24th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C

NAGHIHINTAY ANG DIYOS SA IYONG PAGBABALIK

Tayo ay naniniwala na sa mga Sakramento ay makakasama o mararanasan nating ang Dios. Halimbawa sa Banal na Misa, tinatanggap natin si Kristo bilang Salita sa ating pakikinig sa mga pagbasa at sermon, at sa anyo ng tinapay at alak sa Banal na Komunyon. Kaya nga marami ang nagsisimba para makasama at tanggapin and Dios sa kanilang buhay.

Maliban sa Misa, ang sakramento ng Binyag, Kumpil, at Ordinasyon ay mga sakramentong maraming tao ang dumadalo sapagkat pinaniniwalaan natin na ang mga okasyong ito ay hindi lamang masaya kundi puno din ng biyaya ng Dios kung saan mararanasan ang kadakilaan at pag-ibig ng Dios.

Subalit mapapansin natin na sa Sakramento ng Kumpisal, madalang pa sa patak ng ulan ang mga tumatangkilik nito. Ilan sa mga sinasabing dahilan bakit iilan lang ang nangungumpisal ay dahil natatakot ang marami na PAGALITAN NG PARI. Sinu naman ang hindi matatakot sa pari kung simula pagkabata ay sinasabi sayo… “Pssst.. Huwag kang malikot sa simbahan. Papagalitan ka ni Pader…” Kaya ganun na lamang ang takot ng marami na lumapit sa pari sa kumpisalan. Lalong-lalo na ang sabihin ang kanyang mga kasalanan. Para sa kanya ang Dios ay makapangyarihan at malupit sa kanyang pagpaparusa na kailangang iwasan at layuan.

Sa Ebanghelyo natin ngayon, kabaligtaran ang sinasabi ni Hesus. Sa pamamagitan ng dalawang kwento, ang “Nawawalang Tupa” at “Nawawalang Pilak” ipinapakita ni Hesus ang pagsisikap ng Dios na hanapin ang mga naliligaw ng landas at ang laki ng kagalakan ng Dios pag ito ay nagbalik sa kanya.

Sa kwento ng ng “Nawawalang Tupa” masasabi nating napakairresponsable naman ng pastol para iwanan ang 99 para lang sa iisang nawawala. Pwedi namang hayaan na lang niya iyon. Mas higit na mahalaga ang naiwang 99.

Subalit ang binibigyang diin ng kwento ay hindi kung sinu ang mas mahalaga kundi gaano kahalaga ang bawat isang tupa, o tao sa Mabuting Pastol, sa Dios. Sa pamamagitan ng kwento, sinasabi niya sa atin na di niya hahayaang may mawala kahit isa. Gagawin ng Dios ang lahat makita at maibalik lang ito sa kanyang piling. Mahalaga ang bawat isa sa Dios… Maging sinu ka man. Kaya walang dahilan para matakot at iwasan natin ang Dios.

Sa kwento ng “Nawawalang Pilak” ay lumalabas na OA (over acting) ang babae. Gaanu ba kahalaga ang isang pilak para guluhin niya ang kanyang buhay at bahay? Ayun sa mga eksperto sa bibliya ay maaring aras na ginamit sa kanyang kasal ang nasabing o di naman kaya ay katumbas ng isang araw ng sahud ng isang manggagawa. Kaya naman pala ganun na lang ang pagsisikap ng babae na makita ang nawawalang pilak. Ginawa niya ang lahat makita lamang ang pilak.

Para kay Hesus, ang Dios ay katulad ng babae sa kanyang pagsisikap na maibalik sa kanyang piling ang mga nawawala, ang mga naliligaw ng landas. Dahil sa kanyang dakilang pag-ibig, gagawin niya ang lahat para sa atin… (mag mukha man itong OA). Kaya nga ang kanyang kaisa-isa at pinakamamahal na anak ay kanyang sinugo para para sa ating kaligtasan. Napakatindi ng paghahangad ng Dios na ang tao ay bumalik sa kanya. Kaya walang dahilan para layuan at katakotan ang Dios, na tangihan ang kanyang paanyaya na magbalik-loob sa kanya.

At matapos makita at maibalik ang nawawala, katulad sa kwento, magsasaya ang Dios. Ipamamalita niya ito at magaanyaya ng makikipagsaya sa kanya. Napakadakila ng pag-ibig ng Diyos. Paulit-ulit man Siyang sinusuway, nandiyan pa rin siya at naghihintay, at handang magpatawad. Di natin mararanasan ang kanyang pagpapatawad at pag-ibig kundi di rin tayo tutugon sa kanyang paanyaya. Kaya’t iwaksi (alisin na) ang takot sa puso’t sa halip ay tanggapin ang Dios sa ating buhay. Ito lamang ang tanging paraan katulad ng pagmamahal sa kwentong ito:

Newspaper columnist and minister George Crane tells of a wife who came into his office full of hatred toward her husband. "I do not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me."

Dr. Crane suggested an ingenious plan "Go home and act as if you really love your husband. Tell him how much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. Make him believe you love him. After you've convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb. Tell him that your're getting a divorce. That will really hurt him." With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, "Beautiful, beautiful. Will he ever be surprised!" And she did it with enthusiasm. Acting "as if." For two months she showed love, kindness, listening, giving, reinforcing, sharing. When she didn't return, Crane called. "Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?"

"Divorce?" she exclaimed. "Never! I discovered I really do love him." Her actions had changed her feelings. Motion resulted in emotion. The ability to love is established not so much by fervent promise as often repeated deeds. J. Allan Petersen.

Ganun din ang lumapit at ibigin ang Diyos, di natin mararamdaman ang kanyang pagpapatawad, awa at biyaya kung hindi natin ilalapit ang ating sarili sa kanya.

The Silence of God

THE SILENCE OF GOD
by Arnold C. Biago, SVD
Homily delivered on the Feast of Our Lady of Consolation, September 4, 2007 for the Sisters of Augustinian Recollects

Have you heard about the SILENCE OF GOD!

The PDI yesterday runs a news item about Mother Theresa with the following heading, “She suffered from the Silence of God” referring to the comment made by Pope Benedict concerning the sentiment the saintly nun identified by a book. The book, about to be released tomorrow, claimed that Mother Theresa “was deeply tormented about her faith and suffered periods of doubt about God”. On this the Pope comments that this is not unusual, “All believers know about the Silence of God.” Thus, “Even Mother Theresa, with all her charity and work of faith suffered from the Silence of God.”

What do we mean really by “the Silence of God.” Non-believers usually argue against faith in God because of the many pains, losses and violence that people are made to suffer and endure in this world. If God is good and loving, how come he allows the school children of Ginsuagon, Leyte to be buried by the landslide, the thousands of people to die of tsunami and earthquake, of many innocent people who die everyday for no reason at all. And God has no reply for all these.

In Auschwitz concentration camps, a rabbi was among those spared from the Gas chamber and one prisoner confronted him: “Rabbi, where is God now that our people are being exterminated, when even our children are led to die of poison gas?” The Rabbi was silent for a while and said, “God is there among those children, God is with those who are led to the gallows of death.”

The point is, if at times we feel abandoned by God, when God is silent, he is with us, also suffering. This is what Jesus did. He live among us, and shared with our pains and suffering. Jesus is God who underwent the scourging; he carried the cross, and was nailed on it. The Silence of God is God’s share and participation in our sufferings. With Jesus Christ’s passion and death, our experiences of pain and suffering are given new meaning. It is in this way that we can also look at Mary, as our Lady of Consolation. At the foot of the cross, the sight of Jesus hanging on the cross, gasping for his last breath, and struggling to say the words, “Woman, behold your son.” “Behold your mother,” is no easy sight to behold. Mother Theresa and many of us would have no other experience but the silence of God. But we have Mary, who has the heart to see at all times God’s hands constantly at work whose mysterious ways she never doubted but rather fully trusted. In Mary’s famous words, “let it be done to me according to your Word.” Certainly, Mary is our lady of consolation who by her undivided trust heard of the divine voice even in the silence of God.

Aside from the Gospel, the other readings too reorient our understanding of suffering. In the book of the prophet Isaiah, the experience of difficulties is seen as the sign of the imminent coming of the Lord whose inauguration brings consolation, relief and new opportunities. While in his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul informs them of his difficult experiences not to sadden them but to let them know how much he love them, meaning, no amount of pain can stop Paul from loving the Corinthian Church.

In our practice of faith, the practical advice we often heard has a grain of truth in it: “we cannot solve a problem by running away it.” In moments we doubt our faith, we are reminded to Trust more and more in God. Doubt is not resolved by abandoning our faith.