Faith of a Centurion

Mahalaga ang Pagpapasalamat

2012-05-21T22:07:00.001+08:00

Sa panahon ng paghihirap, napakahalaga ng pagpapasalamat dahil tinutulungan tayo nitong huwag mahulog sa kawalan ng pag-asa. Sa mga panahong nasusubok tayo, hindi ba’t meron pa rin tayong trabaho at mga ka-trabaho; kaibigan at ka-ibigan?

Para sa karamihan, higit na may dahilan upang magpasalamat dahil meron tayong relasyon sa Diyos. Ito ang nagsisilbing gabay sa kadiliman. Ayon kay San Ignacio ng Loyola, napakahalaga na namnamin natin at simutin ang mga pagkakataong makapagpapasalamat sa Diyos. Pasasalamat sa Kanyang kabutihan sa atin.

Ang Salmo 139, kung saan hango ang kantang, “Yahweh, You are Near” inaawit ng sumusulat ang grasya ng pasasalamat sa Diyos. Pinagdiriwang nito ang Kanyang kadakilaan. Mga kapamilya, anong mga bagay sa buhay mo ngayon ang lubos kang nagpapasalamat? Pagdasal natin na gawing kaugalian ito.

Subukang Tandaan ang mga Panahon ng Pagmamahal

2012-05-17T17:40:00.000+08:00

Sa huling buwan bago ang pasukan, habang may panahon din para magnilay, meron akong proposal. Subukan nating tandaan ang mga panahon na nakaramdam tayo ng matindi o labis na pagmamahal. Ito ay maaaring galing sa ating tatay, anak, ate, kuya, girlfriend or boyfriend.

Bakit ito ang aking proposal? Kadalasang nauubos ang ating enerhiya sa iba’t ibang dahilan. Maraming pagod na sa pagtatrabaho; may mga mahina na ang kalooban pagkatapos dumaan sa mga pagsubok; at may iba ding wala nang gana sa buhay. At mas marami pang taong hungkag ang kalooban. Nawala na ang saysay sa buhay.

Sa pagkakataong ito, bubusugin natin ang ating kalooban ng mga alaalang hindi tayo nag-iisa; na may mga taong labis magmahal sa atin, lalo na ang Panginoon. Pakinggan natin siyang nagsasabi sa atin: “Mahil kita, ika’y mahalaga sa ‘king mga mata. Hindi kita iiwan kailanman. Huwag kang mangamba, magtiwala ka sa akin.”

Pahalagahan Nawa Natin ang Ritwal ng Ating Sariling Bayan

2012-05-17T17:03:00.000+08:00

Isang buwan ng pagdiriwang ng panibagong buhay ang buwan ng Mayo. Ito ang buwan ng mga bulaklak at panahon ng ani. Dito din nakakasama-sama ang mga magkababayan lalo na sa Bohol kung saang may piyesta sa bawat lalawigan. At sa ibang dako naman, ito rin ang panahon ng pamamasyal at pagpapahinga bago sumalpak muli ang simula ng pasukan.

Mainam na pinapahalagahan natin ang pamamahinga, pagdiriwang at pagsasalo-salo. Sa mga ritwal na ito, binibigyan natin ng puwang ang ligayang dulot ng pagiging miyembro ng ating sari-sariling bayan at kultura. Ang taga-Camalig, Albay, tulad ko, uuwi sa Camalig. Ang taga-Ilocos, uuwi doon. Ang taga-Mindanao, babalik sa lupang tinubuan. At doon muling pahahalagahan ang ating pinanggalingan. Wika ni Jose Rizal, “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan, hindi makakarating sa paroroonan.”

At dahil dito, kailangan matuto tayong panandaliang ipaubaya sa Diyos ang mga nakakabagabag sa atin upang “lumingon” sa sariling bayan. Pagdasal natin na pagkalooban tayo ng puso at kaluluwang bukas para sa Diyos. Tulungan tayong makita ang mga maaaring hadlang sa pagdiriwang ng ating pinagmulan.

Nawa'y May Kahulugan ang mga Bagay sa ating mga Bahay

2012-04-30T22:45:00.000+08:00

Paano ba magpalaki ng mga anak na may pinaninindigan at prinsipyo sa buhay? May matututunan tayo sa mga coffee shops sa ating paligid. Hindi ba tayo nagtataka kung bakit mahal ang kape? Ang hindi natin alam, binabayaran natin ang tinatawag na “ambience.” Ang ambience ay ukol sa ating kapaligiran.

Ang mga values o pinapahalagahan sa ating mga pamilya ay naibabahagi sa ating mga anak sa pamamagitan ng mga nilalagay nating mga ‘dekorasyon’ sa bahay. Kapag nais nating maging maka-Diyos, kailangang may mga magpapaalala sa kanila ukol dito tulad ng mga larawan ni Hesus, Maria at mga banal sa pananampalataya. Kapag nais natin silang maging maka-tao at maka-bayan, nagigisnan nila ang ating mga bayani tulad ni Gat Jose Rizal.

Kapag nais natin silang maging mga taong pinapahalagahan ang pamilya, kailangang sa unang pagdating nakikita nila ang larawan ng iba’t ibang miyembro ng pamilya. Sa ating mga Pinoy, hindi nawawala ang larawan ng Huling Hapunan sa kainan, upang sa bawat pagsasalo-salo, salamin ito ng Hapunan ni Hesus at ng kanyang mga alagad.

Pagdasal natin na nawa’y may kahulugan ang mga bagay sa ating mga bahay.

Mabuting Magbakasyon sa Sariling Bayan

2012-04-25T22:09:00.002+08:00

Kumusta po ang iyong pagbabakasyon? Marahil marami sa inyo ang nakauwi sa inyong mga sariling bayan. May kuwento ako. Bored na bored na sa kanyang buhay si Mang Pedring. Para sa kanya, nakawawalang-gana ang paulit-ulit na ginagawa niya sa buhay. Isang araw, may bumisita sa kanyang lalawigan. Ikinuwento nito ang isang Siyudad ng Kaligayahan.

Nilisan niya ang kanyang bahay upang pumunta sa Siyudad ng Kaligayahan. Sa kanyang paglalakbay, nakarating siya sa isang kagubatan at nagdesisyon siyang mamahinga. Upang hindi mawala, ginawa niyang palatandaan ang kanyang sapatos. Kung saan ito nakaharap doon niya ipagpapatuloy ang kanyang paglalakbay.

Napadaan ang isang pilyong lalaki, at binaliktad nya ang sapatos ni Mang Pedring. Nang malapit na siyang makarating, nagulat siyang ang Siyudad ng Kaligayahan ay tulad ng kanyang pinanggalingan.

Mga kapamilya, walang kasingtulad ang bumalik sa ating pinanggalingan lalung-lalo na kung matagal na tayong hindi nakauwi.

Ipagdasal natin ang mas malalim na pagpapahalaga sa ating mga sariling bayan.

Pahalagahan ang Maliliit na Ritwal sa Bahay

2012-04-22T17:46:00.000+08:00

Anong mga kinauugalian sa inyong bahay ang nakatutulong sa pagkakalapit ng bawat miyembro ng pamilya? Sa aking pamilya naaalala kong itinuro ng aking mga magulang ang paghalik sa kanila o sa kanilang kamay tuwing aalis at darating.

Para sa akin, hindi lamang ito isang pagpapakita ng paggalang kundi ito ay isang pagbabasbas; isang pagpapahiwatig na ang Diyos ay laging kasama sa anumang uri ng gawain sa buong araw. Sa mga bansa ng Espana at Latin Amerika, inilalagay ng nakatatanda ang krus sa noo ng kanilang mga anak.

Isinulat ng Church Historian na si Martin Marty sa magazine na Context ang isang pag-aaral ukol sa mga ritwal na nakatulong sa mga mag-asawa’t anak na lalung maging malapit sa isa’t isa. Ang mga mag-asawang humahalik sa isa’t isa sa pag-alis at pagdating ang mas naging matalik na pamilya. Ipagdasal nating pahalagahan ang mga maliit na ritwal na nakatutulong sa kalidad ng pagsasama ng mga miyembro ng isang pamilya.

Ang Sukatan ng Tagumpay ay Nasa Lalim ng Naratnan

2012-04-22T17:38:00.000+08:00

Happy Easter po sa inyong lahat!

Ngayon po ipinagdiriwang natin ang tagumpay ni Kristo sa kamatayan! Ano nga ba ang tagumpay? Nasusukat ba ito sa taas ng iyong pinag-aralan, o sa posisyon na iyong hinahawakan? Sino ba ang matagumpay: ang isang mayor na nangungurakot o ang isang janitor na may malasakit? Sa mata ng mundo, ang buhay ni Kristo ay puno ng kabiguan. Namatay siya bilang isang kriminal.

Noong unang panahon, ang krus ay simbolo ng mga suwail sa gobyerno. Kung isusukat natin ang pag-unawa ng tagumpay ngayon, ang buhay ni Kristo ay hindi kailanman maituturing na tagumpay. Ngunit sa mata ng Diyos at ng nananampalataya, ang sukatan ng tagumpay ay wala sa layo ng narating kundi sa lalim ng naratnan.

Wika ni Kristo, Walang hihigit pa sa pagmamahal ng isang kaibigang handang ibuwis ang buhay para sa kanyang katoto. Ito mismo ang nakalilimutan natin. Wika ni Mother Teresa ng Calcutta, “We forget that we are meant for each other.” Ipagdasal natin na ating magawang ituring na tagumpay ang isang bagay kapag ang ating gawain ay nakatulong sa pagkakaisa at pagbubuo ng sambahayan ng Diyos.

Pagnilayan Natin ang Daan ng Krus

2012-04-02T05:00:00.000+08:00

Alam niyo ba kung saan nagsimula ang Daan ng Krus na ginagawa natin tuwing Mahal na Araw? Nagsimula ang daan ng krus bilang isang peregrinasyon o pilgrimage. Naglalakbay tungo sa Jerusalem ang mga taong may mabigat na dinadala, penitensiya o debosyong kailangang gampanan, o mga may espesyal na hinahangad sa Maykapal. Naniniwala silang may biyayang ipinagkakaloob ang Diyos sa mga sumusunod sa Kanyang yapak tungo sa kanyang pagpapakasakit at kamatayan.

Hindi lahat ay nakapupunta sa Jerusalem, lalo na ang mga mahihirap. Ngunit malaki ang naitutulong nito sa mga naglalakbay. Nabubuo nila ang isang komunidad ng mga kapwa-manlalakbay at dahil dito, lalong naaalagaan nila ang kanilang mga kasamahan hanggang makarating sa “Via Dolorosa” o Daan ng Kapighatian, ang daan tungo sa Kalbaryo. At dito umusbong ang ginagawa natin ngayon.

Dahil dito, ang sinumang hindi makapupunta sa Jerusalem ay maaaring maglakbay pa rin sa pamamagitan ng imahinasyon. Bagaman hindi nagagawa ang tunay, natatanggap pa rin natin ang mga biyayang dulot nito. Ipagdasal natin na hindi lamang gawing mekanikal ang daan ng krus, kundi taimtim na mapagnilayan at maisabuhay ang pagmamalasakit ng ating Poong Hesukristo.

Isang makahulugang Semana Santa po sa inyong lahat.

Maging Bukas-Palad sa mga Kapus-Palad

2012-03-26T04:00:00.000+08:00

Pag-iisipan natin ngayon ang ugnayan ng ating pag-aalay-kapwa at ng inaasam nating kaligayahan. Para sa ating lahat, ang panahon ng Kuwaresma ay panahon ng pagsasakripisyo. May ibang nag-aayuno sa iba’t ibang uri ng pagkain, o umiiwas sa mga bagay na kinagigiliwan natin tulad ng video games at Facebook.

Noong unang panahon, nag-aayuno ang mga tao sa panahon ng Kuwaresma, upang makatipid at maka-ipon ng pera para sa mga nangangailangan sa kanilang mga komunidad. Ibig sabihin ang anumang uri ng pagsasakripisyo ay para sa kapwa. Kaya tinatawag itong “alay-kapwa.” Tinatalikuran natin ang ating pagkamakasarili upang maging bukas-palad sa mga kapus-palad.

Saan papasok ang kaligayahan? Hindi ba’t kakaibang saya at kapayapaan ang ating nararamdaman kapag tayo ay nakatutulong sa kapwa? Sa madaling salita, kaligayahan ang resulta ng anumang pagbibigay. Kung ang lahat ay magbibigay, mai-aahon natin sila sa kahirapan. Ipagdasal natin na maisabuhay ang turo ng Kristo, mapasaya natin ang ating kapwa at ang buong “Sambayanan ng Diyos.”

Huwag Limutin ang mga Bagay na Hindi Napapawi Magpakailanman

2012-03-22T21:50:00.000+08:00

Sa panahon ng Kuwaresma o Lent, pinagninilayan natin ang mga mahahalaga sa ating buhay. Kasama sa pinag-iisipan ang halaga ng mga materyal na bagay. Meron akong kuwento. Si Lolo Jose at ang kanyang apo na si Henry.

Sabi ni Henry: Paglaki ko, sisiguraduhin kong ma-abilidad ako.

Tanong ni Lolo: "Pagkatapos?"

“E, di magkakaroon ako ng business,” sabi ni Henry. "Tapos?" sagot ni Lolo.

“Tapos, yayaman ako. Magtatayo ako ng malaking bahay.” "Tapos?" tanong ni Lolo.

“Tapos, tatanda ako, mare-retire, e-enjoyin ko na ang aking pera.” sabi ni Henry.

"Tapos?" tanong uli ni Lolo. Nainis na si Henry, “E pagkatapos, mamatay na ako.”

Sagot ni Lolo Jose, “Pagtapos mamatay, anong mangyayari?”

Mga kaibigan, meron ka bang ambisyon na maaaring may sagot pa rin sa huling tanong ni Lolo Jose? Pag-ibig kaya?

Pagdasal nating hindi natin makaligtaan ang mga bagay na hindi mapapawi kailanman.

Huminto Nang Sandali at Magnilaynilay

2012-03-11T16:38:00.002+08:00

Habang papalapit na ang pagtatapos ng maraming mga estudyante at pagsisimula na ng bakasyon, makatulong nawa ang aking kuwento. Nangyari ito noong mga panahon sa Africa. Dala-dala ang maraming gamit ng mga bagong salta sa misyon, pinabilisan ng mga misyonero ang karwahe.

Pagkatapos ng ilang sandali, huminto nang bigla ang lahat. At ayaw ng mga alipin na magpatuloy. Nagtaka ang mga pari kaya nagtanong sila sa kanila. Bakit hininto ninyo ang lahat? Anong nangyari? Walang sumagot noong una. Hanggang sa lumabas din ang katotohanan: “Pinabilisan namin ang paghakot at pagdala ng mga gamit sa utos po ninyo, hangga’t hindi na mahabol ng aming mga kaluluwa ang aming mga katawan.”

Mga kapamilya't kaibigan, may mga oras bang naghahabol ka ng oras? Mabilis na mabilis ang iyong mga araw, na para bang hindi ka na makapag-isip nang matino; para bang hindi na mahabol ng iyong kaluluwa ang iyong katawan? Kung ganon, ipagdasal natin na magkaroon ng panahong huminto at magnilay sa darating na bakasyon lalu na sa panahon ng Kuwaresma.

Nahahati Ba ang Pag-ibig?

2012-03-11T16:26:00.000+08:00

May nagtanong sa akin: sinasabi kong ang first priority ko ang aking pamilya, ngunit bakit dumadating ang panahong kailangan kong piliin ang aking trabaho para sa kanila? O isang estudyante naman ang nagbahaging mahal niya ang kanyang girlfriend, ngunit, may mga oras hindi maaaring bitawan niya ang kanyang pag-aaral kung nagyayaya siyang lumabas. Nahahati ba ang pag-ibig?

Frederick Buechner said that the first stage of love is to believe that there is only one kind of love; the middle stage is to believe that there are many kinds of love; and the final stage is to believe that there is only one kind of love. Kapag na-iinlove tayo, iisa lamang ang ating nararamdaman. Laging gustong magkasama at magkadikit. Kapag nayayakap at taimtim na nag-uusap, buong buo ang ating karanasan. Ngunit kung magpakasal at magka-anak, ang pag-ibig ng mag-asawa ay nahahati: sa anak, sa trabaho, sa kanya-kanyang pamilya.

Subalit sa kahuli-hulihan, lahat ng ginagawa natin ay nasa ilalim ng iisang pag-ibig. Iba’t ibang pagpaparamdam ng pag-ibig ngunit lahat ito ay nasasaklaw sa iisang malalim na pagmamahalan. Minsan hindi nakakatulong ang paghahati. Mahalin mo silang lahat! Pagdasal natin na lahat ng ating buhay ay napapaloob sa pinaka-malalim at mahiwagang pag-ibig ng Diyos.

I Need Someone with Skin

2012-02-17T10:17:00.002+08:00

Meron akong kuwento. Takot si Jeremy sa dilim kaya tinawag niya ang kanyang nanay. Sabi ni Mommy Luisa, “Huwag kang matakot sa dilim, anak; lagi mong alalahaning laging naririto ang Diyos.” Sagot ni Jeremy, “Opo alam kong sinasamahan ako ni Papa Jesus, but I need someone with skin!”

Totoo ang sinabi ni Jeremy. Kailangan nating lahat ang isang taong may katawan na magpaparamdam ng pagmamahal sa atin. Wika ni San Ignacio de Loyola, “love ought to be shown more in deeds than in words.” Ayaw natin ng “drawing” o pangako lamang - gusto nating makita, maamoy, madama ang pag-ibig na pinapapangako sa atin.

Mahalaga sa atin ang pagkakatawang-tao ni Hesus. Alam nating malalapitan si Hesus dahil naramdaman niya ang pagkabigo at naranasan niya ang dinadala ng bawat tao. Kaya kahit alam nating naririto ang Diyos, kailangan pa ring dalawin ang maysakit, painumin ang mga nauuhaw, at pakainin ang mga nagugutom. Pagdasal na makita natin ang Diyos sa ating praktikal na buhay.

To Break or To Keep the Law

2012-01-17T22:20:00.002+08:00

18 January 2012: Wednesday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

Mark 3:1-6

Inscribed on a Zen monastery sign:

If you break the law, you will never attain freedom.

And underneath it:

If you keep the law, you will never attain freedom.

The issue in Mark’s Gospel today is not the healing of the paralyzed man, but the healing done on a Sabbath. And because it was forbidden on the Sabbath, the Pharisees were furious, to the point of attempting to kill him. To the Pharisees, the Sabbath should be kept holy, and therefore, no work was permitted.

But Jesus defied that law blatantly, for the sake of the one in great need. The Law of love is over and above all other laws. Compassion is foremost a virtue greater than others. There is a hierarchy of values. Not all values belong to the same plane. Altruism is one of the greatest characteristics of Jesus.

I remember a story of Peter and Agnes. Both of them were eyeing a luscious mango on the table. Her mom said, “Agnes, take the mango and divide it fraternally.”

Agnes said, “What do you mean by fraternally?”

“It is to divide the mango into two, giving the bigger part to your brother, and keeping the smaller part for you,” her mom replied.

Without hesitation, Agnes gave the mango to her brother, and said, “Take the mango and divide it fra-ter-nal-ly.”

Ang Diyos ng Liwanag

2011-12-24T16:37:00.000+08:00

ika-24 ng Disyembre 2011 Misa de Gallo

2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Psalm 89; Luke 1:67-79

Note: This article appears in the Filipino Sambuhay today. Sambuhay is the missalette published by the Society of St. Paul in the Philippines.

Lumaki si Yuan, 10-taong gulang, sa isang bahay-ampunan. Isang madaling-araw, nagising siya. Bagaman madilim pa, alam niyang hindi magtatagal at magbubukang-liwayway na. Hindi kalayuan mula sa bahay-ampunan may isang napakagandang lawa at biglang naramdaman niya ang kabig ng isang hangarin. Gusto niyang makita ang unti-unting pagsikat ng araw sa kalangitan mula rito.

Ngunit mahigpit ang batas sa ampunan. Walang batang babangon bago ang kalembang ng batingaw. Higit sa lahat, pinagbabawal ang lumisan ng bahay nang walang pahintulot.

Subalit nagbakasakali siya. Nagmadali siyang nagbihis at lumabas na hawak-hawak ang kanyang sapatos. Ayaw niyang ma-istorbo ang kanyang mga kasamang batang mahimbing na natutulog. Habang tinatahak niya ang mahabang pasilyo, tumitindi ang kanyang takot na mahuli. Tila bagang may nagmamasid sa bawat iskinita ng dormitoryo ng bahay ampunan na nagpapakita ng kanilang galit sa kanyang paglabag sa batas.

Kalaunan, dumating siya sa lawa at naghintay sa bukang-liwayway. Totoo nga, unti-unting sumikat ang araw, at nagbago ang kulay ng langit. Pinanood niya ang paglalaro ng kulay sa lawa, ang pagsabog ng dilaw, kahel, pula hanggang sa kulay ng liwanag ng araw. Manghang-mangha siya sa kagandahan ng lawa.

Nang tumunog na ang batingaw, naalala niya ang oras. Hahanapin siya sa bahay-ampunan. At siguradong mapaparusahan siya. Bago niya nilisan ang lawa, sinabi nito sa kanyang sarili: “Maraming salamat. Babalik ako. Ayos lang kung mapaparusahan ako. Ngayon may bago akong alam: ang Diyos ng lawa ay mas maganda sa dios ng ampunan.”

Sa araw na ito, sa agaw-dilim ng Simbanggabi, ibaling natin ang ating puso sa Dios ng Liwanag na mas higit pa sa iba’t ibang “dios” na kumikitil sa ating kalayaan at kasiyahan.

Tulad ni Yuan, namumuhay tayo sa ating mga sariling kulungan. Tulad ng bahay-ampunan, nasasanay tayong mamuhay sa ating maliit na mundo.

Ang nakakatakot mangyari ay simple lamang: dahil sanay na tayo sa ating kinagagalawang sariling bahay-ampunan, hindi na tayo magbabakasakaling danasin ang “Dios ng Lawa” at mangarap ng bagong buhay.

Ito ang diwa ng ikabente-kuwatro ng Disyembre. Naghihintay tayo sa meron, hindi sa wala. Naranasan na natin ang maghintay sa walang darating; sa isang pangakong laging napapako. Sa kabilang-banda naranasan na natin ang maghintay sa merong darating, tulad ng paghihintay ng minamahal na nangibang bansa at nasa eroplano na patungong Pilipinas.

Ang Pasko ay isang paghihintay sa meron; sigurado ang bukang-liwayway. Kailangan lamang na magbakasakali, harapin ang lahat ng takot, lisanin ang kulungan at maghintay. Ito ang Awit ni Zacharias sa Ebanghelio: “magbubukang-liwayway sa atin ang araw ng kaligtasan, upang magbigay liwanag sa mga nasa kadiliman at nasa lilim ng kamatayan, at patnubayan tayo tungo sa daan ng kapayapaan” (Lukas 1:78-79).

Sa araw na ito, mainam na pagnilayan natin ang ating buhay na may kasiyahan sa ating puso. Ibabad nawa natin ang ating sarili sa tunay na kagandahan at liwanag ng Pasko, at hindi makulong sa mga nagkukunwaring liwanag. Mas mainam kung manahimik tayong nakamasid sa Belen: suriin ang madidilim na parte ng ating buhay na kailangan ng Liwanag ng Niñong isisilang. Manalanging maisilang si Hesus sa gitna ng ating buhay. Pagkatapos, hayaang maglaro ang iba’t ibang kulay sa lawa ng ating buhay, sanhi ng tunay na Liwanag.

Ang Butil Ay Isang Pangako

2011-12-17T20:47:00.002+08:00

ika-18 ng Disyembre 2011 Ika-4 na Linggo ng Adbiyento
2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Psalm 89; Rom 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38

Minsan magkasamang nagtatanim sa hardin si Lola Indang at si Lilia, ang kanyang apo. Sinusuri nila ang mga butil ng iba’t ibang bulaklak. Wika ni Lilia, “Kakaibang mumunting mga pangako itong mga butil. Maliliit na pangako ang bawat isa sa kanila, di po ba, Lola?”

“Tama ka, apo,” sagot ni Lola Indang. “Bawat butil ay isang pangako. Ngunit, tulad ng mga pangako, may mga kailangang kondisyon upang ito’y tumubo at lumaganap.”

“Ano po ang mga kondisyon ito?” tanong ni Lilia.

“Kailangang hayaan ng bawat butil na ibaon siya sa lupa, isalang sa init ng araw, ibabad sa ulan, at subukan ng hangin upang mamulaklak, mamunga at maging ganap na tanim,” paliwanag ni Lola Indang.

Nangako ang Diyos ng kaginhawaan sa panahon ng kapighatian; ng lakas sa panahon ng tukso’t pagsubok at ilaw sa panahon ng kadiliman. Ngunit hindi makakamit ang lahat ng ito kung wala tayong pananampalataya sa Kanya at lakas ng loob magtiwala sa Kanyang tawag sa bawat isa sa atin.

Katulad tayo ng mga butil. May plano ang Panginoon sa bawat isa sa atin. Sa ating mga kamay nakaukit ang balak niyang gawing ganap tayong mabuti at banal. Nasa atin ang kapalarang maging tunay niyang mga anak. Ngunit bago maisakatuparan ito, kailangan nating “pumirma sa kontrata” - maging aktibong nakikiisa sa Panginoon.

Ito ang mensahe ng lahat ng pagbasa sa huling linggo sa panahon ng Adbiyento. Unti-unti tayong inihahanda ng Panginoon sa bawat linggo upang tanggapin nating lubusan ang pakiki-isa sa pagpapatupad ng pangako Niyang kaligtasan. Sa unang linggo, inilapag Niya ang kanyang pangako. Sa pangalawang linggo, inihanda niya ang ating mga puso sa pamamagitan ng paglilinis sa ating mga budhi at pakikipagkasundo bilang pagpapawi sa ating mga kasalanan. Sa pangatlong linggo, pinangako niya ang kasiyahan sa buhay kung sasali tayo sa kanyang planong ito. At ngayon, tinatanong na tayo kung sasama ba talaga tayo sa kanya.

Habang binabasa natin ang Ebanghelio ukol sa pagbati ng Arkanghel Gabriel kay Santa Maria, tinatanong din tayo, tulad ni Maria, kung nais nating makilahok sa planong ito. Umaasa ang Simbahan na ang ating sagot sa tawag ng Panginoon ay tulad sa tugon ni Maria.

Bago ang pagbati ni Arkanghel Gabriel kay Maria, minumungkahi ni San Ignacio de Loyola sa isang nagre-retreat na ginagamit ang kanyang librong, Spiritual Exercises, ang isang eksena sa kalangitan. Pinagmamasdan ng Tatlong Persona ang sanlibutan at nakita Nila ang ating pagkamakasalanan. Dahil dito, nagpasya Silang ipadala na ang pinangakong Mesias upang iligtas ang sanlibutan.

Doon nila pinili si Maria upang maging ina ng Pangalawang Persona, si Hesus. Kailangan Nila ang ‘oo’ ni Maria sa pagpapatupad ng Kanilang binabalak. Ito ang unang kondisyon ng pagbabago tungo sa ganap na buhay. Tunay at tapat ba ang ating pagsang-ayong makilahok sa balak ng Tatlong Persona?

Pangalawa, ang pakikibahagi sa balak ng Diyos ay hindi sa salita lamang. Tulad ng maraming pangako, ilang sandali lamang ang pagpapabatid. Ilang segundo lamang ang pagpirma sa isang kontrata; ilang minuto lamang ang pangako sa kasal. Isang iglap lamang ang isang sumpaan, ngunit ang kakabit ng ilang sandali ay buong hinaharap na buhay. Kasama sa isang kataga ng “oo” ni Maria ang kapighatiang haharapin niya bilang ina ng tagapagligtas. Kaakibad ng kanyang “oo” ang pait ng paglisan ng kanyang Anak isang araw upang gawin ang kalooban ng Diyos. Higit sa lahat, bahagi nito ang pagyakap sa hapdi ng pinakamalalim na sugat, ang pagpapakasakit at pagkamatay ng kanyang Anak sa krus. Tulad ng butil, kailangan nitong maging bukas sa lahat ng uri ng pagsubok upang ito ay lumago, mamulaklak at mamunga.

Pangatlo, ang hiling ng Panginoon sa atin ay pagpapakumbaba. Mukhang mahirap isakatuparan ang balak ng Panginoon sa atin. Sino ba naman ang nadadalian sa pagpapakabanal? Sino ba naman ang hindi nahihirapan hanapin ang tawag ng Diyos sa ating personal na buhay? Ngunit kung susuriin natin ang mga bida sa panahon ng Adbiyento tulad ni Sarah at Abraham, si Manoah at ang kanyang asawa, si Hannah, si Haring Dabid, si Zacarias at Elizabeth, at kung isama pa ninyo ang mga apostoles, si San Pablo, hindi nila ipinagkaila ang kanilang kahinaan. Ito ang huling kondisyon: ang mapagkumbabang puso’t diwa.

Ipagdasal natin na maganap nawa ang mga kondisyong ito sa atin, upang ganap ang pagtanggap natin sa pagdating ni Hesus sa ating buhay.

Gratitude

2011-10-30T15:10:00.005+08:00

28 October 2011 Sts. Simon and Jude, apostles
Ephesians 2:19-22; Psalm 19; Luke 6, 12-16
Homily for the Duffy-Delaney Day of the Ateneo de Manila High School

Let me talk about everything we celebrate today: The end of the Marian Months celebration; the Duffy-Delaney Day; the feast of Sts. Simon and Jude. And since I am new, let me draw my stories from my past, prior to being here in the high school. The common theme of all these is the only over-arching point: Gratitude.

The first time I experienced something like the Duffy-Delaney celebration was in 1995. I was a Jesuit regent, like Bro. Madz here, in Xavier University High School. During that time Mrs. Ria Arespachochaga was a JVP there. She knew that I had five preparations (5 lesson plans), a moderatorship, and three organizations. Come Teachers’ Day, all the students prepared something for us.

I knew that when the calendared date arrived, the same ritual would repeat itself. “You know,” one of the other Jesuits would say to me, “your students will be doing something for you.” And I would say, “Can’t we pass this year?” And so I did just that. I exited and watched “Toy Story” the 2nd top-grossing film by Disney/Pixar that year, 1995. I thought, Teachers’ Day was contrived. Same time last year, same day next year, it goes on and on and the same thing happens. Why would you want students to ‘appreciate you’ when sometimes they don’t show that everyday?

So I retreated to the movie theater, thinking that it would be a time for me to rest. The next day, one of my students wrote me, “Why were you not here, Father? It is our delight to love you.”

And so the first point: We are here to celebrate and remember a value: that of gratitude, in the hope that we become grateful persons. The poet Rumi writes, “Find the real world, give it endlessly away, grow rich flinging gold to all who ask. Live at the empty heart of paradox. I’ll dance there with you - cheek to cheek.” (Notice the backdrop). Like birthdays, a day is set to highlight who matters to us, what value is important. Now, we pray for gratitude, but not to be grateful just here, today, this minute; but everyday. To show our love to those people whom we found in the real world, giving themselves endlessly away, growing rich flinging all they have to us.”

* *

One such person is Fr. John Patrick Delaney SJ. I “met” Fr. Delaney SJ who died in 1956 through the people whose lives he touched in UP. I was chaplain there from 2003-2008. From a book called “Chapel Chismis” his former students compiled anecdotes about him. When UP decided to transfer their main campus from Manila to Diliman, Fr. Delaney went with them. When Ateneo was still in Padre Faura, UP was our neighbor; now, it still is. The first thing that Fr. Delaney did was to visit every household in the area. He scoured every single nook and cranny of UP, that soon, a simple chapel has been built and it was full. Since the faithful community was growing, the congregation decided to build a chapel which you see now. The Church of the Holy Sacrifice had been built by a lot of people, some of them declared National Artists as Napoleon Abueva, Vicente Manansala, Arturo Luz, and Leandro Locsin. These were the people whom Fr. Delaney personally visited first. When I met some of these people in UPSCA, they said one thing: they built the church out of gratitude to the man who “virtually moved heaven and earth to bring Christ to Diliman, the campus of UP.” (Mrs. Narita M. Gonzalez)

And thus, the second point: Gratitude is a response to an initiative of love. It is not to be demanded as an entitlement.

In 1989, I took the small bus to Sapang Palay as a novice. A young boy was sitting in the front seat of our bus when a very old man came in the door. He looked around for an empty seat. So the young boy got up and gave him his. After a while, the boy asked the old man, “What did you say?”

The sitting passenger said, “I didn’t say anything.”

At which the boy remarked, “I thought I heard you say, “Thank you.” The old man thought he was entitled to be given a seat because he was old, and so he need not thank the boy!

Do you agree? Should the old man say, “Thank you” or not? What do you think? Who says, “No, the old man has no obligation to thank the boy.” (Raise your hand)
Who says, he should have said, “Thank you” (raise your hand).

Oh yes, I agree: for one to receive a pat in the back, one has to give support first. Fr. Delaney once said, “Give until it hurts.” And St. Ignatius of Loyola in his prayer of generosity will say, “To give and not to count the cost.” And Christ will say, “Give until death.”

For Mary, the cost was a heart pierced by the sword. The rosary is a meditation of the cost of giving. Sts. Simon and Jude, whose feast we celebrate today, gave all that they have to the faith. The cost is not just hurt and blood, but death. And now we remember them, yes, celebrate them, in gratitude. They have loved us first. But of course, Jesus loved them first. Ergo, their martyrdom is a response of gratitude to those who loved “en todo amar y servir.” (Raise your left hand and say to the person to your left, “Thank you.”)

We are not lacking in examples. If you visit the Everest Faculty Workroom today, you will find a sign on their door (Note the photo.): “Libre Haplos.” This to me is the mark of a true mentor of Ateneans. When we give endlessly, gratitude naturally follows. (Raise your right hand and say to the person to your right, “May maghahaplos din sa iyo!”

Let’s do this: (5 Gestures)

(Sarado) A closed hand cannot receive. The phrase has a Biblical ring, and a biblical wisdom that applies profoundly to everyday human affairs. (Suntok) The person who will not share himself with his neighbors receives little friendship in return.

(Protesta) It’s no accident that in many countries the symbol of totalitarianism is the one that you can’t shake hands with: a clenched fist. (Bawi) A person with a clenched fist, no matter how you give, will never receive it because his hands are closed. (Sarado) But the tragedy is far worse, open a clenched fist: there is nothing there. He has nothing to give.

(Bukaspalad)To be sower of seeds, a person must open his hands. (Bukas-kamay as offer) He must do this, clearly, before he can reap. And the process doesn’t stop there. (Taas Kamay) To possess knowledge or wisdom, one has to have an open mind to receive it. (Bukas-Kamay sa Dibdib) To be loved, one has to love first. (Bukas-Kamay sa Puso)

My first assignment after ordination was actually a return to Xavier University. There in the middle of the main campus is the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception. One day, a little boy and her mother visited the church early morning when the rays of the rising sun penetrated the colored glass windows. The boy pointed at the figures of the stain glass windows, and asked his mother who they were. The mother said, that they were saints.

The boy asked, “What are saints?” His mother replied, they are people who let the light of God shine in their lives, and thus they live happy and grateful all their lives.

I have met many of these modern-day saints in Payatas Dos when we were constructing our small chapel. Fr. RB has seen that chapel. I still remember the glow in their eyes and the excitement they had even when they were sitting on the floor for mass. We have so much to be thankful for. Are you happy and excited to see the final result of our chapel, the central facility and symbol of the Ateneo’s Mission and Identity?

As we see the renovation of our chapel taking shape day by day, let us look into our hearts and pray for gratitude. As it is being constructed, let us also rebuild our lives according to the saints. St. Ignatius of Loyola in his book, the Spiritual Exercises, once said, that the beginning of virtue is gratitude.

We become saints when we smile with gratitude all the time. Today we thank our every day saints, our teachers and staff. Let us therefore begin greeting each other, “Happy All Saints Day!” not just today but everyday especially our teachers and staff to remind us that we have to be happy, like saints, everyday. “Happy All Saints Day!” everyday!

Tumanggi Ka Na Ba sa Paanya ng Hari?

2011-10-18T18:48:00.003+08:00

ika-9 ng Oktubre 2011 Ika-28 na Linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon
Isaiah 25: 6-10; Psalm 23: 1-6; Phil 4: 12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22: 1-14

Isang pagdiriwang ang handaan. Sa hapag-kainan, magkakasama ang magkakapamilya’t magkakaibigan. Pinapalagay sa isang handaan na may halaga sa nagdiriwang ang lahat nang imbitado. Sa pamamagitan ng pagdalo, pinapanday ng nag-anyaya at inanyayahan ang kanilang ugnayan.

Sa hagdan ng halaga ng pagdiriwang, ang kasalan ay isang higit na pinagsasaluhan. Hanggang ngayon, pinaghahandaan ang isang kasalan. Matagal bago dumating ang pinaaasam-asam na araw, pinapadala na ang imbitasyon sa mga panauhin. Kaya naman inaasahan na ilalaan na nila ang araw para sa okasyong ito. Sa panahon ni Hesus, hindi nakatakda ang oras ng pagdiriwang dahil inaasahan ng punong abala, na nakalaan na ang buong araw. Kaya naman sa talinghaga sa ebanghelio, pinatawag na ng hari ang mga panauhin noong handa na ang lahat. Kumbaga, nakalapag na ang pagkain, simula na ang pagdiriwang!

Sa kasawingpalad, tinanggihan ng mga panauhin ang paanyayang ito. Sa ibang pagbasa, nagbigay ng samu’t saring dahilan ang mga inanyayahan. Simple lamang ang punto: mas mahalaga ang pinagkakaabalahan kaysa ang kasalan. Maaari ring tingnan ito bilang isang pagpapahiwatig na hindi magkasing-halaga ang ugnayan nila sa hari kaysa sa kanilang mga gawain.

Sa totoong buhay, may mga tumatanggi sa paanyaya ng Panginoon. Bagaman karamihan ay nagsasabing hindi nila hihindi-an ang Panginoon, hindi ito nagaganap kapag panahon nang tumugon sa Kanya. Sa talinhaga ni Hesus, ang mga tumanggi sa alok ng Panginoon ay ang mismong mga Hudyo. Nasa gitna na ang Mesiyas, ngunit hindi nila tinanggap Siya; kahit na sila ang pinili ng Diyos. Kaya naman, inalok sa mga Hentil at binuksan ang pintuan ng langit para sa lahat. Sinuyod ng Panginoon ang kasuluk-sulukan ng sanlibutan. Ibig sabihin, ang paanyayang makibahagi sa hapag ng Panginoon ay inaabot sa ating lahat, maging sino o ano pa man ang ating mga katayuan sa buhay.

Subalit, mayroon pa rin tayong kakayahang tumanggi. Malaya tayong hindi-an o tugunan ang paanyayang ito. Sa kahuli-hulihan, walang magagawa ang Panginoon sa taong ayaw sa biyaya Niya. Marahil naisip natin: Sino ba ang tatanggi sa Panginoon? Sa totoong buhay, marami. Kahit sa ating sarili, marami tayong pagtatanggi sa Kanya na nasusukat sa katapatan ng ating mga dasal. May kuwento ako:

Si Aling Nena ay 60-taong gulang. Araw-araw, pumupunta siya sa Simbahan upang taimtim na manalangin. Isang usiserong bata ang nakakita kay Aling Nena. Nais niyang malaman kung ano ang pinagdarasal ng matanda, kaya sinundan niya ito sa Simbahan at nagtago sa isang pader na malapit sa luhuran.

Wika ni Aling Nena, “Panginoon, matanda na ako. Sapat na ang aking buhay. Nakatapos na at may kanya-kanyang buhay ang aking mga anak. Maaari na akong mamayapa.” Araw-araw naririnig ito ng bata. Kaya nagpasya siyang sagutin ang panalangin ng matanda, “Aling Nena, narinig ko ang iyong mga dasal. Bukas na bukas din, kukunin na kita bandang alas-tres ng hapon.” Nabagabag at natakot si Aling Nena. Hindi siya makatulog nung gabing iyon.

Marami tayong mga panalanging hindi tapat sa ating puso. Pinagdadasal natin ang kapatawaran, pero nananaig pa rin sa pinaka-ilalim ng ating sarili ang pag-ayaw sa pakikipagkasundo. Pinagdadasal natin ang kapayapaan sa ating pag-iisip, ngunit ayaw nating gumawa ng hakbang upang batiin ang taong sanhi ng ating sama ng loob.

Ngunit alam nating makakamtan ang kapayapaan sa sarili kung bubuksan natin ang puso sa anyaya ng Panginoon na magpatawad. Ilang beses na ba tayong nagdasal sa misa ukol sa pagbubuklod ng lahat, ngunit tayo mismo ang sanhi ng pagkawatak-watak? Ang kapayapaan at pagkakaisa ay dalawa lamang sa maraming biyayang nakakamtan sa hapag ng Panginoon.

Pagdasal natin na maging tapat tayo sa ating mga salita, at higit sa lahat, kapag panahon nang lumahok sa hapag ng Panginoon, hindi natin tatanggihan ang kanyang paanyaya.

When We Always Say Tomorrow!

2011-08-26T01:16:00.003+08:00

25 August 2011 Thursday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time
1 Thessalonians 3:7-13; Psalm 90; Matthew 24:42-51

Time is an important element in the Gospel today. But it tells us the value of the present time, in view of the uncertain future. The time to prepare is now because we do not know what will happen in the future.

There is a story of three apprentice little devils who laid out their individual plans to destroy humanity. They presented the plans to Satan.

The first devil said that his plan was devious especially to the Enemy. “I will announce to everyone that there is no God!” he said to Satan.

Satan said, “Well, some will believe you, but many won’t. They know God is alive.”

The second devil said that his plan is more scheming. “I will announce to everyone that there is no hell!” Satan was not pleased. He said, “Despite the attraction that they can do anything they want, some will believe you, but many won’t. They know that if they do what is immoral, their lives will be like hell.”

The third devil said that his plan is deceptive. “I will announce to everyone that there is ALWAYS time!”

Satan, suddenly lighted up and said, “Go, go right away! You will convert millions!”

The person who always thinks that there is always time will keep on procrastinating. But there are things that we cannot put off the next day. There are things that has to be done now, before the hour when there is no tomorrow for us.

In an emergency, the doctor who gives a correct diagnosis in a split second, took years of study. On stage, the artist who performs excellently in a two-hour show, practiced even without inspiration. Parents who raised their children well, have formed them every single moment. Students who get high marks have studied long before the hour.

Our defining moment is a result of daily and regular preparation.

Sumisidhi ba sa Iyo ang Hangarin ng Kapayapaan?

2011-06-11T14:19:00.004+08:00

12 Hunyo 2011. Araw ng Pentekostes

Acts 2:1-11; Salmo 104; 1 Cor 12:3-13; Juan 20:19-23

Note: This article appears in Sambuhay missalette today. Sambuhay is a publication of the Society of St. Paul in the Philippines.

Bumubukal ba sa iyo ang hangarin ng kapayapaan kapag may alitan? O kaya sumisidhi ang mithiin ng pagbabalik-loob sa Diyos kapag may nagawang pagkakamali? Tumitindi ba ang pagnanasang maliwanagan kapag may hindi maunawaan at di napapawi ang paghahanap ng kasagutan sa gitna ng maraming katanungan? Lumalakas ba ang katok sa iyong pusong manalangin sa gitna ng maraming pagsubok na walang naaninag na pag-asa? Kung naramdaman---o nararamdaman---ninyo ito, naranasan ninyo ang Espiritu Santo. Ang Espiritung ito ang siyang pinagdiriwang natin sa Linggo ng Pentecostes.

Matagal nang pinagdiriwang ng mga Hudyo ang Pentecostes. Sinimulan ito bilang pasasalamat sa biyaya ng ani, kung saan iniaalay nila ang unang bunga ng kanilang mga kamay. Pagkatapos, naging tradisyon ito bilang pagaalaala sa pagbibigay ng Sampung Utos kay Moises. Pentecostes, ibig sabihing ika-50 araw, ang tawag ng mga Griyego sa pagdiriwang ng mga Hudyo sa tinatawag na Feast of Weeks, ang pagdiriwang ng ani pagkatapos ng limampung-araw mula sa Passover o Feast of the Unleavened Bread. Ayon sa Gawa 2:1-11 (kasama din Gawa 20:16 at 1 Cor 16:18), nananahan ang Espiritu Santo sa mga alagad ni Hesus sa araw na ito. Ito ang katuparan ng pangako ng Panginoong Hesukristo sa kanila.

Ngunit hindi nagbago ang diwa ng pagdiriwang. Ang bunga ng ani, ang pagbibigay ng Sampung Utos, at pananahan ng Espiritu Santo ay mga karanasan ng pagdalaw ng Diyos sa tao sa lupa. Isang tunay na biyaya. At dahil dito, ang pagdiriwang natin ay isang pagpapaalala na ang Espiritu ay tunay na nasa ating lahat, nararanasan sa mga hangarin ng kapayapaan sa gitna ng alitan, liwanag sa kadiliman, pag-asa sa kawalan, pagbabalik-loob sa pagkasuwail, pagkakabuo sa pagkawatak-watak.

Pinapaalala ang halaga nito sa ating pananampalataya dahil laging nakakaligtaan ang Espiritu Santo, or kaya hindi natin ito napapansin. Sa tatlong mahahalagang pagdiriwang sa Liturhiya ng Simbahan, hindi natin makikita ang dagsa-dagsang nagsisimba sa Araw ng Pasko at Muling Pagkabuhay.

Sa Tore ng Babel, narinig natin ang pagkawatak-watak ng mga tao dahil sa kawalan ng pagkaunawaan dahil sa iba't ibang dila (Gen. 11:1-9). Kaya sa Pentecostes, ipinadala ng Panginoon ang iisang Espiritu upang buuin ang nagkalat sa pamamagitan ng pagkakaunawaan sa gitna ng maraming pananalita, o pagkakaisa sa gitna ng maraming angking kakayahan. Nararamdaman ito sa diwa ng bayanihan lalu na sa oras ng malaking trahedya.

Kumikidlat at kumukulog nang ibinigay ng Panginoon ang Sampung Utos kay Moises (Ex 19:3-8, 16-20). Kaya sa Araw na ito, pinahihiwatig ng pananahan ng Espiritu sa atin, ang bagong daan tungo sa Panginoon. Ang Utos ng Diyos ay hindi lamang nakasulat kundi nakaukit na sa ating puso; nararamdaman kapag tumindi ang hangaring ituwid ang nagawang pagkakamali.

Ipinadala ng Panginoon ang Propeta Ezekiel sa lambak ng kamatayan upang bigyang buhay ang mga kalansay (Ezekiel 37:1-14). At dahil dito, ang Espiritu Santo ang magbibigay panibagong sigla sa bahagi ng ating buhay na nawalan na ng kulay. Nararanasan natin ito kapag nakapagbibigay tayo ng pag-asa lalu na sa mga walang kumakalinga o walang kinabukasang natatanaw. Hindi daw natin maiibibigay ang wala sa atin. At dahil ang Diyos ng pag-asa ay nasa atin, maaari nating paliyabin ang pag-asa na nasa iba.

Higit sa lahat, nakakapagdasal lamang tayo sa kapangyarihan ng Espiritu ng Diyos. Dahil sa pananahan ng Espiritu, nakikilala natin ang Diyos. May isinulat si C.S. Lewis upang maunawaan ito. Kung ibig mong malaman ang bato, kailangan mo itong lapitan. Hindi ito kusang lalapit sa iyo. Kung nais mong makilala ang isang tao, at ayaw niya ito, hindi natin siya tunay na makikilala. Kailangang may pagkukusa din siya. Ganoon din ang Diyos: Siya ang nagkusang makilala natin Siya, at tunay ngang nagpakilala Siya sa atin kay Hesukristo. Ang pananahan ng Espiritu ang siyang pagkukusa ng Panginoon upang makilala at makita natin siyang gumagalaw sa ating kasaysayan at pangaraw-araw na buhay. Ang bawat namumutawi sa ating mga labi sa pagsamba sa Diyos ay galing mismi sa Diyos. Ayon kay San Pablo, walang makakapagsabi na Panginoon si Hesukristo kundi sa pamamagitan ng Espiritu Santo (1 Cor 12:3).

Lalu na sa ating pagdiriwang ng ating kasarinlan o Independence Day, binabaling natin ang ating panalangin at pagtingin sa Espiritu Santo upang alalahanin ang responsibilidad ng lahat palaguin ang ating buhay ayon sa liwanag ng Panginoon. Ipagdasal natin na maging tunay na daan tayo ng kapayapaang dulot ng pagkakabuo sa iisang Espiritu.

Have You Been Lonely?

2011-05-22T07:24:00.005+08:00

22 May 2011 Fifth Sunday of Easter
Acts 6:1-7; Psalm 33; 1 Peter 2:4-9; John 14:1-12

In lull periods between chores at the feeding center, Juan’s* eyes turn glossy and forlorn. When he was in Phoenix, he was caught by the border patrol and imprisoned for 8 months. During his detention, his wife was pregnant with his first child. On the day of the child’s birth, Juan was deported to the Arizona-Mexico border gate. He never saw them since.

The stories of the migrants I’ve met and served at the Comedor, the feeding center of the Kino Border Initiative (please LIKE our page here) are stories of separation. We feed people who are lonely and distressed. The pain of separation from their loved ones is fresh and the wound is deep. The options are bleak: if one returns to their origins in Mexico or Central America, they have to bear separation for years; or if one returns to the US, they have to cross the inhospitable Sonoran desert and the possibility of death (related article on this here).

In the Gospels, the disciples of Jesus are distressed over his words about going away (John 13:33-36). But Jesus assures them that His departure is more gain than loss for them, for He will become closer to them after His resurrection and they will enter into a deeper communion with Him. Therefore, they should not be ‘troubled’ by the prospect of a certain loneliness in this world, exposed as they will be to the forces of unbelief (John 16:33) or having to live without their friend. And here Jesus goes on saying that when He passes over to His Father, He will prepare a place for them, the “many dwelling places” in “His Father’s house.”

For many migrants all over the world, the situation of the disciples in the Gospel is all too familiar. On one hand, they leave their families because they want to prepare a better future for them. They are aware of the dangers of being away. In many ways than one, they are like Jesus: on them their families hinge their hopes and dreams away from poverty or the violence in their own countries (eg. Mexico, Libya and North Africa, Vietnam and Cambodia).

On the other hand, their families who are left behind are effected by the parting. Children with absentee parents; those who live away from home; the experience of death; those who had a falling out with a friend are just a few examples when loneliness sinks deeply into our hearts.

The Gospel challenges all who encounter loneliness to put our trust on Jesus who promises a dwelling place in heaven. Thus, it reads that Jesus tells his disciples (us) that they (we) will be where He Himself is, both in the present and in the future. We will, with the help of the Spirit, enter through faith into a closer relationship with God. And this communion is a gift from the Trinity (v.2-3 and 23). It is no wonder that this Gospel is read in funerals: Isn’t it consoling to know that our departed loved ones have not vanished but are there waiting for us? I find this consoling when my dad passed away: our separation is temporary!

But the many ‘dwelling-places’ are not degrees of perfection or status in heaven, in the sense that, the holier you are the bigger the mansion. The meaning is that the Father’s love and life that is present in Jesus is so immense that there is room for all of us! His heart is bigger and wider than what we can imagine. Whatever or whoever we are, there is always room for us in God.

Loneliness is a negative experience. Thus it entails pain and suffering. It destroys our notion of companionship or friendship: no person can totally satisfy our need for absolute presence. Couples have to separate when they have to go to work. Friends cannot stick to each other all the time. The promise “I will be with you always” does not mean the one who promises will accompany you wherever you go --- you don’t want them present in the restroom, do you? Life includes ‘separation’ time.

But there is one who can be present to us, wherever we are! He is the one who can satisfy our need for constant companionship. That is why, the negative feeling of loneliness can turn into an experience of communion with God. Because Jesus can do that: He is more present to us now than he was here in human form.

Those who have accepted this fact and lived this truth is said to live not in loneliness but in solitude. They are those who live in the heart of God, with or without their family and friends’ presences, peacefully. They can have their time for themselves without the impulse of reaching out to their cellphones or opening their social networks because the ‘silence is unbearable.’ Silence and solitude are very much related. You need both to change your loneliness into peacefulness.

*not his real name.

Have You Been Vulnerable?

2011-05-14T09:12:00.003+08:00

15 May 2011 4th Sunday of Easter
Acts 2:14-41; Psalm 23; 1 Pt 2:20-25; John 10:1-10

Salvador was dazed and disoriented. After being rounded up by the border patrol while driving, he was detained for a year because he couldn’t show them his legal papers. He was from Chihuahua, a state in Mexico, and crossed the border unauthorized. Two days before he was sentenced for deportation to Mexico, his wife gave birth to a boy which he never saw.

I met Salvador the day he arrived at the Deconcini gate in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. After given a ticket by the immigration officer for a free bus ride back to his hometown, he headed to the Comedor, the feeding center of the Kino Border Initiative (Please LIKE our page here). I was serving deported migrants at the Comedor.

The story of Salvador at his most vulnerable is shared by many other migrants who come to the Comedor or Dining Area twice every day. They have their own stories to tell, and we meet them at the darkest and lowest point in their life. It is at this point that I begin to wonder about the lost sheep and the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. These are, literally, the lost and the least in the fold.

The image of the Good Shepherd is ancient in the Christian church. In Rome, wall paintings of the Good Shepherd are found in the catacombs. Though I can imagine how the image can be lost to the present generation, I wonder why the image continues to inspire us. When shepherding was a common occupation in the time of Jesus, the image understandably have potent power then. But even at present when shepherding is left to a few, its communicative power remains.

I think the image gains its power because of the growing number of people who can identify with the lost sheep. We have in many different ways reached the point of Salvador. When we are at our lowest and darkest or when we feel abandoned, ostracized and alone, we find ourselves attracted to an image of protection. And thus, many of us say that we often remember the Lord and seek His Presence when we are suffering. We say that people who are proud will return to the Lord sometime --- just wait for a tragedy to happen.

But the story of the Good Shepherd and an image of the same story like the Woman Who Lost a Coin tell us otherwise. It is not the lost sheep (or the lost coin) who looks for the Shepherd, but it is the Shepherd who looks for them. He is the one who comes to the lost; as the Woman who searches for the coin that doesn’t move from where it has fallen (Don’t we feel paralyzed at the enormity of our burdens?)

And so the point today: I think that we experience God when we are at the lowest point in our lives not because we search for Him. Or being problematic, we go the church to beg God to hear our prayers. That makes God like a necessary crutch. Or, when our prayers are not answered the way we want it, He becomes another person to blame.

God comes to us in our most vulnerable state, because our defenses are down. God has always been with us, accompanying us, even if we don’t give Him the attention. He is always there, even if we deny His presence. Think of a wall: when it is destroyed, anyone from the other side can come to you. Put yourself in God’s shoes: when we want to help a friend, but the friend does not want it, we will not be able to lend our hand. I believe, this is how God comes to us when we are lost. He is the one who finds us.

Proof: the photo you see in this blog is Salvador praying to his “Salvador” (Savior).

Hope in Shattered Dreams

2011-05-08T04:03:00.003+08:00

8 May 2011. 3rd Sunday of Easter
Acts 2:14,22-23; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24-13-35

I saw them kiss. Josefina and Anteo were lining for breakfast at the Comedor, the feeding center of the Kino Border Initiative. They were migrants, recently deported from the United States. They were picked up by the US Customs and Border Protection together, but were deported separately. Josefina was deported at the Deconcini Gate in the Arizona-Sonora border, while Anteo was thrown out of American territory miles away in Tijuana, the California side. Anteo made it back to Guatemala, while Josefina stayed at the women's shelter of the KBI, managed by the Missionaries of the Eucharist.

I met Josefina at the Comedor. She volunteered to help us out after serving the meals. While slicing calabasita, she told me that she had four children, whom she left with her mother. She and Anteo had to leave home for a better life for them. Since Anteo was able to make his way again from Guatemala, they would try to cross the border again. All for the love of their children. Today, they bid us goodbye. They will take the dangerous road back to the US before more troops are deployed following the death of Osama bin Laden.

The journey these migrants take is everything but easy. Migrants from Guatemala hitch a ride to the US-Mexican border by the train that carries produce from Central America to the US. They hang on steel ladders of a train car and make their way to the roof. There they wait until the train stops at their destination. From there, they cross the inhospitable desert, wrestling with death itself. In 2010, 214 human remains were found in the Arizona desert; 78 casualties is the present record from October 2010-March 2011.

If you meet these migrants after deportation, what would you say? They come dazed and disoriented. They look at you with great questioning. Crossing the border unauthorized is not right, but for those without means, the law does not matter as much as their families. Isn't it that the survival of loved ones is more important than territory?

The Gospel today tells the story of Cleopas and another disciple (perhaps, his wife? And why not?) They both leave Jerusalem, the place where their hopes have been shattered. Their minds are with Jesus whom they thought would liberate them from the oppression of Rome. They are walking towards Emmaus, which the Romans called, Nicopolis or "Victory City." They badly need a victory. Like Josefina and Anteo. Like many migrants we serve everyday.

How are you to talk to people with shattered dreams? In the midst of great tragedy, we are all left without words. Sometimes I find that there is something wrong when we say, "Everything will be alright." In one way, it is correct and true. There are many bad situations that ends well. But in some situations, the condition may not turn out well, except when miracles happen. When I was chaplain of the UP Maroons, it was easy to talk about hope at the first few games. But loosing continually and nearing the end of the UAAP matches, it seems futile to talk about hope when you only have one game to play and we haven't won a single game. Definitely, making it to the top five will not happen. Or extreme cases like the terminally-ill. What then would hope be?

As the two disciples walk towards the Victory City, the True Redeemer walks alongside them. He listened while the disciples pour out their frustration. Jesus responds by recalling the Scriptures, eventually giving them a new story and a new way of looking at the events that frustrated them. They also got something: an enflamed heart. Jesus helped them make sense all that has happened.

I believe this is the hope that the Lord gives us. He doesn't remove our problems: when we are able to solve them, we then encounter new ones. But we are able to find meaning in our frustrations. The terminally-ill renews their spirit by gathering the people who makes their entire life meaningful; the student who fails a subject learns from the fall; Anteo and Josefina makes the journey courageously, fired by the love they have for their children.

Hope then is an orientation of our spirit. It is either we hope or we don't. We either move on or we regress. It is different from happiness, when we dream that everything will turn out well.

In the Gospel, it is clear that the hope Jesus gives is an enflamed heart witnessed in the accounts of the disciples in the first reading from Acts. It is the inspiration and energy the early disciples possess, that ability to work for the good, because it the right thing to do, not just because it stands a chance to succeed. Hope is not the conviction that everything will turn out well, but that everything makes sense in the view of eternity. Think of the great exemplars of holiness. The martyrs died but their death to them and to us today has sense. Think of our heroes, their lives become our bread on which we live. Think of our parents, their hardwork has made us who we are today. Think of Jesus: the stone the builders rejected became the cornerstone.

The Gospel then invites us to see the world and our lives in the perspective of eternity. Just as the disciples gain a new sight that enabled them to recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread, we pray that the Lord transform our blindness and give us new eyes and a renewed hope.

- Posted by Jboy Gonzales SJ using BlogPress. Copyright 2011.

Location:Nogales, Sonora, Mexico

The Miracle of Easter

2011-04-27T20:23:00.005+08:00

1 May 2011 2nd Sunday of Easter
Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 118; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31

The message of the Gospel today is the very miracle of Easter. That whatever is bound, enchained, enslaved, or unfree can be loosened, liberated and freed through forgiveness. By exercising this capacity to forgive, we free each other from what bounds us like pain, anger, and resentments. And by being forgiven, we become free. In this freedom, we achieve what is elusive to most of us: peace.

Let me explain. Let us look at our personal relationships. There are many resentments within our families: marital conflicts, custody battles, and/or inheritance. Between friends, there are strained relationships: a betrayal, a falling out, or a hurt from an uncharitable remark.

Recent records in history has seen the bloodiest effect of racial and religious hatred. The most glaring is the holocaust. Christians against Jews. Or, genocide in Central and South Africa. Or the escapes of Vietnamese refugees to other countries caused by strife and violence. The killings in Cambodia. Our list can go on and on and on. The point is clear: unless there is healing by forgiveness, peace will not come by easily.

But forgiveness is easier said than done. The deeper the wound, the longer it takes. Genuine forgiveness is not given casually: as if the violation has not been done as the popular maxim: forgive and forget. We should not forget or else the violation is repeated and tolerated. Aren't we, Filipinos, suffering from a short-term memory: the victimizers of the past are now back in the seats of government? Isn't it true that the People's Revolution of 1986 has been like a ningas-cogon: aren't we worse than before? Isn't it correct that misbehavior in our personal relationships are repeated because we try to forget as if they never occurred? Forgiveness is given, not so that we repeat our past, but so that we begin a new future.

Forgiveness is given by authentically acknowledging the wounds for what they are, and what they have caused. And the acceptance that we are capable of being hurt and wounding others. Unless we are able to see this (vs self-righteousness), genuine forgiveness cannot come by.

Forgiveness involves humility. It involves swallowing our pride. This is what I experience in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The struggle before receiving the Sacrament is the very thought of acknowledging our woundedness and sinfulness to another person, in shame. Why would I confess to a priest who is also a sinner like me - or even worse than me? Confession is indeed a humbling experience, yet genuine repentance and humility are the conditions for forgiveness to happen. And as a priest, who is very much a sinner too, I am very grateful to the trust a repentant sinner accords me.

The Gospel tells us that Jesus showed Thomas His very wounds. Jesus acknowledges the wounds that has been inflicted on Him and then identifies Himself with it. What we have become has been formed and molded by our wounds. But even in His last breath, Jesus forgives: "Forgive them, Father, for they do not know what they are doing?" That is why, today is also called, Divine Mercy Sunday. We celebrate God's mercy on us, but at the same time, we are also challenge to be merciful.

But peace in genuine forgiveness is made possible by the Spirit. Jesus said, "Peace be with you" and then, He says, "Receive the Holy Spirit" and after, He breathe on them. The exchange of breathe in the Spirit is important. Remember how God breathe on Adam and Eve for life to occur in Genesis? Breathing is what makes us alive; the Spirit thus makes us genuinely live and therefore, forgive. Paul said that forgiveness is made possible by the Spirit. And therefore, this power is a gift of the Lord to us: we are capable of genuine forgiveness. However, we have to work on it. The Our Father gives us the condition: "And forgive us our sins, AS we forgive those who sin against us."

Together with the breath of the Resurrected Christ, we can therefore free ourselves from what makes us bound. Remember a tenet I live by: He, who angers you, controls you. The miracle of Easter is freedom from what or who controls you, given through forgiveness, for the peace that we all yearn.

Easter's Shock

2011-04-22T02:00:00.000+08:00

24 April 2011 Easter Sunday
Acts 10:34-43; Psalm 118; 1 Cor 5:6-8; John 20:1-9

Allow me to begin a few hours ago. It was customary for early Christians to hold evening liturgies called vigils, especially the night before a great feast. In the universal Church these vigils are commonly done during the three most important feasts of the liturgical year: Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. Pentecost vigil though has not been particularly celebrated in the Philippines.

In the Easter vigil, we all begin in darkness, reminding us of our state before the resurrection. It suggests the mood of Lent, when we have scoured the dark recesses of our lives and prepared it for the Lord's light. The beauty and profundity of the image of the light, as Easter, becomes powerful in the background of darkness.

So it is in the understanding of Easter. In the movie, The Mission, Robert di Niro plays the mercenary and slave trader Mendoza, who kills his brother in a fit of jealousy and anger. As a self-imposed penance, he carries the implements of his past like his sword and armor, to the Jesuit mission above the Iguazu falls, the community of the Guarani Indians whom he has formerly hunted. When the Guarani recognized him, they threaten his life, but seeing what he has been doing, they cut the rope and release his 'past' plunging into the raging waters of the river. Experiencing freedom and forgiveness, he starts a new life with the Guarani and eventually becomes a Jesuit.

Easter Sunday is about redemption. Mendoza's character illustrates our capacity for redemption. We are capable of changing for the better. But what is striking for me is the dialogue before Mendoza takes the burden of his past and carries it up the precarious peak of the falls. Fr. Gabriel (Jeremy Irons) visits him in his cell. Mendoza sulks and tells him that there is nothing that could redeem him from his heinous crime. And Gabriel said, 'At least, dare to try' and got Mendoza's reply, "Are you ready to see it fail?"

Easter's gift is the guarantee of redemption offered to those who believe that everything has failed. Nothing is more astonishing in all the mysteries of our faith as the Resurrection. Because it is hard to believe it, and it is not within logic. It is riveting. But that is exactly what the Resurrection does. It tells us that there is a reality far beyond what is normally thought possible.

I met Lupillo in Mexico on our pilgrimage there. His work was to gather drug and alcohol dependents who lived in the streets of the city. He would scour the places and invite them every Friday for a meeting, hoping to help them recover from their dependency, or at least provide care for them. This did not happen overnight. His was a story of the impossible becoming possible.

He was on the streets for 22 years. The people he serves trusted him because they knew he understood them and their situation. Afterall, he was one of them. He began to make a turn when he saw what he was doing to his family. At first he thought that recovery was impossible. For a guy like him, poor and addicted, he thought he wss unredeemable. He clung to the care of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe's words to Blessed Juan Diego, "¿No estoy yo aquí que soy tu madre?"(Am I not here who am also your mother?)

So in one of the meetings for alcoholics run by religious congregations, he began to learn about the faith, and hoped in the resurrection. The rector of the Basilica of Guadalupe saw his leadership qualities and invited him to help in the ministry. In one of my meetings with him, he said that he has been sober for around 13 years, and since then he had repented and repaired his relationship with his family. Now he shares that resurrection experience with others. There is no way for overflowing gratitude, but share to others.

We have many times said to ourselves that there are dreams not worth pursuing because of all the odds. Or we believed that certain dark aspects of life cannot be healed. Even before daring. Even before trying. We have been defeated before fighting.

But the Resurrection jolts us to see that victory awaits us. There is forgiveness already offered for the gravest of sins, and hope for bleakest of situations. And there is no reason for us to forget: we are reminded by the celebration of Easter every year, or like the words of a bishop, "if only we understand Easter, we will see many Easters every single day."