June 19, 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 19, 2016

12th Sunday in OT: Father’s day

Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:1; Galatians 3:26-29; Luke 9:18-24

I remember this story about a father who came home from church and immediately looked for his wife. When he saw her at the kitchen, he suddenly lifted her and carried her around. The wife was surprised and said, “Honey, why did you do that? Did the priest in Church tell you to be romantic?” The husband replied: “No honey. The priest actually told me to carry my cross!”

Today is Father’s day. We all know that our parents, especially fathers who usually act as the breadwinner of the family, carry the cross – the burden, the responsibility of providing the needs of the family. Let us express our gratitude to them on this special day by giving them a round of applause.

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells his disciples: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he/she must deny himself, take up his/her cross and follow me.” This invitation of Jesus has been the subject of many misinterpretations. Christianity has often been criticized as a religion of self-hate. How can we better understand this invitation of Jesus? What does it mean to deny oneself, take up one’s cross and follow Jesus?

Let us reflect on this in three points:

SELF DENIAL IS NOT A DENIAL OF WHO WE ARE BUT OF WHO WE HAVE BECOME. This how Fr Cantalamessa beautifully describes self denial – that it is not simply a denial of who we are but a denial of who we have become.”  This tells us that in the beginning of time, when God created us, we are originally good. We are originally beautiful. But with the misuse of our freedom, selfishness and sin, what was originally good and beautiful has become bad and ugly. When Jesus tells us to deny ourselves, he is like telling each of us: “What has become of you now? What has become of your original goodness and beauty?” Jesus’ call to self-denial is therefore not self-hate. It is rather an invitation to return to the original goodness of our nature. Nobody can erase that goodness in us. Our sins can only blur and make it ugly. But we can always make it beautiful again when we practice self denial. Acts of self denial always involve taking up one’s cross, to undergo suffering. What does it mean to take up one’s cross?

TAKING UP ONE’S CROSS IS NOT SIMPLY SENSELESS SUFFERING BUT SUFFERING IN THE NAME OF LOVE. Jesus refers here to a suffering can be a source of blessing. This is what the first reading tells us: Zechariah prophesied that someone will suffer and die. But at the same time, this suffering will be source of grace and blessing to others. Zechariah here refers to the suffering of Jesus. Does this mean that Jesus takes delight in suffering? No. It is rather because of Jesus’ love for us that He is willing to do anything, even if it includes carrying one’s cross. He was not just a victim of suffering. Jesus faced suffering with love. He willingly gave his life out of love for us. It is precisely because of this element of love that suffering becomes a source of grace and blessing to others. In our day to day life, taking up one’s cross may mean the sacrifice of parents to take care and provide the needs of the family; taking care of a paralyzed, bedridden or sick family member. Sacrifices like these are not easy to do. It will always involve suffering. But when suffering is faced with love, it can be a source of life and blessing to others.

TO FOLLOW JESUS IS TO EMBRACE HIS WAY OF LOVING. When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Peter was right in telling them that He is the Messiah. But Jesus reveals to them what kind of messiah He is. Peter and the other disciples were hoping for a messiah who will conquer evil and injustice though military might and violence. But Jesus needs to clarify that He is a type of messiah who will conquer the world not through violence but through love. Love can reverse evil and injustice in society. We overcome evil not by another evil but by goodness – by love. But take note this is not easy.  When Jesus once said “love your enemies” how can you love someone who has hurt you so much? This is actually a heavy cross – to love someone who offended you. But this is a mark of a follower of Jesus – overcoming evil not by another evil but by goodness, by love.

In this mass, let us pray for the grace to be a true follower of Jesus by having the courage to deny oneself, take up our crosses in the name of love and overcome evil not by force and violence but by love.  Amen. 

June 12, 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 12, 2016

11th Sunday in OT

2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13; Galatians 2:16, 19-21; Luke 7:36-8:3

Whenever you hear the word “sinner” who do you remember? Perhaps some will remember a husband or a wife guilty of adultery. Some will remember criminals detained in prison. Some will remember corrupt and greedy politicians. Yes, they are all sinners. But let us not be quick to exclude ourselves from the list. When you hear the word sinner, and the first person that comes to your mind are other people, be very careful not to fall into self-righteousness.  Remember first yourself.  Because before God, we are all sinners.  But how does God deal with us sinners? Can God easily forgive the sins we commit again and again? Or is He like Simon the Pharisee in the gospel who drives away sinners?

Let us reflect on the message of today’s readings in three points:

ALL SINNERS ARE WELCOME IN THE HEART OF JESUS. In today’s gospel Jesus is invited by the Pharisee to dine with him. Then suddenly a sinful woman, who was never invited to the house, came and fell at the feet of Jesus.  The righteous Pharisee was scandalized. He wanted to drive away the sinful woman because according to the law, this sinful woman is ritually impure. But instead of driving her out of the house, Jesus welcomed her into his heart.  Through this action, Jesus showed how God would deal with sinners. God is not a Pharisee who will drive sinners away. All sinners, especially those seeking forgiveness will always have a special place in the heart of Jesus. This tells us that we should never be afraid to come to Jesus. Some are afraid to go to Jesus because of their many grave sins. But on the contrary, we should all the more go to God because of our many sins. Why should we not be afraid to go to Him?

GOD WILL REMIND US OF HIS FAITHFUL LOVE. When we approach God, bringing with us our sins, He will not reprimand us, He will remind us how much He loves us. In the first reading, God speaking through the prophet Nathan confronted David of his sinfulness. But notice how God spoke to David.  God first reminded David how much He loved him – that God protected David from all dangers, God gave David everything he needed, God chose David to reign as king. It was as if God was telling David: “I loved you David. I did not do anything to hurt you. I gave you the love you did not deserve. But why did you offend me by committing this sin? Why did you take someone else’s wife and had her husband killed? Is this how you show your love for me?”

We see here how God is touching heart of David by awakening in his heart the memories of God loving him. This conversation touched the heart of David. He realized that what he did was incompatible with the God’s love for him. This led him to humbly admit to the Lord, “I am a sinner.” He said this without any justification and rationalization. What was God’s response to David? The first reading says: “The Lord has forgiven your sins.” Why does it seem to be easy for the Lord to forgive?

GOD NEVER GIVES UP ON SINNERS. God is not blind to our sins. He sees them but he chooses not to focus on them. God rather chooses to focus on the goodness hidden behind every sinner. Remember that in the book of Genesis, “everything that God created was very good.” (Gen 1:31) This is why God never loses hope on us sinners. Because there is goodness in us. This was the experience of Paul in the second reading. In his former life as a Pharisee, he strictly followed the law to the point that he persecuted Christians. But the Lord never gave up on him. True enough the time came when Paul converted from being a persecutor to a zealous follower of Jesus. I remember the saying, “All saints have a sinful past. All sinners have a saintly future.”

We are all candidates for sainthood. God has confidence in us. Sin cannot erase the goodness inherent in us. We in turn must never give up striving to be better persons.  In this mass let us remember that all of us sinners are welcome in the heart of Jesus. Today is our independence day. If we want to be free from our sins, we need not fear to go to God and humbly admit our sins because God will be there not to condemn us but to love us. Let us pray that our experience of God’s love and mercy will inspire us to never give up on ourselves and hopefully become saints in the future.  Amen.

June 05, 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 5, 2016

10th Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 Kings 17:17-24; Gal 1:11-19; Luke 7:11-17

I remember two weeks ago, a friend asked me to say mass at the wake of an old couple who both died in a tragic car accident which happened abroad.  What happened was as the couple was driving on their way home, a speeding car with a drunken driver hit them. The rescuers said the couple died holding each other’s hands. When their lifeless bodies were brought here in the Philippines, I visited the wake and said mass for them. After the mass one of the daughters approached me and said, “Father thank you for presence. But honestly, I still ask myself why did this happen to us? Why did God allow this to happen? Where is God in the midst of this tragic event?”

This is one of the most difficult questions I have encountered in life – more difficult than taking any kind of exam.  Sometimes the only response we can give to questions like these is our presence.  If we look at our readings today, perhaps we may find some clues to questions like, where is God in the midst of suffering? What must we do when we undergo pain and suffering?

Let us reflect on this in three points:

WE MUST APPROACH THE LORD IN TIMES OF PAIN AND SUFFERING.  When Jesus in the gospel saw the widow weeping at the death of her only son, Jesus, took the initiative to approach her and console her with His very presence. It is as if Jesus was telling the widow, “I feel what you feel and I am here to journey with you in your pain.”

Oftentimes when we feel that God is silent in our own experience of suffering, we feel that God has left us alone. But Jesus in today’s gospel tells us that he has actually never left us. God is truly Emmanuel. He is God with us. He journeys with us in our pain. Perhaps this is the reason why God seems to be silent – because God also feels the pain we feel. God also suffers when we suffer. It is alright to approach the Lord, cry out to him especially in times of pain and suffering.

This was the prayer of Elijah in the first reading. The widow complained to prophet Elijah and said, “Did you come here to bring death to my only son and punish me for my sins?” Elijah in turn complained to the Lord in prayer and said, “O God will you even afflict the widow who welcomed me as a guest into her house?” God knows how many times we have lamented before the Lord in the face of undeserved suffering.  Lamenting is a form of prayer. Let us not hesitate to approach the Lord, cry out to Him, lament before the Lord. Hopefully this experience of prayer may bring us some consolation. But how does one find consolation in Jesus?

THE COMPASSION OF JESUS CONSOLES US. Notice that in the gospel, what moved Jesus to approach the widow of Naim was his compassion. The gospel says, “He was moved with pity; He was moved with compassion” for the widow who lost her only son – her only hope to live decently. This moved Jesus.  The widow did not ask any help from Jesus. We are not even sure if the widow believed in Jesus. But even then the compassion of Jesus moved him to console the widow of Naim and raise her dead son back to life.

My brothers and sisters this is how compassionate our Lord is. He is willing to extend help to those who are in need. Let us not be afraid to approach Jesus. He has a merciful and compassionate heart. If we show Him our wounds, pain and suffering, He will console us. What is the invitation of the Lord’s compassion to us?

TO BE COMPASSIONATE AS THE HEAVENLY FATHER IS COMPASSIONATE. This is actually the theme for this Year of Mercy.  Compassion is not only an emotion. Compassion is not simply sympathizing with the person. Compassion is a force that moves one to concrete actions of helping those who are in need. It is not easy to be compassionate especially if we have not yet experienced the Lord’s compassion. Remember Paul in the second reading, his conversion experience was a manifestation of the Lord’s compassion. This became the turning point of his life from being a persecutor of Christians to a compassionate follower of Jesus. That is why we need to open ourselves to experience the compassion of Jesus so that we can extend it to others.

In this mass, let us approach the Lord and present to him our wounds, pain and suffering. Let us open ourselves to the Lord to experience his consoling compassion so that we in turn may be compassionate as the Heavenly father is compassionate.  Amen.

May 29, Corpus Christi Sunday

May 29, 2016

Corpus Christi Sunday – Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Genesis 14:18-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Luke 9:11B-17

If you try to google in the internet “How to have a beautiful body,” you will surely find many tips telling you to watch your diet, exercise regularly and have a healthy lifestyle. But what does it mean to have a beautiful body? Does it refer to a sexy body like that of the models and beauty queens? Does it refer to a strong body like that of the body builders and weight lifters? Or does it refer to a healthy body free from toxins and nourished by eating healthy foods?

If we consult the Scriptures today, we can say that a beautiful body is not the sexy body, not the healthy body, not the strong body, but a broken body – like the body of Christ on the cross. But how can the broken body of Christ, be considered as something beautiful? What is worth emulating in the Body of Christ? As we celebrate today the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, let us reflect on this in three points:

THE BROKEN BODY OF CHRIST IS BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE IT GIVES LIFE TO ALL OF US.  If you look at the body of your parents and grandparents, notice the wrinkled and rough hands of your mother who cooked your food and washed your clothes. Notice the drooping shoulders of your father due to constant work. Notice the curve of your grandparents’ back as a result of silent sacrifice. All of these do not make their bodies sexy, strong and healthy.  But they nevertheless make their bodies “beautiful.” They are signs of love, signs of selfless giving in order that you may live. This is what we see in the broken and wounded body of Christ on the cross.

Paul tells us in the second reading that Jesus intended to give His entire life – His body and blood for our sake so that we may have life. A body that gives life to others is a beautiful body. Our bodies become beautiful not because of makeup and other accessories. Our bodies become beautiful from the inside when there is selfless love and giving of oneself so that others may live. What particular sacrament reminds us of this reality?

JESUS GIVES US HIS BODY AND BLOOD IN THE SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST. Every time we go to mass, we do not only profess our faith that Jesus offered His physical body. The physical body of Christ experienced by the apostles is no longer with us. Jesus already ascended into heaven. But in every celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Jesus is really present in his Sacramental body. When we mean to say sacramental body, it is through the signs and symbols that Jesus becomes really present. Because when the priest says the words of consecration over the bread and wine, the bread ceases to become bread.  The wine ceases to become wine. The bread and wine become the very body and blood of Christ. That is why whenever we receive communion, the priest or lay minister does not say “This is the symbol of Christ.” The priest and lay minister rather clearly says, “The Body of Christ.” We affirm it by saying “Amen.” What we receive is not just ordinary bread. It is the real Body of Christ. But why does Jesus give us His Body in the Eucharist?

JESUS GIVES HIS BODY AND BLOOD FOR OUR OWN NOURISHMENT. I remember this conversation I had with a young guy who asked me this question: “Father, why do we have to go to mass every Sunday? To tell you honestly, I have already stopped going to mass these past weeks. And I do not feel motivated to go to mass again.” I told this young guy, “We go to mass every Sunday to feed our souls. Just as our body needs food to live, our soul also needs food to live. What happens if you stop feeding your soul? Your soul becomes malnourished, unhealthy and exposed to dangers.”

Notice that in our gospel today, before Jesus fed the people with food for their body, Jesus first gave them spiritual food. Jesus first taught them about the kingdom of God and the people were so eager to listen. Their spiritual hunger led them to stay and listen to Jesus all day until sunset. This is what the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist seeks to satisfy in us – our spiritual hunger. Remember that Jesus in the feeding of the five thousand did not intend to institute the sacrament of the feeding program. Jesus intended to institute the Sacrament of the Eucharist because Jesus wanted to satisfy not only their physical hunger but also their spiritual hunger.

As we later on receive communion, let us remember that what we receive is not just ordinary bread. What we receive in communion is the broken but beautiful body of Jesus. He is the food that nourishes our souls. He is the food that strengthens us to make our bodies “beautiful” by imitating the selfless love of Jesus who gives life to all of us.  Amen.