentiles. How long will it be? We do not know.

In connection with this, we must remember that in the beginning, Christians thought that the return of Jesus will take place during their lifetime. They, there-fore, did not expect the period of time called the time of the gentiles. Jesus, of course, has not yet returned. But Jerusalem and its temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

Why are the gospels talking about eschatology or the end time? Because this is the them at the end of the liturgical year and at the beginning of the Advent.

LESSON

I take my inspiration from the closing words of Jesus: “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” The key word is perseverance or endurance.

Let’s talk first about the opposite of perseverance and endurance.

Ningas Cugon. When you set fire to dried cugon grass, it will burn intensely. But only for a short time. The fire soon dies out. We make New Year’s resolu-tions. But we keep it only on January 1. By January 2, BSDU na tayo. Balik sa dating ugali (we return to our old ways).

I know someone who joined a renewal movement many years ago. He was so excited about Jesus. But that was only for a month. When he died, he left a legal wife and an illegal wife. By the way, he died of cirrhosis of the liver. He was drinking too much.

When we do not persevere or endure, we give up. Bibitaw tayo (we let go.) I remember reading the story of a ship wreck near Mindoro. Two survivors were keeping themselves afloat by holding on to a drum. After many hours at sea, one of them said, “Hindi ko na kaya (I can’t take it anymore).” And he let go. The other who kept on holding the drum was rescued later.

Why do some marriages fail? Because one or both spouses give up. They stop trying to save their marriage. I do not mean that all marriages can be saved. Nor do I suggest that it is good na magpaka-martir (to be a martyr). But it might be helpful to consider what couples in the US whose marriages survived a crisis have to say? They said that even in the worst circumstances, they never entertained the possibility of divorce.

Let’s now talk about perseverance and endurance.

Viktor Frankl wrote a book, “Man’s Search for Meaning”. In that book he re-lated his experience in an extermination camp in World War II. He witnessed how prisoners killed themselves by running towards the electrified fence of the camp. But he saw others who struggled to survive. He discovered that these were the ones who had a reason to live. One common reason was that after the war they had to bring back their family together. In order to persevere and endure, one must have a reason.

One man had been working in a hotel in Saudi Arabia for many years. He wrote to his wife, telling her that he was already tired and lonely there, but he had to keep on working until all their children (six of them) finished college.

A woman wanted to be the first woman to swim across the English Channel. The day for the attempt was foggy. Everything went well until the last kilometer. Her parents were encouraging her to go on. But she signalled to be taken on board the accompanying boat. When interviewed, she said that if only she could see the land ahead, she would have made it. She made a second attempt. This time she succeeded. The difference? There was no fog. She could see land ahead. In order to persevere and endure, we have to see that we are moving towards the goal. Merong nangyayari (our efforts are effective).

Don Bosco said that one important element in making a good confession is to make a specific resolution. For example, if there is nothing good I can say about a person, I will just keep quiet. What should I do so that I do not get tired of keeping this resolution every day? At the end of the day, I should look for at least one successful implementation of the resolution.

Can you bring 200 kilos of brick to a spot 50 meter away? Yes, you can. Carry only 10 kilos. And after 20 trips, you would have transferred all the bricks to that spot 50 meters away. The secret is in dividing the task into smaller, man-ageable chunks.

I am studying at present. I am taking up 10 subjects. In the beginning I felt overwhelmed. The school work was heavy. There was so much to do and the time was not enough. What did I do? If there was a homework to be passed on a certain date, I counted how many days I had. I then divided the homework among those days. The work for each day was lighter and therefore, easier to complete.

Let’s go back to the 200 kilos of brick. There’s another way to make the task easier to complete. Ask someone’s help. Instead of making 20 trips, the two of you can do just 10 trips. What is my point? It’s easier to persevere until the end when you know you are not alone. It is easier not to give up when you know that God is by your side.

That is why faith is so important.


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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.

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Finally the woman also died.Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her.

Lk 20:27-38

Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to Jesus.

The Pharisees believed in the Resurrection. The Sadducees do not. In Juda-ism itself there is division. There is no unity of belief. Among Christians there is also division. There is no unity of belief.

Among us Filipinos there is also division. It is not a problem of unity of belief. The problem is that there is no unity of vision and no unity of action. And until this is solved we shall continue to be poor and we shall continue to see Filipinos leaving the Philippines in order to find well-paying jobs abroad. Why is this a problem? I talked to a kababayan on the way to Testaccio some Sundays ago. She told me that she used to work in the Middle East. She was earning big. But she had to return to the Philippines because her children had become problematic. They stopped schooling and married early. In other words, the phenomenon of Filipinos going abroad to work has consequences for families.

Finally the woman also died. Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her.

Why was this a problem for the Sadducees? Because they were thinking that the afterlife will be the same as life on earth. But Jesus in effect told them that things will be different in the next world. There will be no problem about who the husband will be because in the next life there is no such thing as marriage.

We can learn something from this. We can learn to look at things in a differ-ent way. This is called reframing. And it can make a world of a difference in our lives.

I have a relative who is a millionaire. They were nine siblings. Her father died during the Japanese occupation. To make ends meet, the mother sold fish in the market. For her to be able to study, she had to rely on her aunt who was a public school teacher. She could have looked at her situation as a closed door. In other words, she could have decided that since she came from a poor family, there was nothing she can do about it but remain poor. But she didn’t look at her situation as a closed door. She looked at it as a mountain to climb. In other words, she decided that she can rise above her poverty. And she did.

When St. John Bosco asked Rome to officially recognize his religious con-gregation (which we now call the Salesians of St. John Bosco), so many difficul-ties cropped up that he said that if he knew this would happen, he would not have attempted to have it recognized at all. But what kept him going? He didn’t look at his congregation as his work. It was God’s work and if it was God’s work, then God will find a way to have it approved.

The way we look at things can make a world of a difference. If things are not going well with your life, it might be time for you to do some reframing.

He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.

Since we are in the month of November, let me talk about death as the last point.

Someone asked me if it was true that when someone dies he stays in this world for 40 days and only after that does he go to heaven. I told him that is not true. When one dies, he is judged and he goes right away to heaven or to hell or to purgatory. Maybe someone got that idea because after his resurrection, Jesus stayed 40 days more in order to prepare his disciples for their mission. Only after that did he ascend into heaven.

Another asked me whether I believe in ghosts. I replied, “If you mean dead people who come in order to scare you, my answer is a big no. But if you mean dead relatives who show themselves for some reason, especially if it is to ask for you prayers, my answer is yes.” I never saw a dead relative. But my brother when he was little saw our aunt (who we just buried) waving good-bye. She was at the roof of the house and it was in broad daylight. My Rector in college saw his dead friend sitting on his bed. It was morning. The friend didn’t say anything. But my rector offered a mass for his soul. It is good to pray for our dead relatives because they may still need our prayers. And believe it or not, we can also ask them to pray for us.

For us Christians, death is not the end of the story. Death is just passing on to another kind of life. And one day on the Resurrection of the dead our bodies will again be united with our souls and will be transformed like the bodies of Jesus and Mary. And that is why Christians had a different name for their burial places. Pagans called their burial places “necropolis” or city of the dead. Christians called their burial places “cemetery” or place of rest. Why? Because for us death is just like falling asleep. One day the dead will all wake up and rise to new life—on the last day, the resurrection of the dead.


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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.

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Zacchaeus, come down quickly,for today I must stay at your house.

Lk 19:1-10

Jesus

Good Shepherd. He has concern for the lost. He seeks them out. That’s why he stopped at where Zacchaeus was and asked to be welcomed into his home. At the end of the gospel, Jesus declared: "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost." Did Jesus come for you? If you do not feel the need to be redeemed, then Jesus did not come for you.

Jesus called Zacchaeus by name. Jesus knew Zacchaeus. If he didn’t know Zacchaeus, he would have said, “Hey you! Come down.” God knows us individually. He keeps us in mind. That is the meaning of the bible quotation, “I have written your name on the palm of my hands.”

Zacchaeus

He was the head tax collector. People hated him for good reason. First, as head tax collector, he had tax collectors under him. They were collecting more than what the Romans demanded. Why? He gave to the Romans what they wanted and the difference was his to keep. Second, he was an agent of the Romans. He was a collaborator of the enemy.

But we can learn many good things from him.

Did Zacchaeus expect Jesus to stop, look up and ask to be invited to his house? Probably not. But he welcomed Jesus all the same and gladly! The call of Jesus to conversion may come to us when we least expect. How ready are we to respond with “yes” to that call?

He wanted to see Jesus. But he was short and the crowds prevented him from coming near Jesus nor even catching a glimpse of Jesus. What did he do? He climbed a tree. Zacchaeus was resourceful. Life will not always be easy. We need to be resourceful (maparaan). We also need to develop a winner’s attitude. That is, we look at difficulties not as doors that are locked and can not be opened but as hills that can be climbed. This is called a “can do” attitude. This is called a winner’s attitude.

Zacchaeus might be short in physical stature. But he certainly was of high social stature in Jericho. To climb a tree is unbecoming of his social stature. What will people say? He didn’t care. Sometimes we fail to do what he should do because of what people will say. Sometimes also we do what we should not do because of what people will say. This is called human respect. And for young people, this is called peer pressure. Like Zacchaeus, we need to develop that ability of not being pressured by what people will say. How? When we are able to develop a strong sense of self-esteem, it will be much easier to resist human respect and peer pressure.

Zaccheus promised to give half his wealth to the poor and if he had cheated anyone he would pay back that person four times. This is called restitution. It is not enough to be sorry for our sins. We need to make restitution. We have to return what we have stolen. We need to set the record straight if we have ruined the reputation of someone. If you have hurt somebody’s feelings, why don’t you do something to make that person happy?

We love happy endings. Do you remember the ending of Lord of the Rings? Do you remember how fairy tales ended? “And they lived happily ever after.” The story of Zacchaeus had also a happy ending. He not only had Jesus in his home. He also had a conversion. How will our life end? Will it also have a happy ending?

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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.

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.

Lk 18:9-14

How did the Pharisee and Tax Collector stand before God?

The Pharisee went as near as possible to the altar. He stood erect, head high and his arms outstretched toward heaven. You couldn’t hear anything. But his lips moved. What was he saying? “God, look how good I am. I’ve done everything the Law commands, unlike other people, particularly that tax collector behind. He’s a very bad man, you know.” How did you react? He turned me off. I guess he turned you off, too. I’ve got a feeling that he wanted to add something else, but was too modest to say it. And it’s this: “God, don’t you feel lucky to have me?”

The Tax Collector, on the other hand, was way, way behind. He wouldn’t dare get any nearer. He wouldn’t even dare raise his eyes to heaven. His lips were moving, too. And he kept on beating his breast. What was he saying? “God, look how bad I am. I am sorry. But please accept me, not because I am good but be-cause you are good.” Don’t you feel sorry for this man? If I were God, lalambot ang puso ko (literally, my heart would soften) and I would just hug him and tell him, everything is forgiven. In fact that was what Jesus said. The Tax Collector went home forgiven.

How does man stand before God?

We should not even stand before God. We should bow down as a Creature before his Creator. In times past, man offered the first fruits of his land and of his animals. Today, we can offer to him each day that comes. We call this the morn-ing offering. Here is an example: “O my God, I offer unto Thee all my thoughts, works, joys, and sufferings of this day. And I beseech Thee to grant me Thy grace that I may not offend Thee this day; but may faithfully serve Thee and do Thy holy will in all things. Amen.

But man is not just a creature. He/she is a son/daughter of the Father. And be-cause of that, he/she has no second thoughts about asking. When we ask some-thing from God, we extend our hands, not as beggars, but as his children. But that is not all. Children want to tell their parents news about themselves. They also confide to their parents. They seek their advice. Because we are God’s children, we open our hearts to him.

Having said all these things, we should not forget an important fact. We are sinners before the All-Holy God. Remember the first time Peter met Jesus? They were working all night and caught nothing. But Jesus told them to throw their nets again. And Peter did as Jesus commanded. And he caught a great catch of fish. And Peter fell at Jesus’ feet and said, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Perhaps, our prayer should be a bit different, “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

One last point. I have heard young people say that one reason why they don’t go to confession anymore is that they are ashamed. Not ashamed of confessing their sins, but ashamed because they promise God not to sin again but find them-selves committing the same sins again. What do I tell them? “Do you remember the parable of the Prodigal Son? All that matters to God is that you return. So reconcile with God as often as you need.”

Finally, a word on humility and contempt.

Humility is truth. When you achieve something, people come and congratu-late you. They say: “Ang galing mo! (literally, you’re good!)” This is the usual response: “Hindi naman. (Oh no!)” Pa-humble effect. This is all wrong. It’s even a lie. Why? Because how could you have succeeded in something, if you’re not good at it. Therefore, how should you respond? Just say, “thank you”.
About contempt. To hold someone in contempt is to look down on him. Mi-namata mo siya. This reminded me of three things. First. The Church in the Philippines has opted to be the Church of the Poor. What does that mean? It means that no one is so rich as to be in need of nothing. And that no one is so poor as to be incapable of contributing something. If that is the case, how can anyone be held in contempt?

The second is from “La Desiderata”. “You are a child of the universe. Listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story.” We all have something to share. And therefore, no one is worthy of contempt.

This brings me to the last point. It’s a story about a boyhood memory. This man adored his father. His father was his hero. One day they rode on a train. His father invited him to come with him to where the driver was. In those days, the train ran on coal. The driver was an old man, near retirement. He was dirty, probably because of the coal. He wondered why his father bothered to talk to the man. Later, he told his father what he thought. And his father replied, “Everyone has something to say that you don’t know yet. Everyone can teach you something new.”

And if you are suffering from inferiority complex, listen to this. If it is true that everyone can teach you something new, then it is also true that you can teach everyone something new.

Hold no one in contempt. But let no one also hold you in contempt.


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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.

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.

Lk 18:1-8

Our theme for this Sunday is prayer. I’ll first tackle the kinds of prayer and then the qualities that our prayer should have.

The kinds of prayer are: adoration, contrition, thanksgiving and supplication. To remember them easily let us the word “ACTS”.

A. Adoration. When Moses approached the burning bush, God asked him to remove his sandals. In the movie Charleston Heston bowed low on the ground. That was an act of adoration. Adoration is to recognize that God is God.

C. Contrition. In confession we recite the prayer, “Oh my God, I’m heartily sorry for having offended you.” Contrition is sorrow for sins. It is to apologize to God. It is to say sorry.
T. Thanksgiving. When we were young, we used to go to our ninongs (godfa-thers) and ninangs (godmothers) every Christmas. After receiving our gifts, our mother would say, “And what will you say?” Thank you, of course. Thanksgiving is to say thank you to God. Remember the leper who returned to Jesus to thank him for his healing?

S. Supplication, that is, asking God for some favour. Perhaps, this is the most common prayer among us. Sometimes we pray for our needs such as passing the board exams, or getting a job. For this we make a novena or offer a Mass or pray the rosary.

Sometimes we pray for the needs of others, for the dead, for the sick. When St. John Bosco had a pressing need, he would ask his boys to go and visit the Blessed Sacrament and pray for his intentions. He used to say, “Do you want many graces? Visit the Blessed Sacrament often. Do you want few graces? Visit less often.”

Sometimes we pray together for some intention and not just alone. We do this in the prayer of the faithful. In our traditional monthly exercise for a happy death, we have this intention: For the one among us who will be the first to die.

I would also like to mention asking the Saints to pray for our intentions such as St. Jude, St. Anthony, and most of all, the Blessed Mother. St. John Bosco said, “Have trust in Mary Help of Christians and you will see what miracles are.” If you go to Turin you will see the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians. Don Bosco said that every brick of that Basilica represents a grace or a miracle given through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians.

Now the second part, the qualities of our prayer of supplication. Our prayer must be faith-FULL. And secondly, as Jesus said in the gospel, our prayer must be persevering.

Our prayer must be faith-FULL, or full of faith. We pray to God for our needs because we believe that God is concerned about us. Think about it. Why would you pray if at the very outset, you don’t believe that God cares?

But we must also believe that God can do something about our needs. There is a song that professes in the power of God to do something for us, “God will make a way.”

The second quality is persevering prayer. Does God answer all our prayers? Yes. But his answers are not all the same. Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes the answer is no. Sometimes he gives something else. And sometimes the answer is wait.

Why wait? Because everything has its own time. Everything has to fall into place. The past couple of years has been difficult for me. At the time I asked God to deliver me from the suffering I was going through. What was God’s answer? Wait. I had to wait one year to be delivered from that suffering.

We should never lose heart when we pray because God will make a way.

God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way He will make a way

(Don Moen)


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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.

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?

Lk 17:11-19

EXAMINING THE GOSPEL TEXT

As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"

Lepers are not only people with leprosy but also various kinds of skin disease that make one abhorrent to look at.

Is it significant that there are ten lepers? Yes. If Jesus cured one leper it shows he is powerful. But if he cured ten, it means he is really, really powerful.

The lepers met Jesus outside the village. Why? Lepers were cut off from the community. They live outside villages. They can not enter villages.

They stood at a distance because they can not come near other people. Why? The obvious reason is to prevent other people from getting the disease. But there is a religious reason, too. Their skin disease prevented them from reflecting externally the holiness of Yahweh.

And when he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the priests. As they were going they were cleansed.

That they obeyed Jesus meant that they believed that Jesus would cure them. And in fact, as they went, they were cured. Why was going to the priests an act of faith? Because when one has been cured of leprosy, he went to the priests for the rite of purification. That rite publicly confirms that the person is really cured and can now live with the community.

And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice.
When something wonderful happens to you, you would like to let the world know about it. That is the reason why the man who was cured was thanking God in a loud voice.

He was a Samaritan.

Just as in the parable of the Good Samaritan, so also here the hero is not a Jew but a Samaritan.

Then he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you."

What did the Samaritan believe? Not only that Jesus would cure him. He also believed that Jesus came from God.

GIVING THANKS

Let us examine the sequence of events in this episode. Jesus came to face with a disease. The ten lepers did not only suffer from a physical ailment. Because they were excluded from the community, they also suffered emotionally. The reaction of Jesus was compassion and mercy. Jesus did not only feel sorry for them. Jesus did something for them. He cured them. The response of the Samaritan was thanksgiving.

Thanking God

Once upon a time a cowboy became a member of the charismatic renewal. So he taught his horse to respond to special commands. When he said, “Thanks be to God” the horse would gallop. When he said, “Praise the Lord” the horse would stop. One day when he was riding his horse, a snake frightened the horse. So the horse started galloping. But at a distance, was a ravine. The cowboy panicked. In his panic he forgot the command for stopping the horse. So he prayed to God to help him remember. Just before reaching the ravine, he remembered the com-mand. He shouted, “Praise the Lord.” And the horse stopped. The cowboy gave a sigh of relief and said, “Thanks be to God.”

When was the last time you thanked God? How often do we thank God? In the first place are we aware of what to thank God for? Is there something more we can do to say thank you to God?

Thanking others

There was an old immigrant woman in the US. But for some reason, she was brought to court. However, the judge ruled in her favour. The following day, the woman brought a bag of coins and brought it to the judge to say thank you. Of course, the judge said thank you but told the woman to keep the money.

Have we formed the habit of saying thank you? At home do you say thank you to one another? Do you teach your children by word and example to say thanks?

Have you seen the film Pay It Forward? What does Pay It Forward mean? When someone does you a favour, you say thank you to that person. When you pay it forward, you do one more thing. You do a favour to another person. Why don’t you give thanks by paying it forward?

Remembering

Gratitude is the memory of the heart. It is easy to be grateful when we remember.

Let me give you an assignment in order to put into practice the message of today’s gospel. Find some time today to remember the good things that have hap-pened to you. Remember the people who were involved in those things. Thank God for those good things. Finally, ask God to bless those people who made those good things happen to you.

Gratitude is the memory of the heart. It is easy to be grateful when we remember.


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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.

27th SUNDAY in Ordinary Time (C)

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."

Lk 17:5-10

EXEGESIS

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."

First, if our faith in God is not strong enough, something can be done to increase it. And that is to pray for an increase of faith.

Second, why do we need a strong faith in God? Because unless we have a strong faith, God can not give us all of the good things he wants to bless us with. When Jesus went to Nazareth, he was surprised how little faith they had in him. The result? “So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith” (Mk 6: 5-6).

God has his hands full of blessings. But if we have little faith, it is as if our hands are closed and so we are unable to receive his blessings. But when our faith is strong, it is as if both our hand are wide open to receive his blessings.

The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

Jesus is using a hyperbole (exaggeration) here. What is his point? It is this: with faith, great things can happen.

When Don Bosco (St. John Bosco) was dying, he said, “If I had greater faith, I could have done more good.”

It’s like digging a hole. If you use a spoon, you’ll be able to dig a small hole in an hour. If you use a payloader, you’ll be able to dig a big, big hole in an hour. If you don’t have faith, it’s like using a spoon. If you have faith, it’s like using a payloader.

Therefore, if you want great things to happen in your life, you must put your faith in God.

When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"

What is the point of this parable? To answer this question, we have to identify the audience first, that is, to whom is the parable addressed? To the disciples. Now we ask, “what does Jesus want to say to his disciples?” They will be rewarded not because they have a right to the reward. They will be rewarded because God is good.

Maybe we can put it in more simple terms: If we tried to be good on earth, when we die, we can not go to God and tell him: “Open the gates of heaven for me. I earned it.” No. Instead, our words should be: “I tried to be good on earth. I ask to enter heaven, not because I feel I am good enough for heaven but because you are merciful enough to let me in.”

THOUGHT

Let’s go back to the image of using a spoon and a payloader to dig a hole. Perhaps, our problem is not that we chose a spoon. Maybe the problem is that we chose to dig a small hole and that’s why we are contented with a spoon. In other words, perhaps our dreams are too small; our aim too low.

Why are our dreams too small and our aim too low?

Perhaps we are not aware of other possibilities. More than 25 years ago when I was working in a depressed area in Joriz, I volunteered to take charge of the Rondalla. What I did was to bring them to the CBD of Makati. Why? Because I wanted them to see that there is more out there than the sari-sari store in the street corner. I wanted them to dream of one day working in Makati and having enough money to eat there.

Perhaps we are afraid of the effort involved. You need to work hard to achieve great dreams. If you want a beautiful home, you need to work to own that beautiful home.

Perhaps we are afraid to dream big and aim high because we do not have faith in God and in ourselves. When we do not believe in our capacity to achieve our dreams, it means we do not have faith in ourselves. When we do not believe that God will help us achieve our dreams, it means we do not have faith in God. When Manny Pacquiao enters the ring and makes the sign of the cross, to me it means that he is asking God and our Blessed Mother to help him achieve his dream of winning the fight.

Life is a gift and a responsibility. Life is God’s gift to us. He gave us the chance to live. But it is also a responsibility because we need to something worthwhile with our life. Because at the end of our life we will have to present to God what we have done with out life. When the time comes, may we be able to present to him something beautiful, something we can be proud of.


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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.