15th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

I am away and am not sure if I can regularly upload my reflections for the Sunday. By September I hope to upload my reflections more regularly.

Mt 13:1-23

Parables are stories. And because they are stories, they catch the attention of listeners. But Jesus used parables not so much because they capture the interest of his audience but because parables challenge the beliefs or behavior of his audience. For example, Jesus used the parable of the Prodigal Son to challenge the unwelcoming attitude towards sinners of the Scribes and Pharisees. Obviously, the parable of the Seed and the Sower forces us to ask ourselves what kind of soil we are.

Jesus does not explain his parables. They are not meant to be explained in the first place. Each hearer will have to unlock for himself the meaning which the parable has for him.

Why then do we find Jesus explaining the parable to his disciples? Bible scholars say that the explanation is really how the early church understood the parable and which it then put in the mouth of Jesus.

How do I understand the parable?

1. The Path

Our parents, our teachers, our priests may have led us along the path of Christian life in our youth. But as we grew older we forgot what they taught us. We took a different road.

2. The Rocky Ground

Lack of roots. It is easy to pull plants that do not have roots. It is easy to give up Christian values that have been accepted superficially. This is the case when Christian values are based merely on emotions or on conformity. After a retreat one feels good and is inspired to be good. One is on fire. But after a week everything goes back to normal (balik sa dating ugali). It is easy to be sober in an environment where people do not drink in order to get drunk. But it is a different story when one's friends drink till they get drunk.

3. Thorns

Thorns (weeds) absorb the nutrients from the soil faster than the "good" seed. Consequently, the "good plant" grows but is stunted and produces small (inferior) fruits. Sometimes we allow other concerns to grab all our attention and all our energy so that almost nothing remains for our Christian life.

I remember watching the movie, "Oh, God! 2" In that movie, God helped a struggling singer to make it big. When he became successful, he forgot God and led a loose life. His attention and energy was absorbed by his profession and his dissolute living. Little or nothing was left for God.

4. Good Soil

The seed that fell on good soil gave an incredible yield, a hundredfold, sixtyfold, thirtyfold. The proof of a good soil is the fruit. As Jesus already said, "By their fruits you shall know them." Ingrid Betancourt was rescued from the FARC rebels. She never lost her faith. How do we know? She never gave up on prayer.

If God's word has taken root in your heart, what should we see? If God has taken possession of your soul, what do we expect to observe?

14th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.

Mt 11:25-30

STRUCTURE OF GOSPEL

The first part speaks about the learned and the intelligent vis-à-vis children:
I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones.

Then Jesus talks about his relationship with the Father:
All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son.

Finally, Jesus invites those who are burdened with the difficulties of life to come to him:
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.

COMMENTARY OF THE GOSPEL

You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned.

This reminds us of what happened in the Book of Daniel (2:3-13). While the wise men could not interpret the dream of Nabucodonosor, the meaning of the dream was revealed to Daniel who was a mere youth.

You have revealed them to little ones.

In Matthew’s gospel, the little ones are the disciples.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father.

“All things” refer to the Kingdom of God and its secrets.

No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son.

Here Jesus affirms in an indirect way his unique relationship with the Father.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.

In Judaism, the Law of God (both written and oral) is referred to as a yoke (Sir 51:26). In this context, the yoke is not thought of as heavy nor painful. In fact the yoke of the Law is spoken of as the joy of the yoke.

Jesus places his liberating interpretation of the Law in opposition to the legal-istic interpretation of Judaism. In other words, Jesus announces to men together with the renewed Law the joy of the Kingdom.

ST. PETER & ST. PAUL

I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.

Mt 16:13-19

COMMENTARY

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

John was a prophet just like Elijah and Jeremiah. People considered Jesus as one of them. And they were wrong.

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Christ is the Greek form of “Anointed”. Messiah is the Hebrew form. Peter got it right. He was able to discover who Jesus really was because the Father gave him the faith (or the “eyes”) to perceive the truth about Jesus.

In the OT the title son of God was given to angels, to faithful Israelites, to Israel itself and to the Messiah. It implied a special election from God and a special mission for the chosen one. When Christians called Jesus “Son of God”, they are declaring the Jesus is Son without equal and has a mission of saving mankind without equal.

And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.

Now it is the turn of Jesus to tell Simon, son of Jonah, about his new responsibility. He would be the rock upon which Jesus would build his church. That is why he is to be called “Peter” or Cephas”.

The image of the rock is significant. Jesus said that a man who puts into prac-tice his teachings is a like a man who built his house on rock. When the flood came and the wind blew, the house remained standing. So also the Church will remain firm against the attacks of the powers of hell. Of course, it is not because of Peter but because of the strength given by Jesus Christ to Peter and the Church.

This passage is a recognition of the pre-eminent position of Peter in the primi-tive Church which according to Catholic tradition passed on to his successors, the Popes.

And the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

Netherworld is Hades or in Hebrew, Sheol, the dwelling place of the dead. Jesus declares that Sheol cannot keep in death the members of his community.

I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

To be able to carry out his responsibility over the Church, Jesus gives author-ity over the Church to Peter. This is signified by the symbol of the keys. This is why the Vatican flag has the image of the keys. The statue of St. Peter often has Peter holding a set of keys.

The power of the keys means: (1) the power to permit or to prohibit, (2) the power to admit or exclude from the community of faith and kingdom of God, (3) the forgiveness of sins.

12th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Mt 10:26-33

COMMENTARY

Paraphrase of the Gospel

Do not be afraid. Proclaim the Kingdom of God.

Do not allow fear of those who can only kill the body deter you from proclaiming God’s kingdom. If you have to be afraid of anyone, be afraid of God who can not only take away your life but send you to hell as well.

But you don’t have to be afraid of God because if he takes care of sparrows that are of little value, how much more will he take care of you, you who have greater value than a flock of sparrows.

Do not be afraid of publicly professing your faith in me. If you deny that you know me, I will also deny knowing you.

Explanations

Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?

The small coin referred to is one of the smallest Roman coin used. It is called an “as”. With an as, you can buy 8 sparrows.

Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.

There are two possible meanings. First, God is not absent when a disciple dies. A second possible meaning is: Disciples do not die for the Gospel without God permitting it. Their death is not just an incident but an event of great value.

Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.

What is spoken of here is the disciple witnessing to Jesus even at cost of shedding his blood. When this happens, he is sharing in the same lot as his Master, Jesus Christ.
The witnessing is in the form of proclaiming publicly and with one’s actions that he is solidly for Jesus Christ.

But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.

We are reminded of the betrayal of Peter: As he went out to the gate, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazorean. Again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man!" A little later the bystanders came over and said to Peter, "Surely you too are one of them; even your speech gives you away." At that he began to curse and to swear, "I do not know the man." And immediately a cock crowed. (Mt 26: 71-74).
But after the Resurrection, Jesus pardoned Peter.

FOR LIFE

Fear is our emotional response to a powerful threat to one’s safety.

That emotional response triggers a behavioural response: either we flee or we are paralyzed by fear.

When I was studying theology at UST, I saw a college student running away. There was fear in his eyes. Now and then he looked back to see if anyone was following him. He was fleeing from danger.

When I was still a Brother, we went to Tagkawayan, Quezon for summer camp. While hiking along rice fields that have been harvested, a snake suddenly reared its head. It was a big one. We ran away as fast as we could. We fled from danger.

A teacher once mentioned this story. During the Japanese time, people were evacuating because of the advancing Japanese soldiers. His mother said: “Let’s just stay here together and die together.” His mother was paralyzed by fear.

A boy got a girl pregnant. He could not tell his parents what happened. He was paralyzed by fear.

Sometimes there is nothing to fear. But we scare ourselves to death. One of our priests who is a therapist related this exercise they had when he was still studying. Their professor hypnotized them. Under hypnosis, their professor told them to enter the room in their imagination and discover inside what they were afraid of. Do you know what they found inside the room of their imagination? Nothing. In other words, there was really nothing to be afraid of. But why were they afraid? Because they create monsters in their imagination.

I just recently finished two examinations. One was oral, the other written. I was anxious and afraid. In my mind, I was thinking: “What if I forget the answer to the questions? What if I was asked about something I was not able to study?” In other words, before the exams I was thinking about what could go wrong. And yet during the exams, I was able to answer all the questions pretty well. What was I doing before the exams? I was scaring myself. What I should have done was to shut out those thoughts that made me afraid.

But at other times, there is really reason to be afraid. But fear is able to overcome us because our faith is weak. If our faith is strong enough, fear will not be able to overpower us. In other words, we will be able to face and overcome our fears.

When God told Abraham to leave his father and his native land to go to a faraway land, he must have felt some fear. It is natural to fear the unknown. But because he believed that God was going with him to that faraway land, he was able to overcome that fear.

We read in Psalm 27: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom do I fear? The LORD is my life's refuge; of whom am I afraid?

We are told that the words “Do not be afraid” can be found 365 times in the Bible, It is as if every day of the year God keeps on reminding us not to be afraid. And why should we not be afraid? Because Jesus tells us: “It is I. Do not be afraid.” Because Jesus reassures us: “And know that I am with you always till the end of the world.”

11th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus...‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

Mt 9:36—10:8

COMMENTARY

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.

The shepherd is a favourite image in the Bible. Jesus applies to himself the image of the Good Shepherd. When the Magi inquired where the Messiah was, the chief priests quoted from the prophet: “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”.

The image of the shepherd was also applied to the kings of Israel. In 1 Chron 11:2 we read: “Then all Israel gathered about David in Hebron, and they said: "Surely, we are of the same bone and flesh as you. Even formerly, when Saul was still the king, it was you who led Israel in all its battles. And now the LORD, your God, has said to you, 'You shall shepherd my people Israel and be ruler over them.'"

In the Church, the bishops are the primary shepherds. That is why they carry a staff.

Nevertheless, we can say that anyone who is in authority should take the attitude of a good shepherd. The good shepherd takes care of his sheep. The leader looks after the welfare of those under him. May pagmamalasakit ang pastol para sa kanyang tupa. Pagmamalasakit is not just about making sacrifices for those under his care. It is also doing difficult things for them. And one of the things that is difficult to do is correcting them in a constructive way. Those who drink to get drunk is certainly doing wrong. How do you correct in a constructive way? It’s not easy.

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Priests and religious are called to do pastoral work. There are not enough priests and religious to take care of the pastoral needs of Filipino Catholics not only in the Philippines but all over the world. We are, therefore, asked to pray for vocations. Why pray? Because to become a priest or religious is to follow the call of one’s heart. Only God can touch people’s hearts.

Can you do more? We can be more forgiving and understanding. We can be more appreciative. When you feel appreciated, you feel like going on.

Continue loving your priests. One Indian priest who studied at the East Asian Pastoral Institute said that he was impressed because he saw how Filipinos loved their priests. When a priest feels unloved, it is easy for him to be tempted to look for love somewhere else.

You can sense when something wrong is going on with your priest. Work with the elders of the community or the parish in discerning how you can help your priest. He might be going through a midlife crisis. He might be experiencing problems of the heart. His family might be going through some crisis and he is affected.

Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.

In St. John’s gospel, the miracles of Jesus are called signs. This is because his miracles are meant to convey a message. In the mind of the people in those days, the ability to perform extraordinary deeds of power meant that the apostles had the approval of God.

But there is more to miracles than that. The more important message is that Jesus is the promised Savior who has come to defeat sin and evil in the world and in each individual.

A Baptist relative once asked me: “Are you saved?” I was taken aback be-cause it is not a question we Catholics ask. But it is a good question to ask ourselves. And the answer is something worth reflecting on. The answers are: (1) Yes, Jesus saved me a long time ago. He has already paid the price of my redemp-tion. (2) But Jesus continues to save me because as long as I live there will be a continuing battle between good and evil in my heart. (3) And one day I hope to be definitely saved by Jesus when he welcomes me into his kingdom.

The names of the twelve apostles are these….

This is the first and only time that Matthew calls the twelve disciples, “apostles”. Apostle means someone who is sent. The name is appropriate because the reading ends this way, “Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, ‘Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town….”

FOR LIFE

What do we observe about the choice of Jesus? What we know is that Peter and Andrew and James and John are fishermen. Matthew is a tax collector. Thomas doubted the resurrection of Jesus. Judas Iscariot was a thief and the betrayer of Jesus. Externally we do not see them fit for the great responsibility of being apostles. Why did Jesus choose them?

I heard this story some time ago. They said that in Angola the children used to play with rocks and crystals along the river banks. But when the Europeans came, the Angolans were surprised to see these Europeans collecting these crystals. Later they realized that they were valuable diamonds. Of course, these diamond crystals had to be sent to Europe where they were cut and polished.

In the same way I think that Jesus saw in these twelve apostles diamonds in the rough. That is, they had potential. For three years he would develop their inner qualities until they became polished diamonds, that is, men ready to undertake the responsibility of proclaiming the good news to the ends of the earth.

The first lesson I would like to point out is this: Developing the qualities or abilities of others is a noble work. And this is the work of parents, teachers and leaders.

Hellen Keller was 19 months old when she got sick of an unknown disease. It left her blind and deaf. But when she grew up, she found a great teacher, Anne Sullivan. Anne did not only help her finish college, write books and give lectures but also become a fine woman. Anne helped Hellen Keller become a valuable diamond.

If you are a parent, teacher or leader, become God’s instrument in polishing your children, you students, those under your care into valuable diamonds.

There’s one more thing.

Why is it important for you to know what your potentials are? Why is it important for you to develop your abilities and talents? Because God gave you those talents and abilities so that you may fulfill the mission he has entrusted you to do in this world.

Why is it important to carry out that mission? It is in carrying out that mission that we achieve self-fulfilment. And with self-fulfilment comes great happiness.

When a parent says: “I can die now. My children are all settled in life”, it means he or she has achieved self-fulfilment. And he or she is happy.

When a student writes a note to his priest-friend: “Thank you for being there for me when I had problems.” the priest feels self-fulfilled in his vocation. He feels great happiness.

All of us were born for a reason, for a mission. By developing our talents and abilities we shall be able to carry out that mission well. And by fulfilling our mission in life, we shall experience self-fulfilment and happiness.

10th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.

Mt 9:9-13

Call of Matthew by Caravaggio

COMMENTARY

He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.”

Previously Jesus had already called four fishermen to follow him, Peter, Andrew, James and John. Now he calls a tax collector. Is it not intriguing why Jesus did not call anyone from a more “respectable” profession? Perhaps Jesus saw through their outward appearance. He saw in them the potential for apostolic work. And it would be the work of Jesus in their three years together to develop that potential.

Is this not the work of a teacher? Is this not the mission of a parent? To bring out the best that is already in the student, that is already in their child.

In Mark’s gospel, Matthew is called Levi, son of Alphaeus. In Luke he is merely called Levi. Matthew’s name is found in the list of the apostles. But early on there has been doubt about the identification of this Matthew with Levi. There is also doubt about this Matthew being the Matthew of the first gospel.

And he got up and followed him.

Why did Matthew leave behind a very comfortable life in order to be a disciple of Jesus? Jesus had already warned those who wanted to follow him: “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head” (Lk 9:58). Had Matthew gone mad?
We make decisions based on the values that we have. And sometimes those decisions seem foolish.

Take for instance, a janitor at the airport. He returned a bag containing a couple of thousand dollars. To him it was the natural thing to do. Yet some of his relatives who do not share the value of uprightness told him: “Are you so stupid to return that money? You could have used it for your family.”

St. Paul said to the Corinthians: “We are fools for Christ’s sake” (1Cor 4:10). Sometimes our Christian values make us do certain things which seem foolish in the eyes of the world.

While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.

Why were tax collectors lumped together with sinners? In the Roman Empire the office of tax collector was given to the highest bidder who then worked as an agent of the Roman government. As long as the tax collector met his quota, he could keep whatever profit he made. It is easy to imagine how tax collector en-riched themselves by squeezing whatever they can from the people. It is no won-der that the Pharisees branded them as the worst of sinners together with thieves and prostitutes.

Birds of the same feather flock together. Is it surprising to find fellow tax collectors and sinners invited to dinner by Matthew?

Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are. If you want to develop a positive outlook in life, keep the company of positive people.

Parents need to get to know the friends of their children. It is enough to have only one bad companion for your child to go wrong.

The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

According to the teachings of the rabbis, one should not accept the invitation of a sinner. In this case what made matters worse was that Jesus was in the com-pany of not just one but many sinners. This scandalized the Pharisees.

But it was normal for Jesus to behave in ways that scandalized the religious leaders. For instance, Jesus healed on the Sabbath, something that rabbis forbade. In fact, when he healed a woman who could not stand erect for 18 years, the leader of the synagogue told the people: “There are six days in which work is to be done. Come on those days to be healed and not on the Sabbath.”

Why did Jesus behave differently? Because his beliefs are different. Regarding the Sabbath, Jesus believed that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.

What does this mean for us? If we want to know why we behave in certain ways, we have to find out what are the beliefs behind those behaviors. For instance, I work here and every month I send money back to the Philippines. Some of those to whom I send money do not work. Yet every month I continue sending money. Why? What is my belief that makes me send money every month? Is my belief correct?

Here is another simple example. A third year HS student said that he doesn’t go to confession because priests are also sinners. What is his belief that makes him to not go to confession? Is that belief correct?

I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.

Joseph wanted to divorce Mary quietly but an angel appeared to him in a dream and said, “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." Right from the very beginning the mission of Jesus was made clear. He came for sinners. And at the end of his life, one of the last words of Jesus was for sinners: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”

Jesus had a soft heart for sinners. He even sought them out as what happened to Zacchaeus. He was on a tree, curious to see who Jesus was. And what did Jesus do? He purposely stopped in front of the tree, looked up to Zacchaeus invited himself and his disciples to his house that day. Zacchaeus was no ordinary tax collector. He was the chief tax collector. And when he expressed the desire to change his ways, Jesus happily announced: “Today salvation has come to this house. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost” (Lk 19:10).

Did Jesus come for you? If you don’t need to be saved from your sins, then Jesus did not come for you.

9th SUNDAY IN ORDINAR Y TIME (A)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

Mt 7:21-27

COMMENTARY

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”

The meaning is: It is not enough to say to me: “Lord, Lord.” There is need to do the will of my Father.”

To say: “Lord, Lord” is not bad in itself. However, one must see something concrete in one’s life.

In Matthew the expression “will of the Father” has two meanings: (1) God’s plan of salvation; and (2) All that is required in one’s daily conduct. Here the second meaning is meant.

Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?

On that day refers to the Day of Judgment when the glory of God will be manifested and for man the day of punishment or reward.

Here Jesus warns his disciples who perform cures and exorcisms in his name BUT lead evil lives. They will be punished.

Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.

In Matthew ‘acting on the words of Jesus’ is not merely an external action NOR an interior feeling. It means the involvement of the whole person: one’s mind and heart.

The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.

In Palestine a strong rain is usually followed by a flash flood that destroys everything in its wake.

In summary, Jesus tells his disciples that (1) there must be coherence in what they say and in what they do; and that (2) they must put into practice the teachings that they have heard from Jesus.

FOR LIFE

The Bible insists on “doing”. For instance, the book after the Gospel of St. John is entitled, “Acts of the Apostles”. It relates what the Apostles did, not what they thought, not what they wanted to do.

When Jesus spoke about the Last Judgment (Mt 25), those who will be rewarded will be rewarded because of what they did. “Whatever you did to the least of my brothers, you did it to me.” And those who will be punished will be punished because of what they failed to do. “Whatever you failed to do for the least of my brothers, you failed to do for me.”

Again speaking about punishment, Jesus said: “Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.” In other words, your actions tell what kind of person you are. And that is why actions are important. And that is why it is not enough to say good things. We also have to do good things. It is not enough to listen to the teachings of Jesus. We must also put them into practice.

But do you know that Martin Luther had a problem about doing good, about good works? And because of that he wanted to remove the Letter of St. James from the New Testament. Why? Because St. James was insisting on works while St. Paul insisted on faith and not on works. St. Paul taught that it is not works that will save you, but faith. But there is no contradiction.

St. Paul was right when he said that it is faith that saves. But St. James was also right when he said that works show that you have faith. He wrote: “So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Indeed someone might say, "You have faith and I have works." Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works” (Js 2: 17-18).

Faith is like the root and works are the fruits. In other words, your good works must be the result of your faith. If your good works is not the result of your faith, it is worthless in the eyes of God. For example, someone may launch a campaign against drugs, not because of his faith in Jesus but only because he wants to get elected.

What can we do so that we are not only good at saying good things but also good at doing good things? What can we do so that we do not only listen to the teachings of Jesus but also put them into practice? I suggest two things:

(1) When you listen to the first reading or the second reading or the gospel or the homily, ask yourself three questions:
- What is that one thing I will do because of what I have heard? Or
- What is that one thing that I will stop doing because of what I have heard? Or
- What is that one thing I will continue doing because of what I have heard?

(2) Make a daily examination of conscience. At the end of the day, look at how you have behaved during the day.
- If you have behaved according to the teachings of Jesus, offer that day to him.
- If you have behaved in a way contrary to the teachings of Jesus, be sorry for it and make a resolution to do better the following day.

Ang Kristiyano ay hindi lamang magaling sa salita. Magaling din siya sa gawa. Hindi lamang siya nakikinig. Siya rin ay gumagawa.

CORPUS CHRISTI (A)

For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.

Jn 6:51-58

Jesus said to the Jewish crowds…

The traditional translation would be: “Jesus said to the Jews….” It is as if Jesus and his disciples were not Jews. It would seem that when John wrote his gospel, Christians were already aware that they had an identity of their own. They were not a religious group within the Jewish religion.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

The Jewish hearers of Jesus would know that the bread that came down from heaven was manna. It was this bread that kept their ancestors alive during their wandering in the desert. Jesus asserts that he is the true manna (for he is the LIVING bread) that came down from heaven.

Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.

And just as the manna of the Old Testament kept the Israelites alive in the de-sert, so also this manna which is his flesh will give life to those who eat it. Obvi-ously, Jesus is talking here about the Eucharist.

Giving his flesh refers to his death on the cross. For the life of the world is another way of saying “saving mankind”. In other words, the death of Jesus is salvific.

Life is a favourite theme in John’s gospel. In his encounter with the Samaritan woman, he offers to give her living water. When Jesus went to see Lazarus who had died, he tells Martha that he is the way, the truth and the life.

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.

The word “eat” here is literally “chew” or “masticate”. John may want to underline the fact that the Eucharist is REALLY partaking of the body and blood of Jesus.

Jesus also tells us that the Eucharist is contains within itself the promise of resurrection to those who believe.

For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

Food and drink sustains life. Since the Eucharist is real food and drink, it follows that it gives life, eternal life.

Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.

To live is to enter into communion with the Son and with the Father. The Eucharist is a special sign of this communion. Hence, the Eucharist when received is called Holy Communion.

GOD’S HUNGER

Is God hungry for food? Certainly not. God does not need to eat.

Does he long for money? Obviously not. He doesn’t need to buy anything.

Is he longing for companionship because he is lonely? Certainly not. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Heaven is populated by choirs of angels and saints. Obviously God can not possibly be lonely.

Is God hungry for our attention? Does he long to have some time with us? The answer is yes. Because God has decided to create us and because God has decided to establish a relationship with us, God wants some time with us. He wants some attention. How can there be a relationship without time and attention?

How do we give our time and attention to God? Through prayer as life and through prayer as exercise. Prayer as exercise means setting aside a specific time just to talk to him. Prayer as life means thinking of God now and then in the midst of our activities during the day.

God longs for our loyalty. God wants to be sure that if we have to make a choice, we will surely choose him. Temptation then becomes an opportunity to make a choice for God.

Finally, is God hungry for our love? In June 1675 during the feast of Corpus Christi, while praying before Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, Jesus revealed His Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and said: "Here is the Heart that has so loved men as to spare nothing for them, exhausting and consuming itself in order to prove its love for them; and in return I receive, from most of them, only ingratitude." It is as if the Sacred Heart of Jesus is saying: “I have loved but have not been loved in return.”

Does God long for our love? The Bible (Deuteronomy) says: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.

And how do we show our love? Jesus said: “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

Trinity Sunday (A)

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

Jn 3:16-18

READING

God so loved the world that he sent his only Son so that those who believe in him may not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not sent his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him.

When the NT used the word God, it usually refers to God the Father.

As parents are concerned for their children’s welfare, so also God the Father is concerned with our welfare. He wants eternal life for us. St. Paul re-affirms this when he wrote: “God wants all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth” (1Tim 2,3).

Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

The expected response to the Son is faith. Refusal to believe risks condemnation.

Name. In the bible, “name” is not just a label to identify who you are. In the bible the name is the person himself. Hence, in the Our Father “holy be your name” is not about giving reverence to the name of God but about giving reverence to God himself.

Philippians 2,10 says: “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,” Here it is not just the name “Jesus” that is being reverenced. It is Jesus himself.

Mention of the Trinity

In this gospel passage from John, only Father and Son are mentioned. However, in the second reading the Holy Trinity is mentioned. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” This sentence is used as a greeting by the priest at the beginning of the Mass.

In the gospel for the Ascension, there is mention of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. "Then Jesus approached and said to them, 'All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.'”

TALKING ABOUT THE TRINITY

The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Spirit is God. Yet in the end there is only one God. How do you explain that? Yet theologians have tried to explain that. And it is a valid effort because we human beings need to make sense of everything. We have the need to answer our “whys”. And to do this they have used philosophy which doesn’t really make it any easier for ordinary human b-ings to understand.

Catechists have been more successful. They have used symbols: an equilateral triangle and three intersecting circles. St. Patrick in his efforts at catechizing the Celtics of Ireland used the shamrock.

You may find this “ad hominen” argument amusing in support of the Christian belief in the Holy Trinity. An unbeliever was insulting a Catholic, “You Catholics are stupid. It’s as if you never went to school. How can you believe in this Holy Trinity? Three persons and yet one God. Didn’t you ever learn how to add? One plus one plus one equals three. How can you say one plus one plus one equals one.

“Ah,” the Catholic replied. “But you are mistaken. Since we are talking about God, you can not used an inferior mathematical operation. You have to use the superior mathematical operation. Therefore, one times one times one equals one. So you see we Catholics are correct. There is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, yet in the end there is only One!”

THE TRINITY AND US

John Donne was an Anglican priest who lived from 1572-1631. He was also a poet. He wrote a meditation entitled: No man is an island. Joan Baez may have been inspired by it when she wrote this song:

No man is an island,
No man stands alone,
Each man's joy is joy to me,
Each man's grief is my own.

We need one another,
So I will defend,
Each man as my brother,
Each man as my friend.

Sociology defines man as a social animal. It is his nature to be with others. In the book of Genesis we read God saying: “It is not good for man to be alone.” In that same book, man is said to be created in the image and likeness of God. In other words, we can not be alone because God can not be alone. Therefore, we are not surprised that although God is one, God is not alone. God is Trinity--Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And maybe that is why God also created the universe. He wants to be with others.

This Trinity Sunday invites us to reflect on how can we be more like the Trinity.

St. Thomas Aquinas describes the Trinity in terms of relationships. He says that the Father from all eternity is thinking of the Son and the love between the Father and the Son is the Holy Spirit. This description reminds me of a family.

Let us therefore, focus our attention on the family. How can our family become more like the Holy Trinity?

Once I saw written on a sidewalk: Roberta, ti voglio bene. I learned that it means: Roberta, I love you. However, it literally means, I wish you well. But is it not true that when you love someone, you wish him well? But love does not stop at wishing someone well. You have to act on that desire. You have to do something to make that desire a reality. That is why someone observed that love is not just a noun. It is a verb. Why do some parents make the difficult choice of work-ing aboard away from their children? Because they want to give their children a bright tomorrow. And so they work abroad to make that desire a reality.

Do you love one another in your family? That is a good question. But the better question is: What have you done so that your family feels that you love them?

Love is not always about good feelings. Sometimes love requires us to do something difficult. A teen-age mother gave up her baby for adoption to an Italian couple because she believed her baby would have no future with her. In her letter to her baby, she explained why she had to give him up for adoption. She ended by asking her baby to try to understand why she had to give him away. She asked him not hate her for it.

Love is not always about good feelings. Sometimes love requires us to do something difficult as when parents have to punish their children. One time the eldest daughter returned home very, very late, way, way beyond her curfew time. She was in the company of her cousins. But returning home that late was a big transgression. So her parents grounded her for a week. She can only go to school. For that week she can not go out with her friends and cousins.

Love in the family means valuing one another, not taking each other for granted. Parents and children need to use the following words more often: Please, thank you, I’m sorry. Sometimes we vent our anger on our spouse or our children. Would it not be a good thing to say: “Honey, I had a bad day. I’m sorry for taking it out on you.”

And when an apology is extended, let us accept it. Understanding the other person makes it easier to forgive. Children, sometimes your parents are irritable at the end of the day. For a little thing they shout at you. But think: “Maybe Papa is extra-tired today.” Understanding why your father acted that way makes it easier for you to be patient and forgiving.

And finally, a word on “bonding”. A family is not just a collection of people. A family is a group of people who are bonded together. Blood ties and love bind a family together. How do you strengthen those ties that bind the family? I suggest two things. The first is faith that is expressed. Prayer and Sunday Mass are expressions of faith. Father Peyton said: “A family that prays together stays together.”

The second is a common activity. What you do is not as important as that you do it together. Eating together, cleaning the house together, going out to the mall together, going on an outing in summer—these strengthen family ties.

CONCLUSION

Trinity Sunday is a good opportunity for families to work on their family life. I made the following suggestions:
(1) Love must be expressed so that each member of the family feels loved.
(2) Sometimes love means making a difficult decision (such as giving up a baby for adoption) or doing something unpleasant (such as punishing a child).
(3) Saying “Thank you, please and I’m sorry” does wonders for our family re-lationships.
(4) It is easier to forgive and to be patient when we make an effort to under-stand the other.
(5) Doing something together like going to Mass together or going to the mall together help in strengthening family ties.

I asked myself this question: “If ever I find myself at the lowest point in my life, where can I turn to?” Without hesitation, my answer was: my family. I’m sure your answer will be the same. Our families are important. Therefore, let us take care of them.

Pentecost (A)

Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.

Acts 2:1-11

The Feast of Pentecost

Pentecost was first a Jewish feast. Only later did it also become a Christian feast.

The Jews celebrated Pentecost 50 days after celebrating Passover. On this feast, they remember the giving of the Law at Mt Sinai and becoming the People of God.

By coincidence the sending of the Holy Spirit took place when the Jews were celebrating Pentecost. Hence, we also celebrate Pentecost. But what we remember are not the events at Mt. Sinai but the coming of the Holy Spirit.

But there is one point of similarity with the Jewish feast of Pentecost. On Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit, we became the New People of God just as the Jews remember their becoming God’s People on Mt. Sinai.

One more thing. The Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of John have two different dates for the coming of the Holy Spirit. As was said earlier, the Acts of the Apostles date the coming of the Holy Spirit during the Jewish feast of Pentecost. In John’s Gospel, Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to his apostles on the evening of Easter Sunday, which is the day when Jesus rose from the dead.

Manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

In the Acts of the Apostles, during the time when he appeared to his disciples after his resurrection Jesus told his disciples that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them. When the Holy Spirit descended upon them, the first manifestation was a strong wind and then fire. These are manifestations of power.

What does power mean? It means the ability to do something. In the case of the disciples, it was the power or ability to carry out the mission entrusted to them by Jesus before he ascended into heaven: “Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations.” That was why they were given the gift of speaking in different languages. With that gift they will be able to make themselves understood by all nations.

In St. John’s account we read: “He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Here the Holy Spirit is given through a breath. Breath gives us the idea of gentleness and meekness. Perhaps Jesus wants to tell us that through confession we would experience the gentleness of God.

If we were divide the history of salvation using the Bible, we can say that in the Old Testament time the leading figure is God, the Father; in the time described in the Gospels the leading figure is God, the Son; and the time after the ascension of Jesus till the end of the world, the leading figure is the Holy Spirit.

Where do we see the Holy Spirit at work?

We see him at work in the sacraments. He makes the sacraments effective. In Baptism we are baptized with water and the Holy Spirit. Confirmation is our personal Pentecost. During the consecration at Mass, the priest lays his hands over the bread and wine. He calls the Holy Spirit so that they may become the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

We see the Holy Spirit at work in the religious congregations of men and women. If there are the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, it is because the Holy Spirit has inspired and guided St. John Bosco to found these two religious congregations.

We see the Holy Spirit at work in religious groups or covenant communities founded by lay people. Marriage Encounter and Couples for Christ are examples.

Speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said to his disciples, “The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name--he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” The Holy Spirit helps the Church through its shepherds to find answers to moral and doctrinal questions that come because of new situations. For example, the church speaks clearly against capital punishment and war.

But the Holy Spirit is also at work in us, as individuals.

What is God’s will for me? Does he want me to change jobs? Does he want me to marry this person? I should ask the Holy Spirit to help me discern God’s will.

I want to stop smoking but I can’t. The Holy Spirit is the power that can help us overcome our addictions.

I am angry and hurt because my son has made his girlfriend pregnant. The Holy Spirit is comforter. He comforts us in our afflictions.

I want to pray but I don’t know what to say or I don’t know what to do. I can ask the Holy Spirit to help me lift up my mind and heart to God. St. Paul in his letter to the Romans writes: "The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.” Sometimes the Holy Spirit leads us to pray not with our lips (that is, not with words) but with our hearts.

Conclusion

Jesus said: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always.” We celebrate the solemnity of Pentecost as a reminder that Jesus, as always, has fulfilled his promise. We are not alone. The Holy Spirit is with us.

THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD

All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.

Mt 28:16-20

THE ASCENSION ACCORDING TO ACTS

The ascension took place 40 days after the Resurrection. During that time Jesus through his appearances proved that he was alive. He instructed his apostles about the Kingdom and told them to wait in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit. When he comes, they will become his witnesses, first in Jerusalem, then in Palestine, and finally to the ends of the earth. Even after instructing them for 40 days, they still did not understand Jesus and his mission. For if they understood, they would not ask: “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Until now they were still thinking of Jesus and the Kingdom in terms of earthly power.
The ascension is described as Jesus rising towards heaven and then being hidden by the clouds. Two men in white garments (angels) tell the disciples that the Parousia (return of Jesus) will happen in the same way.

In the Acts of the Apostles it seems that the ascension took place somewhere in the vicinity of Jerusalem.

THE ASCENSION ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

At the appearance of Jesus, the Eleven worshipped him. They were no longer Twelve because of the defection of Judas Iscariot. Although they worshipped him, they still “doubted”. In Matthew the Greek word that was translated as “doubt” means little faith. In other words, Matthew is saying that even at that point the faith of the disciples was not as strong as it should be. They may have to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit to strengthen that faith.

It is on this occasion that Jesus gave the Great Commission to his disciples: to make disciples of all nations, to baptize them and to instruct them to obey his commandments and not the commandments of Moses. Jesus ends by assuring them of his presence. He will be with them as they carry out the Great Commission.

It is to be noted that Matthew does not say anything about Jesus ascending into heaven at after this.

WE’RE BORN FOR GREATER THINGS

Sapagkat ako’y tao lamang. Yes, we’re weak. We’re prone to fall. In fact, due to original sin we carry within ourselves this weakness towards sin. But we’re not doomed to follow our baser instincts. In fact, we were born for greater things. And as the Solemnity of the Ascension reminds us: our destiny is up there where we belong.

IN PROCESS

6th SUNDAY OF EASTER (A)

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Jn 14:15-21

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth.

ADVOCATE:

Some translations prefer to use the word “paraclete” instead of “advocate”.

Another Advocate: This implies a previous advocate. This advocate is Jesus in the sense of intercessor in heaven.

In Greek legal terminology an advocate is a defense attorney. However, it can also mean spokesman, mediator, intercessor, comforter, consoler.

According to the New American Bible, in St. John’s Gospel, the Advocate or Paraclete is a teacher, a witness to Jesus, and a prosecutor of the world. He repre-sents the continued presence on earth of Jesus who has returned to the Father and sits at his right hand.

But the Ecumenical Translation of the Bible (TOB) explains the role of the Holy Spirit as helping the disciples remain firm in the faith in the face of the difficulties the world will hurl at them.

WITH YOU ALWAYS:

The gift of the Holy Spirit is without time limit. And thus, the communion between Jesus and his disciples will always remain unbroken.

THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH:

The Holy Spirit will help the disciples to grow in knowledge and to witness to Jesus. The Holy Spirit is opposed to the spirit of error and of lies which dominate the world.

In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live.

An alternative translation would be: “But you will see me alive and you also will live.”

The world can only see Jesus as dead The disciples on the other hand experiences the presence of Jesus and shares in the new life of Jesus. Those who will believe because of the witness of the disciples will also participate in this new life. And for John this is already constitutes eternal life.

On that day you will realize that I am in my Father….

On that day is a recurrent OT formula to designate the coming eschatological age. This age (the last days) already began with the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me.

The meaning here is that of knowing and of putting into practice the commandments with constancy. Obedience to the commandments is the expression of both love and faith.

TO CONSOLE

To console is to alleviate grief, sense of loss, or trouble of. To console is to comfort.

Our hospitals usually have chapels. And they are not merely decorations. They are not there because of some custom. They are there for people to bring their worries and fears to God. They are there to find some comfort. For after all Jesus did say: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).

In the Acts of the Apostles, we read that after the apostles had been imprisoned and flogged, “they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name” (Acts 11:41). How could they be happy after having been jailed and whipped? The Holy Spirit comforted them.

As God comforts us so also we are asked to comfort others. One of the corpo-ral works of mercy is to visit the sick. When one is sick, it is not only the body that is weak. One is psychologically and emotionally weak as well. When we come and visit we give our moral support to the sick. That psychological and emotional boost helps the body get well.

But sometimes it is no longer a matter of getting well. I remember accompanying my mother visit Lola Felisa. She was in bed. She cried when she saw us. Between sobs she told my mother that she could no longer walk. Her legs refused to carry her. My mother embraced her and let her talk. When we left, we knew she was very comforted. She died not long afterwards.

We have a saying that goes something like this: “It is better to be robbed than to have your house burned down.” That was what happened to one of our high school students many years ago. They lost everything. The only thing he was able to save were the clothes he was sleeping in. We organized a fund drive. The response of the students was amazing. When we handed the collection to the mother, she could not help but cry. She was very much comforted by the solidarity of the student body.

Rejection is a painful experience. It can even leave a lasting damage to one’s self-esteem. One high school student had a crush on a girl. He wrote her some “love” notes. The girl did not find him attractive and told him so in a tactless manner. It was a good thing his friends were there to comfort him. One of them said, “Look. It’s her loss, not yours.”

Here are some tips on giving comfort.
1. We need to develop the ability to sympathize. It is the ability to understand and even appreciate the feelings of another. The essence of sympathy is that one has a strong concern for the other person.
2. We need to listen to the other. The other person needs to know we are lis-tening with our ears and with our hearts.
3. Sometimes we just need to be there. But at other times we need to speak. It is then that we should be careful about what we say and how we say it. To tell a mother whose child has died that it is God’s will, may sound full of faith. But is that what she needs to hear at that moment? And would she be ready to hear those words at that moment?
4. Human touch connects people. It overcomes the feeling of isolation. A hug, a hand shake can bring much comfort.
5. A card or a poster can do wonders. I remember a grandfather who had to be placed in the ICU after surgery. His two young granddaughters drew a get-well-soon poster on a cartolina. That cartolina was then posted in the ICU. That gesture of affection from his granddaughters gave him much comfort.

We live in this valley of tears. For one reason or another, we shall always ex-perience sorrow, loss and troubles. But we don’t have to suffer alone. We can always go to God for comfort and strength. But let us not only be receivers of comfort. Let us also learn to become givers of comfort. Let us learn to reach out and alleviate the sorrow, the loss and the troubles of a fellow human being.

5th SUNDAY OF EASTER (A)

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself.

Jn 14:1-12

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.”

How do we express faith in God? How do we express our faith in Jesus? By trusting in God, by trusting in Jesus. Do you remember the devotion connected with the 3 o’clock habit? The devotion to the Divine Mercy of Sr. Faustina. In her vision of the image of the Divine Mercy, what words did she read? Jesus, I trust in you.

If Sr. Faustine will not mind, I have another version: Jesus, I entrust myself to you. In Pilipino, Jesus nagtitiwala ako sa iyo. But I have a different translation. Let’s call it a dynamic translation. And it is this: Jesus, bahala ka na sa akin.

It is true that “nasa Diyos ang awa. Nasa tao ang gawa.” But at a certain point, we have done all we could possibly do. It is then that we can tell the Lord, “Jesus, bahala ka na sa akin.” Or “Jesus, ikaw na ang bahala.”

In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.

Jesus is speaking of heaven. He uses the image of a house or a mansion with many rooms. In Don Bosco’s vision of heaven, the image that was presented to him was a beautiful garden. It’s not an ordinary garden but perhaps similar to the Vatican gardens or the gardens of the Palace at Versailles.

Why do we need images in order to describe heaven? The bible says: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (I Corinthians 2:9). In other words, heaven is too beautiful to describe.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.

Jesus speaks of his going. He is not only talking about his ascension into heaven but of his passion, death and resurrection as well. His coming back refers to his return at the end of time.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life."

Do you still remember the song: “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and his banner over me is love?”

Jesus is the way. He does not only point to us the way to heaven through his teaching. He also helps us reach heaven. It’s like when you ask someone for directions, he accompanies you to where you want to go.

Jesus is the truth. We can not go wrong with Jesus. He not only teaches us how to live correctly our life as children of God. He also models it for us.

Jesus is the life. What life does Jesus give us? Longer life? No. Eternal life? Yes, Jesus offers us heaven. But is that all? I think that Jesus also offers us a better quality of life while here on earth. What do I mean? I read a study whose findings are not at all surprising. For example, it says that people with faith are better able to cope with the challenges of life. People with faith are happier. And people with faith get well faster.

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

In Babylon, there was a yearly feast in honor of their god, Marduk. The gods of the peoples whom they conquered were brought in procession to the temple of Marduk. This was to signify that Marduk was superior to all these gods. But the palanquin carried by the Israelites was empty. They carried no statue. Not only because Yahweh forbade them to make a statue of him but also because Yahweh does not look like anything in creation.

But when Jesus came, God became visible. The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity took on a human form. That is why we can truly say that in Jesus God took on a human face.
But don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that Jesus is one and the same as God the Father. That is a heresy called modalism.

But here it is more than just God becoming visible through Jesus Christ. Here it is God coming nearer to us by becoming a human being like us. Ngayon talagang ka-close na natin ang Diyos.

4th SUNDAY OF EASTER (A)

The sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

Jn 10:1-10

Whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate…. I am the gate for the sheep.

Someone has lived in Palestine observed that indeed the shepherd at times can be the gate of the sheepfold. There is the fence but no gate. Instead, at night the shepherd sleeps at the opening. When a sheep attempts to go out, the shepherd is awakened and the sheep is prevented from going out.

And the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

In Palestine sheep is raised not for food but for their wool. Hence, a bonding can really develop between a shepherd and his sheep so much so that the shepherd knows his sheep individually and the sheep knows its shepherd.

It is a common practice that at night shepherds gather their sheep together for easier protection. In the morning the shepherds position themselves in different places and give their distinctive call. The sheep instinctively go to their own shep-herd.

I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

The shepherd looks after his sheep. He protects them from predators. That is why he is armed with a rod or like David, with a slingshot. He leads them where there is water and where there is pasture.

The Bible has used the image of the shepherd for the king in Israel. As the shepherd cares for his sheep so that king should care for his people.

Jesus applied to himself the image of the shepherd. He called himself the Good Shepherd.

Church leaders following the footsteps of Jesus are called to be shepherds. In particular, the bishop carries a staff because he is the shepherd of his diocese.

Salesians wear the Good Shepherd cross. This is to remind them that pastoral charity, that is, the love of the Good Shepherd, should animate their ministry among the young.

It was this pastoral charity that made St. John Bosco (the founder of the Salesians) cast his lot among the poor and abandoned youth of Turin (Italy).

As a young priest, St. John Bosco or simply Don (that is, Father) Bosco worked as a chaplain for a hospice of a certain marquesa (noblewoman). On Sundays and feastdays, he would gather the poor and abandoned boys of Turin for mass, catechism and games. He called this the Oratory.

At a certain point, the marquesa decided that Don Bosco should work full time for the hospice, meaning he should not have other responsibilities which really meant the Oratory. Don Bosco would have to choose between the hospice of the marquesa and his Oratory.

Don Bosco did not have to think twice. There and then he gave up the hospice in favor of the Oratory, saying: “Madam, you can always find a chaplain for your hospice because you have the money to hire one. But my boys are poor. They will never be in a position to hire a chaplain. And so I will be a chaplain to them.”

We may think it was an easy decision for Don Bosco. It was not. Without the chaplaincy of the marquesa, he would have no salary and therefore, no regular income to support himself. For Don Bosco this was his way of giving his life for his sheep. This was his way of being a Good Shepherd to the poor and abandoned boys of Turin.

3rd SUNDAY OF EASTER (A)

Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

Lk 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week.

The day was Easter Sunday.

Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.

The Resurrection affected the appearance of Jesus. Some give other possible reasons: (a) the sun was setting and this made it difficult for the disciples to see Jesus clearly; or (b) the disciples were in tears and the tears also “blinded” them.

But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel.

The two disciples were not only sad. They were deeply disappointed. They had pinned their hopes in him. They felt betrayed.

Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive.

Matthew’s gospel identifies the women as Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. St. Mark’s gospel identifies them as Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome. St. Luke’s gospel identifies them as The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. In St. John it was only Mary Magdalene who went to the tomb.

Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described.

In St. Mark’s and St. Matthew’s gospel, none of the disciples went to the tomb. In Luke’s gospel, only Peter among the apostles went to the tomb. St. John reports that it was Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved who went to inspect the tomb.

And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

On the other hand, if the disciples were deeply disappointed, Jesus was exasperated with them. Their inability to grasp what he had been telling them about his death and resurrection stretched his patience to the limit.

Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures.

Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the Messiah.

And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him.
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

Although the meal described is undoubtedly a supper, yet the description compels us to think of the Mass. The verbs “took, blessing, broke and gave” are related to the Eucharist. Even the term breaking of bread was used in the early church to refer to the Eucharist.

Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”

When Jesus speaks, his words find their way into men’s hearts.

The Paschal Mystery

The Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus
(The Paschal Mystery)

I came across this story which I feel can very well express to us what the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus is all about.

THE BIRDCAGE

There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New England town.

One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Several eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pas-tor Thomas began to speak... "I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, ' What you got there son? ' "

"Just some old birds," came the reply.

"What are you gonna do with them?" I asked.

"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time."

"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do?"

"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."

The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"

"Huh??!!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing - they ain't even pretty!"

"How much?" the pastor asked again.

The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"

The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand.

In a flash, the boy was gone.

The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free. Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story......

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"

"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.

Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and di-vorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"

"And what will you do when you get done with them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly.

"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you!! You don't want those people!!"

"How much?" He asked again.

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your tears, and all your blood."

Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price.

The pastor picked up the cage he opened the door and he walked from the pulpit.

EPILOG

Take note that the Redemption of men and women meant freedom for us. Freedom from sin (that is, forgiveness) is just one side of the coin. Becoming God's beloved children completes the picture. No longer are we merely his creatures. Redemption if all about a special relationship with God.

The story (known also as salvation history) does not end with the blood and tears of Jesus. It ends as all good stories end. It ends with Jesus coming out on top. He does not remain dead. He comes back to life. And not as he was before (just like Lazarus). He returns to life transformed (that is, resurrected).

PALM SUNDAY (A)

"Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is the he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest."

Mt 21:1-11

WELCOME

The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is the he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.”

That was how Jerusalem welcomed Jesus. Some days later the mood of Jeru-salem turned ugly. Their cry changed to “crucify him!” But for now Jerusalem was happy to welcomed this Jesus who some said was a prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.

There are two events that I remember which come close to this kind of welcome. One was the welcome accorded to Cory (Aquino) during and after the snap elections in 1986. The other was the welcome accorded to Pope John Paul II when he came to the Philippines for the World Youth Day in 1995. In both instances there was excitement. You felt electrified. You couldn’t help but cry out “Cory! Cory! Cory!” or “John Paul II, we love you! John Paul II, we love you!”

If there was a rousing welcome given to Jesus, there was also a subdued welcome given to him. Jesus and his disciples were welcomed by Martha and Mary to their home in Bethany. Mary kept Jesus company while Martha set about preparing something for them to eat. There was no loud noise. Perhaps the only thing you could hear was the voice of Jesus and the sound of pots and pans.

Perhaps this is the kind of welcome that we give to Jesus when we receive him in Holy Communion. It is a quiet welcome, but real and profound nonetheless because it done in faith. It is done reverence. It is done with great love.

We welcome Jesus with faith. We believe that it is Jesus who we receive in Holy Communion. That happens in our mind. But it doesn’t stay in our mind. That act of believing reaches our lips. It is expressed externally. And that is why we say: “Amen.”

We receive Jesus with reverence. What does reverence mean? When Moses approached the burning bush, God told him to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. Removing his sandals was a sign of reverence for the presence of God. Reverence may be understood as respect we show to God. Respect and reverence is an interior attitude. But that interior attitude shows itself in our actions. For those who receive Holy Communion with the hands, reverence for Jesus is shown by the correct way we receive communion with our hands. And perhaps, even by the cleanliness of our hands.

We receive Jesus with love. Again love is something interior. But the love for Jesus that is in our heart makes us behave in certain ways. For example, when you love someone, that someone becomes important to you. And so that person remains in your thoughts. St. Dominic Savio expressed the importance of Jesus by thinking about receiving him even the night before. When you love someone, you want to be with that someone. You want to talk and listen to that someone. In the same way, we express our love for Jesus by paying attention to him in prayer.

VISIT

If there is a welcome, then there must be a visit. Let's also consider God's visit.

At the naming of his son, John the Baptist, Zechariah’s tongue was loosened and he began to praise God with these words: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel. For he has visited his people and set them free.”

Another text also speaks of God visiting his people: As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If this day you only knew what makes for peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation"(Lk 19:41-44).

When the Bible says that God visits his people, it means that God enters history and intervenes in life of his people. In the passages above, the coming of Jesus to bring salvation to Israel is understood as God’s visit to his people.

But sometimes God has to visit his people with punishment in order to call them to conversion. At other times sometimes God is said to come and visit his people with a trial that will put their faith to the test.

Consider the case of Job. He lost his material wealth. He lost his children. And he lost his health. Yet he never lost his faith. Job said, “We accept good things from God; and should we not accept evil?" The bible added this observation: “Through all this, Job said nothing sinful.” (Job 2:10)

John’s father died when John was only 2 years old. When he died, he left his wife to care for his mother, and their three young children. Yet on his deathbed, he told his wife to have faith in God.

Sometimes the strong faith of people surprises us. When Mount Pinatubo erupted, the barrio of Cabalantian.in Pampanga was covered with lahar. Many months later, the people who chose to return requested for a Mass. They wanted to thank the Lord for sparing their lives. And these were the people who lost everything. What faith!

God may have visited us recently with a trial. Maybe our faith is not as strong as that of Job or as that of the people of Cabalantian. Let us pray for faith. For faith is a gift that God will certainly give.

"I Believe"

I believe for every drop of rain that falls
A flower grows,
I believe that somewhere in the darkest night
A candle glows,
I believe for everyone who goes astray,
Someone will come to show the way,
I believe, I believe.

I believe above the storm a smallest prayer
Will still be heard,
I believe that someone in the great somewhere
Hears every word,
Every time I hear a newborn baby cry,
Or touch a leaf, or see the sky,
Then I know why,
I believe.

Every time I hear a newborn baby cry,
Or touch a leaf, or see the sky,
Then I know why,
I believe.

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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.