November 27, 1st Sunday of Advent

November 27, 2016

1st Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44

The story is told about a parish priest who saw a piece of paper at the foot of Jesus’ statue and on it was written the prayer: “Lord, give me a bike!” He smiled, feeling edified with the simple faith of a little child. The next day, he saw another note: “Lord, still no bike. Please give me a bike!” On the third day, the priest was surprised that the statue of Mama Mary was gone, and where it stood was a piece of paper with a note that said: “Lord, you better give me a bike or you’ll never again see your mother alive.”

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. In today’s gospel, we are reminded that the coming of the Lord is something that will come as a surprise, something that is totally beyond our control. That is why Advent season reminds us to be vigilant, to stay awake and be prepared for the coming of the Lord. What preparations are we supposed to do?

Let us reflect on this question in three points:

THE ADVENT SEASON INVITES US MORE TO AN INTERNAL PREPARATION. According to the Christmas countdown, how many days are there to go before Christmas? 28 days to be exact. As early as now, people have been busy with lots of external preparations: putting up Christmas decorations, organizing Christmas parties, preparing gifts and many more. These are all good. But let us not forget our internal preparation: the preparation of our hearts.

Isaiah tells us in the first reading, we prepare by cleansing our hearts from thoughts of hatred and violence. Paul tells us in the second reading, we prepare by cleansing our hearts from deeds of darkness: orgies, drunkenness, promiscuity, lust, rivalry and jealousy. My dear friends, the Advent season reminds us that the most important preparation we have to make to welcome Jesus is the internal preparation and cleansing of our hearts. What effect will this bring to us?

PREPARING OUR HEARTS WILL KEEP US AWAKE. When Jesus says, we need to stay awake. He is not just referring to our physical capacity to sleep. Deeds of darkness or our sinfulness put our spirits into a state of sleeping to the point that we are no longer affected by anything. So much so that if Jesus comes, we might not see him. If Jesus knocks, we might not hear it because we are asleep. During the time of Noah, God has already been warning people by giving them signs. But how come people were not aware of it? Because their wickedness put them in deep sleep. They were totally unconcerned about what is happening around them. Remember that in the book of Genesis it came to a point that God regretted creating human beings because of their wickedness.  The Lord was so upset that he wanted to destroy everything except the righteous family of Noah. Advent is a good opportunity to check ourselves, check our hearts and take from it wickedness, sinfulness and evil deeds that put us to deep sleep.

THE ADVENT SEASON INVITES US TO A SPIRIT OF JOYFUL ANTICIPATION.  We are joyful not because of the commercial value of Christmas. We are joyful not because of gifts and bonuses that come to us during season. We are joyful because God will come as our Savior. But how can we be joyful if the gospel talks about frightening things that will happen in the end of the world? We must understand that this is merely symbolic language. What Jesus meant by this is that when the Lord comes again, the old world will end and pass away. When the Lord comes, we need to say goodbye to the old world so that salvation may come to us. We need not be frightened because our Savior will do no harm. God created us not to destroy us but to save us. But we must not forget our responsibility: we need to prepare our hearts to welcome the Lord. 

As we enter this season of Advent, may we be reminded to stay awake and be prepared for the Lord’s coming by cleansing our hearts from deeds of darkness. The Lord will come to save us. May he find us always ready for his coming.  Amen.

November 20, Solemnity of Christ the King

November 20, 2016

Solemnity of Christ the King

2 Samuel 5:1-3; Colossians 1:12-20; Luke 23:35-43

I once read a joke saying that Filipinos who came from Ilocos Norte claim affinity to Jesus. Why? Because for them the initial INRI on the cross means “Ilocos Norte Region I.” But kidding aside, INRI refers to a latin phrase “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum” (Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews). Today is the solemnity of Christ the King. How can we describe the kingship of Jesus? For this reflection, we can use the 4 images of kings we see in a deck of cards: King of spades, clubs, diamonds and hearts. What do you think best describes the kingship of Christ?

THE FIRST IMAGE IS THE KING OF CLUBS. A club is a heavy wooden stick used as a weapon. It is a symbol of violence and hostility. Jesus cannot be king of clubs because He came not to sow violence and hostility. We have seen in the gospel that despite the violence and humiliation done to Jesus, he never responded with hostility. Jesus came to not to sow enmity among us. Jesus came to bring peace. He came here to preach reconciliation and forgiveness. Jesus therefore cannot be the king of clubs.

THE SECOND IMAGE IS THE KING OF SPADES. A spade is a tool used for digging. It collects dirt from sewers, drainage and garbage. It is a symbol of impurity. Jesus is not the king of spades because He came not to make our lives dirty. Paul tells us in the second reading that Jesus came to reconcile us to the Father. He came cleanse us of our sins. Jesus came to give us hope, to grant forgiveness and purify us. Jesus therefore cannot be the king of spades.

THE THIRD IMAGE IS THE KING OF DIAMONDS. A diamond is a stone commonly used for jewelry. It is a symbol of earthly wealth, power and riches. Jesus cannot be the king of diamonds because just like David in the first reading, he came from a simple family. He was never born in a grand palace. He was born in a lowly manger. Jesus came telling us to work not only on accumulating earthly treasures but also heavenly treasures. Jesus therefore cannot be the king of diamonds.

THE LAST IMAGE IS THE KING OF HEARTS. A heart is a symbol of love.  Love here is not just about a blissful experience. Love also involves being wounded. It involves sacrifice, suffering and dying to self. This is what we see in the wounded body of Christ our king on the cross. It is difficult to recognize a king crucified on a cross because we are used to worldly kings who demand that they be defended and protected, even at the cost of their servants’ lives.  But Jesus our King laid down his life to protect the lives of His sheep. It is difficult because we are used to worldly kings who demand to be served. But Jesus our King came not to be served but to serve. He did all of these not because he was forced to do so. He did all of these out of love. He can rightly be called the King of hearts, the King of love.

My dear friends, on this feast of the Solemnity of Christ the King we are also closing the Jubilee Year of Mercy. But this does not mean that we will stop being merciful to each other just as the Father has been merciful to us. Mercy should become our lifestyle. Let us pray in this mass for the grace to allow Christ to be the King of our hearts. May his mercy and love inspire us to be merciful, loving and compassionate to others.  Amen.

November 13, 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 13, 2016

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Malachi 3:19-20a; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21:5-19

Once while I was saying mass, I noticed that the reader or the lector serving at mass was new. I was told that it was her first time to serve at mass.  She was so nervous that at the end of the first reading she said, “This is the end of the world.” And the whole congregation responded, “Thanks be to God.” 

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, our readings for today invite us to reflect on the end times, the judgement day or the second coming of Christ. What can we expect to happen at the end of the world? How do we anticipate its coming?

Let us look at our readings for today and reflect on these questions in three points:

THE END OF THE WORLD IS NOT JUST ABOUT TERRIFYING EVENTS.  Movies about the end of the world often depict the end of the world as a moment of terror and destruction. In the gospel Jesus tells us that powerful earthquakes, famine and plague are some of the signs indicating the end of the world. In addition to that, the prophet Malachi in the first reading says that at the end times, the sun of justice will bring terror and fear to those who were unjust.  On that day, evil doers will be burned by the blazing fire of the sun of justice.  But remember the prophet Malachi addressed this to the unjust and evil doers.  Let us not forget the second part. The prophet Malachi says, those who follow God’s will, those who were not unjust will never be afraid of the sun of justice.  Instead of fear and terror, the sun of justice will bring consolation and relief to those who have been faithful to the Lord.

The end of the world is not just about terrifying events. On the day of  judgment, there will be two groups of people: evil doers who will fear the coming of that day and the faithful ones who will welcome the coming of the Lord. Which group do we belong? Are we afraid of the coming of the Lord? Are we eager to look forward to it? What should we do as we await the coming of the Lord?

WE ANTICIPATE THE COMING OF THE LORD BY DOING WELL OUR RESPONSIBILITIES ON EARTH. In the second reading, the Thessalonians were eager for coming of Lord. They were expecting it to happen soon. They were not afraid of it. But the problem is, they used this as an excuse not to work anymore because anyway the end of world will happen soon. What’s the use of working?  Let us just take it easy, relax and wait for the coming of the Lord. Because of this Paul strongly reminds them, “You should not use this as an excuse for laziness.  We do not know when our life on earth will end. As long as we live, we should work hard in order to eat and survive. We should do well our responsibilities.  Work hard to feed your family. Anyone who is unwilling to work, should not eat.”

My dear friends as we await the coming of Lord, we should never waste our life on earth. We should never run away from our responsibilities. We should strive to have a meaningful life. In addition to this, what else can we do to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord?

PERSEVERANCE IN FAITH. When someone asked Jesus in the gospel, when will the end of the world happen, he did not give a direct answer to the question. He said that instead of speculating when will it happen, we should develop the right disposition in anticipating its coming. He says in the last line of the gospel, “by your perseverance, you will secure your lives.” In other words, we should be constant in faith, persevere in being good, persevere in doing well our responsibilities so that when the time comes, we will be numbered among the just ones who will never fear but welcome the coming of the Lord.

In this mass let us pray that as we look forward for the coming of the Lord, we may prepare for it by doing well our responsibilities on earth and perseverance in our faithfulness to the Lord.  Amen.

November 6, 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 6, 2016

32nd Sunday in OT

2 Mac 7:1-2, 9-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3;5; Luke 20:27-38

There is this story about a man who died while he was on a business trip in Jerusalem. The office staff immediately called the wife to inform her about the incident and ask about the burial arrangements. The wife insisted that the remains of her husband should be brought back home to the Philippines even if it was expensive. When asked why, she said: “Don’t bury him there in Jerusalem, because I heard that many years ago, a man was buried there and in three days he rose again!”

In today’s gospel Jesus tells us that the dead will rise again. This is not about a zombie rising from the dead. It is about what we say in the last line of the creed: “I believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.” We believe that death is not the end of life. But how sure are we that there is life after death? How does our belief in it affect our lives on earth?

Let us reflect on the readings for today in three points:

LIFE AFTER DEATH IS WHAT WE CALL ETERNAL LIFE. When Jesus resurrected from the dead, He gave us eternal life. Eternal life does not mean that we become immortal. We will all die. Belief in eternal life means that our life cycle consists not only from Birth to Life to Death and Corruption. Belief in eternal life rather means that our life cycle has been changed from Birth to Life to Death and Eternal life. Eternal life means belonging in that kingdom where there are no more tears, no more fears, no more pain, no more problems, but only goodness and love. 

In the first reading, the seven brothers who were about to face suffering and persecution never trembled before the torturers. In fact, the torturers were trembled as they questioned themselves, “Why are they not afraid? Why are they courageous in face of death? There must be something else that sustains them.” The answer is that their firm belief in eternal life sustained them in the midst of suffering and persecution.

BELIEF IN ETERNAL LIFE IS NOT WISHFUL THINKING. Like the Sadducees in the gospel, there are people nowadays who do not believe in eternal life. They say that eternal life is just wishful thinking. So what they do is just to enjoy life on earth because beyond the grave is meaningless existence.  Jesus tells them in the gospel, beyond the grave is not a meaningless existence.  Beyond the grave is eternal life. Eternal life is not merely a continuation of life on earth. It is a different kind of existence. That is why people do not marry in the next life because in heaven we are married to God. Eternal life is far better than our earthly life. No matter how terrifying death may be, Jesus assures us that life will be restored. Eternal life awaits us after our earthly life. What should we do now as we anticipate the life after death?

PREPARE FOR ETERNAL LIFE. Perhaps at this point of our lives, some have already secured their educational plan, retirement plan and memorial plan. But how about our own eternal life plan? Are we prepared for eternal life?  Which side of eternal life are we preparing for? Is it on the side of heaven or hell? Our belief in eternal life must not distract us from living our lives here on earth. This is the reminder of Paul in the second reading. The Thessalonians were expecting that the second coming of Christ or the judgement day will happen soon. They were not afraid about the second coming of Christ. They were in fact excited about it. But when the coming of Christ did not happen according to their expectations, they were disappointed and frustrated. Paul tells them: Belief in life after death should never distract us from living fully our life on earth. It does not mean we will waste our life on earth, anyway there is eternal life. We must continue to do good and avoid evil. We must continue to live good and meaningful lives because that is how we prepare for eternal life.  

Our readings for today remind us of our belief in eternal life. Our faith assures us that there is life after death. May everything we do in our earthly life prepare us to enjoy eternal life with God in heaven.  Amen.

October 30, 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 30, 2016

31st Sunday OT

Wisdom 11:22-12;2; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2; Luke 19:1-10

The story is told about a dying mother who, told her children, “When I die, have me cremated, and have my ashes scattered all over the mall.” When her children asked her why, she answered, “In that way, I am assured that you will come visit me once in a while.”

As we enjoy the long holiday for the coming days, aside from going to malls for early Christmas shopping, let us remember our departed loved ones, if possible visit their resting places and pray for them. To make time to visit someone indicates that we value that person in our life. Jesus in today’s gospel passed by Jericho, visited the house of Zacchaeus and spent some time to be with him. Of all the houses in Jericho, why did Jesus choose the house of Zacchaeus? Who was Zacchaeus? How did he respond to the invitation of Jesus?

Let us look at our readings and reflect on these questions in three points.

JESUS SAW IN ZACCHAEUS A SINNER WHO NEEDS TO BE SAVED.  During the time of Jesus, tax collectors have a known reputation of cheating people. They were also considered traitors because they were collecting taxes from their fellow Jews to support the occupying Roman forces who were oppressing them. Tax collectors were considered public sinners. That is why people avoided them. Nobody in his right mind would even dare to visit the house of a tax collector. But even if people saw Zacchaeus as a public sinner to be avoided, Jesus saw in him a sinner that needs to be saved. Zacchaeus was not only small in terms of height. People were also looking down on him. People belittled him. But as the gospel says, Jesus looked up to him.

This is what our first reading tells us. Even if we have failed God, God’s mercy can look beyond our sins and see us as His beloved children. This is not toleration of evil. It is not as if God is saying, “Your failures are ok.” It is rather God’s way of giving us another chance to make things right. Zacchaeus took that opportunity to do it.  He said to Jesus: “I give half my belongings to poor. If I have defrauded anyone, I pay him back fourfold.” My dear friends, this is how God’s divine mercy looks at each of us sinners. He looks beyond our sins, sees us as His beloved children and gives us another chance to make things right. How then can we respond to this mercy of God?

BE FAITHFUL TO THE MERCY OF GOD. This is the reminder of Paul to the Thessalonians in the second reading. The problem is that some of us have this tendency to abuse God’s mercy. Some people say to themselves, “Well since God is merciful, I can do whatever I want even if it is sinful. He cannot resist me.  God will forgive me anyway.” That is not proper response to mercy. That is abusive behavior to someone who loves us sincerely. If we do that to a human being, that is a betrayal of love. Paul reminds us, “We have received God’s mercy. We don’t deserve it but God does it anyway. We therefore have the responsibility to be faithful to it.”

LET US WELCOME JESUS WITHOUT DELAY. When Jesus passed by Jericho, He was on his last journey to Jerusalem. If Zacchaeus refused to welcome Jesus, he would never have the chance to meet Him again. That was his last chance. It was good that he immediately responded to the invitation without delay. That is why if Jesus comes passing our way, let us go to meet Him. If He comes knocking, open the door for Him. Let us not miss our chance. Let us not postpone our encounter with Him. Let us welcome Jesus without delay. We need not fear to welcome him, for He comes not to condemn us but to save us and forgive us of our sins.

Today’s readings remind us that God’s divine mercy looks at us sinners as His beloved children. Let us pray in this mass for the grace to be faithful to the mercy of God. May we welcome Jesus into our lives without any delay.  Amen.