Marriage witnesses to God’s love

A couple was getting married and was very excited about the prospect of spending their honeymoon in Europe. They do not want to spoil their honeymoon and travel abroad so they planned early. Infact, they discussed and listed every detail of it, what are the places they will visit, where will they stay and all the things that they will bring along with them. After spending days preparing everything about their honeymoon now they boarded the plane excited and very happy. While they were buckled up in their seat as the plane takes off the run way, the wife said in desperation to her husband, “Darling, we’ve forgotten something very important.” In reply the husband said, “No we didn’t, we’ve listed it all and done it all?” “Yes we did, we have forgotten something very important darling.” the wife insisted. “And what is it that we have forgotten?” the irritated reply of the man. The wife said, “We have forgotten to get married.”

In our Gospel today Jesus teaches about the great importance of marriage by emphasizing the need to preserve it. He argued that Moses gave the permission to divorce in Deuteronomy 24 because of the stubbornness of their heart; whereas, it was not so in the beginning. Rather, it was the reason man that will leave his father and cling to his wife and the two shall become one, citing the beginning of Genesis. Then Jesus concluded, “What God has put together, let to man separate.”

It is very important and imperative to preserve marriage. We have a popular “kasabihan” in Pinoy that captures it very vividly: “Ang pag-aasawa ay di parang kaning isusubo na iluluwa pag ikaw ay napaso.” True enough because, marriage demands couple to be prepared and ready to embrace the life-long commitment of the sacrament.

Indeed marriage is a sacrament. It is not simply an agreement between two contracting parties who decided to live together and who can also decide to end the contract once they find it inconvenient. But rather the marriage of man and woman is a venue to experience God. The life of fidelity and love shared by the husband and wife is meant to proclaim God who is faithful and love.

The Old Testament is primarily a love story between God and his people Israel. Yahweh is madly in love with Israel, whereas Israel is not. Israel is known for its infidelity who worships idols here and there. That is why the prophet Hosea identifies Israel as a harlot, a prostitute. But even if Israel is a whore, a harlot, Yahweh continues to love her, for his love is HESED… the Hebrew word for the love that endures, a faithful love. As the Psalmist say, “For God’s love endures forever.”

This is the vocation proper to husband and wife, that they be loving and faithful to their partner because God was faithful and loving from the beginning to the end. For if they are faithful in their love they give witness to God whose love endures forever.

Vendredi-2eme Semaine de Paques

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Notre trait d’identité comme Chrétiens

(l’homélie sur Jn 6, 1-15)

Parmi les Européens, comment connaissons-nous immédiatement si ces gens sont anglais ? Nous les connaîtrons comme anglais, s’ils vous offrent à boire du thé. Parmi les Asiatiques, comment connaissons-nous immédiatement si ces gens sont philippins ? Nous les connaîtrons si vous leur sifflez, ils se tourneront la tête vers le son. (P. Alex, c’est vrai ? N’est pas ?) Parmi les africains, comment connaissons-nous immédiatement si ces gens sont congolais ou ghanéens ou zambien? Dites-moi, comment vous pouvez connaître immédiatement la nationalité de ces gens parmi vous ?

Or, parmi les chrétiens comment connaissons-nous qui sont les catholiques ou qui sont les luthériens ou qui sont les anglicans? Les catholiques, nous les connaissons parce qu’ils port les chapelets, font le signe de la croix sur lui-même, etc. (Est-ce que vous avez un chapelet dan la poche ? Montrez moi ? Ceux qui n’ont pas le chapelet ne sont pas catholiques…hehehehe…)

Dans notre Evangile aujourd’hui, l’un de ces traits des catholiques a été présenté. C’est le repas avec le Seigneur Jésus. Quand le Seigneur fait manger les gens très nombreux avec cinq pains d’orge et deux poissons.

Rappelons dans les apparitions du Jésus après sa résurrection, c’est le repas qui fait connaître Jésus à ses disciples faisant route vers d’Emmaüs. Alors que les disciples faisaient route avec l’inconnu, ils ne le reconnaissaient pas comme le Seigneur Jésus parce que leurs yeux ne sont pas ouverts. Mais, quand il était à la table avec eux, il a prit le pain, a dit la bénédiction, l’a rompit et le leur a donné, puis leurs yeux se sont ouvert et ils ont reconnu le Seigneur Jésus. Donc, c’est le moment du repas qui leur a donné la capacité à reconnaitre le Seigneur comme ressuscité.

Pendant sa vie sur la terre, Jésus a fait beaucoup de repas avec ses disciples, avec les autres ou avec les pécheurs quand même. Souvenions que Jésus fasse un repas chez les publicains comme Lévi, chez Lazare, Marthe et Marie, chez Zachée, le chef de publicains, chez Simon, un Pharisien et beaucoup les autres. Tout cela nous a dit que le repas était un trait unique de Jésus très connu parmi ses amis et ses disciples.

Très important de tous les repas que Jésus a fait est le dernier repas avec ses disciples. Ses détails sont connus parmi nous. Mais, c’est très important à souligner qu’il a dit a ses disciples, <> Donc, dans notre temps, en rappelant ces mots du Seigneur Jésus, le repas, c’est-a-dire, l’Eucharistie, reste comme notre meilleur trait d’identité comme catholiques qui vraiment aiment le Seigneur Jésus.

Espérons et prions ardemment toujours que l’Eucharistie se trouve au centre de notre vie comme missionnaires de l’SVD, comme parent responsable, comme fils et filles fiable et comme bonne citoyens de notre pays RDC. Parce que, c’est le Christ, Jésus notre Seigneur que nous a donné lui-même afin que nous ayons le pouvoir à vivre dans la justice, l’amour, l’espérance, et la paix, ou simplement selon la volonté de Dieu. Amen.

Simplicity and Sacrifice

Simplicity and Sacrifice

Kenosis is a familiar yet oftentimes theologically misunderstood Greek word. The word means “emptying,” based on its root, kenos, meaning “empty”. In the Christian-Catholic traditions, kenosisWho, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance is taken as a theological term to explain the self-emptying act of Jesus as mentioned in Philippians 2:6-7, “.” In other words, by becoming man through the Incarnation, God who becomes Jesus subjected himself to human laws of suffering and joy, pain and gladness, etc. Taking in mind that Jesus is God, we understood this gesture of abasement as his self-emptying; the Greek word for it is kenosis. In the words of the (first reading today,) Second Letter of Paul to Corinthians, the poverty of Christ, “For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he become poor although he was rich, that by his poverty you might become rich.”

Complex might be this theological heritage of Paul; it has much to teach us in the way we can best live out our faith in Jesus and our vocation as missionaries. First, in putting into action our being Christians, Jesus’ teachings and life of poverty calls us to nothing but a life of simplicity--as simple as that. Yet we know that we are unable to live as simple as we want to be because we complicate things by being entangled into trends, fashions and the demands of the consumerist society. No wonder, we developed in ourselves such outrageous desire to wear this branded clothes and shoes or to acquire this latest model of cellular phone or that upgraded digital device. As a result, many of us Christians complicate our lives and find ourselves in difficult situation with so much unsatisfied needs and wants.

Second, as to our being a missionary, the call is constantly live in the Spirit of sacrifice. This is manifested in our professions of vows as a form of renunciation of ownership—poverty, of following my personal desires—obedience, and of exclusive relationship—chastity, for the sake of the Kingdom and our mission. Interestingly, the moment we embrace the religious-missionary vocation, we gain as much privileged as we have renounced. This privileged comes to us as people accord us with much respect and high regard in society. However, what happens, we, religious and missionaries claim for ourselves and even shamelessly demand this privilege and respect forgetting that in the first place Christ has called us to constantly live in the spirit of sacrifice. In effect, many lay faithful oftentimes complain of their priest, of nuns and seminarians no longer within their reach and unmindful of their flight and concerns.

Several years ago, I read an open letter addressed to priests, religious and seminarians coming from an African youth. She was complaining of the drastic change in the attitude and lifestyle of his friends who became seminarians. She was asking, “What happened to him? Why does he no longer play with us? Why does he no longer come to eat with us, and why does he become so different from us?” I read of his letter while I was a seminarian. Back then, I already believed the truths of his observations as seminarians becomes different in the sense that they become an elite in the eyes of common and ordinary people. More so now, that I am a priest, in many ways, many ordinary people finds it difficult to identify with their priest, to such a point that they are ashamed, discouraged and unable to approach them. It is because; the life of simplicity and spirit of sacrifice is gone.

The challenge remains the same for all. Be like Christ who humbled himself and has become poor for our sake. It is in simplicity and sacrifice that we become like Christ.

32nd Sunday of Odinary Time C

Sa Takdang Panahon
Rev. ARNOLD BIAGO,SVD

Sa imahen ng Kristong Hari makikita na ang mga mga daliri ng nakataas na kaliwang kamay ni Hesus ay nagtatanda (giving signs). Bata pa ako, lagi kong naririnig na ibig sabihin daw nun ay sa year 2000 ang kataposan ng mundo. Year 2007 na ngunit wala namang nagyari. “False Alarm” pala yun…
Ngayon linggo, sa ating ebanghelyo , si Hesus ay malakas na nagbababala laban sa mga “false alarms” at mga “false messiah” na nagsasabig darating na ng katapusan ng mundo. Malakas ang pagtutul ni Hesus sa mga “false alarms” at “false messiahs” sapagkat, walang sinuman ang nakakaalam kung kelan magaganap itong katapusan. At sa kanyang mga pagtuturo, iniwasan ni Hesus sabihin ang eksaktong panahon ng kaganapan nito. Tanging Dios lamang ang nakakalan kung kelan magaganap ang nakatakdang panahon. Sa halip, ang ibinigay ni Hesus ay pagasa, tulad ni Hesus tayo ay mabubuhay muli at mabubuhay ng walang hanggan sa piling ng Dios. Ito ang pangako ni Hesus sa sinumang mananalig sa kanya.
Karaniwan, pag ang pinag-uusapan ay katapusan ng mundo takot ang umiiral sa atin. Subalit ayon sa ating pananampalataya ang takot ay walang lugar sa katapusan ng mundo. Hindi bagay ang takot sa takdang panahong darating. Totoo, nakakatokot isipin na ikaw, ako ay mamamatay. Sabalit sa nakatakdang panahon hindi tayo muling mamatay kundi tayong lahat ay muling mabuhay kasama ang Dios sa langit magpakailanman. (hindi ito katulad ng horror movies na “day of the dead” o zombies, kundi parang buhay sa Disney Land.. Engkantadya kung sa Pilipinas) Imagine… mag fafamily reunion tayo dun.. mula dun sa kalululohan ng lola mu hanggang sa pinakaapo ng iyong apo… diba ang saya..
Subalit sa pagitan ng ating kasalukuyang panahon at sa di natin alam na nakatakdang panahon ay maraming hirap ng buhay ang ating mararanasan. Sabi nga ni Hesus sa ating ebanghelyo ngayon, “darakpin kayo’t uusigin. Kayo’y dadalhin sa mga sinagoga upang litisin at ipabilanggo” at kung anu-anu pang mga pahirap na mararanasan dahil sa ating pananampalataya kay Kristo. Mula noon hanggang ngayon, marami ang nakakaranas ng pahirap dahil sa pananampalataya kay Kristo. Halimbawa sa Middle East, ang mga Pinoy dun na nahuhulihan ng bibliya at Rosary ay kinukulong. Sa China, hanggang ngayon nagtatago ang mga madre at pari doon. Ngunit hindi ibig sabihin nito na malapit na ang katapusan ng mundo. Ang mga paghihirap na ito ay bahagi ng buhay dito sa mundo. Kaya nga tayo’y binigyan ng Dios ay pag-asa: ang mabuhay na muli sa piling ng Dios para palakasin ang ating loob at malampasan ang kahirapan ng buhay.
Ang muling pagkabuhay ang nagbibigay sa atin ng pag-asa sa kabila ng hirap ng buhay na ating nararanasan sa mundong ibabaw. Ganundin sa ating pagtatakang maging mabuting taga-sunod ni Hesu-Kristo, malakas ang ating loob na hamunin ang kasamaan at katiwalian dahil sa pag-asang mamayani ang kabutihan at katarungan ng Dios balang-araw. At naniniwala rin tayo na sa dito sa mundong ibabaw nagsisimula ang langit. Nagyayari ito kung namamayani ang Dios sa ating buhay, at kung buo ang ating pagtitiwala sa Dios. Mahalaga at puno ng kahulugan ang bawat sandali ng ating buhay, sapagkat ito ang batayan at simula ng buhay na walang hanggan.

Saturday Week 6 Ordinary Time

Going up the Mountain

I have lived in the Tagaytay for five years, in 2002, 2004-2005, 2007-2008 where I finished my studies in Theology. On weekends, I and the rest of the seminarians leave our seminary and Tagaytay to go the different parishes mostly in Metro Manila where we are assigned. On our way, we usually encounter the heavy volume of cars and the heavy traffic going up to Tagaytay even on early morning. These only show that many people are coming to Tagaytay. What is true of Tagaytay is also true of Bagio. Initially, many of us would think that people go to these mountain destinations to rest, relax and recreate. But lately, during the two Saturdays and Sundays I was in Tagaytay I discovered another reason why people go to these mountain destinations particularly in Tagaytay. I found out that in the Pinks Sisters, in their monastery people come to visit the place and join the Sisters in Prayer. As early as Saturday morning until Sunday evening the Pinks Sisters’ Monastery are filled with pilgrims silently moving in and out of the Chapel. This is the very reason why Last year the Pinks Sisters have to double the size of their parking space by cementing an adjacent empty lot. Thus, in the Pink Sisters in Tagaytay there are just so many people coming to pray and spend time with God.

In our Gospel today, which is the account of Transfiguration in Mark tells us about Jesus being transfigured before the sight of Peter and the two other disciples up in the mountains. Obviously, they were there up in the mountain to pray. The Bible oftentimes, associate mountains with events of theophanies, as in the revelation to Moses and Elijah. In Mark as well as in Luke and Matthew, a mountain is a place of prayer. What i see here is a close connection between prayer and the experience of God's glory, as if saying that in prayer one experiences God. And this is inded the very reason why many people go to the mountain, to Tagaytay to pray and experience God.

"Prayer," says an anonymous quote, "is a passport to heaven, our communication to God." The quote underlines and recognizes the exclusive right of access if not at least the means of access of prayer to God. In fact, in prayer, we commune with God, or put simply, we are with God.
I believe, Transfiguration, that moment of experience of God, continuous to happen and be experienced by many individuals and communities in their moments of prayer. It is in this regard that we speak of religious experience.

The challenge for us is to widen the space of prayer to include in its scope our studies, work and our relationships where God is actively involved and waiting to be noticed. Let there be no dichotomy between work and prayer as might be implied and mistakenly construed from the famous Benedictine motto: “ora et labora.” Rather, let our work be done in prayer.

In this way, we become responsive to the Words at Transfiguration: "This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him." Indeed, listening--being attentive of God's message is an integral part of prayer. In the words of Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta, "God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer."

May we then experience the Transfiguration of our Lord in our prayers, work, studies, relationships and in the people we meet.

Feast of the Saint Andrew, the Apostle

Christ lives in you, his mission continuous through you

Like any of the Apostle, Andrew does not have any outstanding qualification that makes him in any way eligible to be an apostle. Yet the Lord called him into his close circle of friends and entrusted him with the noble task of proclaiming the Good News of Salvation. This is the mystery of the Apostolic calling: out of God’s graciousness and kindness he called individuals not because they are the best and most worthy but rather the Lord filled them with his love and blessings. And this is open for all who is ready and willing to entrust themselves to the Lord. The only thing needed is our full cooperation and yes to the Lord for God will do the rest.
Being an apostle of the Lord does not mean doing complicated things like going to some far away place and meeting different kind of people. The Apostle Andrew has shown us that it is simply bringing someone to Jesus. The Scriptures recorded two occasions during which Andrew brought someone to Jesus.

FIRST, in the Gospel of John, hearing from John the Baptist that Jesus is the Lamb of God, Andrew followed Jesus right away and latter brought his brother Simon to Lord. SECOND, later in the same Gospel of John, some Greeks came to Philip looking for Jesus, he told Andrew and they together told and brought them to the Lord.

These two occasions in a very simple incident tells us very strongly what an APOSTLE of Jesus should be, that is, one that brings people to JESUS. To bring someone to Jesus a person need not do complicated things in his life. That person simply needs to be him or herself, to be true to oneself.

When Andrew brought Peter to Jesus, I do not think he did other things than be a brother to Peter. Andrew simply and plainly told Peter that he had seen the Messiah. It was an honest admission of Andrew to his brother Peter, that at last he found the desire of his heart, the Messiah. Today, the call remains the same for us, like Andrew we are called to share our faith, the desire of our heart to our own family, to the people very close to our hearts, to our dear friends.

The Greeks were foreigners, strangers from the point of view of Andrew. They are the people unrelated to him. Yet when they came to him through Philip he showed them his kindness by telling and bringing them to the Lord. This is also our call, to show others the way to Jesus. That in the many strangers we meet who came across our way we are called to show them Jesus. Interestingly, it does not demand anything more from us than to be truly who we are as Christians. By faithfully living out and witnessing to our Faith in Christ, others will recognize in us Jesus and come to believe in Him.

Sisters and brothers, whatever we do in life and wherever we are as long as we live out our faith and we are faithful to Christ we can be an Apostle like Andrew. Let us then be an Apostle who brings our brothers and sisters, friends and family to Christ. Let our witnessing and faithfulness to Christ also lead others to Christ. As one saying goes, “Christ lives in you, his mission continuous through you.”

Friday Week

“Take up your cross and follow me”

Noong mga naunang panahon sa America, partikular sa Estado ng Colorado, ang ginto at tellurium ay magkahalo na lumalabas bilang isang “tellurite ore”. Dahil hindi pa moderno ang pagpoprosesso ng metal noon at wala pa silang kakayahang paghiwalayin ang ginto at tellurium ay itinabi na lang nila na parang basura ang mga “tellurite ore”. Isang araw, habang ang isang minero ay nagluluto, napagkamalan niyang “coal” ang isang tipyas ng “tellurite ore” at ito ay kanyang ipinanggatong sa kanyang kalan. Makalipas ang ilang araw, habang tinatanggal niya ang abo mula sa kayang kalan laking gulat niya sapagkat sa ilalim ng abo ay naroon ang ilang butil ng mga purong ginto. Ang pagsusunog sa apoy pala ay naghihiwalay sa purong ginto. Hangang sa ngayon, patuloy na ginagamit ang maiinit na apoy ang mga alahero para ihiwalay ang purong ginto mula sa ibang mga metal kung sila ay gumagawa ng alahas. Ang mga ito ay nagpapatunay na ang nagniningas at mainit na apoy ang siyang tumatanggal sa mga ibang metal para lumabas ang puro at tunay na ginto.

Katulad din ito ng pagsunod kay Kristo. Kinakailangan ng apoy upang makita ang tunay na sumusunod kay Kristo. Ang apoy na ito na tumatanggal sa mga di karapat-dapat na sumunod kay kristo ay walang iba kundi ang Krus. Sa katunayan, ang sabi ni Hesus sa ating ebanghelyo ngayon, “Kung ibig ninumang sumunod sa akin, limutin ang kanyang sarili, pasanin ang kanyang krus at sumunod sa akin.” Kung meron mang layunin at dahilan ang pagpasan ng krus ito ay ang maipakita ang isang tunay na sumusunod kay Kristo. Ang Krus ay apoy na tutunaw sa mga sagabal sa pagsunod kay Kristo.

Noong nakaraang linggo, nakausap ko ang isang kaibigan. May sarili na siyang pamilya at may tatlong anak. Nagrereklamo na siya sa hirap ng buhay hindi dahil sa mga anak niya kundi sa pag-aalaga sa kanyang na-stroke na kapatid! Sabi niya, “Father, sorry po, pero malimit naiinis na po talaga ako sa kapatid ko! Isipin n’yo Father, limang taon ko na siyang inaalagaan, binibihisan, pinapakain, at ang mas nakakainis, kung kailan tapos mu na siyang linisan at bihisan saka naman uli iihi sa salawal.. Grabe talaga father, nagagalit na ako sa kanya!” Tinanong ko siya, “nagsasawa ka na ba sa ginagawa mu?” “Hindi po Father!” ang sagot niya. Tanung ko uli, “Bakit mo ginagawa ang lahat ng ito?” Ang sabi niya, “Syempre Father, kapatid ko yon eh!”

Hindi ko man nasabi sa kanya noong magkausap kami, ang kanyang pag-aalaga sa kanyang kapatid ay isa sa mga krus na kanyang pinapasan. At ang krus na ito ang nagpapatunay na siya ay ganap at tunay na tagasunod ni kristo at ang pagsunod na ito ay hindi peke o pakitang tao-lamang. Dahil hindi siya umiwas o sumuko sa pagpasan ng krus mas lalong nagiging puro at tunay ang kanyang pagsunod kay Kristo. Ang kanyang pagsunod kay Kristo ay katulad ng isang ginto na tinanggalan ng ibang elemento at naging puro gawa ng apoy ng krus na naglilinis sa kanyang puso at sarili. Hindi madali ang sumunod kay Kristo dahil mahirap ang pumasan ng Krus. Ngunit ito ang tangi at nag-iisang paraan para maging tunay ang pagsunod sa kanya.

Hindi naman kailangan na lahat ng tao ay sumailalim sa isang mahirap na karanasan na dapat niyang pagtiisang pasanin para masabing tunay nga ang kanyang pagsunod kay Kristo. Ang krus na pasanin ng bawat Kristyano ay anumang problema, pagsubok, hirap, kabiguan, at pait na kinakaharap sa araw-araw. Ayun sa nga mga mga Chinese, “ang mga problema na dumarating sa buhay ay mga opportunities—crisis are opportunities.” Totoo nga na ang mga di magandang karanasan ay “opportunities” para subukin ang tatag ng isang tao na bumagon at magwagi sa mga pagsubok at crises. (Challengges bring out the best in the person) Ang isang kristiyano ay tulad ng isang gintong nakahalo sa isang “tellurite ore” kailangan siya ay padaanin sa apoy ng krus upang ang pusong gintong nasa kanyang dibdib na sumusunod kay Hesus ay tumambad sa paningin. “Let the treasure of gold in each person come out by the purifying fire of the cross. Take up your cross then, and be the best gold that you are.”

Saturday of First Week of Lent

Love your Enemies

One thing that many people find difficult to do in this world is to follow what our Gospel today teaches: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
It is easy to love one’s parents, sisters and brothers and close friends because there is something that bids us together. Loving the other becomes easy when we can connect most especially if this connection is blood or significant experiences that bridge the gap between two persons.

But to love one’s enemies is like asking what is impossible. Look at what is happening around us. See how Arab nations and most Muslims countries hate the Americans. See also how the Americans hate the world and could trust no one. We need not look far to see how this hatred had been fueling so much violence in our very own country. The rising number of slain journalists, missing persons and how our politicians quarrel over kickbacks are solid indications of all of these. From all of these, it seems that the command of the Lord: “Love your enemies” could never happen.

Certainly, we cannot love our enemies unless we stop loving only ourselves and give ourselves fully to God. For the love of God is the sole basis of loving our enemies. Unless we love God, we cannot love our enemies. I guess most of us knows that Pope John Paul II was once shot by a Turkish national, Mehmet Ali Agca on May 13, 1981. The Pope survived the assignation but was in serious condition. Soon after his recovery, the Pope visited Agca in his prison cell and spoke privately with him. This meeting caught the world in awe and admiration at the gesture of kindness, of friendship shown by the Pope to his aggressor. The world could only marvel at the greatness and love that made it possible for a victim to talk and extend peace to his killer and offer forgiveness.

As if words of forgiveness were not enough , the Pope requested the Italian President to pardon Agca. The latter then was released on parole in January 12, 2006. No doubt, Pope John Paul II did love his enemy. And it was possible for him to love because he loves God first. It is in loving God with all our heart, all our mind and all our being that we can love our neighbors and even our enemies.

“Who do you say that I am?”

Isa sa mga kababata ko ang kakaiba. Mabait naman ito at masunurin sa magulang, sa katunayan honor student pa ito noong kami ay elementary. Kami ay nagtataka sapagkat ayaw niyang pumasok sa simbahan. Minsan kinulit naming siya kung bakit ayaw niyang pumasok ng simbahan. Sabi niya, “Takot ako sa Dios!” Sabi namin, “Kami din naman ah, may takot sa Diyos. Bakit kami pumapasok sa simbahan?.” “Basta! Ayaw kong papasok ng simbahan. Natatakot ako.” Parang may phobia sa simbahan itong si Nelson. Nang tumagal nalaman namin na ito pala si Nelson ay pinapaluhod sa asin sa harap ng altar na nakadipa ng kanyang Nanay pag may ginagawang masama. Tuloy, pag may mga nakikita siyang santo o mga crucifix nanginginig na siya sa takot. Karaniwan nang nangyayari na kinukulayan ng karanasan ang pagkakakilala sa Diyos. Kaya para kay Nelson, ang Diyos ay mapagparusa.

Katulad ng aming barkada na si Nelson, nakulayan din ng karanasan ang pagkakilala ni Pedro kay Hesus. Noong sabihin ni Pedro na si Hesus ang Messias ay inaasahan niyang si Hesus ay mamumuno sa isang himagsikan para sila ay palayain mula sa kamay ng mga Romano at ng mapang-aping hari ng Israel. Kung kaya’t di niya matanggap ang sinabi ni Hesus na siya ay madurusa at mamamatay bago mabubuhay muli bilang pagganap sa kanyang nakatakdang layunin.

Hindi naging madali para kay Pedro na tanggalin o alisin ang karanasang kumukulay sa kanyang pagkakilala kay Hesus. Hanggang sa hiling sandali ng buhay ni Hesus umaasa siya na ito ay gagawa ng kababalaghan o gagamitin ang kanyang makadiyos na kapangyarihan para ibahin ang takbo ng mga pangyayari. Kaya di nakapagtataka na itanggi niya si Hesus ng makatlong ulit dahil di naganap ang kanyang inaasahang paraan ng pagliligtas ni Hesus.

Marami ang mga katulad ng kaibigan kong si Nelson at ni Pedro na di ganap na nakilala si Hesus sapagkat nakukulayan ito ng kanilang karanasan o hindi sapat ang pagkakilala sa Diyos. Meron akong isang kaibigan ang pagkakilala sa Diyos ay parang isang vending machine. Sa Vending machine, pag maghulog ka ng pera sa slot, kung ano ang gusto mu na naroon ay lalabas sa ilalim. Ganun ang tinging niya sa Diyos. Magsisimba lang ito pag may kailangan. Katulad noong nag-aaply ng US visa ang kanyang anak, araw-araw itong nag nonovena, lahat na ata ng simbahan sa Metro Manila ay pinuntahan. Ganitong pag-iisip din ang umiiral sa mga chain prayers sa kumakalat. Noon, papel lang na iniiwansa simbahan, ngayon e-mail na o di kaya ay text messages na. Ayon sa mga chain prayers na ito, pag ginawa mo ang sinasabi nito ay makakamit mo ang iyong mga kahilingan. Kawawa naman ang Diyos sunod-sunoran sa tao.

Anu nga ba ang isang tunay at maayos na pagkakilala sa Diyos na hindi nakukulayan ng karanasan at sariling pangangailang. Muli nating balikan ang sinabi ni HEsus, “walang nakakakilala sa Ama kundi ang Anak, walang nakakakilala sa Anak kundi ang Ama.” Samakatuwid, si Hesus ang tunay at ganap na nagpakilala sa atin ng Diyos. Ang kanyang mga gawa at aral ay mga pagpapakilala sa Diyos na mapagmahal at mapagpatawad.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary

SOLEMNITY OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

REV. ARNOLD C. BIAGO, SVD

Today is the Solemnity of Immaculate Conception

Immaculate conception calls our attention to the special privilege of Mary to be free from all sin from the moment of birth. Mary was exempted from the pain and difficulty of being separated with God. God was always with Mary from the beginning.

Also, Immaculate Conception directs us to that noble role of Mary of being the Mother of God. If Mary was (in all her life) always in the presence of God it was due to this very significant role she has to assume. By being the mother of God, Mary then is rightly our mother too. Indeed, she was the best of all mothers. She was never tired of caring for us all her children. Remember what we say in the prayer, Hail Mary: “Pray for us sinners NOW and at the HOUR of our DEATH.” Mary never gets tired of us, she wants us all to come close to her Son Jesus, that is why, she is always praying for us.

With Mary, we are reminded of who we are and what we shall become. First, Mary personifies what we are supposed to be as followers of the Lord, that is, as Christ’s disciples. Mary was the first to accept the Good News of Salvation by her “fiat”, “yes” to the announcement of Angel Gabriel that she will be the mother of the Son of God. Later, Mary spends all her life faithfully and literally following Jesus up to the Cross. Like Mary, God is offering us the Good News of Salvation and asking us to follow the Son of God in Jesus Christ. And like Mary, God is waiting for our “fiat”, our yes to the Good News of Salvation and hoping that we follow Jesus until and even on the Cross.

Second, Mary provides us the hope of finally coming to be with God at the end. Here I am referring to the Assumption of Mary. Because Mary was free from sin, we strongly believe that at the end of her life on earth, Our Mother did not experience the corruption of death. At the Moment of Mary’s death, God assumed her body into Heaven. That is also what will happen to us. We will be with God when we are freed from sin, when we have faithfully followed the Lord and remained in God.

Mary is especially chosen by the God to be the Mother of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. She is our model in faith and in her we see our future. If God trusted Mary to be the Mother of the Son of God, the more we should trust that she’ll help us get close to God, to her Son.

I have my own reason for entrusting myself to Mary. I remember, as a small kid, I like to accompany my grandmother in her regular house visit to the house of a family of a bereaved to pray the rosary for the repose of the soul of the dead. Initially, I do not understand what it was all about. What I was very much interested was the merienda served after the praying of the rosary. But later, I came to know that it was a prayer… That was my first experience of God, praying the rosary, praying through Mary. Looking back at that experience, I can convincingly say that it was Mother Mary who introduced me to God. Mother Mary awakens in me an awareness of God, an awareness of Jesus, her Son and our Lord. Being our Mother, I am confident and unafraid that Mary will never get tired of interceding for us once we entrust ourselves to her motherly care, because she will pray for us… Now and at the hour of our death…