Feast of the Holy Family

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY
SUNDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS

REV. ARNOLD C. BIAGO,SVD

Sa kwento ni Fr. Bel San Luis kahapon, may isang teacher daw na nagtanong sa kanyang mga batang estudyante tungkol sa dumadaming mga ipinapanganak na kambal sa ngayon, sabi ng isang bata, “eh kasi po teacher, natatakot po silang lumabas mag-isa.” Nakakatuwa at napakainosente ng sagot ng bata. Ngunit kung ating susuriin, ito ay puno ng katotohanan. Sa panahon natin ngayon, sa tiyan palang ng ina marami ng panganib na pagdadaanan at lulusutan ang isang batang isisilang. Nariyan ang lahat ng uri ng contraceptives na nagbabantang lulusaw sa binhi ng buhay na nasa sinapupunan. Nagkalat din ang mga doctor at mga magulang na handing ipalalag at i-abort ang sanggol na nasa sinapupunan. Contraceptives at abortion, sila ay mga tunay na panganib na kailangang lampasan bago isilang ang isang bata sa mundong ito. Kaya hindi nakapagtataka na ang batang nasa tiyan ng ina ang balot ng takot mula sa mga banta sa kanyang buhay.

Mas marami ang banta at panganib sa buhay ang bata paglabas niya sa tiyan ng kanyang ina. Nariyan ang lahat ng uri ng sakit na kumakalat. Kahit mga pagkain ay kailangan ng pagiingat, kung pababayaan, dilekado ito sa kalusugan. Subalit ang pinakamalaking panganib para sa isang batang isinilang ay ang kanyang pamayanang kalalakihan. Sabi nila, marami sa mga communities ay hindi “child-friendly”. Ang tinutukoy ay ang kawalan ng kaligtasan at proteksyon ng mga bata sa lipunan. Tingnan po natin kung saan malimit maglaro ang mga bata: kalsada. Hindi lang ang lugar ang mapanganid sa mga bata, pati na rin mga tao. Ngayon, malimit nating marinig ang salitang “child abuse”, na walang ibang tinutukoy kundi ang ibat-ibang uri at paraan ng pang-aabuso ng mga matatanda sa mga bata. Kaya masasabi natin na totoo ang sinabi ng bata na, “natatakot ang sanggol lumabas mag-isa.”

Ang kapistahan ng Banal na Mag-Anak na Maria, Jose at Hesus at isang malinaw na pagpapaalala sa ating lahat ng ating makadiyos na tungkulin na pangalagaan ang bawat bata mula sa sinpupunan ng kanyang ina at hanggang sa kanyang pag-laki. Kung si Hesus ay nabuhay sa panahon natin ngayon at sa mga makabagong magulang malamang baka walang nangyaring pasko. Kaya sa pamamagitan ng kanilang matapat na pagganap bilang magulang ni Hesus sa kabila ng lahat ng panganib at banta sa buhay, sina Maria at Jose matatawag nating mga huwarang magulang sa kanilang walang katumbas na pagmamahal kay Hesus. Kaya, sana ang bawat mag-anak ay sumunod sa yapak ng Banal na mag-anak na Maria, Jose at Hesus.
Ang pagkakaroon ng modelo na ating susundan ay isang napakahalagang bahagi ng buhay. Naalala ko ang isang kilalang kwento ng isang tatay at ang kanyang malikot na anak. Isang araw habang nagbabasa ng dyaryo ang Tatay ay ginawa niyang picture puzzle ang isang page ng dyaryo may picture ng mundo at ibinigay nya sa kanyang 4 years old na anak para may pagkabalahan at di maging malikot. Laking gulat niya nang wala pang 5 minutes ito ay lumapit sa kanya para ipakita ang nabuong larawan ng mundo. “Paanu mu nagawa yan?” nagtatakang tanong niya. “Dad, di ko po masundan ang picture ng mundo kaya ang picture na lang po ni Jesus sa likod ang binuo ko. Di ba, pag nabuo si Jesus, buo din ang mundo.”

Sa ating buhay, pag si Hesus ay ating sinundan magiging buo at makahulugan ito. Gayundin sa bawat tahanan, pag ang ating sinundan ang yapak ng Banal na Mag-Anak, tiyak na magiging maayos ang takbo ng ating pamilya. Si Kristo na ating Diyos ay dumating bilang liwanag ang gabay at tanglaw ng isang buo, nagkakaisa at nagmamahalang pamilya. Sina Maria at Jose ay matapat na gumanap na magulang ni Hesus sapagkat nasa piling nila ang Diyos. Ganun din ang bawat mag-anak, ang tapat na pagmamahal sa bawat isa ay magaganap kung nakikilala at nakikita ng bawat isa ang Diyos sa kanilang mga magulang, kapatid at anak. Kung nasa ating piling ang Diyos, kung ang bawat tahanan at puno ng pag-ibig ng Diyos, ang bawat batang isisilang ay di kailangang matakot, sapagkat ang mga magulang ay buong pusong magmamahal at babantayan ang kanilang mga anak katulad nina Maria at Jose sa kanilang pagkalinga kay Hesus.

Sa lahat ng mga magulang na naririto. Mabuhay po kayo at pagpalain kayo ng Dios. Para sa lahat ng mag-anak patuloy tayong manalangin pang kanilang sundan ang Banal na mag-anal sa pagmamahal at pagpapalago ng buhay.

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…

2nd Sunday of Advent

Pagsisisi Bilang Paghahanda sa Pagdating ng Dios
REV. ARNOLD BIAGO,SVD

Noong January 1995 dumalaw sa Pilipinas ang Santo Papa, Juan Pablo II para dumalo sa 10th world Youth Day sa Manila. Alam n’yo po ba na ayon sa PNP bumaba daw ang crime rate sa Metro Manila noong mga panahong yon. Naisip ko tuloy, baka natakot ang mga kriminal na gumawa ng kalokohan dahil darating ang pinakapuno ng Simbahan at nakiisa sila sa paghahanda sa pagdating ng Santo Papa.

Ngayong Pasko, isang mas dakila pa sa Santo Papa ang darating sa ating piling, Si Hesu-Kristo na Anak ng Dios at ating tagapagligtas. Darating ang Dios na tagapagligtas, ito ang sigaw ni Juan Bautista sa ating ebanghelyo ngayon. At itong pagdating ng Dios ay kaganapan ng katarungan at puno ng mga di kapanipaniwalang bagay sabi ni propeta Isaias. Sa pagdating ng Dios sabi ni propeta Isaias, “maglalaro ang bata sa tabi ng ahas, sususo ang tupo sa inang lobo, at magsasama ang leon at batang guya.”

Natatakot ba tayo sa kanyang pagdating o nakiisa sa paghahanda sa kanyang pagdating? 16 araw na lang ay pasko na. Handa na ba kayo sa pasko. Anu-anu ang inyong mga ginagawang paghahanda?

Noong nakaraang lingo, napanood ko sa TV ang interbyo kay Fanny Serrano. Tinanong siya ng Host ng Mel and Joey kung paano niya dinedecorate ang kanyang napakalaking bahay pag pasko. Sabi niya, “Eh, karamihan naman sa mga decors ko ay recycled at August pa lang bumibili na ako ng mga Christmas decors para mura at makatipid.”

Marami sa ating na talagang pinaghahandaan ang Pasko. Katunayan, pagdating ng Ber months nagsisinula na silang maglagay ng mga Christmas decors. Ang iba naman ay namimili na agad ng mga pangregalo sa divisoria o 168. Kailangan ba talaga nating ang lahat ng mga paghahandang panlabas na ito. Oo naman, sapagkat ang mga Christmas decors ay mga simbolo, mga tanda na magpapaalala sa atin ng dakilang gawa ng Dios, mga tanda ng pagkakatawang tao, at pakikiisa sa buhay natin ng Dios. Higit sa lahat, ang mga ang mga Christmas decorations natin ay nagsasabing isabay natin ang paghahandang pangsarili, pangkalooban. Kung inihahanda natin ang ating bahay, dapat din nating ihanda ang ating mga sarili para sa okasyon ito.

Paano tayo maghahanda sa pagdating ng Dios? Ang sigaw ni Juan Bautista sa ating Ebanghelyo: “Pagsisishan ninyo at talikdan ang inyong mga kasalanan.” Sapagkat darating na ang kaharian ng Dios. Ito rin ang ating gagawing paghahanda: ang Pagsisisi at pagtalikod sa Kasalanan--sa madaling sabi tanggapin sa ating sarili at buhay ang Dios. Kung ang kasalanan ay pagtatakwil sa Dios, ang pagsisisi at pagtalikod sa kasalanan ay pamumuhay kasama at sa piling ng Dios. Magiging madali ang umiwas sa Dios kung nasa sa atin ang Dios, madaling itakwil ang kasalanan kung tayo ay nakasandal sa Dios, kung nasa atin ang Dios.
May tatlong kabataang lalaki na namasyal sa Katedral ng Notre Dame. Sila ay nagkahamunan, kaya isa ay pumunta sa kumpisalan at doon ay nagkunwaring magkumpisal. Napansin ng pari na siya ay niloloko ng nagkukumpisal kaya ang ibinigay niya ang ganitong penance: “Tumayo ko sa harap ng malaking crucifix sa altar, tingnan mu si Hesus sa mata at tatlong ulit na sabihin mu: Ginawa mo yan sa akin? At wala akong pakialam.”

Ang batang lalaki at ang kanyang kaibigan at nagtatawan habang sila ay naglalakad palapit sa sanktuwaryo. Tiningnan niya sa mata si Hesus at sinabi niya: “Ginawa mu yan sa akin? At wala akong pakialam.” Sa pangalawang ulit nanginig na ang kanyang boses: “Ginawa mu yan sa akin? At wa... la akong pakialam.” At sa pangatlong ulit, hindi na niya ito masabi...

Yuko ang kanyang ulo, ang batang lalaki ay bumalik sa kumpisalan at buong-pusong nagsisi at humingi ng pagpapatawad ng Dios. Ang batang lalaking iyong ay naging pari, at kaluunan naging Arsobispo ng Paris, na walang iba kundi ang nagbahagi ng kwentong ito.

Mga kapatid, si Hesus na isinilang sa Pasko ay siya ring Hesus na ipapako sa krus at mamatay para sa atin. Si Hesus ay Dios na nakiisa sa buhay natin at nagalay ng kanyang buhay. Talikdan nating ang kasalanan sapagkat ang Anak ng Dios ay kaisa at kasama natin upang lupigin ito. Pagsisishan natin an gating mga kasalana, sapagkat si Hesus ay nag-alay ng kanyang sarili upang tayo ay magwagi laban sa kasalan.

1 week of Advent A

Dios na Kapiling at Hinihintay
Si Hesus ay tinatawag natin sa iba-ibang pangalan. Isa na dito ay “Immanuel” ibig sabihin “nasa atin ang Dios”.

Sa simula ng Misa, anu ang sinasabi ng pari pakatapos niyang sabihin, “Sa ngalan ng Ama, ng Anak, at ng Espiritu Santo:” “Sumainyo ang Panginoon.” Tayo naman, anu ang sagot natin: “At sumainyo rin.”
Ngayon, nasaan nga ang Dios? NASA ATIN ANG DIOS…

Kung nasa atin ang Dios bakit meron tayong ADVENT, na tumutukoy sa “pagdating” ng Dios. Kung nasa atin ang Dios, siya ay narito na. Bakit meron tayong panahon sa SIMBAHAN na ADVENT, bilang paghahanda sa pagdating ng Panginoon. Alin ng ba ang paniniwalaan natin: NARITO na ang DIOS o NAGHIHINTAY TAYO SA KANYANG PAGDATING… Saan tayo maniniwala:
Ang sagot: PAREHO silang tama. Paniniwalaan natin sila pareho.

UNA, naniniwala tayo na ang isinilang si Hesus dalawang libong toon na ang nakaraan naparito at nakasama natin ang DIOS at ito ay ating ipinagdiriwang, inaalala at pinagyayaman, pinahahalagahan sa mga sakramento at sa simbahan, lalo na sa MISA at Sa Panahon ng PASKO.

IKALAWA, naniniwala rin tayo na siya ay muling darating sa Takdang Panahon para tapusin at bigyan ng kaganapan ang lahat. Kailan muling darating si HESUS? Walang sinuman ang nakakaalam, maliban sa Dios. Kaya nga pinaghahandaan natin ito. At ang ADVENT ay panahon para pasidhiin at patibayin ang ating paghihintay sa pagdating ni HEsus sa kasalukuyang panahon noong unag pasko at sa muling pagdating ni Hesus Katapusan ng mundo.

Subalit magkaiba kaya sila. Anu ang kinalaman ng una sa ikalawa. Meron tayong kasabihan sa Inglis: “Charity begins at home” na nagsasabing ang paggawa ng kabutihan sa iba ay nakaugat at nagmumula paggawa ng mabuti sa sariling tahanan at pinakamalapit na pamilya at kaibigan. Sa palagay ko ganito rin ang patakaran pagdating sa ating pakikitungo sa Dios. Walang silbi ang ating gagawing paghahanda sa muling pagdating ni Hesus kung hindi man lamang natin nabibigyan ng halaga at napapansin na si HESUS ay KASAMA NATIN NGAYON. Para saan pa ang paghahanda nating makita si HESUS sa kanyang muling pagdating kung hindi man lang natin siya Makita sa mga sakramento, sa kanyang Banal na Salita, sa Sakramento lalong lalo na sa banal na MISA.

Meron isang bata ang gustong-gusto na makita ang Dios. Dahil alam niyang nasa malayo na tirahan ng Dios, naghanda siya ng maraming potato chips at bottled ice tea na baon sa kanyang malayong paglalakbay. Malayo na rin ang kanyang nalakbay nang may nakita siyang isang nanay. Siya ay nakupo sa isang parke at malumong pinagmamasdan ang mga kalapating naglalaro sa kanyang harap.Naupo siya malapit sa babae. Inilabas niya ang kanyang baon at nang siya kakain na napansin niyang mukhang gutom ang babae kaya inalok niya ito ng kanyang baong potato chips. Isang matamis na ngiti naman ang isinukli ng babae habang tinatanggap niya ng bigay ng bata. Dahil sa tamis at ganda ng kanyang ngiti, ibinigay naman ng bata ng kanyang dalang bottled iced tea para makita pa niya ito. Muli mga matatamis na ngiti ang isinulkli ng babae. Kaya laking tuwa ng bata. At buong hapon silang nanatili sa parke at nagpapalitan ng ngiti at pagkain, nang walang mga salitang lumalabas sa kanilang bibig.

Nang sumapit ang dilim, dahil pagod na rin ang bata ipinagpasya niyang umuwi na, at bago pa siya makalayo nilingon niya ang babae at patakbong bumalik at buong higpit itong niyakap, at ganun din naman ang ginaw ng babae. Sa huling pagkakataon, ibinigay niya ang kanyang pinakamaganda at matamis na ngiti.

Pagdating sa kanilang bahay, napansin ng kanyang ina ang kakaibang sigla ng bata, kaya tinanong niya ito. “Anu ba ang ginawa mo ngayon at kakaiba ang sigla sa iyong mukha?” Ang kanyang tugon: “Kumain po sa pa park, kasama si God, ang Panginoon” At bago makapagsalita ang kanyang ina, dagdag niya: “At alam nyo po, ang ganda-ganda po ng kanyang ngiti, na ngayon ko lang nakita.”
Samantala, ang nanay ay umuwing baon ang bagong sigla at galak. Napansin ito ng kanyang anak at siya ay tinanong, “Nanay, ang saya-saya nyo ngayon, saan po kayo galling?” Sabi niya, “Anak, dun sa park, kumain ng potato chips kasama si Jesus?” At agad niyang dagday, “Hindi ko akalain siya’y isang bata.”
Mga kapatid Si Hesus ay nasa ating piling. Magiging makahulugan ang ating paghahanda sa kanyang unang pagdating sa Pasko at muling pagdating sa Wakas ng Panahon kung makikita natin siya at mararanasan sa ating kapwa. At higit sa lahat kung sa pamamagitan natin, madarama ang iba na ang Diyos ay nasa ating piling. Ihanda nating an gating sariling na makita siya sa ating kapwa. At gawin din nating daan ang ating sarili na maranasan ng iba na ang Dios ay nasa ating piling.

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.”

Feast of Blessed Maria Virgo

Feast of Blessed Maria Virgo
(Co-foundress of SSpS and SSpSAP)

Good Morning Sisters and Brothers … Let me first greet our beloved Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, both the PINK Sisters and the BLUE Sisters…, HAPPY FEASTDAY…My dear Sisters please allow us to join you in this joyous celebration of the FEAST of your Founder…, BLESSED MARIA VIRGO.
In our reflections today, allow me then to dwell on two significant events in the life of Blessed Maria Virgo which I believe tell us very strongly what Jesus said in the Gospel today: “As the Father loves me, so I love you. Remain in my love.” (Jn 15:9)

FIRST, Blessed Maria Virgo is a person who is totally dependent on God. When Helena was accepted in 1882 by Saint Arnold to come and join the missionary community of the SVD she did not right away become a Missionary Sister. She waited for seven years while working as a maid in the SVD community without any sign of assurance that she’ll ever fulfill her desire of becoming a missionary. Only a person who has entrusted herself totally to God can bear the difficult feeling of uncertainty in waiting. I strongly believe that by her total dependence on God, the different reality she has to embrace must have become for her a test of her faithfulness and love of God. In the end, her long waiting did not end in vain; for it made her be wholeheartedly dedicated to the missionary community she began to build with Saint Arnold and others Sisters.

SECOND, Blessed Maria Virgo is a person fully open to the will of God. Some years after Saint Arnold had opened the contemplative branch of the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters; he asked Blessed Maria Virgo who was then the Superior General of the active branch if she is willing and ready to join the contemplative branch to settle the growing animosities between the two missionary communities. After some discernment, she realized in the founder’s request the will of God. Blessed Maria Virgo then exchanged the blue habit for the pink to start again as a novice of the contemplative missionary community. Such openness to the will of God on the part of Blessed Maria Virgo is truly admirable. Indeed, a person who truly loves God is also a person who is fully open to the will of God.
With these two significant events in the life of Blessed Maria Virgo, we can truly say that to remain in the love of God is to be totally dependent on God and to be fully open to the will of God. What sustained Blessed Maria Virgo during those difficult and challenging moments of her life is none other than her remaining in the love of God. For when God truly becomes part of ones life, then one can strongly say, “There is nothing impossible with God.”

Once again, I invite you to look at the life of Blessed Maria Virgo who by her example of total dependence and openness to God has shown us the basic attitude of a missionary. God is the source and agent of mission. By our calling we participate in the mission of God who made us worthy to share in the noble task of proclaiming the message of salvation to others. In our respective mode of life, may we then give ourselves readily and willingly to the mission of the church by witnessing to our faith and through our works of charity. Amen.

Openness and Confidence at the End of Time

Openness and Confidence at the End of Time

When I was growing up, I often heard that the gesture in many images of Jesus, that is, his raised left hand means that in the year 2000 will be the end of the world. Obviously, it was a mistaken interpretation. Now its 2007 and the end seems to be nowhere in sight. Is it still relevant to discuss and talk about the END of TIME?

In our gospel today, Jesus speaks about the End of Time by means of prophesy of destruction of Jerusalem and he even referred to the some perplexing signs that will precede the end of time. Most often, talks about the End brings out FEAR in us because no one would normally enjoy the sight of death.

Is FEAR the only response and attitude we have in facing the END of TIME. I truly believe Jesus would not even want us to be overwhelmed with fear. Jesus rather tells us “to stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” Let me then share with you two positive attitudes we need to have in facing the coming END suggested by Jesus in our Gospel today.

FIRST, the imminent end points not to the coming of God who was absent but to the constant presence of God in our midst. The END is already here, it has already begun, particularly in the moment of our history when the Son of God becomes one like us. Even if Jesus Christ has ascended to be with the Father, he continued to be with us in His Spirit. Every time we celebrate the Eucharist and in every community gathered in prayer God is present there. God is in our midst so we must rather be confident and sensitive of His presence among us. While we are assured of God’s constant presence, we are at the same time being called to be constantly open and to welcome His presence in the ordinary events and persons that come our way. Again, the END strongly tells us to be confident because God is here with us and asks us to be constantly sensitive in recognizing that presence in our midst.

SECOND, faced with the tribulations and perplexing signs preceding the final end that often overwhelm us with fear; the imminent end rather means the finalization of our redemption. What God has promised us in the coming End is not our DEATH and DESTRUCTION but the fullness of life in the presence of God. Then, the END must be a source of our joy and hope amidst the difficult realities of life we constantly experience in this lifetime. Its like taking the comprehensive exams, although it normally draws out the worst fear in us, yet armed with the volumes of books we have read we are joyful and confidently hopeful of passing. Indeed there is real joy and hope in the coming END.

Complemented by the joy and hope of the coming end, our confidence and sensitivity to the presence of God is all the more heightened. The hope and joy of the end of time inspires us more to recognize God in our midst and celebrate His presence. Here we must remember what Jesus emphatically said in the Matthean vision of the Final Judgment: “What ever you do to the least of these you did it to me.” If we have faith, we can even say, his presence among us is more than enough. It is already a joy to love and serve God in our brothers and sisters. Yet God wanted more for us, He wants us to share God’s full friendship and love at the End of Time. Out of His love God come to be with us to inaugurate the coming of the End, and it is also out of the same love that God calls us all back into His embrace for us to enjoy the fullness of life at the End of Time. Again, in with confidence and sensitivity let us be open to God’s presence in our midst while in joyful hope we await His final return in glory. Amen.