Monday, 17th Week

SIN

So Moses went back to the Lord and said,”Ah, this people has indeed committed a grave sin in making a god of gold for themselves. If you would only forgive their sin!”

INTRODUCTION

Man fell into a hole. He couldn't get out because it was slippery. So he started to cry for help. Good thing a man was passing by and heard him. The man looked down at the hole. Since there was no rope or wood around, he fell flat on his stomach and extended his hand to the man in the hole. The man lost no time in grabbing the hand of the passerby. With a bit of effort, he was able to get out of the hole. Grateful for having been rescued, he invited his savior for dinner.

SIN

This story is also our story. We fell into the hole of sin. We couldn't get out by ourselves. Somebody had to come and save us. We needed a savior. And that savior was Jesus Christ.

But take note. The rescuer came but for the man to get out of the hole, he had to grab the hand of the rescuer. Jesus has come into the world. He has offered and continues to offer his hand. But until we take his hand, he can not save us.

What does it mean to take the hand of Jesus?

1. We have to be sorry. But it is not enough to be sorry because what we did was wrong. It is not enough to be sorry because our sin has hurt people. We have to be sorry because we sinned against God.
When David sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheeba and then having Uriah, the husband killed in battle, Nathan confronted him David’s immediate response was not “I have sinned against God!”

2. We have to confess our sins. Confessing our sins means owning them. It means taking responsibility for our sins. Kailangang aminin natin ang ating mga kasalanan. It means bringing them to a priest in the sacrament of reconciliation. On the evening of Easter Sunday, Jesus said, “Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven them. Whose sins you retain, they are retained.”

3. We need to do reparation. In my ministry as a confessor, when a daughter or son confesses having sinned against his or her parent, the penance I would give is: Do something to make your mom or your dad happy. Why this penance? I use algebra to explain why. (-1) + (+ 1)= 0. That is, (-1) means you did wrong. (+1) means you do something good to make up for the wrong that you did. That way you cancel it out. In other words, you made up for the bad that you did by doing something good.

4. We need to avoid sin. When a woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus, he saved the woman from the penalty of stoning to death. But before sending her home, Jesus told her, “From now on do not commit this sin.” We need to take steps to avoid the occasion of sin. If you realize that people you hang out with are a BI to you, you need to split with them.

CONCLUSION

But what if I commit the same sin again? A High school student once told me that he doesn't dare to go to confession again. It’s not that he doesn’t want to confess his sins. But he said that he promised God so many times to avoid his sins but he ends up doing them again. Nahihiya na siya sa Diyos.

When we sin, we separate ourselves from God. When we repent, we return to God. Which would make God happier? That we stay away? Certainly not!

No matter what we did. No matter how long we stayed away from him. God would be happiest when like the Prodigal Son, we return home to the Father.

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray….”

Lk 11:1-13

THEME

I was with a group of teachers on an educational and cultural tour in Thailand. We were at the ‘klongs’ that morning. Klongs are the canals where tourists go to buy souvenirs as well as food. The teachers were haggling with the vendors. Their principle was: your starting price for haggling is one-half the stated price. In the course of the negotiations, a vendor asked: “From the Philippines?” It seems that Filipino tourists are known for haggling in order to get a good price.

What we have in the first reading is Abraham haggling with Yahweh. He suc-ceeded in lowering the required number of good men from 50 to 10.

The first reading is usually chosen because it is related to the Gospel. Where is the point of contact? “I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.” The point of contact is the persistence of Abraham and the persistence of the neighbor. Both illustrate persistence and perseverance in prayer of petition which is the theme of this Sunday’s Gospel.

EXEGESIS

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray….”

I think that this disciple was so touched and inspired when he saw Jesus praying to his Father in heaven that he was moved to asked to be taught how to pray. This led to Jesus teaching us the “Our Father”.

There are two versions of this prayer. The other one is in Matthew. The version of Matthew is longer and more formal because it came to be used as a liturgical prayer. And that is why it is his version that we use at Mass. Luke’s version is shorter and that is why scholars say that Luke’s Our Father is probably closer to the original.

What is the source of our confidence that God will hear us?

What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?

Matthew’s version if probably the original: “If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.”

Father

The Aramaic is ‘Abba’. And abba is how you call your father. In our culture it might be translated as daddy, dad, papa, pa, tay, itay and tatang.

I propose an experiment. For a whole week when you pray, instead of addressing God as God, Lord, or Father, use the term for your father. I do that. Iba ang dating. Feeling ko mas close. A word of caution. If you have a difficult relationship with your father, this might not work. But give it a try anyway.

Hallowed be your name.

In the bible the name is the person. I would paraphrase it in this way: May you (God) be given reverence.

Blasphemy is not giving God the reverence that he has a right to. I never un-derstood what blasphemy meant. And I think it is because Filipinos don’t blaspheme God. I finally understood what blasphemy meant until someone said that "xxxxx" blaspheme a lot. And he gave this example: Porco Dio! Translation: God, you’re a pig!

Your kingdom come.

The Jews avoid using the name of God. Hence, the use of the term ‘kingdom’. Kingdom should really read: Kingdom of God or reign of God. I would paraphrase this as: May all people welcome you into their hearts.

When I bless homes, offices and cars, I always remind the people that this ritual means that you are asking God to be present in your home, in your office or in your car. Then I add: “But you can not have God in your home, in your office or in your car, if you have not first of all welcomed him into your lives.”

Daily bread

“Why not monthly? Or weekly? Why daily bread” a pupil asked. His teacher answered, “Because in those days they didn’t have refrigerators yet.”

The NAB (New American Bible) says that the word used for daily could also be translated as future bread. In this case, what is being prayed for is the definitive coming of the kingdom which is often portrayed as a banquet.

It is interesting to know that early Christian literature interprets the daily bread as the Eucharist.

Forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us.

Once Don (St. John) Bosco had to intervene when two boys starting fighting in the playground. He tried to make the two reconcile. One was agreeable to it. The other was not. Later he invited this boy to come with him. They passed by the chapel. They started to pray the Our Father. But when they came to the words “Forgive us our sins”, he turned to the boy and said you can’t say those words because you are unwilling to forgive your schoolmate.

And do not subject us to the final test.

The NAB says: Jewish apocalyptic writings speak of a period of severe trial before the end of the age (end of the world), sometimes called the "messianic woes." This petition asks that the disciples be spared that final test.

TWO OBSERVATIONS

First observation. The first part of the Our Father is regarding God. The second part is regarding us.

Second observation. What pertains to God is shorter than what pertains to us. What pertains to God is in one verse while what pertains to us is in two verses.

The same observations can be said about the Ten Commandments. The first part is for God and consists of three commandments. The second part is for man and consists of seven commandments.

CONCLUSION

Let me end by going back to the First Reading and getting some lesson from that, too.
In those days, the LORD said: “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave, that I must go down and see whether or not their actions fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me. I mean to find out.”

What is the important lesson? Don’t immediately believe in hearsay. Don’t act on hearsay. Verify. Many conflicts can be avoided, if we just take the trouble of finding out first whether what was told to us is true or not.

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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.

Tuesday, Week 16 (C)

Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD:
I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.

Ex 14:21—15:1

“Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD: I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant; horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.” This song is of praise and thanksgiving. Praise and thanksgiving are one of the 4 kinds of prayer, while singing is one mode of praying.

What are the modes of praying?

The first I call body prayer. It’s either static or dynamic. Static prayer refers to maintaining a posture such as kneeling, prostration or hands raised to heaven. When I was in Korea, I saw how Koreans prostrated in prayer at the shrine of their martyrs. Dynamic body prayer can take the form of a dance or body movements accompanied by a song or instrumental music. I consider walking ever so slowly (Zen-inspired) while praying to be a dynamic body prayer.

A second mode is singing. St. Ambrose, the great bishop of Milan said that he who sings prays twice. We’re not only talking here about singing during the Mass. During my 30-day retreat I used to pray by singing “Huwag Kang Manamba” and “Pilgrim's Theme”.

A third is writing. I pray by writing my prayer in my journal. Fr. Philip Rinaldi (The cause of his canonization has been introduced.) used to pray for his inten-tions by writing them on a piece of paper and putting them under the statue of Mary, Help of Christians.

And then there is the common mode of praying: mental and oral. St. Teresa of Avila has this advice to give to those who have trouble praying mentally (medita-tion and contemplation): pray using the traditional formula prayers (Our Father) or those prayers composed by

What are the traditional kinds of prayer?

They are ACTS. Adoration, Contri-tion, Thanksgiving and Supplication.

Adoration is acknowledging God as God. This was what Job did when he prayed: “The Lord has given. The Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Contrition is saying sorry. The act of contrition during confession is an exam-ple. The penitential rite during the Mass is another example. In our community, we pray the rosary walking up and down the corridor after washing the dishes after supper. After the Hail Holy Queen, the leader says: “Examination of Conscience.” After a few moments of silence, we pray the act of contrition.

Thanksgiving is saying thank you. Morning and evening prayers are oppor-tunities for giving thanks. In the morning we thank God for being alive. At the end of the day, we thank God for the blessings received. Perhaps we are guilty of not saying “thank you” to God often enough.

And finally, there is supplication. Supplications are petitions and requests made to God and through the intercession of those on earth, in heaven and in purgatory. I bet we don’t run out of prayer of supplication.

Why did I talk about all this?

We don’t enjoy food that is tasteless. To make food tasty we sometimes have to add spices and condiments such as pepper, or salt, or patis (fish sauce), or toyo (soy sauce), catsup and vinegar.

To enjoy our prayer, to give life to our prayer, it might help if we were to add some condiments to our prayer. The modes of praying and the kinds of prayer might do just that.

Why don’t you experiment? See what works for you. Do it today.

Buon appetito!

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Martha had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.

Lk 10:38-42

EXEGESIS

Jesus entered a village.
This is probably Bethany.

Where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary.
Not mentioned here is their brother Lazarus whom Jesus loved dearly.

(Mary) sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
This is the posture of the disciple. What is unusual here is for a woman to be sitting down listening to a rabbi. This was for men. In the gospel of Luke, woman are on equal footing with men.

“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?"
I sense self-pity here and 'tampo' as well.

Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.
Listening to God's Word (not just his words) is the better part.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

She had a sister named Marywho sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him.

We might be so taken up with life’s concerns (which are valid, by the way) that there is no time to listen neither to God nor to our loved ones. We are asked to re-structure our life so that time is given to God and to our loved ones.

Some suggestions regarding listening to God:
1. Buy a bible or even just NT for starters. I suggest the New American Bible or Today’s English Version (Good News for Modern Man). Find 10 minutes to read the bible. The 10 minutes should be at the same time every day.
2. If you have an MP3 player download a guided meditation on the Word of God from Monday to Friday. Get it from the site named: Pray as you go. Use google to get to the site.
3. If you have a PDA, you may download the text to help you reflect on the Word of God. The reflection covers the entire week, from Monday to Sunday. Get it from the site named: Sacred Space. Again, use google to get to the site.

Some suggestion regarding to listening to your loved ones.
1. The late media man (Bautista) said that once a week after supper, there is the family time when everyone can say what he wants to say or ask.
2. Stephen Covey sets aside an hour every week for a child.
3. For spouses, set a date. Your children are not welcome to that date.

Lord, do you not care.

Is it bad to complain to God? No. No. No. Complaining to God might be a sign of openness. If that is so, then complaining to God might be a sign of trust. It means you are not afraid to tell God how you feel because you know God will not take revenge on you.

St. Teresa of Avila was upset that she couldn’t get across the swollen river. She was on her way for an official visit to one of her convents. And she told God what she felt in no uncertain terms. God replied by saying that was the way he treated his friends. St. Teresa was quick to reply: “Now I understand why you have so few friends.”

However, if all you do is complain, that might be sign also that there is some-thing wrong with you.

Tell her to help me.

Sometimes we may find ourselves dictating to God what he should do. For heaven’s sake, the Lord knows what he is doing. If I were God, I would tell those who are telling me what to do: “Ano ba! Mas marunong ka pa sa akin!” (What’s wrong with you. It’s as if you know better than me.”)

There are times when we tell every body about our complaint except the person concerned. What Martha should have done is to tell Mary, “Please help me. Kulang ang katawan ko sa paghahanda ng kakanin ng ating mga bisita.” (Literally, my one body is not enough to prepare the meal for our guests.)

Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.

Lest we misunderstand Jesus, we have to state what Jesus did not mean and what he meant.

Jesus did not mean that Martha should stop preparing the meal. This was a teaching moment. And Jesus just took advantage of that moment to highlight the importance of listening to him. And because listening to him is important, we have to give time to it.


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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.

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”

Lk 10:25-37

EXEGESIS

What must I do to inherit eternal life?

This question was put to Jesus in order to test him. The answer was: love God and love your neighbour. But there was also another instance when Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” And this was also meant to test Jesus. And the answer he gave was the same: love God and love your neighbor. This came to be known as the two-fold commandment of love.

Two-fold commandment of love

The first part of the commandment is taken from what is known as the Shema. “Hear, O Israel! The Lord alone is our God. You shall love….” It is found in Dt. 6:4-9. The Moslems have a similar declaration: “There is only one God and he is Allah and Mohammad is his prophet.”

What is significant with the Shema is that we are asked to love God with our heart, being, strength and mind. What does this mean? Heart, being, strength and mind constitute the whole person. We are, therefore, asked to love God with a personal love. The following are examples of personal love: the love between friends; the love between husband and wife; the love between parent and child; the love between siblings. We are called to love God in a similar fashion.

The second part is to love your neighbor as yourself. Let’s re-word it. Love your neighbor in the same way that you love yourself. Therefore, Christianity doesn’t only teach us to love others. It teaches us to love ourselves, too. In fact, the further implication is that chronologically and logically we have to love ourselves first.

And who is my neighbor?

How do we interpret this question? The scholar is asking Jesus to tell him how his fellowman should behave so he becomes a neighbor. In other words, being neighbor is the responsibility of the other and not of oneself.

By narrating the parable Jesus is telling the scholar that he got it all wrong. Being neighbor is not the responsibility of one’s fellowman. Being neighbor is one’s responsibility. That was why the question of Jesus at the end was: Who behaved as a neighbor to robbery victim? And the answer was: the one who showed him mercy.

This reminds me of a story recounted by a priest a long time ago. He said that he was riding a motorbike and he met an accident. People came to him. But to his surprise he felt someone taking his watch. That person was there not to help him but to rob him!

The Priest and the Levite

Let us not be harsh with the priest and the Levite. They did not even come near the victim. But it was not because they were heartless. The priest and the Levite were on their way to Jerusalem to serve at the Temple. If they touched the victim and he turned out to be dead, they would be unclean. Once unclean they can not serve in the Temple. They can not serve God. For them God comes first. So they have a point. They were probably acting in good faith.

However, Jesus teaches us that in these situations when a fellowman is in need of our help, our fellowman should be helped.

The Samaritan

St. Luke likes to make the Samaritan the good guy, the hero. When Jesus healed the 10 lepers, only one came back to say thank you. And he was a Samaritan. This is unusual. The expected hero and good guy would be the Jew and the Samaritan would be the bad guy. It’s like in the movies. When Americans and Russians fight, who wins? The Americans, of course. When the Filipinos and the Japanese fight in WWII? Who are the presented as the good guys. The Filipinos, of course.

Why did St. Luke present the Samaritan as the good guy when he told the parable before his fellow Jews? Perhaps it was to unsettle his hearers. He wanted to rattle them. He wanted them to think. And that is what a parable is supposed to do. Parables are not merely to entertain. They are not just to teach a lesson. They are meant to challenge and provoke the listeners. And that was what probably happened when Jesus recounted the parable before his Jewish audience.

REFLECTIONS

My homily takes its inspiration from the opening verse of the Gospel: “There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him.”

For what was the scholar of the law testing Jesus? I think that the scholar wanted to know how good a rabbi Jesus was. He would know that by the answer Jesus gives to his question. One purpose of the test is, therefore, to find out something.

The test in school is to find out how much or how little the student knows about the things he should know. The board exam for the nurses is to find out whether the nurses have sufficient knowledge with regards to the care of patients. In mechanical engineering, there is the metals testing laboratory. One instrument for example is meant to find out the tensile strength of metals, that is, how much pull a metal can withstand before it breaks.

There is one test that we all go through again and again. But we don’t see it as a test. And that test is temptation.

Temptation as test is not for God to know something about us. Because God knows everything, he doesn’t need temptation to reveal anything new about us. Temptation as test enables us to know more about ourselves. Somebody says that everyone has his price. It was said that some judges issue TRO’s for a price. In the face of a bribe, a judge can learn something about himself.

Let us not boast, however, of being untouched by corruption. I got to know someone who was working at the customs. And he said that he has not been involved in any corruption. I congratulated him. But he was honest and sincere enough to say, “Don’t congratulate me. It’s just because no one has so far offered me a bribe.” Let us not be too sure of ourselves. We might not have fallen into certain sins not because we are good and strong but because we have not been exposed yet to any temptation regarding that particular sin.

Should we seek out temptation in order to test ourselves? Of course, not. That would be pride. When we purposely seek out temptation, we are in fact setting up ourselves for a fall. A Saint once saw a hardened criminal being led to execution. His reaction was: “There go I but for the grace of God.” Another Saint at the beginning of the day would pray: “Lord, lay your hand upon me that I may not stray from your paths.”

The sensible course of action would then be to avoid the sources of temptation or what we call the “occasions of sin”. There are four sources: people, places, things and events. Bad companions or BI’s are sources. The home when nobody is around might be a source of temptation for young unmarried couples. Some schools have banned cellphones because they are a source of temptation. Concerts in schools can be occasions of sin, too. It’s not the concert itself really but places in the campus during the concert.

But temptations will come no matter how careful we are. That’s just the way it is. How do we make ourselves strong against temptation? St. John Bosco proposes a sacramental spirituality. He insisted on going to communion AND confession. He said that communion and confession are the two wings with which we fly to heaven. In my opinion, communion and confession are not primarily for the saints. I believe that Jesus gave these two sacraments primarily for us who desire to be good but find ourselves failing now and again in the face of temptations.

Let me leave you with a statement that to me is very encouraging. It goes this way. Saints are sinners who kept on trying. Saints are sinners who kept on trying. We may fall in the face of temptation. But let us not give up. Let’s stand up and keep on trying.


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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.

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.
Lk 10:1-12, 17-20

Graphics taken from the blog, His Time

At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.
As John the Baptist prepared the way of Jesus, so also now the seventy-two disciples.

The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.
The number of workers for the kingdom was not enough in Jesus’ time. It’s still not enough today. And the number of those entering the seminaries have dwindled rather than increase.

Behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
With the exception of John the Apostle, all were martyred for the faith. It is no easier today in the strict Muslim countries.

Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals.
The advice is travel light. It’s like the backpackers of today. Why travel light? Because they were itinerant preachers. They preached about the kingdom from town to town.

Greet no one along the way.
This task of preaching the kingdom of God is urgent. You can not allow your-self to be detained.

Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
The disciples might be tempted to look for better food and lodging and in do-ing so forget about their mission of preaching the kingdom.

The laborer deserves his payment.
Those who serve the kingdom have a right to be supported by those they serve. In the OT priests and Levites of the Temple had a share in the offerings.

Cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’
It was the common belief that sickness was caused by evil spirits. Curing the sick means driving evil spirits. The presence of the kingdom is shown by the expulsion of these evil sprits.

Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, ‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.’
When the Jews of the Diaspora (Jews dispersed outside Palestine) would return to the Promised Land, especially on pilgrimage, they would stop at the boundery, take off their sandals and shake the dust. The dust of pagan countries could not be allowed to infect the dust of the Holy Land.

By shaking the dust from their sandals, the disciples would be declaring the town on par with pagans, and excluded from the kingdom.

Introduction

I remember long ago my mother was in the family way. One evening she and dad asked me what name would I want to give my unborn sibling if she were a girl. I thought for a moment. And because I loved chocolate, I said: "Baby Ruth".

Of course she was not named Baby Ruth. Names and giving names are serious business.

In the Bible

It is the father who gives the name of a child. It is not just giving a name. Giving the name means that the father acknowledges that the child is his. By writing on the tablet "John is his name," Zechariah declared the child to be his.

But we must remember that the name John was not decided by Zechariah. It was given by God through the angel Gabriel. This means that God was setting aside John for a mission. The name Jesus too was not decided upon by Joseph and Mary. Again it was given by God through Gabriel. God was not only setting aside Jesus for a mission (Savior of the world) but was also acknowledging him as his Son. Later on God would say, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

It is also in view of a mission that a person is given a new name. Abram became Abraham. He will be the father of many nations. Simon became Peter because on this rock Jesus will build his church.

In the book of the prophet Isaiah, God says: "See I have written you on the palm of my hands." What does that mean? Several times I have witnessed people asking for the tel. no. of someone. There is a ball pen but no paper. What to do? They write on the palm of their hands. What does it mean for God to write our name on the palm of his hand? It means that God will always remember us. He will never forget us.

Names and Name-giving in our Society

There was a rumor (and this was along time ago) that Rico Puno was courting Tillie Moreno. But Tillie Moreno finally told Rico Puno that she could never marry him. "But why?" Rico Puno asked. Tillie Moreno replied with that "Don't you get it?" look: "If I marry you, how will I be called? Mrs. Tillie Puno. And before you know it, they'd be calling me Mrs. Telepono."

Names are not mere labels. They are meaninful. Martin Sheen changed his family name to Sheen to honor Archbishop Fulton Sheen. When John Paul II visited the Philippines, many parents called their baby boys John Paul in honor of the late pope.

In old orders of men and women religious, they change their name or get a second name when they make their religious profession. I think that the Benedictines do that. John would get the name of Dom Martin, for example. A change in name or getting a second name reminds the person that now he has different kind of life.

I still think that there is sense to naming a child after a Saint, not necessarily the saint on the day he or she was born. What is the significance of giving the name of a Saint to a child? There are two. The first is this. The saint becomes a role model. The second is this. The saint be-comes a protector and intercessor of the child. These are also two of the reasons why the Church proclaims a man or a woman a Saint.

Family names

You don't only have a first name. You also have family name. It identifies you as belonging to a clan.

If you belong to a clan who are doctors, you would be pressured to become a doctor yourself. That is the downside. But if you really want to become a doctor, it's so much easier for you, even just from the psychological point of view.

Sometimes a person may not want to carry his real family name and this, for a good reason. The family name of Nicholas Cage is not Cage but Copola. Francis Ford Copola is his uncle. Why did he change his family name to Cage? Because he wanted it to be said that if he succeeds as an actor, it is because he is really a good actor and not because of his uncle, Francis Ford Copola.

If you ask parents what they want to bequeath to their children, you would in-variably hear "a good education" and not surprisingly, "a good name". A good name is like a charm. If you were a Sycip, it would be easy for you to be trusted in the corporate world. For Washington Sycip is highly respected for his integrity. It is a privilege to be born a Sycip. But it is also a responsibility. You have the responsibility of making sure that Sycip continues to be identified with integrity.

We have a "family" name that we might be taking for granted. And that is "Catholic". Do you wear it as a badge of honor? Or is it just a label that you put when filling up forms?

Do you feel the responsibility of living up to the demands of being a Catholic? Or it is something not worth our attention and concern? Once it pained me to hear an owner of a fleet of taxis say that they prefer to hire drivers from a certain sect because they were honest. The owner herself felt bad about that.

Conclusion

There are three concrete things that we can do.
1. Find out who you were named after. If it is after a Saint, get to know who this Saint was. Find out his outstanding qualities and try to imitate at least one of these qualities. If it is in honor of a certain person, do the same. Find out his outstanding qualities. Imitate at least one of these.
2. You belong to a clan. It is not enough not to give a bad name to your clan. Be proactive. Do something that will bring honor to your clan.
3. You are a Catholic. By word and action, live up to your identity as a Catholic.



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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.

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

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

Lk 9:51-62

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LESSONS FOR LIFE

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

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

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

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

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

Birth of St. John the Baptist

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Message

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

Eleventh Sunday in Orindary Time (C)

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

Exegesis

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Problem

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

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

Jesus and Simon

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

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

Story

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

Corpus Christi (C)

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

Introduction

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

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

Theology

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Spirituality of St. John Bosco

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

Trinity Sunday

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

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

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

How do you explain that?

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

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

The Trinity as Family

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

Pentecost (C)

Receive the Holy Spirit.

Jn 20:19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week.
It was the evening of that day when Jesus rose from the dead, that is, Easter Sunday.

When the doors were locked…Jesus came and stood in their midst.
The resurrection gave Jesus had a glorified body. It no longer had the limitations of an earthly body. Thus, he can pass through walls.

“Peace be with you.”
The first gift of the risen Jesus to his apostles was peace. This peace is the salvation that he gained by his death and resurrection. Salvation means that our sins can be forgiven, we are brought back to God and heaven is now open to us again.

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The resurrection of Jesus changed his appearance. That was why that morning when he appeared to Mary Magdalene, she did not recognize him and thought he was the gardener. By showing his wounds, he identified himself as Jesus.

As the Father has sent me, so I send you.
The word apostle comes from the Greek word which means to send. The remaining Eleven were called apostles because Jesus sends them out on a mission.

He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
In Hebrew the word for breath and spirit is the same. He breathes on them to show that he was sending them the Holy Spirit.

Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.
On Holy Thursday Jesus gave to his church the gift of the Priesthood and the Eucharist. On Easter Sunday he gives them the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Two Pentecosts
It seems that there has been two instances of Pentecost. The first happened on the evening of Easter Sunday and the second, 50 days after the death and resurrection of Jesus. How do we explain this? The first Pentecost which occurred on the evening of Easter Sunday was in fulfilment of the promise of Jesus to send the Advocate to his disciples after he has ascended to his Father. The second Pentecost represented the official birth of the Church in the world. On that day the birth of the church was symbolized by the apostles going out of the upper room into the world outside in order to the preach that Jesus is Savior.

Christian Pentecost and Jewish Shavuot
The Christian Feast of Pentecost coincides with the Jewish feast of Shavuot. It is also called the Feast of Weeks. It takes place 50 days after the Passover which is why Christians call it Pentecost (fiftieth day). The feast of Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah (the Law) to Moses and to Israel on Mt. Sinai.

Dream (Vision) of St. John Bosco about Confession

Don (Fr.) Bosco saw over 100 thousand boys coming down the hill in total silence. Carrying pitchforks they hastened towards the valley. On the other side of the valley, the sky was dark. Wild animals with small heads and blood-shot eyes were running to attack the boys. But the boys stood firm and defended themselves with the pitchforks.

Some of the animals tried to bite the pitchforks. They broke their teeth and disappeared. Those boys, however, who carried pitchforks with only one prong, were wounded. Others had pitchforks with broken or worm-eaten handles. Some fought the beasts with their bare hands and were killed.

Moving among the dead, Don Bosco noticed that some of them have been strangled. Others seem starved to death.

Don Bosco asked someone what all these mean. The two prongs stand for confession and communion. Broken handles meant sacrilegious communion and confession. Worm-eaten handles stand for faulty confessions. Those who were strangled were those who committed some sins in their early years but never confessed them. Those who starved to death went to confession but never followed the advice of their confessor.

Conclusion

• Let us show our appreciation for the gift of the sacrament of confession by going to confession. To show that I appreciate the gift given to me last Christmas, I wear it. In the same way, I go to confession to show to God I appreciate this gift.

• It is not enough to go to confession, however. We must make sure that we make a good confession. How? First, be honest. Say everything that you remember. But if you forget, don’t worry. God will forgive them, too. And second, follow the advice of the confessor. When you are sick, you go to a doctor. If you want to get well, follow his advice. In the same way, follow the advice of your confessor if you want to become better.


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

Ascension

You are witnesses of these things.

Lk 24: 46-53

A witness is someone who observes an event.

If you happen to go to St, John Bosco Parish in Makati, you will not fail to see a tarpaulin that contains an intriguing painting, Hapag ng Pag-asa. It's like a Last Supper scene, except that instead of the apostles you will see street children. In fact, there is a snatcher and a rugby boy. It is a painting of Joey Velasco. And the children who modelled for him really come from the poor sections of Metro Manila.

That painting has become famous. But more than the fame it has won, that painting is a witness to the return of the primacy of God in the life of Joey Velasco. In fact, he says that it's a symbol of his nearness to God. But he has not always been near God.

Joey Velasco used to be a seminarian. When he left the seminary, his dream was to make it big in the world. He did not exactly forget God. But he did put him at the edges of his life. Then one day in 2005 he was diagnosed with a tumor in one of his kidneys. It was life-threatening. He felt his days were numbered.

He started calling friends and relatives to tell them about his condition and his fears. He would end by asking for prayers. He purposely asked for prayers because it was in those dark moments of helplessness that he realized that there was no one to cling to but God alone. His life was not in the hands of the doctors but in the hands of God.

He underwent surgery and recovered. From then on he was a changed man.

His religious paintings, especially, Hapag ng Pag-asa, is a witness to how God once again reclaimed primacy of place in his life.

Like Joey Velasco, we may not really have turned away from God. We may not really have decided that God is not important. But it may happen that we are so taken up by day to day concerns that we no longer have time for God. It's as if God is a bench warmer. He is there but he is not involved. He is just at the sidelines.

This Sunday the Lord is calling our attention. He is asking us to allow him once again to take primacy of place in our life.

We may not have paintings to show. But let the way we live be a convincing witness that God has truly taken primacy of place in our lives.

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

6th Sunday of Easter (C)

Whoever loves me, will keep my word.

Jn 14: 23-29

Whoever loves me, will keep my word.

In the 1970s Mao Tse-tung launched the Cultural Revolution. Millions of young people called the Red Guardsmarhed across China waving the Red Book which contained the thoughts of Chairman Mao. They adored Mao.

We have yet to see millions of Christians carrying the Bible, the Word of God and reading and praying it with devotion.

For those with internet access, you may want a guide to praying with the Word of God. There is Sacred Space and Pray As You Go. Pray as you go is downloaded as an MP3 file.

We will come to him and make our dwelling with him.

St Paul also says that the Holy Spirit dwells in us for we are the temples of the Holy Spirit.

Greeks believed that the gods live in Olympus and have nothing to do with men. Only once in a while do they go down to interfere with the lives of men. And their interference often result in disaster such as the Trojan War.

Christianity teaches us that God is not up there. He is everywhere. He is with us. God is concerned about us. He watches over us, but not from a distance. He is like a parent who lives with his children and thus is able to watch over us.

I will send you another Advocate.

The first is Jesus; the second, the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is advocate in the sense of intercessor in heaven. Thus, Jesus is said to plead for us at the right hand of the Father.

The Holy Spirit is advocate in the sense that he is teacher, a witness to Jesus, and a prosecutor of the world. Now that Jesus has returned to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, the Holy Spirit is with us as the representative of Jesus.

My peace I give to you.

When Jews meet each other they say Shalom, which is translated as peace. But shalom does not only mean "May peace be with you." It means "May you receive the blessings of God".

Now Jesus gives us his peace. What is this peace that Jesus gives us? Salvation. By his suffering, death and resurrection, Jesus has reconciled us to God. We are now at peace with God. We are now forgiven. Heaven's door is now open to receive us.

I am going away and I will come back to you.

Jesus will suffer, die, rise from the dead and ascend to heaven. But he will come again at the end of time. Christians called this the Parousia.

Every Advent season we are reminded of the second coming of Jesus. If our cry at Easter is "Alleluia", our cry at Advent is "Maranatha".

The Father is greater than I.

We believe in one God and in three divine persons. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equal. We call this article of Faith, the Blessed Trinity.

How come Jesus says that the Father is greater than he? The Father is greater than he in the sense that the Father was the one who sent him.


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

Fifth Sunday of Easter (C)

No greater love a man has than to lay down his life for his friend.
Jn 13:31-33A, 34-35

Context

Jesus just finished washing the feet of his disciples. He wanted to show them that his love for them is a love of service.

Judas rejected the love of Jesus. He went ahead with his plan to betray Jesus.

Discourse

In John’s gospel, the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus is referred to as his glorification. With the departure of Judas, the glorification/passion of Jesus began.

Jesus calls his disciples “my children”. In the Old Testament a patriarch leaves his last testament or message before dying. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are recognized as the patriarchs of Israel. Here Jesus does the same. He leaves them his last testament which was: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” And how did Jesus love us: “No greater love a man has than to lay down his life for his friends.”

Story

Steve and Mark were brothers. Steve was 12; Mark 10. But Steve had polio. Like any ordinary brothers, they also had their quarrels. But they never went to sleep at night without settling their quarrel they had during the day. They were very close to one another. In spite of this, there were times that Steve felt envious of Mark, especially since Mark had two good legs.
One night Steve had a dream. He found himself in a forest. It was dark. He heard the call of the wild animals. He was very frightened. But a long way ahead, he saw a light. As he drew nearer, he saw that it was coming from a cave.

He went inside the cave. He saw a fire crackling there. He approached the fire toe warm himself. Then suddenly out of the shadows there emerged a man with a long white beard and wearing a long robe. He introduced himself as the guardian of the forest. He told Steve that he was granting him one wish. He did not have to think long. He wished for a pair of good legs. “Very well then.” The old man threw his cloak around Steve.

When the old man removed his cloak, Steve found himself in bed. His brother Mark was sleeping soundly at the other bed. The man lifted the blanket of Mark, thereby exposing his legs. “What are you doing?”

The Old Man explained that he was going to give him Mark’s legs and mark would get his legs. At that moment, Steve saw himself running. Jumping, climbing and doing all sorts of things that he could never do before. And he was so happy at the thought of that. But then he also saw Mark with shrunken legs, sitting at a distance watching him enjoy himself. His joy turned to sadness. No! He could never allow that to happen.

Steve looked at the Old Man. “Thanks. I’d like to have a good pair of legs. But not if Mark is going to suffer for it. No. Thank you. I’d rather remain like this.”

Stever woke up the next morning. The sun was high. He looked at his little brother, Mark. He remembered the dream. From that day onwards, he never felt envious of Mark and loved him more than ever.

Conclusion

Perhaps we may never be called to give up our lives for those we love. But cer-tainly, there will be times when we will be called to make a sacrifice for them. When that time comes, our love will be tested. And then we shall know if our love is real or not.