PENTECOST

And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire.

ACTS 2:1-11

THE FEAST OF PENTECOST

The feast of Pentecost is one of the three great pilgrimage festivals of the Jews. The other two are the Passover and the Feast of Booths/Tents.It is celebrated 50 days after the Passover. For this reason it was called the Feast of Pentecost by the Hellenistic Jews (Jews influenced by Greek culture).

It was also called the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot. 7 days x 7 weeks = 49. You begin counting on the second day of the Passover and on the 49th day is the Feast of the Shavuot.

The feast of Pentecost had two other names: the Feast of the Grain Harvest and the Feast of the First Fruits. Obviously the feast of Pentecost was a feast celebrating the harvest.

Later on the feast came to be associated with the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai and with the birth of the Jews as a nation.

The Jewish feast of Shavuot or Pentecost became a Christian feast because on this day the Holy Spirit came down upon the Christian community as promised by Jesus. Just as the Jewish feast of Pentecost commemorates the giving of the Law so the Christian feast of Pentecost commemorates the giving of the Holy Spirit. Just as the Jewish feast of Pentecost commemorates birth of the Jews as a nation, so also the Christians feast of Pentecost commemorates the birth of the Christian community as a church.

TWO PENTECOST EVENTS

The New Testament recounts two Pentecost events, that is, two occasions when the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples. The Gospel of John reports that on the evening of Easter Sunday, Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to his disciples. Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive they are forgiven them. Whose sins you retain, they are retained.

The Acts of the Apostles recounts a second time when the Holy Spirit was given. While the giving of the Holy Spirit in John’s gospel was in a quiet, subdued manner, the giving of the Holy Spirit in the Acts happened in a dramatic fashion.

PENTECOST IN THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire.

Jesus commanded his disciples not to leave Jerusalem until they are clothed with power from on high. Jesus was speaking about the Holy Spirit. By manifesting himself as a strong driving wind, the Holy Spirit showed his coming as the coming of one who is powerful.

It then took the form of tongues of fire in order to manifest himself as the source of the gift of speaking in different languages.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different ton-gues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

Hearing the apostles speaking in different tongues was not entirely strange to the Jews for the OT prophets did the same. In the early Church and even today in the charismatic renewal, there were Christians who spoke in an ecstatic state.

But the more important intent of the Acts of the Apostles was to show that the Holy Spirit re-established the unity which was lost with the building of the tower of Babel and at the same time, pre-figures the universal mission of the Apostles.

We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs.

The nations mentioned here represent the known inhabited world at the time. The direction of the enumeration is fom East to West with Judea at the center.

MOTHER'S DAY

ONE little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper, and he handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his mom dried her hands on an apron, she read it, and this is what it said:

• For taking care of the garden – P 50.00
• For cleaning up my room this week – P25.00
• For going to the store for you – P10.00
• Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping – P 30.00
• Taking out the garbage – P 10.00
• For getting a good grades in the report card – P 100.00
• For cleaning up the bathroom – P 50.00
Total: P 275.00

His mother looked at him standing there expectantly. So she picked up the pen, turned over the paper he'd written on, and this is what she wrote:

• For the nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me, No Charge.
• For all the nights that I did not sleep because you were sick, No Charge.
• For feeding you, cleaning you up, and dressing you, No Charge.
• For sending you to Kindergarten, No Charge.
• For buying you toys, No Charge.
• For all the trying times, and all the tears that you've caused through the years, No Charge.
Total: P0.00

Today is Mother’s Day. Today we acknowledge the love our mothers have been giving us through the years. Today we say to them: Thank you

BLESSING FOR MOTHERS

Holy God,
You compae you own love for your people
To the love of a mother for her children.
Look with kindness on these mothers,
Give them comfort in moments of sorrow,
And joy in their work for their families.

Listen to their prayers,
And bless + them in all they do for you.
Let them share with Jesus your son
And Mary our mother
In the everlasting happiness of heaven.

Father,
We ask this grace
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER (C)

Now is the Son of Man glorified.

Jn 13:31-33a, 34-35

Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him,God will also glorify him in himself.

Jesus glorifies the Father through his obedience even unto death.

The Father glorifies Jesus by sharing with him his eternal glory. How? By means of his Resurrection and Ascension.

I give you a new commandment: love one another.

The Synoptics speak of love of neighbor. Jesus here speaks of mutual love—loving one another in the community. The early Christians so carried out this commandment that pagans were forced to exclaim: “See how much they love one another!”

This mutual love in the Christian community becomes the sign of the presence of Jesus not only in the community itself but also in the world.

4th SUNDAY OF EASTER (C)

My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Jn 10:27-30

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

The OT speaks about God as a shepherd
• Ps 23:1. “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.”
• Ps 80:1. “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock.”

In the NT
• Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd. Mt 8:12 and Lk 15:4. “I am the Good Shepherd.”
• 1 Pt 2:25 calls Jesus a Shepherd. “He is the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls.”

No one shall snatch them out of my hand.

No earthly force can equal the power of Jesus and thus, the believers are secure.

No one can snatch them from the hand of my Father.

Jesus can protect his sheep (believers) because he shares in the power of the Father. Why? He and the Father are one. That is, Jesus is God. The Father is God. The Jews understood this and that was why they attempted to stone him for blasphemy.

SHEPHERD

You have certainly heard of the story of David and Goliath. Goliath was the champion of the Philistines while David was the champion of the Israelites. They had to fight to the death. The losing side would serve the winning side. David used his sling shot to bring down Goliath.

What was David doing with the sling shot? David was a shepherd. The shepherd did not only pasture his sheep. He also protected them from wild animals. To protect his sheep, the shepherd used his staff and his sling shot.

This Sunday we shall hear about the shepherds in our midst and their tasks of defending their sheep.

The bishop is the shepherd of the Catholics in his diocese. Since he cannot take care of all the Catholics in his diocese, he is assisted by the priests of his diocese. To For example, Bishop Drona of the Diocese of San Pablo, Laguna is assisted by the clergy of his diocese. The diocese is divided into parishes. Bishop Drona distributed the priests of his diocese to these parishes. As a sign that he is the shepherd of the diocese of San Pablo and as a sign of his responsibility of protecting the Catholics of his diocese, he carries a staff during liturgical celebrations.

Parents are not called shepherds. But they carry out the function of shepherds of their children.

When I was in Ireland, the parents of three teen-age girls refused permission for their children to sleepover with other teen-agers. Their parents said: “It’s not that we don’t trust you. But we do not know those kids are who are also going to sleep-over with you.” Obviously the parents were protecting their children.

A mother whose son went to the city for university studies said that she always prayed to God to protect his son from harm. She would call him now and then to see how things are going. When she was in the city, she would make it a point to visit him.

The Bible calls God a Shepherd. Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd.

When I take a plane, I would always make the sign of the cross on take-off. I commend myself to God’s protection.

I would see others make the sign of the cross upon leaving the house. I think they are also asking God’s protection.

For the same reason we say a prayer every time we take car to go on a journey.

While it is good to ask God’s for protection from physical harm, it is even better if we also ask him to protect us from moral harm. A saint made it a habit to pray this way at the beginning of the day: “Lord, lay your hand upon me so that from morning till evening I may be kept safe from harm of body and soul. Amen.”

One of the best-loved psalm of the Bible is Psalm 23. It is the psalm of the Good Shepherd. In time of difficulties this psalm encouraged people. It gave them the strength not to give up.

During World War II, an American pilot was shot down by a Japanese fighter plane over Papua New Guinea. He ejected from his plane and with the help of a parachute landed safely on a mountain covered by a dense jungle--no broken bones; only a gash on his head.

With the help of a map and compass, he sought for find his way back to the American lines. It was not easy. He had to be careful of poisonous snakes, croco-diles, wild boars, blood-sucking leaches and malaria carrying mosquitoes. After 10 days, his food was gone. Desperation set in. Then he remembered Psalm 23—The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. Every day he recited that psalm. And every day it lifted the discouragement from his heart.

On the 31st say since he was shot out of the sky, he heard voices. He was saved. Villagers who were friendly to the Allies saw his plane shot down and they went in search of the pilot who bailed out of the plane. Now they have found him.

Like this pilot, let us entrust ourselves to God, our Good Shepherd.

3rd SUNDAY OF EASTER (C)

“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"

Jn 21: 1-19

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

Chapter 21 is an appendix of the Gospel of John and is probably the work of his disciples.

This story is similar to the miraculous catch of fish reported by St. Luke at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus (Lk 5:1-11).

The disciples moved by the word of the Risen Lord puts themselves to continue his mission and against all hope, were able to unite people from everywhere into the one and only community of Jesus, the Church.

153 fish. St. Jerome tells us that the ancients identify 153 species of fish. The mission of the disciples of Jesus is to gather all peoples into the Church.

The Catholic Church is universal. It is meant for all peoples. This is the meaning of ‘Catholic’ and is one of the marks of the Church founded by Jesus Christ.

The net stands for the church. It does not tear. Tear symbolizes for ‘schism’. The church remains one. That is why one of the marks of the Catholic Church is that is it one, that is, there is unity.

Breakfast. It is an allusion to the Eucharist as can be seen in the action of Jesus: “Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,”

“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus does not claim that his love is superior to the love of the other disciples.

The three times that Jesus asked Peter the question “do you love me?” is evidently made in reference to the three denials made by Pete at the courtyard of the house of the High Priest.

Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep.

This command of Jesus signifies the unique role of Peter among the apostles and of the Pope among the bishops.

But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands….

Later Peter was martyred in Rome under emperor Nero. He was crucified but requested that he be crucified side down in deference to Jesus his master.

A church in Rome is called the Quo Vadis church to recall this beautiful story. It is found near the Catacombs of St. Callistus in Rome.

2ND SUNDAY OF EASTER (C)

Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.

Jn 20:19-31

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst….

The appearance of Jesus to his disciples was on the evening of that Sunday, Easter Sunday. Their being together seems to allude to the regular Sunday ga-thering of Christians (as Saturday was the regular gathering of the Jews).

The door was locked and yet this did not prevent Jesus from coming into the room. This implies that the Resurrection transformed the body of Jesus. It no longer had the limitation of an earthly body. The body of Jesus is said to be a glorified body.

The appearance of Jesus among his disciples is an assurance that he remains present among his disciples, although now in a different way.

Peace be with you.

Shalom (peace) is not just tranquility and absence of violence. To the Jewish mind shalom (peace) is the fullness of life. And it is the first gift of the Risen Lord to his disciples.

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.

The Resurrection has resulted in a glorified body for Jesus. The transformation may have made Jesus unrecognizable. Yet his wounds remained. And they served to identify Jesus to his disciples.

As the Father has sent me, so I send you.

The mission of the disciples is a continuation of the mission of Jesus. And be-cause they are being sent, they are called “apostles”. (The word “apostle” comes from the word “sent”.)

And when he had said this, 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.”

The word “breathed” recalls the Genesis account of the creation of man: “The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being” (Gen 2:7). The work of Jesus is seen as a second creation of man, that is, a re-creation or a new creation.

The Holy Spirit is the gift of the Risen Lord to his disciples. This is the Johan-nine version of the Pentecost.
With the gift of the Holy Spirit is given the power to forgive or not to forgive sins. We see in this the gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

This must be taken to be a profession of faith on the part of Thomas.

The unbelief of Thomas may be taken as a blessing in disguise. It is an assurance that the Resurrection of Jesus was not the result of hallucination or hysteria on the part of the disciples.

Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.

Undoubtedly the Evangelist John meant this for us who have not seen Jesus and yet have put our faith in him.

IMPLICATIONS

1. The body of the Risen Lord was transformed.

On the last day all of us shall rise from the dead. Our bodies, too, shall be transformed. And if we our souls already inhabit heaven, then our bodies will be like the glorified body of Jesus.

2. The appearance of Jesus among his disciples is an assurance that he remains present among his disciples.

Because Jesus has risen from the dead, he is no longer hampered by the physical limitation of space and time. This means that he can now always be present among his disciples no matter where they are, no matter in what period of history they are. Because of his, he really lives up to his name of “Emmanuel” (God is with us).

3. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.

This is the reason why the Eleven (and later the Twelve, with the election of Matthaias) are not only disciples (followers), but apostles (sent) as well.

When the Catholic Church calls itself apostolic, it is because it traces its origin to the apostles. This is important because Jesus did not entrust the mission to anyone else but to the apostles. The Catholic Church, therefore, is the bearer of the mandate of Jesus.

Furthermore, a bishop is authentic only if he can trace his origin to the apostles. It is as if he can find himself in the family tree of bishops whose ultimate origin are the apostles. Consequently, no one can just declare: “From now on, I am a bishop.”

4. Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed

“I brought an elephant with me. Do you believe it?”

We often hear it said: “To see is to believe.” But that is wrong because to see is to know. Once you’ve seen it, you don’t have to believe it. You already know it. To believe requires that we accept that what is said is true in spite of the fact that we have not seen it yet.

For example:
• I believe in God.
• I believe that there is heaven and hell.
• I believe that Jesus is the savior of the world.

Perhaps it is easy to believe in these things even if we have not seen them yet. But it is a different story when our eyes see things that make us question if there is a God at all.

A fourth-year high school boy declared he doesn’t believe in God. When he was still small, his parents separated. Neither of them took him. Instead he was left to the care of his grandparents. And now both of his parents have their own families. From what he has seen in his life, he asks: “How can there be a God if these things happen to me?”

On the other hand I have seen another boy in the same situation who did not become angry with God. He continued to believe in a God of Love. He also graduated valedictorian of his class. When I saw him place all the medals he has received on the necks of his lolo and lola, I couldn’t help but say to myself: “How blessed is this boy who continued to believe in spite of everthing!”

5TH SUNDAY IN LENT (C)

“Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

Jn 8: 1-11

He(Jesus) sat down and taught them.

Rabbis sat down while teaching his disciples. The Pope, too, is seated when he teaches the Catholic faithful.
Therefore the chair has become is a symbol of authority. In Latin, chair is “cathedra”. When the Pope speaks “ex cathedra”, that is, from the chair, he speaks authoritatively. For the same reason the seat of the bishop is called a cathedral.

Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women (who commit adul-tery).

Adultery is one of the three crimes punishable by death but how this is to be done is not specified. However, a betrothed virgin who commits adultery is liable to stoning. This was what Mary could have been accused of when Joseph found her to be with child.

So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him.

If Jesus said it was alright to stone the woman, they could go to the Romans and report him as inciting to murder. If he said that it was not alright to stone the woman, the scribes and Pharisees could go to the people and tell them that Jesus does not uphold the law of Moses.

Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.

This is the only time in the gospels when Jesus is reported to write.

Why did he bend down and write? Perhaps Jesus didn’t want to accept the position of judge.

What was Jesus writing? Some say he was just doodling. Others say that he was enumerating the sins of the woman’s accusers.

Why did he write on the ground? Whatever one writes on the ground can eas-ily be blotted out. Even the sin of adultery can be forgiven.

“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

The first stone is supposed to be cast by the witness.

Jesus was telling the scribes and Pharisees that they too are sinners. He was also telling them that only the sinless can mete out punishment. Since Jesus will not do it, they, too, cannot do it.

And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders.

The elders were members of the Sanhedrin, the highest religious governing body of the Jews.

Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

To condemn means to pass sentence (punishment) when a judge finds someone guilty.

The woman was guilty but Jesus was giving her another chance. He tells her to sin no more.

4th SUNDAY OF LENT (C)

But now we must celebrate and rejoice,because your brother was dead and has come to life again;he was lost and has been found.

Lk 15:1-3. 11-32

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

Luke 15 is made up of an introduction and three parables about the great joy that comes from finding what was lost. The parables are:
• One lost sheep out of 100 sheep
• One lost coin out of 10 coins
• One lost son out of 2 sons

What occasioned the parable?

The scribes and Pharisees were objecting to at how Jesus receives and mingles with people who were branded as sinners. Jesus tells them that God is happy when his children who have lost their way return to him. Jesus invites them to join in God’s happiness—he wants them to be happy for them, too.

Is there a difference among the three parables?

The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coins show how God seeks out his wayward children.
The parable of the Prodigal Son on the other hand, shows the joy of God when his lost children repents.

The traditional title of the third parable is the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Are there other titles given to this parable?

This parable has been called the Parable of the Lost Son and also the Parable of the Son who has been found.

But the parable is really about the father. Hence, it has been called the Parable of the Loving Father. It has been also called the Parable of the Prodigal Father. He was lavish with love for his younger son.

How is the parable structured?

The parable consists of two parts: the father and the prodigal son and the father with the elder son.

So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.

To the Jews the pig is an unclean animal. For the younger son to be forced to take care of pigs is an indication of his desperate situation.

The pods were the fruits of a tree that were used to feed the animals. The wil-lingness of the boy to eat even what the pigs were eating is another indication of the precariousness of his situation.

He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him…‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.'

The kiss of the father was a sign that the son has been pardoned.

The ring was a sign of authority.

Sandals. The servants and slaves were unshod. Freemen wore sandals. It meant that the father was taking the boy as a son and not as a servant.

Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders.

The elder son represented the Pharisees. In the mouth of the Pharisees, these words meant that they obeyed all the requirements of the Law.

But when your son returns….

The elder brother refused to accept the younger son as his brother.

But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again….

The father reminds the elder son that the younger son was still his brother just as he is his son.
When sinners accept the invitation of Jesus to repent, the Pharisees should also rejoice with God who finds joy in the return of the sinner.

Did the elder son come in and join the celebration?

We are not told because it is something which his hearers (the Scribes and Pharisees) will have to answer for themselves.

3rd SUNDAY OF LENT (C)

For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?

LK 13: 1-9

Today’s Gospel consists of two parts:
- About the Galileans who were killed by Pilate and the 18 people on whom the Tower of Siloam fell
- The parable of the fig tree
Both parts carry the same message: the urgency of conversion

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.

Since the Galileans were offering sacrifices, it must have happened in Jerusalem. Only in the Temple of Jerusalem were sacrifices allowed.

Pilate has been known to resort to violent interventions in Jerusalem, so the news that was told to Jesus was probably true.

What provoked this bloodshed? Pilate saw the need for the construction of an aqueduct that was to bring additional water supply to Jerusalem. There was no problem here. The problem arose when he proposed to finance the construction with money from the Temple. The Jews objected to this. When people began to gather to protest, Pilate saw the possibility of an ensuing riot. He ordered his soldiers to disguise themselves and mingle with the crowds at a given signal would disperse the crowds with truncheons. But the soldiers used too much force and people were killed in the process. Galileans were probably among those who died.

Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them….

William Barclay has an interesting story about these 18 people. He says that the aqueduct project began and these people were working on the project. When the accident happened, people attributed their death to God’s punishment. They got themselves involved in a project that was financed with Temple money.

But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!

Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. And the Jewish people disappeared as a nation. Perhaps Jesus had the destruction of Jerusalem in mind when he spoke these words.

‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’

The fig tree was common in Palestine. It was a common source of food. It usually took three years for it to bear fruit. If it bore no fruit then it was cut down and another was planted in its place.

Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”

God gives us all the chance we need. But should we squander that chance, then we shall be cut off from the Kingdom. It is not God who shall shut us out. It is we by our refusal to repent and be converted who will shut ourselves out.

2ND SUNDAY OF LENT (C)

His face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white.

Lk 9: 28b-36

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

About eight days after he said this….

What happened eight days before the Transfiguration? Jesus and his disciples were at Caesarea Philippi. There Jesus asked them who people think he was. And then he asked them who they think he was. Peter answered for all of them: You are the Christ of God! Immediately Jesus told them that he would suffer and die but on the third day, would rise again.

With the words “eight days after”, St. Luke wanted to connect the Transfiguration with Peter’s profession of faith in Jesus and Jesus’ prophecy about his death and resurrection. Where was the connection? At the Transfiguration Jesus gave a glimpse of his glory as the Christ of God and of the glory of his resurrected body. St. Luke said that “his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white.”

He took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray.

Jesus went up the mountain to meet his Father in prayer. As Satan was believed to dwell in the desert, so God was believed to dwell on the mountain. Tradition identifies Mt. Tabor as the mountain of the Transfiguration. Mt. Hermon is the other possible location of the Transfiguration.

This was no ordinary prayer. It was a decisive moment in his life, similar to the Baptism at the Jordan and his sojourn in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights. There at Mt. Tabor Jesus faced once more the temptation to accept the cross or to reject it and find another way to save mankind. How do we know this? Luke says that he spoke with Moses and Elijah about his exodus – his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension.

This temptation to accept or reject the cross will be repeated for the last time at Gethsemane. There as here Peter, John and James were present. Here they were perhaps present so that having seen the glory of Jesus, they would not lose faith when they see Jesus crucified. On the other hand, they were near Jesus at Gethsemane so that Jesus may find moral support in them as his arrest drew near.

Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.

Did Peter have in mind the Tent of Meeting during Israel’s stay in the desert? It was the dwelling place of God among the Israelites. In Exodus (25: 8-9) we read: “They shall make a sanctuary for me, that I may dwell in their midst. This Dwelling and all its furnishings you shall make exactly according to the pattern that I will now show you.”

Or did Peter mention the tents because he wanted all of them remain at Mt. Tabor and relish this moment forever?

Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my chosen Son; listen to him."

The cloud and the voice manifested the presence of the Father who Jesus had met in prayer.

With the words “This is my chosen Son; listen to him” St. Luke also connects the Transfiguration with the Baptism at the Jordan. At his Baptism the Father presented Jesus as Son and as Servant of Yahweh (Is 42:1). Here at the Transfiguration Jesus is presented as the Prophet that all must listen to (Acts 3:22; Dt. 18:15). Moses spoke of this Prophet. He said: “A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kinsmen; to him you shall listen.”

1ST SUNDAY OF LENT (C)

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil.

Lk 4: 1-13

The Holy Spirit came down on Jesus at his baptism. The same Spirit is with him as he begins to carry out his mission.

The desert is not a desert of sand but of rocks. Hence, it can also be called a wilderness. It is believed to be the home of Satan. By going to the wilderness, Jesus begins the war against the devil. The battle between Jesus and the devil takes the form of temptation.

He ate nothing during those days.

As Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness, so we also fast during Lent, a period of 40 days.
Somehow fasting disposes us to prayer. It also strengthens us against tempta-tion, probably by strengthening our will power and self-discipline.

The gospel narrates the three temptations of Jesus. All of them are basically the same. The devil was trying to make Jesus choose a way of saving mankind different from the way willed by the Father. The Father wanted Jesus to save mankind through the cross. The devil, on the other hand, was trying to convince Jesus to save mankind through a show of power and glory.

If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.

At his baptism, the Father declared to Jesus: “You are my beloved son.” Now the devil tells Jesus: “If you are the Son of God, then you must possess extra-ordinary powers. Show your power by turning these stones into bread. Then people will follow you.”

The devil was tempting Jesus to not follow the way of the cross but the promise of material things

“I shall give to you all this power and glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me.”

The devil was offering political power to Jesus. With political power, Jesus would be a Messiah who would chase away the Romans and restore the kingdom of Israel. But if he were to take the path of political power, Jesus would be the Messiah of the Zealots instead of the Messiah sent by the Father.

“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.”

People will follow you if they are convinced that you are from God. You can do that if you jump from the top of the Temple into the Kidron Valley below and then come out unharmed. But if you end up suffering and dying on the cross, how can people ever be convinced that you come from God?

OVERCOMING TEMPTATION AND SIN

Jesus models for us what Lent should be. It should be a time of spiritual combat against the devil. It should be a time of victory over the devil. During this time we should not fall into sin and instead, overcome temptation.

To win we must have a strategy. We must identify our weak spot and then guard it.

We need to identify our weak spots because that will be the target of the devil. Is my temper my weak spot? Is it my tongue? Perhaps my flesh is weak? Or is it my pride?

Once we identify our weak spot, we have guard it against the attacks of the devil. Guarding our weak spot means being alert. For example, if my weak spot is my temper, then I have to be conscious when I am getting angry. Once I am conscious that I am getting angry, I will be ready to control myself. If I am not conscious of my temper, then I will not be ready to control my anger. Then my anger would get hold of me and I am bound to say or do hurtful things.

But this is not enough. We need reinforcement. Reinforcement means streng-thening our defenses. There are three things we can make use of in order to fortify ourselves against temptation and sin: confession, prayer and sacrifice.

1. Sacraments. They are traditionally called channels of grace. Confession is not only a channel of the grace of forgiveness. It is not only a channel of sanctifying grace. It is also a channel of actual grace, that is, through confession God comes to help me overcome temptation and sin. After a good confession, it really feels a lot easier to be good.

2. Prayer. In time of temptation we should rush to God for help. We should say a little prayer. In the Life of St. Anthony of Egypt we are told that he went as a youth to live the life of a hermit. There the devil assaulted him with all kinds of temptation. But according to his biography he did not fall because of his great faith and constant prayers. But by prayer we are not only referring to prayer at the moment of temptation. We are also talking about the general attitude of prayer which means giving time to get in touch with God throughout the day.

3. Sacrifice or penance. It means giving up something that we like. It means going against our desires. In this way we strengthen the muscles of our will o will power. Giving up smoking during the Lenten season can be tough for most people. If they manage to say ”no” to cigarettes, then they probably will have enough will power to say “no” to the temptations of the devil.

CONCLUSION

Lent is a time of spiritual combat. If we are to defeat the devil, then we need to identify our weak spot and guard it against his attacks. We also need reinforcement: confession, prayer and sacrifice.
We are not alone in this spiritual combat. The Holy Spirit was with Jesus. The Holy Spirit is also with us. He was given to us in Baptism and Confirmation. To-gether we can do it.

6th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (C)

Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.

Lk 6:17, 20-26

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

Comparison between Matthew and Luke

Matthew                                                                           Luke
Sermon on the Mount                                                         Sermon on the plain8 Beatitudes                                                                          4 Beatitudes and 4 Woes
Blessed are the poor in spirit                                               Blessed are the poor 
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness      Blessed are you who are now hungy

Blessing in Disguise

The prevailing thought at the time was that affliction and sorrow were punishment due to sin. Jesus now says that they are blessings in disguise. 

But for who are they blessings in disguise? For the Anawim! They are those people who lack material goods and therefore, who can rely only on God. We have to note that the Anawim are blessed not because they lack material goods but because they rely on God.

But it is also true to say that between the rich and the poor, the poor will feel the need for God. Between those who are who have nothing to eat and those who are always have something to eat, those who have nothing to eat will feel the need for God.

Are Christians then forbidden to become rich? No. But we are warned that when we become rich, it is easy to forget God.

There is another way of understanding the Beatitudes and the Woes.

If you set your heart on those things which the world values, you might indeed get them. But that is all that you will ever get. But if you set your heart on God and on the things of God, you may run into trouble, you may seem to be unfortunate in the eyes of the world, but much of your payment is still to come and it will be life eternal.

First, we must accept the fact the reward from God comes at the end. The reward is not on earth. It is in heaven.

Second, to receive that reward, you must not find contentment in the things of this world. If you find your contentment in the things of this world, then there will be no reward for you at the end because you have already received it in this world.

Does this mean that we shall not give importance to our life here on earth? Certainly not! Our life is God’s gift to us. But what we make of our life is our gift to God. Would it not be embarrassing if at the end, the life that we will offer to God would be a wasted life?

5TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (C)

Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.

Lk 5:1-11

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.”

Greek has two words for “master”: didaskalos and epistates. Here “epistates” is used by the disciples to convey their faith in the authority of Jesus. That was why Simon Peter obeyed the command of Jesus to cast the nets.

“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

Now Simon calls Jesus “Lord” to indicate that he was aware that the authority of Jesus was divine. And in front of the hand of God, Peter became also aware of his being a sinful man.

...and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon.

In Luke the first disciples of Jesus were Simon Peter, James and his brother John. Andrew, the brother of Peter, has not yet been mentioned.

Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

The image and the trap were images used in the Old Testament for punishment. To be called fishers of men means that the mission of the Twelve was to help men avoid the coming punishment and enter the Kingdom of God.

They left everything and followed him.

In first century Judaism, those who followed a rabbi were expected to render him respect, obedience and service to their master (rabbi).

Following Jesus was different. (1) The disciples do not choose their master. It is the master who chooses the disciples. The disciples still owe the master their obedience. (2) The disciples were not only hearers but collaborators, witnesses and workers in the harvest. (3) The disciples do not just adhere to the teachings of the master but to the master himself. Jesus was not just like any rabbi. (4) Following Jesus meant carrying one’s cross.

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (C)

But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.

Lk 4:21-30

They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”

The initial reaction of the people at hearing Jesus was amazement and praise. But this observation marked the change from acceptance of Jesus to rejection of Jesus. In other words, his “kababayan” realized that Jesus and his father were merely carpenters. How can Jesus pretend to be superior to them.

Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.

Nazareth was the native place of Jesus. Capernaum was the headquarters of the public ministry of Jesus.

They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.

The rejection of Jesus by his own people at Nazareth was a preview of the rejection of his own people, the Jewish people. They were not able to kill Jesus at Nazareth. But in Jerusalem they will succeed.

But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.

We do not know if the escape from death was miraculous. But it was important because for St. Luke, Jesus could not possibly die anywhere but in Jerusalem.

These words may appear comforting because Jesus managed to escape certain death. But these become frightening words if we see ourselves among the people from whom Jesus escaped. For it means that we are among those people who rejected Jesus. Rejection does not necessarily mean: “I don’t believe in you anymore.” Rejection can take subtle forms, such as failing to pay attention to him or forgetting him or living day by day as if he doesn’t exist.

THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.

Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

The Gospel

St. Luke wrote his gospel for Theophilus (which means beloved of God) so that he may be convinced of the certainty of the teachings he has received. Others before him have the done the same, that is, to write a narrative of the events surrounding Jesus of Nazareth.

...just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us....

The Latin for handed down is "tradere" from which the English word "tradition" comes from. St. Luke asserts that the content of his gospel comes from tradition.

(He) went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day.

The Sabbath or Saturday is the Lord's Day for the Jews. They would go to the synagogue for a religious service. There would be reading from the Law or the Prophets and followed by a homily. Any Hebrew adult male can be called to do this service, but the leaders of the synagogue generally gave this task to an expert in Scriptures.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me....

This literarily took place at his baptism when the Holy Spirit appeared in bodily form similar to that of a dove.

...Because he has anointed me....

The anointing with oil happens at the consecration of a king, of a priest and of a prophet.

Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.

With the coming of Jesus the era of grace, announced by the prophets has begun.

STO. NINO

IMAGE

The image of the Santo Niño is the oldest religious image in the Philippines. The wooden image, made by Flemish artisans, was brought to the island by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, just like the Magellan cross. Magellan gave the image of the Santo Niño to Queen Juana as a baptismal gift.

Forty-four years later, in 1565, Cebu was for a big part destroyed by a fire. The fire was set on purpose by the Spaniards as a punishment for hostile activities of the Cebuanos. In one of the burned houses, a Spanish soldier found the image of Santo Niño. Remarkably unscathed! Since then, the miraculous image has been treated by the Cebuanos as its patron.

At present, the miraculous image is kept in the Parish convent, and only a replica, adorned with gold and precious stones and enshrined in glass, is hold inside the Basilica Minor del Santo.

CHURCH

The church was built near the place where the Santo Niño was found in the burned house. On this place the Spaniards built a church three times.

The first two times the church was built out of wood and nipa. Every time it was burned down. The construction of the present church dates from 1735.

In 1965 the church was given the title of "Basilica Minor del Santo Niño".

SINULOG

The Sinulog festival is one of the grandest, most distinguished and most colorful festivals in the Philippines. The major festival is held each year on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City to honor the Santo Niño, or the child Jesus. It is fundamentally a dance ritual which recalls the Filipino people's pagan past and their embrace of Christianity.

INFANT JESUS OF PRAGUE

Infant Jesus of Prague is a famous statue of the infant Jesus located in the Church of Our Lady of Victory in Malá Strana, Prague.

Its earliest history can be traced back to the year 1628 when a small, 48 centimeters in height, exquisite statue of wax Infant Jesus was brought into Bohemia by Polyxena von Lobkowitz. This princess had been given the statue as a wedding gift by her mother, Maria Manriquez de Lara of Spain, and the statue was given to the Discalced Carmelites in Prague. The statue was set upon the oratory of the monastery of Our Lady of Victory, Prague.

The center of devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague is at the Benedictine church of San Beda in Mendiola.

in process

BAPTISM OF THE LORD

You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.

Lk 3:15-16, 21-22

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

I am baptizing you with water...He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire. Hence, at Pentecost the Holy Spirit came as tongues of fire.

The baptism of John is not our Sacrament of Baptism. It does not confer the Holy Spirit. It does not cleanse from sin. It does not make us children of God.

The Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.

The Holy Spirit became visible like the form of a dove, NOT in the bodily form of a dove. It’s like describing a bat. It looks like a flying mouse, but it is certainly not a mouse.

You are my beloved Son. With you I am well-pleased.

The mention of beloved son recalls Isaac. He was the beloved son of Abraham. God asked Abraham to offer his son Isaac on Mt. Moriah as a sacrifice. He was about to do that when an angel of the Lord stopped him. In the same way Jesus himself in sacrifice on Mt. Calvary.

THE BAPTISM OF JESUS

The Baptism of Jesus is the occasion for the Father to reveal Jesus as the Messiah. This is the second epiphany. Epiphany means manifestation of God. The first epiphany was the adoration of the Magi. There is a also a third, the miracle at Cana.

The Baptism of the Lord is not only the occasion of an epiphany. It also marks the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus among the people of Israel.

OUR BAPTISM

I shall explain some of the elements in the Rite of the Sacrament of Baptism: parents, ninong and ninang (godparents), water, formula of baptism, oil, white garment and candle.

Parents

In some places the parents are not present at baptism. The mother is busy preparing the food for the baptismal party while the father is on a drinking spree with his friends.But parents should be present because the child is going to be baptized in the faith of the parents and it will be their duty to raise the child as a good Catholic by word and example.

Ninong and Ninang (Godparents)

There should at least be one ninong or ninang who is chosen specifically to help the parents in raising the child to be a good Catholic. This ninong or ninang should therefore be a good Catholic and is willing to take this responsibility.

We should also understand the importance of the gift-giving role of godparents. Gifts make the child happy. Birthdays and Christmas become joyful occasions. A happy childhood is important for the healthy emotional growth of children.

Water

Water cleanses. We use it to wash dishes and clothes. We use it for bathing. The water of Baptism cleanses us of sin, both original sin and personal sin.

Water is necessary to sustain life. The human body is 60% water. The water of Baptism brings life. Those who are baptized are re-born as sons and daughters of God. They are not just given the label of God’s children. They really become his children.

I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

When a mother declares, “My Jeremy takes his studies seriously”, she declares Jeremy as her own. Being baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity means that God declares that we belong to him. God recognizes us as his own.

Oil of Catechumens

In the Old Testament oil was used to anoint kings, prophets and priests. The newly baptized is anointed with oil because he shares in the three-fold office of Jesus Christ, that of king, prophet and priest.

This priesthood is called baptismal priesthood to differentiate it from the minis-terial priesthood of those who are ordained. The ministerial priesthood gives to the ordained minister the power to celebrate the Mass. The baptismal priesthood gives to the baptized the right to participate in the Mass.

White garment

It signifies the new life of a child of God received in baptism as well as the cleansing from original sin and personal sin. It was said that when Constantine the Great was baptized toward the end of his life, he took great pride in wearing the white garment instead of his kingly robes.

Lighted candle 

It signifies the faith that in the future the child should live for all to see clearly. It also represents the light of Christ. The child no longer lives in the shadow of sin but in holiness.

CONCLUSION

Try this exercise at home.

While sitting at your desk, make clockwise circles with your right foot. While doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction.

In the same way as baptized Christians the life we lead must follow the faith we profess with our lips.

EPIPHANY

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

Mt 2:1-12

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod...

This was Herod the Great. He had the right to be called "the Great" because he was the king who was able to bring some form of peace and order in Palestine. He was the builder of the Temple in Jerusalem. He could be compassionate. During the famine of 25BC, he melted his golden plate in order to buy corn for the starving people. But he could be cruel. He had 3 of his sons assassinated on suspicion that they were after his crown. Thus, we are not at all surprised that he was capable of the massacre of the Holy Innocents.

Behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem....

 The term "magi" has many meanings. The Persian priests were called "magi". Magicians were also called "magi". In this particular context the magi were probably astrologers. The mention of magi from the East in Matthew's infancy narrative was probably meant to contrast the unbelief and rejection of Jesus by the religious and political leaders of the people (Herod, the chief priests and the scribes) on the one hand, and the acceptance pagans in the person of the magi who adored the child of Bethlehem.

Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising.

 Matthew had in mind the Old Testament story of Balaam, who had prophesied that "A star shall advance from Jacob" (Numbers 24:17).

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

Incense and myrrh were the traditional riches and perfumes of Arabia. According to Isaiah(60:6)the Messiah would receive gifts from foreign nations,"Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; All from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the Lord."

3rd SUNDAY OF ADVENT (C)

The crowds asked John the Baptist,“What should we do?”

Lk 3:10-18

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

The gospel passage of today may be divided into two parts. The first part is about the answer of John the Baptist to the question: “What should we do?” The second part is about the Christ.

To the question, “What should we do?” John’s answer was to share one’s food and clothing. To the tax collectors, his response was to collect only what was prescribed. To the soldiers, he said that they should not to resort to extortion, and false accusation and that they should be content with their pay. It is interesting to note that John did not ask his hearers for religious acts but for acts of justice and charity.

The second part is about the people’s question about the identity of John the Baptist. Could he be the Christ? The use of the title, the Christ and not the title, the Messiah, is significant. It is possible that St. Luke wanted to avoid the political undertones of the title, the Messiah. John denied being the Christ. In fact, compared to the Christ he was even lower than a slave. A slave unties the thongs of the sandal of his master. He was not even worthy to do that.

John the Baptist also describes what the Christ would do. He would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. This was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire. He would also use his winnowing fan to separate the chaff from the grain. This is an image of the judgment that the Christ would make: rewarding the good and punishing the evil ones.

BEING HAPPY

Go to <Happiness>

2nd SUNDAY OF ADVENT (C)

A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord."

Lk 3:1-6

EXPLANATION OF THE GOSPEL

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar….

Why did St. Luke include historical data in his narrative? By situating the story of John the Baptist and later of Jesus in the context of history, he might want to re-assure us that everything he writes is not made up. The story of John the Baptist and of Jesus is historical fact.

The word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.

This expression identifies John the Baptist as a prophet. His role is that of precursor, that is, he prepares for the coming the Messiah among his people.

THE ROAD

The gospel speaks about the way of the Lord. It also talks about winding roads and rough ways. I will dwell on the words road and way for this Sunday’s reflection.

Rough Road

If you take the Silangan exit of the South Luzon Expressway, you’ll come to see the bad situation of the road. In many places the cement has cracked so much so that you have to drive slowly. For this reason the companies of the industrial estate came together and pooled their resources in order to repair the road. In the process, however, only one side of the road can be used in certain places. Thus, you have to stop and wait for incoming the vehicles to pass through.

In the same way, if we want to prepare the way of the Lord in our lives, we have to invest time and energy and make certain sacrifices in order to set things aright. For example, if we want to give up certain bad habits such as laziness or gossiping about people, we have to make the effort to exercise vigilance. We have to be on the alert so that if we were tempted to gossip about others, we would catch ourselves and keep our mouth shut instead. It would also mean making the effort at the end of the day to monitor our performance regarding the bad habit that we have decided to give up. This is called the examination of conscience.

Loosing One's Way

It was a holiday and a group of mountain hikers decided to climb to the summit of Mt. Makiling. Since there was already a trail to the top, they made it there only in a few hours. Having rested and enjoyed the panorama up there, the group decided to start going down. At some point, they lost their way. They started to panic when they found out that they were walking in circles. They kept on returning to the place where they started. They did not believe in superstition. But in their desperation, they did what the old folks used to say to those who got lost. They should wear their shirts inside out. They did and to their surprise and great relief, they found their way back.

Loosing one’s way is not only about making the wrong turn or taking the wrong street. Loosing one’s way can also mean straying from the path that is good and taking the path that is bad. To return to the right path, to find our way back, we need conversion. It is a 180-degree turn. But it is not just a matter of saying: “I have been lazy at home. From now on I will not be lazy at home.” One has to be more specific. I will, therefore say: “I have been lazy at home. From now on I will take the initiative of cleaning the house.” It is not helpful to say“I have been neglecting my family. From now on I will not neglect them.” I have to be more specific. I will say “I have been neglecting my family. From now on once I arrive home, I will go and look for my wife and my children and ask how their day went.”