Live forever! (19th Sunday Ordinary Time)

We were shocked and saddened to learn the death by suicide of Robin Williams. With his success, we could not believe and understand that he could end his life that way.

Mystery clouds events of suicide. No one really knows how one decide to end ones life. But many agrees that suicide is born of despair. That the culprit is depression.

In the first reading, Jeremiah too was in a lowest point of despair.  It is said: "He prayed for death saying: 'This is enough, O Lord! Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.'" Only when the Lord touched Jeremiah and fed him that he regained himself and continued his journey.

Despair is a state of hopelessness. A graphic example of a state of hopelessness is an old famous film by Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland in "Cast Away". Chuck survived a plane crash and ended up in a isolated uninhabited island all by himself. He tried to escape the place sailing on his life raft but failed. He also tried making a smoke signal but cut himself in trying to make a fire. Frustrated he resigned his fate.

How did Chuck managed to survive after all depends on two things: First, he resolved to return an unopened Fedex package with a pair of angels wings stencilled to it. Second, he created for himself a personal companion, the volleyball named "Wilson". A sense of purpose and community took hopelessness and despair away.

This is also what Jesus in the Gospel wants to say when he said: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."

Jesus feeds with a purpose to live forever and this bread he gives is he himself that gives company!

The Hound of Heaven

The Hound of Heaven
14th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Readings

First Reading
Ez 2:2-5

I make a lot of complains about almost anything that does not work well according to my preference or generally acceptable standards. I complain about faucets left with water still dripping because its a waste. I complain about inattentive waiters in expensive restaurants because I deserve it after all I am a paying customer. Its natural for humans to complain when ones expectations are not met.

God's expectation is expressed as His Will. The Bible tells so often of many stories where   the people of Israel or humanity in general ignores or turns away from God's Will. The creation tells us the story of Adam and Eve rejecting God's command to stay away from the forbidden tree. The people of Israel while in the dessert on the way to the Promise Land, in the moment of absence of Moses choose to fabricate and worship the golden calf.

God has a solid basis for telling Ezekiel in the first reading that "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have revolted against me to this very day".

If its us as parents, faced with such "rebellious" or disappointing child we could have declared in frustration, "you are no longer my son/daughter!"

But God is way better than us, instead of disowning us or giving up on us, He sent special envoys like Ezekiel in our midst. Not only great prophets but God sent even his only Son, Jesus despite knowing that his Son will also be rejected. God's faithfulness to us is without end.

The Hound of Heaven is a poem by an English poet Francis Thomson that compares the God and his grace to that of a persistent hound chasing its prey relentlessly not giving up on it. Indeed, God's fidelity is relentless.

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…

Making Through The Storm

Making it through the storm

(Based on the Sunday Gospel Commentary of Nil Guillemette)

I tried some reading on the geography of the Sea of Galilee, and they say, its geographical make-up is quite unique. The surface of the sea is 685 feet below the level of the Mediterranean Sea, since the Jordan Valley, in which it lies, has there sunk to such a depth. On the other hand, high hills surround it on almost all its sides. This means that there is usually a great difference of temperature between the air on the top of the plateaus surrounding the sea and the air on the low-lying water. When a strong wind blows from the north-eastern high plateau of the Syrian desert, which is some 3000 feet about sea level, the rush of cold air falling on the surface of the sea and the rush of hot air rising under this pressure produce a vertical air flow or convection current of great power. The results of this are sudden, violent storms, which agitate the Sea of Galilee in a most frightful fashion. Thus, terrible squalls hurl themselves, even when the sky is perfectly clear, upon these waters, which are ordinarily so calm. The storms come literally unexpectedly, and the most experienced fishermen cannot predict them. Such storms can produce waves up to 20 feet high or more.

Today’s gospel reading reports such a storm, one that came with shattering and terrifying suddenness. It mentions that Jesus was occupying in Peter’s boat the placed reserved for any distinguished guest. As the Gospel puts it, “Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.” (It must be a very comfortable place indeed.) Not only that, exhausted by a day of preaching, Jesus was asleep when the storm broke out and he continued to sleep soundly until the disciples woke him up. And we know that he calmed it down.

A noted bible scholar Nil Guillemette, would say that this story was written or preserved for two obvious reasons (obvious at least for himself). First, it illustrated the power of Jesus over nature and indirectly therefore, hinted his true identity. The Bible often presents God as ruling the storms of the sea (Ps 107:23-30; 89:9; 29:3; 46:3; 93:3-4; Nah 1:4; Hab 3:15; Jb 38:8-11). Now, the fact that Jesus could command the sea showed that he shared the very power of God – in other words, that he somehow belonged to the sphere of the divine.

The second reason is its symbolic value. Peter, let us recall, was a fisherman whom Jesus called to become fisher of men (Mk 1:17). As head of the Church founded by Christ, the boat he steers becomes an image of the Church. And, consequently, the storms he meets become symbols of the various storms and crises of the Church. To complete the picture in this connection, the sleeping Christ represents the apparent absence or non-intervention of God during times of persecutions, schisms, heresies. However, the awakening and storm-calming Christ represents the eventual overcoming of crises by the powerful intervention of God through unforeseen events or through the raising up of great saints and charismatic leaders in the Church.

This scene was highly inspiring to Mark and the readers of his gospel. Mark wrote this gospel between the years 65 to 70 according to the almost unanimous opinion of the experts. Now that was at the time of the first Roman persecution of the Church, the one launched between 64 and 68 by the cruel Emperor Nero. Both the apostles Peter and Paul perished in that persecution, along with many other leaders of the Church. (So, the early Christians were asking): Where was God in all this? Why was he permitting all this bloodshed? Was he asleep amid the storm? Mark, by reporting this episode of the calming of the storm, was reassuring the storm-tossed Church of Rome. He was saying in effect: “Christ might seem to be sleeping now, but do not worry. One of these days he will wake up and calm the storm.” Mark was right. In the year 68 Nero committed suicide and the storm abruptly ended.

In the course history, the Church has experienced many storms such as persecutions, controversies that involve money and sexual scandals. However, it is not only the church as a whole that experiences storms and crises, the church as an individual, we too, ourselves, have and experience a lot of storms and crises in our lives. Very common among them is financial crises, in the form of debts, loss of jobs, bankruptcy among others. In addition, we encounter relationship crises, marriage crises and/or family crises. A lot of my classmates in HS who are married are having difficulties in their marriage, and that’s becomes my problem as well, because, even if I am in Congo, they would call or email me to just to tell me and consult about their marriage problems. Many think that priests are lucky because they have none of these problems. Yes it is true we have none of the many of your concerns like raising children or an unfaithful husband or wife, unless, we keep one. But we too encounter a lot of problems in our work, with our co-priests and even with ourselves, that is why, there are those who are living the priesthood.

My dear brothers and sisters, the fact is, there is no way we can avoid storms in life. There will always be storms coming on us because we are living in a not so perfect world. Given our imperfect situation, it is up to us, it is left on our hands to make the best of out of these limitations. I very well remember what the Chinese often used to say in trying moments: “Crises are not something to be avoided but are opportunities to be exploited.” Simply said, crises, difficult situations are opportunities, opportunities to renew and strengthen relationship, opportunities for us to discover and exploit our hidden talents and skills and opportunities to fully develop ourselves. I believe this is also, how God suggests us to see trying moments in our lives.

It is here that I am reminded of Ray Charles, a renowned Gospel singer in US, a man whose songs are filled with emotions, who collected for himself numerous musical awards counting among them several Grammys. He is considered an icon in the word of music, a genius in fact, so much so that a film is made out of his extraordinary life. Like all of us, he too was knocked down by a storm, a really hard one. At the age of six, he was completely blinded. But that did not stop him from becoming one of the greatest musicians of our time, one that many considers a genius, who inspired others with his songs for God.

We are not blind like Ray Charles, if Charles did make it through the storm, the more it would be so for us. The gospel story should then inspire us during and amidst the storms of life. However violent and frightening they may be, we must trust that God is always at our side. True, he might wait a bit before intervening, for his own good reasons. But if we pray for his help and trust in him, we will always be given the strength and the courage to weather our storms. With him on board our boat, there is nothing to fear.

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, kenosis is taken as a theological term to explain the self-emptying act of Jesus as mentioned in Philippians 2:6-7, “Who, 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.” 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.

Jesus Sends the Advocate

Jesus sends the Advocate
(Tuesday 6th Week of Easter)

Let us say one night, a power interruption suddenly occurs and your room is completely wrapped in darkness. Now you find yourself with nothing to do except play with your mobile phone. Unfortunately, you have forgotten where you placed it. So, you reached for the lamp inside your drawer and started looking for your phone. But let me ask you an obvious question, how do you use your flashlight to find something in darkness? Of course, your response would be, point it away from you but to the things in front in order to illumine the things before you and let you see what you are looking for. Interestingly, the light is directed not to ones face; otherwise, it will blind him or her and fail to see properly.

My dear friends, this is also how the Holy Spirit, the Advocate works (more or less) in our lives of faith as Jesus has demonstrated to his disciples in our Gospel today. In the words of Jesus, “when he comes, he will show the world how wrong it was, about sin, and about who was in the right, and about judgment.” (Jn 16, 8) Positively formulated, the work of the Holy Spirit is like a flashlight that illumines, and provides light for us to see the truth of things.

In our Gospel today, this work of the Holy Spirit of illumination is specified in three ways:

(a) that the basic sin was and is refusal to believe in Jesus. Sinning is not how much lies about this thing or that thing have we made this week. Rather it is about how our lives speak of our faith in Jesus. Do our lives speak of our fidelity to Jesus or of our denial of him? I believe your studies in theology have told you that sin is essentially the refusal, that is, denial of God.

(b) that, although Jesus was found guilty and apparently died in disgrace, in reality righteousness has triumphed, for Jesus has returned to his Father. Others would say that the peak moments of Jesus’ life is the Paschal Mystery, that is, the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. This is so, in as much as by his passion, death and resurrection, what Jesus lived and shared to his disciples by his extensive teaching finds not only its validation but its substance as well. Thus, without, the paschal mystery, our faith would make no sense.

(c) finally, that it is the ruler of this world, Satan, who has been condemned through Jesus' death. Satan, the devil, evil, death or whatever its name might be personifies all that is opposed to goodness. Greed, malice, hopelessness, indifference to the needs of others are some of its contemporary forms. Again, through the paschal event, more particularly Jesus’ dying on the cross, the prince of this world lost its power, that is, death no longer has the gripped upon humanity because Jesus has offered life to the full for all. Thus, a person of faith is not tainted by greed, malice but rather shows concern for others.

To end this short reflection, let me share with you a story of the great Norwegian explorer Ronald Amundsen, the first to discover the magnetic meridian of the North Pole and to discover the South Pole. On one of his trips, Amundsen took a homing pigeon with him. When he had finally reached the top of the world, he opened the bird's cage and set it free. Imagine the delight of Amundsen's wife, back in Norway, when she looked up from the doorway of her home and saw the pigeon circling in the sky above. No doubt, she exclaimed, "He's alive! My husband is still alive!"

Brothers and sisters, in the coming Sunday is the feast of the Ascension of Jesus. This feast is a strong reminder that Jesus is no longer with us in person because he is now with the Father. But at the same time he remains and continuous to be with us in the Spirit because he has sent the Advocate, the indication of his presence in our midst. Let us then constantly remind ourselves of Jesus words in today’s Gospel, “it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”(Jn 16, 7)

Love and Sacrifice

Love and Sacrifice

(6th Sunday of Easter)

In 1961, an Italian woman, by the name of Gianna Molla was expecting her fourth child. During the second month, Gianna developed a fibroma (a cancerous tumor) on her uterus. After examination, the doctors gave her three choices: an abortion, which would save her life and allow her to continue to have children; a complete hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), which would preserve her life, but take the unborn child's life, and prevent further pregnancy; or removal of only the fibroma, with the potential of further complications. Under these circumstances, the Church teaching would have allowed her to obtain a hysterectomy, but would forbid an abortion. Yet, wanting to preserve her child's life, she opted for the removal of the fibroma.

After the operation, complications continued throughout her pregnancy. Nonetheless, Gianna was quite clear about her wishes, and told her husband “If you must decide between me and the child, do not hesitate: Choose the child; I insist on it. Save the baby!”

In biographical book co-authored by her husband--Saint Gianna Molla: Wife, Mother, Doctor (by Pietro Molla and Elio Guerriero), the former talks of Gianna knowing she will probably die in childbirth, but of trying to keep from worrying him. He writes, “I watched you silently tidying up every corner of our house, every drawer, every dress, every personal object, day after day as if for a long trip. But I did not dare to ask myself why.”

On April 21, 1962, Good Friday of that year, Gianna went to the hospital, where her fourth child, named Gianna Emanuela as well, was successfully delivered via Caesarean section. However, Gianna continued to have severe pain, and died of septic peritonitis (an infection of the lining of the abdomen--a result of her choice to preserve the life of her child) 7 days after the birth.

In 1997, at a Conference of the Family held in Brazil, Pope John Paul II was visibly touched by then-Blessed Gianna’s family testimonies about her. The Pope began to cry as he listened to young Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla – for whom Blessed Gianna gave her life – address a word of thanks to her beatified mother. “Thank you mother, thank you for having given me life two times: in conception, and when you permitted me to be born, deciding for my life. Intercede and help always all mothers and all families that come to you with confidence.”

The Church does not formally recognize many saints until centuries after their death. But Gianna’s cause for canonization began within three decades after she died. The miracles necessary for the process occurred in a relatively short period of time, so that her husband, three surviving children and siblings were all able to attend her canonization by Pope John Paul II on May 16, 2004.

My dear friends, I am sharing to you this wonderful story of Gianna because it perfectly illustrates the message of our Gospel today: “There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:12-13). I truly believe, the life of Saint Gianna and our gospel today are strong messages of contrast, are words against our modern world where the culture of death thrives and the sanctity of life is belittled and given less importance. I find it boldly touching that Gianna is ready and willing to sacrifice and suffer for the sake of her unborn child, for the sake of a nascent life in her womb.

Above all else, her life and story is a testimony that the example of Jesus and his teaching of love and sacrifice can be lived by men and women of all walks of life and that following Jesus is very possible in our modern and digital world. Following Jesus is not only for priest, nuns, and missionaries like us but for all, whether she or he be a teacher, a government or private employee, an accountant, a diplomat, or a doctor and a mother like Saint Gianna.

Finally, in our gospel today, I find it interesting to note the words of Jesus to his disciples: “This I command you: love one another.” (Jn 15:17) So, I asked myself a question: can love, like what we do with paying taxes, be made into a law? Can we command love? My response is in the form of another question, can you refuse love? I believe when Gianna, the mother decided against safer treatment for her in order to save the baby in her womb, the yet to be born Gianna could not refuse the offer of love of her mother. What is true of the effort of Gianna to offer love for her unborn child is also true of Jesus who offered his life for all. I for one will not refuse Jesus gesture of love on the cross. How about you, will you? Now, when great love freely offered and received, I cannot help but respond with the same love, because I am duty bound—commanded by the same love—to share the same love to others as well. Jesus would have likely said as well: in the name God’s greatest love for you, love one another!

Vendredi-2eme Semaine de Paques

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.

Moment of Conversion

Moment of Conversion

Homily on Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. During this Lenten season, two popular words come to mind: Penitence and Abstinence. We refrain from eating meat as a form of abstinence, and we are encouraged to go to confession for penitence. These and so many other forms of penance and abstinence are meant to bring us into conversion. I believe, at the core of lent is the experience of conversion.

This reminds me of a “touching” experience I have had with my mother as a young boy. One afternoon, I had some quarrels with my siblings and my father. So, in order to express fully my displeasure, I refused to enter our home. In front of our house, there I stage my protest. I kept my post, until it was evening. Then my mother came out of the house and sat beside me and utter these words, “Why are u doing these to us, to me. It hurts me more than the way I almost died giving birth to you. Remember how much I have sacrificed and suffered for you.” What she said hit me deep in the heart. It was all that I need. After that, she took my hand and I followed her inside. That was my moment of conversion.

Conversion in the domain of faith is not simply turning away from sins. It is not only about the experience of sin. Indeed, sin is a reality that should not be ignored. But there is one who came greater than sin, Jesus, who showed us how much the Father has cared and loved us. By Jesus’ obedience, he let us knew of the extent God can suffer and sacrifice for our sake. We have sinned but God comes to sit beside us and tells us, “Remember how much I have sacrificed and suffered for you.” To assure us of his endless love ready to embrace us back. Conversion happens because of God who loves.

Today, ashes will be imposed upon us. Long time ago, as ashes are imposed, these words are said, “Momento homo: Quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris.” (Remember Man: you are dust and unto dust you will return). It is frightening. All because, it wants to bring out sorrow in us, that is, sorrow for the sins we have commited. In the Old Testament, the donning of dust or ash is a form of penitence, an expression of sorrow for offenses against God and His people. King David did this, and so the King of Nineveh upon the admonition of the prophet Jonah, and so many others. But this outward marks of are expression of the inner workings of the heart, that is of a contrite heart. Our first reading today, proclaimed the need to translate into action the sorrow of the heart. For this reason, the new words of the imposition of the ashes, “Repent and believe in the Gospel” brings to us more meaning by giving more weight to the need for conversion and the joy that lies beneath, the joy that comes in knowing God who suffers and cares the most for us. In this way we cay say that Lent is a season we celebrate; we celebrate the triumph of love over sin and death.

Baptism of the Lord

Not what I want but what God wants

Yesterday, we went to the “centre ville” of Kinshasa to buy provisions for the week. Inside one of the commercial centers, I overheard a kid asking his peers: “Quelle ambition avez-vous?” Meaning, what is your ambition? (I said to myself, wow, these kids are great, their French is better than mine!) So I walked slowly to eavesdrop over their conversation to check how is my French. One boy said, “Me, I want to be a doctor.” “I like to be a teacher, like my Father.” Said the other boy, “how about you?” he demanded back: “Oh, me… become like Barack Obama!”

Once in our life, on our younger days we have dreamed of becoming someone we like to be… a doctor, a pilot, a teacher or a JFK perhaps… You might ask: “Was it your constant dream since then P. Arnold to be a priest, a missionary for Afrika?” I do not want to disappoint you but my answer is no, it was not. I was rather dreaming of becoming a soldier then!

Ask me: “What happened, why did you not pursue it?” The answer is in front of you! Look, since second year HS I stopped growing up! How would I be admitted in the military school. (hehehehe..) But, please do not make a follow up question about the school where I want to go… WESTPOINT!

So I said to myself, yes we dream of becoming someone we’d like to be but we become other than our dreams. For oftentimes, something happens that directs us to be somewhere and somebody else!

I believe Jesus like many of us have also dreamed “for he was like us in all things except sin.” As a growing up boy in Nazareth, Jesus might have dreamed of becoming a master carpenter like his Father Joseph. But along the way something happened that changed all this. What would that be?

Bible scholars explained that like many pious Jews, Jesus was attracted and becomes convinced of John’s preaching, so he followed and sought the baptism of John. And it was during this that a life-turning event took place—the heavens opened, the Spirit descended upon Jesus and a voice from heaven says, “You are my beloved Son. With you I am well pleased.” From this time on, everything no longer remains the same for Jesus. He went to spend 40 days and 40 nights fasting and praying in the desert to clarify more the meaning of these. He gathered 12 close friends and given up his life on the cross. With these combined it become clear to us that his baptism inaugurates the mission of Jesus given by the Father.

We too have received our own baptism. I believe it meant the same for us as in Jesus. It is also our event of inauguration into God’s given mission. Not so much about spending 40 days and nights in the desert, not so much about gathering 12 close friends and of being crucified but of becoming what God wants us to be instead of what we want to be. All because what happened in Jesus’ baptism is repeated in the very baptism we received from the Church through its ministers. Such that by our baptism the heavens opened, welcoming us into the communion of the living and the saints. This is the Spirit of God’s saving grace dawning upon us. Thus, through our baptism, we are not merely children of our parents but we become Children of God. In theology we called this, Divine Adoption. Simply said, God owns me as his son or daughter!

All that we say about respect, love, forgiveness, justice, and the dignity of the human person is based on this deep and ever beautiful reality that we or I am God’s son or daughter in baptism. This is what God wants us or me to be: to live in love, show respect, grant forgiveness, uphold justice and dignity of the human person. Is this also what we want to be? But when one destroys the good name of another, or ignores his wife/husband and children, or takes advantage of another, this is very far from doing what God wants. To end our reflection today, let me share with you this story.

There was a couple who went to shop in a beautiful antique store. Seeing an exceptional tea-cup, they asked “May we see that?” As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the tea-cup spoke, “I have not always been a tea-cup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me, pounded and patted me and I yelled out, “Don’t do that. Let me alone,” but he only smiled, and gently said; “Not yet!” Then, Wham! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around. ‘Stop it! I’m getting so dizzy! I’m going to be sick!’

But the master only nodded and said, quietly, ‘Not yet.’ He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape and then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door. “Help! Get me out of here!” “When I thought I couldn’t bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good! But, after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. ‘Oh, please; Stop it!’ I cried. He only shook his head and said. ‘Not yet!’ Then suddenly he put me back into the oven. It was twice as hot and I thought I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I was convinced I would never make it. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and wondered ‘What’s he going to do to me next?’ An hour later he handed me a mirror and said ‘Look at yourself, you’re beautiful.’

Becoming what God’s wants us to be is easier said than done. It is a constant struggle with oneself. I remember Saint Paul saying, “why is it that I do what I do not want to do and not do what I am supposed to?” I believe this struggle is meant to bring us to something beautiful as the tea-cup underwent under the hands of the Master Potter. Becoming what God wants us to be is dying to oneself, but it’s worth it!

So in this mass, let us pray as Jesus taught us, “Your will be done on earth as in heaven.”