June 18, Corpus Christi Sunday

June 18, 2017

Corpus Christi Sunday 

Deuteronomy 8:2–3, 14b–16a; 1 Corinthians 10:16–17; John 6:51–58

If you try to google search 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?  Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. We can say that a beautiful body is the broken body of Jesus on the cross. But how can it be considered as something beautiful? 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. 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.” The Eucharist is food for the soul. That is why Jesus says in today’s gospel: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Everyone who eats this bread will have life – not just any ordinary life but eternal life.”

My dear friends when we receive Jesus in Holy Communion at mass today, bear in mind that it is not just ordinary bread. St Thomas Aquinas calls it the bread of heaven, the bread of angels. What we receive in communion is the broken but beautiful body of Jesus. He is the food that nourishes and gives life to our souls.  Amen.

June 11, Trinity Sunday

June 11, 2017

Trinity Sunday

Exodus 34:4b–6, 8–9; 2 Corinthians 13:11–13; John 3:16–18

You probably heard of this joke about a woman whom a priest found bringing a bunch of novena booklets to church. He asked, “Who is your favorite saint?” “Of course, I like the Blessed Virgin Mary best! But I also like her sister!” “Sister?” the startled priest asked. “Who is she?” Her reply: “Santa Trinidad!” “Santa Trinidad” is no sister of Mother Mary. “Santa Trinidad” refers to the Holy Trinity in local parlance. Today is the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. We remember today the mystery of God who revealed Himself as One, yet Three: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Saint Augustine once wrote, “Si comprehendus, non est Deus”. It means, “If you understand, it is not God.” No person can fully understand the mystery of the Holy Trinity. But why do we believe in the mystery of the Trinity? What are its implications in our life as Catholics? Let us reflect on these in three points.

OUR TRINITRIAN GOD IS A GOD OF RELATIONSHIP. The church teaching on the Trinity tells us that we have ONE GOD IN THREE DIVINE PERSONS: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are not impersonal entities. We call them “persons” because they live in a loving relationship with one another. God the Father loves His Son very much. God the Son, who is Jesus, also loves the Father and he showed this by being obedient to the will of the Father. What is the will of the Father? Our gospel today says: “God so love the world that he sent his only Son not to condemn the world but to save it.” The bond of love that unites the Father and the Son is the Holy Spirit. Our God is a God of relationship. Perhaps one reason why some find it difficult to have this personal relationship with God is that they don’t look at God as a person. They look at God merely as an idea, an imagination or a creation of the mind. But on the contrary, the mystery of the Holy Trinity tells us that God is a community of persons. We are capable of entering into a relationship with our Trinitarian God because our God is a God of relationship. But how can we describe the relationship between the three divine persons?

IT IS A RELATIONSHIP OF LOVE. Human relationships oftentimes fail because of selfishness. If we look at the Trinity, one secret that keeps strong their relationship is the absence of selfishness. They do not compete with each other as to who is the best among them. That is why we don’t end up having three gods but only one God in three divine persons. There is a total giving of one self. Everything is given and shared to the other. There is no trace of selfishness or pride. Are we capable of imitating this kind of love? If we look at our relationship with our family, spouse, friends, do you think we can imitate this kind of relationship?

YES, WE ARE. BECAUSE WE ARE MADE IN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF OUR GOD. Since we were created in the image and likeness of our Trinitarian God, then it means that we have the capacity to imitate the same love that binds together the Trinity: a love that is not selfish, a love that does not compete for greatness but a love that totally gives and shares oneself to the other.

On this feast of the Holy Trinity, let us remember that our Trinitarian God is a God of relationship. The love they have for each other binds them as one God. Let us turn to our Trinitarian God to give us the grace of strong and loving relationship in our families and communities.  Amen.

June 4, Pentecost Sunday

June 4, 2017

Pentecost Sunday

Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104; 1 Corinthians 12:3B-7, 12-13; John 14:15-16, 23B-26 or John 20:19-23

There is this story about a man who looked sad on his birthday. One of his friends who noticed that he was sad came to him and asked why. The birthday celebrant answered his friend: “My brother forgot to greet me today.  He also forgot to do so last year.” The friend said: “Don’t worry that’s ok.  Sometimes it happens that even siblings forget each other’s birthdays.” The birthday celebrant said, “Is that so? But he is my twin brother!”

Today as we celebrate Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, we also celebrate the birthday of the Church. The Holy Spirit is the giver of life, the soul of the Church. One of the images used to depict the Holy Spirit is the wind because like the blow of a wind, the Holy Spirit is invisible yet we can feel its presence. So how does the Holy Spirit work in us? How can we feel its presence? What are the roles of the HS in our lives? Let us reflect on this in three points.

Holy Spirit as comforter. I remember as a child I used to play hide and seek with my friends. There were times when due to recklessness, I would end up being wounded. When I arrive home crying, my mom would clean my wounds with betadine and alcohol. It was really painful. But do you know what would my mom do to ease the pain? She would blow towards the wounds until the pain subsides. Such is the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we are down, burdened and wounded with all the concerns in life, the Holy Spirit calms our hearts and comforts us. This was the experience of the apostles in the first reading. They locked themselves in the upper room not only because they were afraid. They were also wounded and in pain because Jesus just died on the cross.  But when Jesus appeared and breathed on them the Holy Spirit, their pains, fears, and doubts were all blown away. Peace reigned in their hearts. The presence of the Holy Spirit indeed blows away our fears when we are afraid and comforts us when we are wounded and in pain.

Holy Spirit as protector. In my thirteen years of stay in the seminary, it is seldom that I get sick. But there was one time when I had a high fever. When we get sick, we are usually sent home in order to recover. I remember at home my mom would always prepare a special soup for me whenever I am sick with fever. When the soup is served, she would first take a spoonful of hot steaming soup, taste it a bit, blow on it a little before putting it in my mouth. Why would she do that? She wanted to be sure that I will not get hurt by the hot soup. Such is the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we face our struggles and crosses in life, we sometimes do not know what lies ahead of us. But if we place our trust in the Holy Spirit, we can be certain that we are in good hands. The Holy Spirit will be there to protect us and assure us that like Jesus we will end up victorious in facing our cross and trials in life.

Holy Spirit as giver of joy. I remember as a child when my parents would not give in to my demands, there were times when I became moody. But my mom has a way of handling my being moody. She would approach me and try to tickle me by blowing at my ear. This would lighten up my mood and make me smile. Such is the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we are gloomy, when we do not find any meaning and direction in life, that is the time to pray to the Holy Spirit to bring joy, guidance and meaning to our lives. The joy that the Spirit gives is not the fleeting joy found in worldly things. It is rather a true and lasting joy that comes from the Lord.

My brothers and sisters, let us thank the Lord for the gift of the Holy Spirit. We have already received the Holy Spirit when we received the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. The Holy Spirit is our comforter, protector and giver of joy. In this mass let us pray that this same Holy Spirit, will inspire us to give comfort to those who are troubled, protection to those who are defenseless, and joy to the sorrowful.