Catholic Beans

Children, Remain in Him

2014-01-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

And now, children, remain in him,
so that when he appears we may have confidence
and not be put to shame by him at his coming.
1 John 2:28

Mass readings for January 2, 2014

1 John 2:22-28

Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

John 1:19-28

Ask any child: choosing sides during games can turn out into an exercise in pain and trauma. Particularly if you're the last one chosen.

It means other kids—those you call friends—take you as the weakest link in any team.

They'd rather not play with you. And what if you don't get chosen into any team at all? For any kid, that's the ultimate in rejection.

Image courtesy of num_skyman/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The same principle applies in the Second Coming of Christ. At that time, He will separate the sheep from the goats.

We all know the significance to that sorting. It's not something like going to Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. It's the difference between the bliss of Heaven or the untold agonies of Hell.

The goats, in the Last Judgment, are the unrepentant souls—those who chose to be bad to the end, rejecting Christ even 'till death.

The sheep are the repentant ones—those who were aware of their sinfulness and asked God for His mercy...the ones who acknowledged God's lordship over them.

More importantly, the sheep are the ones who remained in Christ.

They didn't give up even if they've sinned over and over again.

They fought the good fight of faith, always aware that Jesus is their salvation.

Now, wouldn't it be too painful, much less downright humiliating, to be sorted out of Jesus' team?

But we do that all the time.

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God Loves...No Matter What

2013-11-04T15:45:00.000-05:00

"...the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable."
Romans 11:29

Mass readings for November 4, 2013

Romans 11:29-36

Psalm 69:30-31, 33-4, 36

Luke 14:12-14

I'm an avid fan of the procedural show "Bones". I'm fascinated by how brilliant scientists can find the truth in 206 bones in the human body. In one of the episodes, an intern was fairly hyped at the thought that he was going to have his first work published in a leading scientific journal. True, he only had a page proof--a near final version for printing--but you can see he's bursting at the seams with pride.

For scientists like him, the approval of his peers--as seen in his soon-to-be-published work--tells him he's arrived. He's become part of the "in" crowd.

Then his work got shuttled and somebody else's work got published instead. Between the page proof and the final publication, he lost the honor. Of course, by slips of his and his friends and family's tongues, the revocation of that top honor suddenly turned into an embarrassing, humiliating and utterly mortifying experience.

From the tops to the dregs in one fell swoop. Just because someone took back the invitation to be "in".

Unlike the intern's predicament, God's call--the invitation to become part of the saints in Heaven where He is, and the gifts that go with it--is irrevocable.

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On Being Attentive: Lessons from the Transfiguration of the Lord

2013-08-06T19:11:00.000-04:00

“...we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable.You will do well to be attentive to it,as to a lamp shining in a dark place,until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” - 2 Pt 1:19

Mass readings for August 6, 2013

Dan 7:9-10,13-14

Ps 97:1-2,5-6,9

2 Pet 1:16-19

Lk 9:28-36

Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. In the gospel reading, Jesus brought three of his disciples—Peter, James and John—up to a holy mountain for prayer. (The gospels don't name this mountain but tradition says it's Mount Tabor.) Up there, the three disciples awakened to a wondrous sight: Jesus appearing in the glory described by Daniel in the first reading—clothing as bright as snow, his face dazzling white, fully transformed into someone beautiful and out of this world... Simply awesome to behold.

The Transfiguration (1520) by Raphael/Wikipedia.org

The sight was too much for Peter that he starts forgetting what Jesus has told them before about His suffering. He starts blabbering about building three tents for Him, Moses and Elijah, thinking of making this moment permanent. In his inattentiveness, St. Peter completely misses the point. (Good thing he gets it, eventually.)

What had Peter—and consequently us, who might have read today's scripture selections—missed? Three things:

1. The kingdom of God has just come.

In the first reading, we see through Daniel's eyes a glimpse of God in all His majesty. Then we see Jesus Christ—“one like the Son of man”—receiving his kingship, his dominion. The transfiguration was a fulfillment of this vision, a direct manifestation of the kingdom of God embodied in Christ himself—the king of this heavenly court.

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7 Quick Takes Friday, Volume 2

2013-07-05T22:56:00.002-04:00

Whew, so much has happened since the last time Catholic Beans got an update from moi. The perils of working from home, a favorite nephew commandeering my laptop for a spot of online games and nursery rhymes on YouTube, procrastination...and a fried brain after a day’s work.

Today though, am firing up the blogging furnace once again and hoping this time, it sticks. And this week’s Quick Takes is all about the broken arm...

-1-

It’s been 11 days, one hour and 17 minutes since I fell off my bike and broke my left arm in three different places—radius, ulna and wrist—as I write this. My first time to ride an ambulance, too! (Now I know ambulances are one of the most uncomfortable rides ever. Jarring, painful, extremely excruciating.)

The official version is, I was negotiating a turn round a trail marker and I fell. We’ve stopped to get my SIL’s seat fixed right. One second, my hands were on the handlebars, the next I was looking at my left forearm, swaying like Jell-O after I’ve heard a loud crack.

I’ve lost count of the number of “Oh, God!”s I’ve uttered but I had two ridiculous thoughts running in my mind at the same time: (1) Harry Potter had it easy with Skele-Gro; and (2) It was awfully bad timing to need medical and/or surgical attention right now.

I was so devastated I can honestly say I heard glass shattering on repeat in the back of my mind while I sat waiting for the EMTs.

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Are You Disturbed Yet?

2013-03-15T00:30:00.000-04:00

To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
merely to see him is a hardship for us,
Because his life is not like that of others,
and different are his ways.
- Wisdom 5:14

Mass Readings for March 15, 2013

Wis 2:1a, 12-22

PS 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23

Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

I'm a lurker in pretty much a lot of Catholic blogs, forums and YouTube channels as I try to learn about my Catholic faith...and of course, to grow more in my spiritual walk with Jesus.

One of the things that I always, always encounter when I read the discussions in the comments section are quite violent reactions to the Catholic message. Often, it's not just to things Catholic but things Christian.

People would go out of their way to lambaste belief in God and Heaven. It's like Christ, Heaven, Hell, faith and salvation are four-letter words that sets of bombs of affront in people's minds.

Flame ensues as each person defends their positions. The virulence could get so ugly at times so site moderators come in to stop the fracas.

That's when I realize, Jesus and His message do create divisions among us. If truth be known, it even creates divisions within families (Luke 12:52-53).

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Habemus Papam! 11 Things About Pope Francis

2013-03-13T18:24:00.002-04:00

We have a new pope, praise God! And by the name he chose—Francis I, a salute to St. Francis of Assisi (and two more St. Francises, if you think about it)—it looks like his papacy is going to be one of the humility he’s been known for.

Hubby and I came home from an bureaucratic appointment to the news that Cardinal Jose Mario Bergoglio, 76 years old and (now) former Archbishop of Buenos Aires, is the new occupant of St. Peter’s Chair.

The new pontiff, Pope Francis I

Of course, we were excited to know who the new Papa was going to be. One of our own countrymen, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila, was in third place on New Advent’s list of papabile this morning before we set out for Orlando (Cardinal Bergoglio was seeded 31st). A Filipino in Rome, perhaps the most influential (ergo, most powerful) person in the whole world! (It was a long shot but we were tickled by the possibility.)

We’re happy about God’s choice though.

Let’s get to know Pope Francis I, shall we?

The erstwhile Cardinal Bergoglio is, by all intents, two years younger than Pope Benedict XVI when the latter ascended to the papacy. He was born in Buenos Aires to an Italian railway worker and he’s brother to four other siblings.
He’s a Jesuit—something surprising, considering that the Society of Jesus are “generally discouraged” from “ecclesiastical advancement” outside of their mission countries.
He was the provincial in Argentina in the mid-70s, at the time when clerics were moving towards active involvement in the liberation theology movement in the years of the country’s military junta. He instructed his priests to be more active in the parishes to shepherd the people instead of struggling in the frontlines of political activism and “base communities”. (In other words, he was the cool head that reined in the hot heads, in a manner of speaking, who wanted to be in the trenches fighting for the people. After all, there is another way to help your flock other than militancy and community immersion, isn’t it?)

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And I Say to You: You Rock!

2013-02-22T15:00:00.000-05:00

And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
- Matthew 16:18

Today's Mass Readings:
1 Pt 5:1-4 | Ps 23:1-3a, 4, 5, 6 | Mt 16:13-19

If you mosey on over to Wikipedia to read on how rocks are formed, you’ll see that these solid immovable objects were the products of extremely stressful events—the cooling down of magma, the compaction of matter, and going through tremendously harsh pressures and temperatures. In short, rocks didn’t have it easy on their way to their current indestructible form.

Image by EvanS/Wikimedia Commons

And so did Peter, before he stepped into his designation as the first Pope at Pentecost Sunday.

He had to go cut off someone else’s ear in the Garden of Gethsemane in a moment of bravado (before that, he was snoozing like a baby). Then he scrammed like a scaredy cat when they arrested Jesus. He denied the same Friend he promised he’ll never turn his back on even at the point of death. And he cowered from the authorities—in utter terror—behind a locked door in an upper room somewhere (methinks he was probably quaking behind Mama Mary’s skirts…just sayin’).

Before GG (the Garden of Gethsemane), Peter was an all around swell guy. Until he got blasted with the heat of being in Jesus’ company and the prospect of being crucified himself. Then he just became any ordinary guy out to protect his own hide.

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God Always Answers Prayers

2013-02-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

Which one of you would hand his son a stone
when he asked for a loaf of bread,
or a snake when he asked for a fish?
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.
- Matthew 7:9-10

Today's Mass Readings:
Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25 | Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8 | Matthew 7:7-12

One of the things that I’ve mastered in my relationship with God over the last three years—or even before that, to be honest about it—is the pouty sulk. When I don’t get the answer to prayer that I wanted, a full tantrum ensues.

I start pouting during prayer time—griping about why I didn’t get what I was praying for at the time I (thought) I needed it. Then when He raises His divine brow, the full metal sulk commences, complete with grumbling and the silent treatment. I know, preposterous of me to throw a fit before the Lord, but I’m claiming beloved child privileges.

God, in His infinite patience, let’s me get over the disappointment my own way. And once the honest-to-goodness crying jags start—no tricks this time—He gathers me into His loving arms and patiently explains to me, in language I understand, why His response to my prayer wasn’t what I was expecting to get.

One of the longest-running prayers that hubby and I have ever had is for a child of our own. It seemed like we’ve been praying for 1,000 years already. (So far, I’m still Nanny Mommy to my nephew—a sort of built-in babysitter.)

Then I turned 41 last year.

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Get Up, Dust Yourself, and Sin No More

2013-02-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out. - Jonah 3:20

Today’s Mass Readings:

Jonah 3:1-10 | Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19 | Luke 11:29-32

Jonah and the Whale by Pieter Lastman (1583–1633)

I’m insufferably proud of my two-year-old nephew. (What aunt isn’t, eh?) He’s very smart. His vocabulary’s growing in leaps and bounds and already, he’s teaching himself stuff. Praise God for YouTube, I always say, because he’s set his after-meal routines to watching Baby Einstein, Special Agent Oso, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and nursery rhymes.

There’s one thing that’s got me concerned though. He’s turning out to be the little perfectionist. He’s so used to getting it right the first time that when he doesn’t he’d scrap the effort. Watching him, it’s like he’d go, “Ah, what the heck! It’s not worth the angst anyway!”

Scares me a bit, he does. It takes a bit of prodding and cajoling and bribing to get him to try again. And he does try again but sometimes it feels like the little guy’s just humoring me. I know because he tries again half-hearted like.

Watching my Li’l Prince (as I call him) learn stuff is a lot like watching myself whenever I take a spiritual stumble—that is, commit a sin.

I know and you know that kids have to go through a lot of mistakes before they can ever learn anything. It’s the major way we humans are wired to get to know the world. So when we see kids take a tumble, we urge them to get up, dust themselves, and try again until they get it right. We don’t allow them to give up because we know what they’re capable of. Plus, we’ve got the ‘wisdom of the ages’ working in our favor. We know they’ll eventually get stuff right one of these days.

The same thoughts must be going through our Heavenly Father’s mind when He sees us fall into sin and don’t bother getting up from the muck we’ve gotten ourselves in.

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7 Quick Takes Friday, Vol. 1

2013-02-15T15:18:00.002-05:00

- 1 -

The high point of my week is getting up on Monday noon (I keep strange hours, what can I say?) and getting the news from my BIL that the Pope’s resigning.

I say, “Wut?!”

I thought I didn’t quite hear it right. C’mon, I just woke up. My mind—and ears, which had never been good to begin with—might have processed that itty bitty bombshell wrong.

But no! The Pope, indeed, was resigning. So said the local TV news. It was even plastered all over Google News when I went on it to find out why.

I’ve shared my take on Pope Benedict’s resignation on this blog. I must’ve been so shocked that it got me out of blog hibernation...something that the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday couldn’t even do.

I do agree with his reasoning—if he doesn’t have the physical strength to give his best to the ministry that God has entrusted to him, and he’ll end up doing stuff atrociously, what good will that do to us Catholics? We’re asked to give our best to God (Mal 1:8, Col 3:23) and the pope’s more aware than anybody else of what that means.

I’m praying that our next pope will be much younger and able—spiritually, mentally and physically—to lead St. Peter’s “bark” in this rapidly changing, digitized world.

- 2 -

I just have a beef with the Pope’s timing, is all.

Why, oh why, Pope Benedict, do you have to exit left on my wedding anniversary?

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Weighing In on the Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI

2013-02-14T16:54:00.001-05:00

My lifetime witnessed so far the elevation of four popes into the Seat of St. Peter: Paul VI (1963-78), John Paul I (1978), John Paul II (1978-2005), and more recently, Benedict XVI (2005-)...which tells something about my age, heh.

The first two, I must confess, never made any impression on me for the simple reason that Pope John Paul II was elected when I was in first grade, years before my First Communion (even though I went to a Catholic school). I only became aware of JPII in the winter of 1995, when he visited the Philippines for the tenth World Youth Day celebrations (January 10-15, 1995). Pope Benedict XVI...well, him I’m familiar with because he came onto my radar when I was already an adult in the Catholic faith, in a manner of speaking.

Photo: Reuters

The recent resignation of Pope Benedict took me by surprise, to say the least. Truth be told, it was shocking. I mean, can popes resign—“carry your cross and follow Me” and all that jazz? Apparently, they can.

The text of Pope Benedict’s resignation says it clearly:

After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.

His strength is fading and if reports are to be believed, he's very sick. His frailties didn’t deter John Paul II’s service, but his papacy didn’t see the kind of inner turbulence that marked Benedict’s: the child abuse scandals, the Vatileaks, politics and what looks like vicious in-fighting within the Vatican, accusations of money-laundering and tax evasion by its in-house bank, the growing encroachment of evangelicals in traditional Catholic enclaves across the globe, the rapid changes brought on by an equally rapidly-digitizing world, and so on...

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The Thanksgiving of Faith

2012-11-22T15:13:00.002-05:00

"Ten were cleansed, were they not?

Where are the other nine?

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

Then he said to him, "Stand up and go;

your faith has saved you."

Luke 17:17-19

Thanksgiving Mass Readings

Sir 50:22-24 | Ps 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11 | 1 Cor 1:3-9 | Lk 17:11-19

I'm an Asian transplant to these American shores and Thanksgiving is one of the holidays that I admire this country for--a national day of giving thanks to God, mandated by a secular government, for all the blessings its people has received. Today, at one time or the other, big and small stores are closed. The great big nation that is America takes time out of its busy, frenetic schedule to gather 'round the dinner table and offer its praise.

Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes by Flickr/Mandy Needham

Ironic really, that a nation who could ban prayer in its schools and offices would dedicate a whole day to thank God for His blessings--something that has decidedly overt religious overtones, not to mention, origins. But I digress.

I like the idea of a national day of Thanksgiving because it brings to mind a whole nation going down into its (literal and figurative) knees to pray and give thanks to God. Out of 196 countries in the world, you can count on your hands those that has this national holiday. Kinda reminds me of the ten lepers who were healed and only one returned to Jesus to thank Him personally for being made whole again.

The Ten Lepers

Being a leper in the time of Jesus was a bad thing. The law says you have to live apart and outside the city gates (Leviticus 13:14). There's no way for you to socialize with other people because you shouted "Unclean! Unclean!" every single time you see another person coming your way.

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Of Faith and Works

2012-11-20T17:26:00.001-05:00

“I know your works, that you have the reputation of being alive,

but you are dead. Be watchful and strengthen what is left,

which is going to die, for I have not found your works

complete in the sight of my God."

- Rev 3:1b-2 (NAB)

I know of a very religious woman from my hometown---she never misses Sunday Mass, participates in all processions, has a faithful devotion to the Mother of Perpetual Help, is a card-carrying member of the local Catholic Women's League and leads rosaries for the dead. For all intents and purposes, she's a woman of the faith.

But I also know that neighbors talk and gossip behind her back. Her children sow discord and intrigue among themselves, fighting for the land they'll inherit while she's still alive. Once, I had the temerity to ask her why she lets the conflict between her children fester. Her reply? She doesn't know how to mediate between them. She lends money to people but when it's due and they can't pay, she lights into them and by day's end, the rest of the neighborhood has learned about it. When they see her come from Mass, they murmur behind her back and avoid her prozelytizing. In fact, they avoid her all together.

It's easy to judge but while I was reflecting on today's Mass readings, I got to thinking: I'm just like her. Oh, not in the same situations or circumstances, but when my works are also just for show then I'm not being a good witness to my faith and my God, too.

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The Love I Had at First

2012-11-19T16:53:00.001-05:00

April 4, 1995. Somewhere in Quezon City, Philippines. I’ve never forgotten that Sunday—it didn’t start like the ordinary days that went before it. And at the end of the day, I felt like I’ve just been knocked for six. My life, as I knew it, had changed completely and forever.

The ones who went before me said you never forget the day when you meet the Holy Spirit and His power is released in you. They were right. To this day, that Sunday out of time is still clear in my mind.

The day before, I started attending a Life in the Spirit Seminar—the preparatory education that you get when you enter the Catholic Charismatic movement. The Saturday before the baptism in the Spirit, I learned about God’s love, salvation, the new life that I have in Christ and then the gifts that I’ll have in the Spirit. All these teachings I received with a secular heart. Half of the time, I didn’t—and couldn’t—understand what the preachers were talking about. The eternal geek that I was, I strove to understand with my mind what they were teaching us…and to a degree, maybe, I got it.

Then Sunday rolled around. Many of those who attended the previous day didn’t return. Half of me wanted to stay home but by this time, I was too curious to not let myself find out what the baptism in the Spirit was all about. The facilitators the day before were mega excited about it.

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Quiet Time: Thinking of the Last Days

2012-11-17T06:44:00.003-05:00

Two Sundays more and Advent shall begin. And as is usual in the Church, during this season we reflect on Christ’s second coming and what it means to us.

I’ve been to Catholic school and it’s during Advent that we get to hear readings from such prophetic books as Daniel and the Revelations. Being the highly imaginative kid that I was, I dreaded the apocalyptic images that ran through my mind during Mass. Never mind that I had to deal with unrequited crushes, pimples and an English teacher that hated my guts. I also had to grapple with visions of death, eternal hellfire and, well, being left out of the heavenly party because I kept lying about stuff to mom and dad.

These days, the bible’s apocalyptic literature gives me hope—that there’s more to my life than an endless roller coaster of pain, dashed hopes and stubbed toes. Of course, I’ve been given the grace to see what the least part of Heaven looks like and I loved it. I’m looking forward to returning to it, actually.

Since we’re on the march towards Christ the King Sunday—which marks the end of the liturgical year—and Advent, the readings for this Sunday starts us to thinking what’s in store for us believers (and the non-believers) after Earth. For me, the readings form a part of the good grounding I need about the eternal truths of Heaven, Hell, Death, Life-After-Death, and Judgment. They help me rewire my mind to keep thinking about choices, repentance, Heaven, and the state of my soul.

St. Michael and the Dragon by Unknown Spanish (Valencian) Painter

Warming Up

We’ve all experienced loss, one way or the other—the death of a loved one, a dire prognosis from a health specialist, a spouse’s betrayal—so we’re no strangers to pain, heartache and grief. The very few give up, but plenty continue plowing through the days, trying to survive. How do you cope with pain and grief? What did you tell yourself when you go through these dark times? What comes to mind when you hear the line “This, too, shall pass.”?

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Quiet Time: God Loves a Cheerful Giver

2012-11-10T00:49:00.003-05:00

One of the trickiest parts of practicing our faith is our giving—to the Church and to others. Some enforce the tithe—giving a tenth of your regular income in support of Church, ministries and pastors. I’ve heard some of my Protestant and Evangelical friends say that the tithe was really obligatory in their churches.

For Catholics, we don’t do the tithe but there are many ways we give. There’s almsgiving—the third pillar of Lent; our personal offertories during Mass; the World Mission Day (and Month) that comes every October to support the Church’s missionary activities; and the various other giving in support of parish ministries, activities, and events. I still remember the mission drives that we did every October in elementary and high school.

I’ve always had a problem with giving, even if I was so used to it. I came from a Catholic school after all. Then I encountered the tithe in the Catholic Charismatic movement. Our exhorters during offertory were so good at it, I’d always be guilty if I missed a tithe or I gave sparingly because my budgets were tight. (Who am I kidding? I was unemployed for a—long—while and I didn’t have anything to give, still I felt bad because I was giving so little.)

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A Dream of Snakes

2012-09-27T15:00:00.000-04:00

I had a very interesting dream just before I woke up this morning.

Image by flickr.com/me2030581

I was in the market square with a friend from my web development days. Bamm and I were in the plaza of an unidentified European town. Market vendors were selling their wares along the cobbled sidewalks—cages of animals littered the walkways along with an assortment of curios, vegetables, cooked foods and what have you.

Where we sat watching the goings-on, the square was teeming with activity, sounds and colors. Oddly enough, the medley of sales calls sounded muted to my ear.

Bamm and I talked desultorily about our respective quotidian lives, as if we’re just catching up to what’s been happening to each other since we last met. We sprawled on a wrought-iron bench that stood guard beside a gas street lamp.

After a while, we noticed the old, turbaned vendor beside our bench and the assortment of wooden cages beside him. He was swarthy skinned, maybe of Indian or Arabian stock. He called out to passersby with gusto, his voice a rapid staccato of persuasive wit.

It was then that I realized he was selling snakes, of all things! People strolling by ignored him, some carefully skirting the cages of reptiles with fearful looks. A few girls shuddered as they went past.

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Being Your Brother’s Keeper Is Natural

2012-04-13T12:30:00.000-04:00

Now, I think there’s evidence that God has intended families not only as a source of belonging but also to ensure that we live long lives through the safety and security that our kin provides.

Even in nature, being your brother’s (or your family member’s) keeper is deeply embedded.

In this first video—courtesy of Harsh Bais, University of Delaware—we see totally unrelated plants compete with each other for resources. Each try to grow their roots as fast as possible. (We all know plants use their roots to draw food from the soil.)

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The Agony of Betrayal

2012-04-01T12:00:00.000-04:00

"...one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me."

(Mk 14:18, NABRE)

Today's Readings:

Mk 11:1-10

Is 50:4-7

Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24

Phil 2:6-11

Mk 14:1-15:471

Today’s celebration and the readings from the Gospels present to me a jarring juxtaposition: celebration and betrayal.

On the one hand, Jesus entering Jerusalem—the seat of the Jewish faith—with triumph, and all the people welcoming him with jubilation singing “Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” On the other, the readings quickly lead us to the Passion and Death of Christ—dark, desolate, and scary.

Both the exultation of the victor, and the grief of the abandoned victim. Everyone in church listening to the priest reading the Gospel was subjected to such an expansive drama, all in one sitting.

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Steadfast Faith

2012-02-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

"But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. (James 1:6)"

Read Today's Mass readings
Jas 1:1-11
Ps 119:67, 68, 71, 72, 75, 76
Mk 8:11-13

Reflecting on the Mass readings for today, I felt rebuked and chastened. After all, it's not everyday that you feel God is chiding you for something--and not because I have a guilt complex as high as the heavens and as deep as the sea. :)

"The Demand for a Sign" (NAB) so goes the precis title for today's Gospel reading. The Pharisees were at it again, testing Jesus, hoping He'll contradict and discredit Himself.

[Jesus] sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation. (Mark 8:12, NAB)"

The Word of God, present in and responsible for the creation of the world, "sighed from the depth of his spirit." Jesus was both deeply saddened and deeply tired. After all, by this point, He has already done so many wondrous deeds (Mark 1 to 8)--the exact same "signs" that the Pharisees were looking for--yet the religious leaders of His time were still unconvinced.

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Leprosy and the Forgiveness of Sins

2012-02-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

If there’s one devotional that I liked in the Catholic Charismatic movement a decade ago, it’s the Sabbath retreat—an hour or two of quiet spent alone with God every Saturday.

Often, I do my Sabbath Retreat—or Quiet Time—before the Blessed Sacrament. If I’m lucky, I get to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, too.

Sometimes though, I retreat to my room so I could do my Sabbath retreat and reflect on the Sunday Mass readings to prepare myself for next day’s Eucharistic celebrations. These quiet times were an opportunity to recharge and brace myself for the week ahead.

Quiet Time Study Questions

This post is a first of a weekly series that are designed to help me—and you—reflect on the Word of God.

Though Catholics might find these Quiet Time study questions particularly helpful because they’re based on the Sunday Mass readings, I’m sure Christians from other denominations may also find it useful for their own Quiet Time or Sabbath Retreat.

For the structure of these questions, I adapted from the Open-Dig-Reflect pattern of the Serendipity Bible Study (published by Zondervan). We used this in my fellowship/accountability group in the Catholic Charismatic movement eons ago.

Hope this Quiet Time study questions will help you with the Word and in your walk with God.

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Mad Love

2011-11-03T16:13:00.000-04:00

‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’

Luke 15:16

Today's readings:
Rom 14:7-12
Ps 27:1bcde, 4, 13-14
Lk 15:1-10

Reflecting on today's Mass readings, I remembered the early years of my marriage to C. We were constantly at loggerheads with each other, neither willing to give the other an inch.

Daily, in little and big things, we played a dangerous game of brinkmanship...both on a zero-sum agenda. We'd challenge each other to separation, then ultimately the "D" word would enter our battlefield.

Oddly enough, that's when we start sobering up. Still, we retreat to our corners, neither conceding defeat, knowing that the "D" word was a ready option.

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"Neither Do I Condemn You..."

2011-09-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

Remember the woman caught committing adultery? The Pharisees and the Scribes were ready to stone her to death.

Seeing it as an opportunity to nail Jesus with what they believe was His un-Jewish proclivities, one enterprising rabbi turned to Him and asked (probably with a condescending tone, too):

“Teacher, this woman was caught committing adultery. Moses said we’re to stone her. What’s your take on this?”

I can imagine Jesus, His divine brows knitting, stopping Himself from sighing in exasperation. The human in Him must’ve been frustrated with the continued intransigence of the social leaders of His day. The divine in Him could only sigh inwardly, patiently.

The woman, I imagine, must’ve been all sorts of conflicting emotions.

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On Being Great

2011-08-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

"The greatest among you must be your servant." - Matthew 23:11

Today's Readings:
Ru 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17
Ps 128:1b-2, 3, 4, 5
Mt 23:1-12

Image credit: Photobucket/lepred18

There are days when I refuse to read newspapers or watch the news. That’s when politicians are one-upping each other in the media, in Congress or anywhere they’re sure to get media mileage.

I hate those days.

The people I've elected to push my agenda—helping improve my quality of life—are instead pushing theirs with gusto. My concerns and needs are set aside at the altar of their egos and personal agendas.

We're familiar about the filibusters, brinkmanships, tit-for-tats, and other shenanigans of our elected leaders.

Like me, many people are probably shrugging it off because (1) there's nothing we can do, and (2) we're already making a mental note to ignore that politician come election time.

In the meantime though, the needs of those less fortunate than us are ignored. They end up paying for our leaders' arrogance and our apathetic indifference with missed meals, unpaid bills, unemployment, foreclosures, and personal bankruptcies.

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It's Your Choice

2011-08-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

Your people shall be my people and your God my God. - Ruth 1:16

Today's Readings:
Ru 1:1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22
Ps 146:5-6ab, 6c-7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
Mt 22:34-40

Whenever I read Matthew 1, I’m always struck by the fact that in Jesus’ family tree, there are four women from highly irregular pairings:

Tamar with her father-in-law Judah
Rahab who was a prostitute who gave birth to Boaz
Boaz in turn married the Moabitess Ruth, and
Uriah, King Solomon’s mother (whose first husband David sent to his death).

An apparent albeit inadvertent case of incest, a prostitute, a woman from an idolatrous/immoral people, and a King’s mistress.

Yet all four were remarkable enough that they were the only women that Matthew named in Jesus’ genealogy.

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