love your enemies

I was sharing my realization to a friend last week. I realized that I am full of anger at that moment. I’m angry with the chaotic situation of the youth in my apostolate, I’m angry to the unprofessional system of our school, I’m angry with arrogant and insecure professors, I’m angry with people who are self-righteous who think they never commit mistakes or does not possessing any imperfection in their being, I’m angry with insensitive, judgmental, indifferent, and backstabber who smile at you but talk about so many negative things when you are not around and I just want to get a grenade and throw it to them to eliminate my anger.
But I was put back and moved to question when I read the Gospel of today. Jesus is not just telling but commanding me “LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE YOU, BLESS THOSE WHO CURSE YOU, PRAY FOR THOSE WHO MISTREAT YOU.” This moved me to have a discussion with my God for I feel that what Jesus is asking is too much or to hard for me to fulfill. I keep on reading the text again and again hoping that some words will change but even a single word was not moved or eliminated the command of Jesus is very clear.
No words might have change but what happened is my prospective about the Gospel change. “LOVE YOUR ENIMIES, DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE YOU, BLESS THOSE WHO CURSE YOU, PRAY FOR THOSE WHO MISTREAT YOU.” Does not mean that you will not do anything but to pray for them, instead Jesus is challenging me to go beyond the words of loving. If you really love someone you have to do something to them to help them to change and be a better person. Share your blessing to those who curse you by correcting them and pray for them that they might find strength to amend their ways and Jesus is reminding me to do it out of my love for them.
The Gospel for the past days has one theme and that is going beyond what is ordinary. Jesus is challenging us to do more, to go deeper, and to transcend to what is ordinary. Loving those who are lovable does not stretch our capacity of loving. If we are able to love those who are not lovable we gain credits for we gain growth and deepening to our personhood and of being a Christian.
But the second realization of mine in our Gospel for today is the concept of being merciful. God is asking me to “LOVE YOUR ENIMIES, DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE YOU, BLESS THOSE WHO CURSE YOU, PRAY FOR THOSE WHO MISTREAT YOU” in the name of mercy. Jesus asked me to stop judging others for in reality the things or the people I hate and judge is a reflection of who I am. I’m angry with me for being in chaotic situation to the youth in my apostolate, I’m angry to my unprofessional ways of dealing with others, I’m angry with myself for being so arrogant and insecure, I’m angry with myself for being self-righteous who think I never commit mistakes or does not possessing any imperfection in my being, I’m angry with my insensitive, judgmental, indifferent, and backstabber attitude. I must be merciful and understanding to others for God himself is very merciful and understanding in my short coming. Jesus is just teaching us of what Christy is all about.
Our Gospel for today in challenging each and every one of us to take the challenge of being a Christians by loving unconditionally even our own enemies or those who are unlovable. This is what we should pray to Christ as we continue our Eucharistic celebration let us pray and beg that he may grant us the strength to take the challenges of going beyond our self.

you and your dignity

Destroy this Temple

Preparing for the Gospel for today that speak about Jesus getting angry to the people selling things outside the temple. I was excited to preach about who the church is. All of us understand in our basic catechism that we are the church the temple of the spirit who gives life. In the Gospel today, Jesus is clearly begging us to stop desecrating the temple. If we will take these words personally we will understand that Jesus is begging us to stop desecrating our self. He is asking us to stop committing sins that destroy his temple… our being.

But I don’t know something in me tells that there is something more in this gospel. I tried to listen more in the inspiration of the spirit and let him be the one to speak. That is way I will beg you if this homily will be too personal. I will not force you to agree but I just want to share the message of the Gospel to me.

Allow me to share to you some of my personal straggles in my formation years. When I was a spirant I was told that I am not fitting to become a postulant for I am effeminate. When I was a postulant I was told that I am not fitting to become a novice for I am entrust worthy for I was accused of stealing something. When I was a novice I was told that I am not fitting to become a Salesian for I am sickly and I don’t know any sports I will not offer something to the young. When I was a student of philosophy I was told that I could not become a practical trainee for I am not intelligent and did not pass my de universa. When I was a practical trainee I was told I’m not fitting to enter theology for I never read the newspaper. Now that I am a student of theology I am told that I am not being a good example of religious life for often you see me not wearing my clerical and I have problem when it comes to relating to others.

With all of these comments I will be honest to say that they put me to crisis. These comments shook my temple. I was angry with so many people to the point of cursing them in giving such comments. These comments were hurtful for some of them are not true and some of it is true and most of the times truth hurts. I tried to reason-out defending my self with all of these things. But I realized the more I defend my self the more I create confusions and more stress in my part. Many times I am force to let go of what I believe to have a peaceful co-existence. But I saw that in the process I’m starting to lose myself. In the processes I realized that I committed the greatest mistakes I ever did and this is losing my identity. So I stop, I stop defending myself, I stop pleasing people stop giving reasons. Instead I just used all of these comments for my personal reflection. They become the source of my self evaluation. I let all of these things help me to see more my motives and my maturity. Though them I get to know myself more I tried not to allow these things desecrate my temple my being.

In our gospel for today Jesus was very angry to see that the temple was desecrated. Jesus did things that many of the people get angry and start questioning him. He became the center of their discussion and sessions. They tried to question him of what authority he is doing all of this things? Jesus firmly answered them by letting them know who he is. I am the “Temple” the temple that carries the covenantal Mercy and love of God. No one will ever stop me in proclaiming him even death. You might destroy me with all your judgmental attitude but in the end truth will always prevail. God my Father will be there to raise me up again.

I am moved of how Jesus knows himself very well. Jesus knows who he is and what he must do. Because of his clear understanding of who he is and his mission he was not afraid to do things he must do.

I think this is the message of the Gospel for today. Jesus is teaching us one basic thing as future pastors. Never, never ever forget who we are and what we are for the moment we forget who we are, we will start desecrating our self the temple God.

Jesus is not totally angry with the things being sold outside the temple. It was very clear that what they are doing is what they believe was the right thing to do. They just want to offer to God what is unblemished. But what makes Jesus angry was that the people are missing the essential the core of everything that they are doing. God doesn’t need rams and bullocks to be offer to Him. What God really want is “us.” For the pass days we been hearing in our readings individuals ready to die, ready to offer one self to God. They understood that everything is owned by God for everything comes from Him. God want us to offer our true self to him and nothing more. That is why Jesus shouted to stop making the house of God a house of thieves. Remember that everything that we have, everything we are is from God. Jesus is stopping us in steeling what is God. Our self belong to God.

My dear brothers do not offer to God what is not true he has made us stop pretending and offering what is not true. Many will criticize you, judge you, question you, joke you or even condemn you about the things you are doing and say that you are not worthy to be offered for you are blemished. But as long as you know yourself, as long as you know what you are doing is not evil or such, let it be that way. As what Jesus said in our Gospel “hang on it. ”Let no one desecrate you sacred Temple …your personhood your dignity. For God has entrusted you to take care of his greatest creation.

love your brothers

Mt 18:15-20 “Brother who Sin”

Looking at the reality that is happening in our society: poverty, crime, injustice, sickness and immorality, one can feel easily that this generation is hopeless. I personally reach the point of rock bottom wherein I already loose hope for this nation. But I know God indeed works in mysterious ways. Amidst this hopelessness he does something to bring back that hope that is about to whither. The death of former president Cory Aquino brought back that hope that gives a spark to inflame the faith of our nation. She was the lamb that was sacrificed to bring us back in our dignity as a nation.

I saw myself among thousands of people lining up to pay my last respect to the woman who brought back democracy in our country. She made me reflect and transcend my views about what’s happening around me. For five short days we were a nation again united to do one thing and that is to “show gratitude and respect,” to a woman who sacrificed so much for our good. I saw that in every individual Filipino people there is still a heart that knows and ready to show respect, appreciation, love and care both to God and to others. These are the characteristics that made us known to the whole world as Filipino. Cory is indeed an icon of faith for she gave us hope, hope that we can change if we just work as one people.

But I asked myself, what did Cory taught me personally that will make me remember her? In my reflections I realize that Cory did not just reminded me that I am a Filipino but she reminded me that I am a Christian, she taught me how to live my Christian faith. Cory reminded me of the core of Christianity and that is Charity. She lives what she believes. She tried her best not to accept compromises as much as possible. What’s wrong is wrong, what is injustice is injustice and it should be corrected for the love and respect to others. She displayed great love to the nation by correcting what was wrong and not closing her eyes about it.

I think this is what our gospel for today is trying to teach us. Jesus said if your brother sins go and tell his fault. Yes, Jesus is teaching us how to correct our neighbors but in the deeper view Jesus in our Gospel today is reminding us that we are responsible for each other. We must not let our brothers be blinded of his sinfulness but we as his brothers are responsible in correcting those who are in sin. We are not to close our eyes and act as if nothing is happening. In our Salesian tradition we have this “fraternal correction” a way of correcting our brothers with the intentions of helping not hurting. Fraternal correction prevents “grumbling” which for Don Bosco will be the distraction of the community and of the society. By acting or closing our eyes in the wrong doings of our brothers we commit the sin of omission, a sin that every Christian should never commit. I believe that among us no one could possibly say that he is perfect and does not need to be corrected. All of us are journeying towards perfection and as community let us help each other in attaining this goal. I personally wish to thank those brothers who readily corrected me before… I might not be here anymore without them reminding me of my duties and responsibilities to the community. Cory tried her best to correct the injustice in our nation. Jesus himself became man to correct us from our wrong doings and he continually fulfills this.

As we continue our Eucharistic celebration let us pray to God that he might grant us courage, strength, compassion in correcting our neighbor as a sign of our love and concern to them. But let us also ask God that he might grant us an open heart to receive compassionately the correction of others to us.

Hope

Mt. 8:1-4

I can say to myself that last year was the year when I reached the rock bottom of my faith journey for the past 28 years of my life. Last year I experienced what it was and what is the meaning of being lost.

It all stated before my perpetual profession My mother resigned from her job, then we lost our house, my mother got sick, my brother lost his Catholic faith, one of my sisters had to undergo operation. Then her newly born baby developed heart problem and needed to be hospitalized. My other sister had to be hospitalized with the sickness that we don’t know and not knowing where to get all the money to answer all these needs the family is falling apart. As I was devastated and over-whelmed of what’s happening with my family I lost my edge. Relationships, community life, prayer life and studies all were in a mess. People could not understand me for I myself could not understand my very own self anymore. I felt that I was carrying the whole world in my shoulder. During those times I pray and really prayed, begging God to stop all of these things, but after sleepless nights of praying nothing happened. God seems not to listen to me. Until one day I reached the rock-bottom of my faith… I thought of leaving the seminary and just face the miserable reality of my life. At that moment when I stopped believing… I think I lost my so called faith.

The day before I talked to Fr. Rector to express my intention I locked myself in my room for the whole day not to think over about my decision for I’m already decided but I stayed in my room to savor the last moments of my religious life or for my worst My last moment as a believer. As I was fixing my things I get hold of my sotana tears stated to flow from my eyes. There I fell down on my knees and shouted, cursed and blamed God and ask why, why all this. There while I was lying flat on the floor I felt something extra-ordinary, I felt God was at my side, just at my side whispering words, words that I will never forget. He kept on saying “have faith… have faith and it will move mountain.” In my anger, I said have faith, to whom, to you God? No God I’m over you I’m tired. But he gave me an answer “no not to me john but have faith in yourself don’t lose hope in you!”

Hearing those words made me stop and made me realize that these things are happening to me for I lost one of the most important things in my life and that is hope. I misunderstood what is faith. I was praying, praying to God about the things that I want to happen and not asking him what he wants. I lost my faith for I lost my hope.

There and then I mentioned the most powerful words that I ever found in the Scriptures, “Lord they will be done.” These words are like saying Lord I don’t know what to do anymore please help me. At that moment I felt that God stretched his hand to me and there I received a wonderful gift and that is the gift of hope. A gift that gave me strength to move a little bit of where I was standing and see the mountain in another angle. The moment I received hope I gained once more my faith. Faith is not asking mountain to move but faith asks us to be strong and make a difference in our life and we could only do this if we have hope and that hope is God. I did not lose my faith that day, I did not leave my vocation even though my family is still experiencing the same problems. My mother is still sick, my brother still questions his faith and money still a big problem. I am surviving all of these because I was able to move mountains for I gave God a space to move me even a little bit and see the mountain in a different point of view.

This experience of mine made me connect with the leper in our Gospel of today. He wanted to be free from the sickness, form the suffering that he is experiencing but he never demanded from God he just let God do his will in him. He just hoped that God will save him from his miserable situation. He just said “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” This is if you only wish.

My dear brothers the Gospel today reminds us of how we let God move in our life. Is he the God who follows all your commands or a God to whom you put all your hopes and dreams and you just follow whatever he wills? Do we give the steering wheel to him or we keep on driving wherever we want to go?

Feast of Immaculate Heart of Mary

Mt 6:24-34 “You cannot serve both God and mammon”

What I really love about our Church is that the Church is full of symbolisms and rituals. The point that proves this is what we are celebrating today. Right after the celebration of the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus the church celebrates the feast of the immaculate heart of Mary. I believe that when the church does something it is significant and meaningful. Everything has a purpose symbolically. The Church did not just put the celebration of the immaculate heart today with no reason at all but to bring home a message.

Many might ask why it is called the “Immaculate Heart of Mary?” We could answer this question basing in our Theological studies that it is called “Immaculate heart” for Mary is indeed the Immaculate Virgin as it is defined in our doctrine of faith and no one dared to question it lest if you do, anathema sit! But remember that our faith is a faith seeking for understanding, credo ut intelligam. Saying the dogmatic explanation of this “as a mystery” will not convince many, but if we put a little flesh on it people might buy our answer. So allow me to share my simple reflection about the “immaculate heart”

We Christians particularly Salesians, believe that we are called to pattern our hearts to the sacred heart of Jesus who is meek and humble of heart. We are called to relate with others with meekness and humility especially to the young. And this is where Mary entered the picture. Mary is the first believer, the first disciple of Christ. From the very beginning Mary believed in the holy plan of God when she said “be it done to me according to your word.” She believed that the one she will gave birth is the Son of God, Emmanuel. She put all her heart to the Word of God. This is for me why she is called the “immaculate heart” for her heart is only dedicated in doing the will of God and only the will of God. She put all her trust to his “Son” that he will save the world from sin. Mary did not put any question, anxiety, worries and fear in her heart and she maintained her heart pure… only for God. Mary sings in her heart the Psalm for today “I will bless the LORD at all times; praise shall be always in my lips.”

She is the best example of how we could follow Christ. Mary understood clearly what our Gospel of today said “we could not serve both God and mammon” Mary chose to believe and serve God and God alone.

My dear brothers the reality is that we are not just ordinary Christians we are professed Salesians. We are individuals who promise to live always in the image and likeness of Christ. We wish to follow Christ radically. I think this reality asks as all the more to be like the immaculate heart. We have a sufficient grace to be like Christ. Don Bosco in his dream tells us that Jesus himself gave Mary to us to be our teacher of how to be servants for the young. We need not worry on how we will do our mission as Christians or as Salesians for through Mary we will learn what is the meaning and how to be meek and humble of heart like that of Jesus her Son.

The feast of immaculate heart is a reminder for all of us of our mission as Christians who should have a heart patterned in the heart of Christ. Brothers, this is my personal understanding of the “immaculate heart” a heart that is for God and only for God. A heart totally patterned in the heart of Jesus. As the slogan say “Jesus through Mary.” How about you my dear brothers what is the personal meaning of this feast for you?

Feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus

Mk: 14:12-14 “the Lord Supper”

After the great celebration of Easter the church celebrates series of solemnities, the ascension of Jesus in to heaven, second Pentecost when the church was born, last week we celebrated the Holy Trinity, then today we are celebrating the solemnity of the Body and blood of Jesus also known as Corpus Christi. All of these celebrations speak something about our Christian faith.

The Church celebrates the feast of the Body of Christ for this particular feast reminds us of our Vocation as Christians. We call ourselves Christians which means believers and followers of Christ Jesus. And because we wish to follow Christ we share his mission and that mission is to bring unity, to bring communion. Jesus became man, died and rose again to bring God and man together who separated because of sin. When he rose again Jesus said “peace be with you, peace is what I give to you. And right before he ascended he commanded his apostles to forgive sins. The Pascal mystery, the gift of peace and the forgiveness of sins speak about one thing and this is unity among the believers. To bring communion is the mission of Jesus.

Now what is the connection of communion with today’s solemnity? Allow me to use this analogy. When you eat something it is digested by your body. The digested food flow in your body and it becomes one with you. This is what happens when ever we partake in the Eucharist. When we eat the body of Christ we become one with Christ. But let us not forget that we are partaking in the one body of Christ. This means that all of us who partake in this communion become one. At that very moment we become one body. Jesus, you and me are one. This reality reminds all Christians about our common mission to bring unity, communion in the church and in the whole world.

The first reading presented the “covenant” made in the Old Testament as something which made them people united in God. Now Jesus in our Gospel is the new covenant who offers himself for us to partake in his body and blood: An invitation to unite ourselves with him and God. In partaking in the body and blood of Christ we build the Church, we build the kingdom.

My dear brothers and sisters the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus reminds us of our identity as Christians as bearers of Christ who is the King of Peace. Let us ask ourselves, are we a sign of unity in our own family, among our relatives, our community and in our country and in the world. This is the challenge that our faith confronts us with. We are not just to be a sign of peace but giver of peace. Jesus said peace is what I give to you.

True Friendship

“Becoming Friends by: Paul Wandell”

In the midst of this confused world Paul Wandell the writer of the book “Becoming Friends” were able to present a clear idea of the significance of Christ in the lives of every individual. Wandell presented how the church brings us closer to our self and to God. He merges the wisdom of Christ in relating to man and the way man relate with others. He made the human relationship called friendship as his basis of what Christianity really means.

Friendship is one of the greatest gift of God to man. For friendship is a relationship were in a human being becomes a “person” who is capable of knowing what he wants or what he needs. Friendship is a longing to be in communion with others a natural need of man for he is a social being. In friendship man become self-conciseness because in this relationship man chose to become part of the life of somebody and he take full responsibility with this choice as a product of his reflection. True friendship brings the individual to his fullness as man, for it brings out all the best possible things hidden in his being.

For me Wandell were right in developing the idea that Christianity is indeed a friendship simply because the two have the same goal and end for man. Christianity and friendship are longing to be connected to others and in the end attain happiness. Attaining happiness is to be honesty, be good, and learn to be equal for these elements give justice. Christ lived his earthly life with these three elements and we all accepted that we could only attain true happiness through and with Christ. Friendship and Christianity is a transcendental relationship both aim that man be able to transcend, to go beyond himself and grow and to attain his fullness according to the design of God. Friendship makes us connected to other person. Christianity faith brings us connected to Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI said that “our Christian faith is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event,”[1] As man we could not go immediately explaining the Divine but we do it by our own human experience and there we see God in that event a new way of understanding our life.

I think if we just learn how to be true friends by living out its responsibility will be a big help on how we live our Christian community. Let God really be part of our daily life let us see Him with our human activities like friendship.

Friendship is a sign of desire to be with others hopefully it leads us to desire to be with God that is why we have Church today to answer this natural need of man.

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[1] Pope Benedict XVI. Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est. 2005.

One of the things that I learned in my theological study about the ministry of the deacon in the church is that deacons are helper of the priest in administering graces in the form of sacraments to the people of God, in particular in the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel. At this moment I wish to ask my nine companions to stand-up and face the people, and may I ask the people to look at these ten young men very carefully as they stood in front of you. People of God these are your deacons who are sinful, imperfect, and unworthy to be called ministers of God. These ten men are the gifts of God for the whole Church.

24 hours a day and 7 days a week of being together, I could honestly say that we are sinful in many ways. We are imperfect compared to the others and unworthy to be in the altar of God. With all of these negative qualities we have, you might ask what make us stand-up here and ask for the gift of Ordination? Brothers and sisters it was our hope in the love of Christ that moved us to do this act of faith. We experienced his love and we keep on longing for it.

It was the love of Christ that impelled us to have the strength to say yes even with our imperfections for in our imperfection we relay all the more in the perfect love of God making us to realize that without him we could do nothing for we are nothing without his love. Our experience made us to believe that with the love of Christ, something will come out good from these imperfect, unworthy individuals. All we have to do is to believe and put all our hopes in the power and mercy of the love of Christ.

This is the first thing that we want to teach to you as deacons, “to preach what you believe and live what you preach.” We believed that Christ is the one who called us for this vocation. He was the one who first believed that we can do something for the Church and we just live this belief by submitting everything to his love.