Wonder

in

Wander

Wanderer

Dear Happiness
Latest Homily Post

Sweet delight,

 

Merry that day is,

When you came to being,

Not like any other,

For me you came.

 

How great that day,

For it now I rejoice,

By it I find happiness,

Even where ills prevail.

 

For that day,

Now I see a wondrous face,

To which again and again,

I seem to owe a splendid lot.

 

Then sweetest delight,

Are you who came by it,

For you my heart braves on,

May you see more of it,

My sweet delight.

                                               

 

Dear Happiness,

 

Weren’t it for you,

Sorrow wouldn’t be,

Nonetheless all strive for you,

With or without knowing it,

What are you then?

 

 

The rich and the poor strive for you,

But none find you to the full,

You visit every man but never for long,

You’re found only to be lost,

Why don’t you want to stay?

 

A man may claim the whole world,

But without you,

Another may claim nothing,

But  you choose to accompany him,

How do you choose your companions?

 

Some find you in the flesh,

others in the soul,

and still others in the mind,

Where then do you stay?

 

 

WILL TRAINING

Nine exercises for strengthening the will:

Smile when you would rather frown.

Say s gentle word when you would rather speak unkindly.

Do a kind did be it ever so simple, when you would rather take your ease.

Think a good thought when you would rather not be thinking at all.

See something beautiful in every disagreeable task.

Speak only the good word about those who cross your path.

Deny yourself some little thing each day.

Be joyful even in the face of sorrow and misfortune.

 

FORMULA FOR PEACE

 

The world would be better off, if people tried to become better.

And people would become better, if they stopped trying to be better off.

For when everybody tries to become better off, nobody is better off.

But when everybody tries to become better, everybody is better off.

Everybody would be rich, if nobody tried to become richer.

And nobody would be poor, if everybody tried to be poorer.

And everybody would be what he ought to be if everybody

 tried to be what he wants the other fellow to be.

 

** Conscience is only a still small voice, and half the time

 

A LESSON TO THE SLANDERER

 

When Augustine of Tagaste, the greatest of Latin Fathers ... was at table with his friends in his own home, one of them began to speak uncharitably about someone else. The saint said nothing, but lifted his eyes to a sign which hung upon the wall.

The offending guest, of course, looked at the same object, and read the legend:

            “Be it known to the detractors that they are forbidden this table.”

The detractor ay, and often does, pull down others, but by so doing he never, as he seems to suppose, elevates himself to their position. The most he can do is maliciously to tear from them the blessings which he cannot enjoy himself.

 

** A slip of the Foot You may soon recover, but a slip of the Tongue You may never get over.

 

TURN ASIDE FROM THE CROWD

                       

It is easier to keep silent than not to exceed in words.

It is easier to keep retired at home than to be upon one’s guard abroad.

Whoever ,therefore, aims at inward and spiritual things, must turn aside from the crowd.

No man can safely appear in public, but he who loves seclusion.

No man can safely speak, but he who loves silence.

No man can safely be a superior, but he who loves to live in subjection.

No man can safely command, but he who has learned how to obey well.

No man can rejoice securely, but he who has within him the testimony of a good conscience.

                                                                                                            ---Thomas a Kempis

**As often as I have been among men, I have turned less man.      ---Seneca

 

Reflection on Franz Fanon’s Political Thoughts

Uganda being one of the countries that failed to condone colonialism, will never fail to benefit from Frantz Fanon’s political ideas.

 

Indeed right from the period of transition that is from independence up to date the political situation of Uganda just like any other country in Africa has witnessed revolutions in the economic, socio-political events. Fanon’s political ideas are of great relevance to Uganda’s political situation in the following ways.

 

Fanon in one of his political ideas advocates for the sense of having a Nation. To him, it’s the fight for National existence which sets a culture moving and opens it the doors of creation. The national character of culture makes such a culture open to other cultures and this enables it permeate other cultures. This feeling of nationhood is relevant to our political situation particularly today where we have a lot of liberation wars which have become booming industries for the destruction of innocent lives and also economic gains for some individuals. If we could show that attitude of identifying ourselves as Ugandans other than by regions, tribes etceteras, indeed the current rampart rebel activities could become a history.

 

Fanon further puts emphasis on the education of the masses, particularly the youths and the Army by the ruling government. He says that the government should raise the level of consciousness of young people so that they can be enlightened. This to a great extent has been achieved in Uganda by the current government particularly through Universal Primary Education, Mchaka mchaka course. A recent report in the New Vision indicates an increase in the literacy level in Uganda to 60 percent. Indeed admitting the rate of literacy increase in the country, Hon. Norbert Mao, a great critic to the current government had this to say “With the increased rate of enlightenment and literacy level, it will be hard for Ugandans to accept open dictators of Amin’s type in the future”, reports Phaida  FM, a local radio station in Nebbi district.

 

On the Army, Fanon says it’s not always a school of war; but also of civic and political education, the soldier defends the nation using arms, he is in the service of his country not of his commanding officer. He warns that the army should not be turned into an autonomous body because they can end up into politics and threaten the government. He further advocates for the reduction in the number of permanent officers in the army.

 

Considering our situation in Uganda, the question of civic and political education has been achieved to some extend especially in the category of some army and also the rate of brutality has reduced, an indication that the army knows what is expected of her.

 

Secondly, the point of autonomy of the army is still a big problem in Uganda. The present army has so much influence in politics and also deciding the future of this Nation as the government is headed by a military genius person. We see the Army having a share in the parliament, some soldiers have been misplaced as health ministers, others for Kalangala affairs, a thing Fanon would not entertain.

 

Uganda’s army has ever fallen prey of mercenaries who just come to disorganise and castrate the nation because they do not have the country at heart. Typical example being the 1979 invasion by the Tanzanian armed forces, the National Resistance mercenaries many of whom were Rwandese nationals who later left Uganda for a Genocide in Rwanda.

 

Like Fanon, the government of Uganda is credited for guarding against the danger of perpetuating the feudal tradition, which holds sacred, the superiority of men over women, the government has advocated for women emancipation. Indeed women nowadays have a lot of voice in public places.

 

Decentralisation of power and other tools of responsibility and leadership was highly advocated for by Fanon in his political views. This indeed is being lived up to by the current political system as we see today, the government of Uganda has with all alacrity embraced the spirit of decentralisation in all districts.

 

For Fanon, a government that wants to be national ought to be government of the people, and by the people. He thus advocated for democracy. In the light of the political situation of Uganda, despite not being fully attained, and looking at where we are coming from, we can at least smile that there is some sense of democracy if not, then we seem to be on the way to it.

 

On having a single party system in a country, Fanon dismisses it as the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie on the poor masses. indeed in the Ugandan context, this one party system is becoming a cancer in the flesh of most Ugandans because of the over domination by the few whose muscles are economically well serviced, those who can urinate on the rights of the majority poor and expect no complain from the victims of the uric acid, others have gone as far as ruling their home districts as a personal property. indeed along this line, Ugandans have lived negatively to the expectation of Fanon’s view on a single party system.

 

Fanon advocated for political parties but warns that it will be good if they are not based on tribal, regional feelings because to him, political parties can breed a variety of good leaders as it has roots right from the district level. In Uganda, parties had been booming legally but however, the current government has put a ban on the legal operation of these parties despite the illegal operations they carry out as they await their fate in the political organisation bill.

 

Fanon denounced Europe and claimed that it had been founded on slavery, it has cheated Africa, and so we should not pay tribute to Europe but instead we must turn a new leaf.

 

For us today in Uganda, we look more of the lost sheep proclaimed in the Gospel. Our interest has shifted to receiving any thing western without sieving, look at the ever increasing number of Non Governmental Organisations established by the western world in the country and their activities, they preach poverty alleviation instead of eradication, a glance at the moral sector leaves one with tears of seeing how the greater part of the society is rotting morally. Globalisation as a matter of fact has become the new form of colonisation.

 

According to Fanon, authentic decolonisation can be achieved through violence and not dialogue but here he was categorical. Uganda’s politics indeed has witnessed a lot of violence and it seems to continue. For instance in 1980 elections, rigging occurred in favour of the ruling party and this prompted the dissatisfied party to resort to violence which in turn brought her to power, a similar situation almost followed suit in the 2001 presidential elections which up to date has left a heap of dissatisfaction among certain category of people. Hence Fanon’s view of violence has been positive in bringing changes in the form of government.

 

On a positive note, Fanon discourages killing particularly of innocent lives because to him its dehumanising and personalising of life which to the Ugandan situation is relevant particularly in the north where Kony’s rebels are making people shed sea of innocent blood in wars whose cause they do not know.

 

Commenting on capitalism, Fanon condemns it at all cost and prefers Nationalisation of public enterprises because he looks at capitalists as exploiters of human labour. Today, the Uganda government has seriously embarked on privatisation and denationalisation of firms which is a clear road towards capitalism. We should note however that before the collapse of the socialist soviet union, Uganda was an active socialist state, but with time she joined the capitalistic Western states which initiated her to capitalism and its associated Lucifer’s of selfishness, corruption and exploitation. But positively speaking, the privatisation of public enterprises was undertaken because of poor management and low revenue got out of them in this way Fanon’s point of nationalisation of enterprises is not relevant to the political situation of this country.

Conclusion

 

Fanon was a socialist, an enemy of capitalism and the West, colonialism, and neo-colonialism; a revolutionary; an anti-racist who believed in the efficacy and humanist value of violent counter assertion; an opponent to authoritarian and elitist government, whatever its nominal label, and a champion of the poorest of men on earth, the peasants of the Third World. Most of his ideas remain very relevant for the achievement of real development in the underdeveloped world, but even then the fact continues to hold that his ideas were greatly influenced by the situation in his time and some may no longer be very relevant in the present age especially after the fall of communism in many parts of the world.

 

Divine Work: The God of Africans Vs the Christian God

Introduction: The belief that God is actively involved in their daily experience is so much a part of African religious life. That is why Africans always refer to God in almost everything that they do.[1] To the traditional Africans as well as to the Christians, God’s activities are an essential dimension of Him. They reflect, ultimately, the nature of God or to be more accurate, what people imagine Him to be and to do. These activities can be categorised as follows:

 

Creation: African traditionalists as well as Christians believe that God is responsible for their beginnings. He created all things and hence they address Him as Creator. For the Baganda people for instance “Katonda” is the name used for God  by both the Traditionalists and Christians. It means “God is creator, protector and helper. He creates (kutonda) children, moulds them in a woman’s body.”[2] Other communities have similar names for God such as, “Borebore”- Akan, “Ruhanga”- Banyankore/Bakiga, and “Kibumba”- Basoga. All these imply creator, originator or artist in chief. The idea of the creative work of God is also reflected in the cosmological myths of all African peoples much as it is reflected in the Christian scripture in Genesis Chapters 1 and 2.

 

Many African communities believe that God not only created the material universe but also established laws of nature and human customs and that he continues His creative work throughout the universe. For instance, D. Westerman in His work The African Today And Tomorrow  writes that the Twi say that “God never ceases to create things”[3] His is also true for Christians who believe that God instituted the “Decalogue”- the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:1-21) as well as other laws like the law of nature. To the Africans, God also determines the destiny of His creatures and also fixes how long each will live. Hence God is creator, owner, director of the entire universe.

 

Providence and Sustenance: “According to the Anlo-Ewe of Western Ghana, Mawu (God) not only creates, he continues to watch over and to provide for all His creation.”[4]African traditional communities believe that having brought the universe into existence God did not abandon His property. He continues to sustain and maintain it. Thus although people continue to die, more continue to be born, although some trees wither, others germinate and grow to replace them. He continues to provide for the essential needs of His creation and such people expect to provide for instance rain for the crops that man eats, grass and other plants that animals feed on. And failure of these is seen as an act of God. This is also true for the Christians. In The Catechism of the Catholic church, it is written that “God cares

for all from the least things to the great events of the world and it’s history”[5] and it is why when there are epidemics, wars, famine or other calamities the people plead to God and when there is good harvest, peace, health, fertility and happiness, people offer thanksgiving. God’s omnipotence is experienced as protective, sustaining, saving and healing. The Baganda for instance call God “Ddunda”-pastor, the Kiga call Him “Biheko”-the one who carried everyone on His back, the Abaluya call Him

“Wole”-One who saves, helps or steers and the Barundi call Him “Haragakiza”-saviour.[6] These names are used for God by both traditionalists and Christians.

 

Affliction: Although God is seen as sustainer, provider, saviour and  healer, many traditional African communities involve Him in explanation of the afflictions in human life. He is considered as responsible for diseases especially epidemics even if spirits, and human agents (magicians, sorcerers, witchcraft) are also involved.  However, from the Christian point of view affliction and suffering as seen as participation in Jesus’ work of salvation

(2Cor 12:9; Col 1:24) or as consequence of original sin[7], or as a test of one’s faith (Jb 1:6-2:13).

 

For some African societies, God may also use spiritual beings to bring afflictions to people. That is why some societies have different divinities for different afflictions. For instance, the Basoga have a divinity of plague and the Gisu have one for small-pox. African traditionalists also attribute national calamities such as drought, invasions, wars, and floods to the activity of God since they are beyond individual control. Some African societies also Consider Him the cause of death. Some regarding it as His punishment, others as His manifestation. Thus they offer Him prayers, sacrifices and offerings hoping that He will delay or avert death. However on the whole God is not blamed for calamities, misfortunes and sorrows which strike man. He is brought into the picture primarily as an attempt to explain what is otherwise difficult for the human mind and to comfort those struck by the particular form of suffering.[8]

 

Governing: Africans traditionally believe that God established the organisation of the community and that He is ruler, king, lord, master and judge of the entire universe. Christians too believe this. Justo L. Gonzalez writes that “Christians, jointly with the Jews insisted that there is one God, who rules the universe and every sphere of life.”[9] Each African community conceives God’s governing work according  to the political structure of their society and hence the human rulers tend to be readily projected on the image of God. The Zulu of South Africa for example consider Him as King of kings or Chief of chiefs an attribute which conveys supreme absolute authority.[10] God is hence pictured as supreme, absolute, rich- the ultimate owner of all things.

 

As lord and master, the African people regard God with humbleness and submissiveness since all is in his power. This applies for both traditionalists and Christians. As ruler He is “detached or removed” from creation; but as lord and master he is involved in His creation. Some societies also consider their human rulers as representatives of God ruling over men. This is similar to the Christian contention that all authority comes from God (Rom 13:1-2, Pt 2:13-17).

 

God is also considered as the supreme judge and is hence associated with justice, retribution and punishment. He is believed to ensure social and political orderliness in the community by punishing violators of the established organisation. For instance, the Nuer believe that God punishes what is wrong and rewards what is right.[11] Christians also believe that God passes the final judgement over a person’s life and decides whether to reward one with heaven or to send him to purgatory or to condemn one forever to hell (1Cor 4:1-6). In a word He is a judge without bias and impartiality.

 

God and human history: African traditional communities believe that God actively participates in human history and that he intervenes in the affairs of human beings. From the Christian point of view, “history is the context of God’s revelation.”[12] Thus both the Traditionalists and Christians include Him in their different histories. The Meru for example believe that God led them long ago out of the land of bondage through the agent of a religious leader (Mugwe), the Gikuyu of Kenya believe that He comes to earth from time to time to inspect it, bestow blessings and mete out punishment and the Gala narrate that He once came to earth and talked with humankind. [13] The last example is similar to the Christian narratives of the Gospels which reveal that the son of God -Jesus once came and lived as a man on earth. However, for many African peoples, God’s active part in human history is seen in terms of supplying them with rain, good health, cattle and children, healing the sick, delivering and helping them; and in terms of making his presence felt through natural phenomena and objects. The people respond to His interest and care by worshipping Him.

 

Conclusion: In African traditional religion, God’s work is generally believed to be concerned with all aspects of the universe. He made it, He take care of it and provides for His creatures in it, He instituted its organisation by which he administers it and directs everything to its

determined destiny according to His absolute will, and hence He directs history. For this fact the Africans see God present in all their activities and spheres of life and hence they incorporate religion in every aspect of their lives. For this fact, aliens regard the Africans as religiously notorious. Christians also believe that God has been active and at work since the beginning of existence. The Father together with the Son and the Holy Spirit are seen as a unity in the economy of salvation.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gonzalez, L. Justo. Christian Thought Revised. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1989.

Mbiti, S. John. African religions and philosophy. London: Heinemann Educational Books          Ltd., 1974.

Mugambi, Jesse and Nicodemus Kirima. The African Religious Heritage. Nairobi: Oxford University             Press, 1979.

Newell, S. Booth. African Traditional Religion: A symposium. New York: Nok       

Parrinder, E. Geoffrey. African Traditional Religion. London: Sheldon Press, 1962.

            Publishers Ltd., 1977.

The African Bible. Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 1999.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church. Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 1995.

 

Critical commentary on the Soteriology of the (CCC)

            General overview

The CCC does not present an independent in-depth system soteriology. Rather, it summarizes the different theories of soteriology that the Church has found to be useful for enlightening the faithful about the mystery of salvation. As clearly expressed in the text, CCC soteriology is distinctly biblical, patristic and classical.

Christ accomplishes salvation: as mystery of universal redemption, ransom to free all humanity from the slavery of sin (CCC 601-2); as the unique sacrifice to restore man to communion with God (CCC 613); as atonement for our faults (CCC 615); as substitution for the sins of many (CCC 615); as a satisfaction for our sins to the Father (CCC 615) and so on.

One may question as to whether the terms redemption, ransom, reconciliation, atonement, substitution, and satisfaction, all exactly the same thing. Definitely, they are not synonymous. Nonetheless, all these expressions have something in common. They are relational in the sense that they all embed the idea that, “the Christ event as an exchange.” This fits well with the Balsatharian notion of the centrality of the admirabile commercium (marvelous exchange) in the tensions of an authentic soteriology (Balthasar, Theodrama IV, 240-49). The Christ event, our salvation is centers on God lowering himself to lift us up.

Central to this notion of exchange is the emphasis on the fact that God does not benefit from this exchange but we do. The exchange takes place “for us” implying it is representational. “Jesus did not experience reprobation as if he himself sinned” (CCC 603). Whatever Christ underwent, he did so not because he deserved it except for us. He takes upon himself degradation and suffering in our place, because on our own we could not accomplish our own salvation (CCC 615:). Hence Christ undertakes the burden of our salvation as a necessity. However this does not infringe on his freedom in any way (614). This is in line with Anselm defense of the necessity of the incarnation and the paschal mystery for our salvation (Anselm of Canterbury, Cur Deus Homo, I.22-23). 

Dimensions of soteriology in the CCC

The emphasis on exchange is a necessary consequence of the biblical and patristic orientation of CCC soteriology. Since the CCC does not attempt to give a theological treatise of this exchange, in the next few paragraphs I will try to develop a structural reshaping of the text using the model learned in class in order to appraise it.

Intra-Trinitarian event

In the exchange, God takes the initiative. It is a divine plan of salvation (CCC 602) in which we are the beneficiaries (CCC 460). God takes this initiative with the desire to restore us to communion with him (CCC 613). Since it’s a restoration, something must have gone wrong that must be fixed to heal a certain broken bond. Further, with a plan that was foretold in scripture and with a goal (CCC 601, Isaiah 53), it can be inferred that that the Christ event was not an accident.

To execute God’s plan of salvation necessitates the incarnation the second person of the Trinity (616). Hence our salvation has profound impact on the Trinitarian relationship. To restore human dignity, the Son of God has to take on “the form of a slave, in the from of fallen humanity, on account of sin…” (CCC 602). This means that to uplift us the Son must partake of our nature to redeem it. Since humanity is fallen in sin, he must become sin itself. Christ assumes fallen state of humanity “… in the redeeming love that always united him to the Father…” (603[SH1] ), and to save us he offers his life to his life in freedom and love to his Father through the Holy Spirit (CCC 614). Hence the Incarnation is a Trinitarian event.

Event between God and humanity

Representation necessitates solidarity between the savior and those whom he is saving, by way of incarnation. Thus the incarnation bears a new relationship between God and man, in which Christ the divine person of the Son “surpasses and embraces all human persons and constitutes himself as the Head of all mankind …” (CCC 615; confer also 618). This relates to Aquinas’ idea of mystical union of Christ and the church as an explanation for the way Christ’s incarnation and suffering made satisfaction to the Father on behalf of the whole church (Aquinas, Summa Theologiae III. Q48.a2).

On the Cross, Christ completely enters into communion with all humanity by immersing himself fully in the depth human experience. His cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” depicts the suffering of every individual in the state sin[SH2] . Thus on the Cross, the divine Son established himself in solidarity with all sinners (CCC 603). Martin Luther’s soteriology hinged upon this point. However, it must be said that he over stretched it hence ending up with a skewed and one-sided soteriology (Althaus, The Theology of Martin Luther, 1966, 204).

Further, the Paschal sacrifice establishes a covenantal relationship between God and humanity. Christ’s sacrifice frees all man from the slavery of sin to make us partakers of the divine life (CCC 602; 460; 618). Through suffering Christ restored humanity’s communion with God. Hence the salvation accomplished for us by Christ entails freeing us from the slavery of sin (previous paragraph) and frees for sharing in the divine life – divinization. At this point the CCC brings together the East (incarnational) and West (staurological) views on the outcomes of the exchange (Balthasar, Theodrama IV, 240-49). Also worthy noting is the fact that Calvinist or reformed theology hinges about the concept of covenant as the essential way of explaining the Christ event (Kereszty, 279).

Intra-humanitarian event

The soteriology of the CCC employs familial and relational terms such as universal redemption (CCC 601), us, we, and our (457, 603, 460; 614; 615). The use of such terms gives a message that Christ’s salvific work brought about a new relationship amongst all human beings[SH3] . The Christ event establishes familial relationship between all humanity, in which God is the Father of a large family of brothers and sisters who are united to the Father through the Son.

Nonetheless it has to be said that, this generic language of the catechism may fail to speak to the individual who is questing for personal meaning in the Christ event. As such the subjective dimension, which is a necessary part of a meaningful soteriology, is not well represented in the text. T[SH4] he quest for relevance of the Christ event is usually a subjective one; individuals seeking to find meaning in their life through their faith in a particular set of circumstances. 

The conclusion that may be drawn is that the soteriology of the CCC as presented in the text is largely objective. It needs supplementations that answer questions such as: “What does it mean for me to take up my cross and follow Christ? What does it mean for me to partake in the divine life? How do I recognize Christ as my personal savior? The soteriological works modern writers like Sebastian Moore, which sink deeper into the human condition, are therefore useful as supplements to the CCC.

The CCC and catechesis

After two millennia of operation as God’s instrument of salvation, the church has not defined a dogma related to soteriology. Nonetheless, soteriology is the core of the Christ event and consequently has to be the focus of the work of the Church. By not defining dogmas related to soteriology, the church indirectly affirms the mysterious nature of the Christ event and its expression in a variety of ways, which cannot be limited to just a few words of a dogmatic statement.

Not comprehending a mystery does not imply lack of any knowledge about it. It is in the catechism that the teaching authority of the church enlightens the people of God about the mysteries of the faith. However, if taken in its present form, the catechism is a magisterial tool and a referential text. To use Cardinal Ratzinger terms, it is “a book of faith, for the teaching of the faith” (Ratzinger, L’Osservatore Romano, Nov 20, 2002, p.6). The implication of this is that the catechism needs to be simplified to make it meaningful for particular groups of people. It must be brought down into the life of the people.

The simplification of the catechism should follow the model of inculturation as applied in the liturgy. Inculturation of CCC simply means presenting it in terms familiar to ordinary people. As such, while retaining the objective principles as outlined in the CCC, the teachers of the faith should elaborate them from the perspective of the experience of ordinary people.

Applying this idea to a specific case that is, the parish where I came from, the first thing I do would be to translate the text into the language of the people. While translating, the key would be to endeavor to simplify the scholarly terminology of the CCC to ordinary language. And in the context of my parish that is still predominantly an oral culture, I would have to use stories to explain the doctrine[SH5] .

The CCC therefore becomes a basically referential text to be used for articulation of the doctrine. Emphasis would be put upon narrating the peak moments in the history of salvation since they are the background for the Christ event. This makes the Bible indispensable.

In all this effort, the key principle would be enabling people to encounter Christ saving them every day in the depth of their life experience; at their jobs, in their families and communities, in suffering, and in joy.      [SH6] 

 

My Friend, My Brother

The place where I come from, one of the tasks we normally did as kids was to take family goats to the fields for grazing. Boys in a family normally took turns; if on Monday it is Kalule, Tuesday it is Kalungi, Wednesday its Kakande, and then all the way round once again.

 

When it was one’s turn, he would hook up with other boys in the neighborhood and together they go up the hills to feed their respective herds. Unlike cows or sheep, goats have two unique features; first, they are very delightful to see and their meat is the most delicious for those who eat it. Secondly they are the stubbornest of animals. They never recognize their master. They never have a clue of his purpose. You can never let them free of their ropes because then they will disappear. Even when you are taking them to the finest grass in the fields, they will always pull you back as they try to have hurried bites off shrunken shrubs growing by the side of the path.

 

I imagine that quite often, despite our gift of freedom, our gift to reason, our gift to love, our gift of faith, our gift of hope, and our talents, in the sight of God we act similar to goats. In the reading we have heard, what those tenants did, we ourselves do if not quite often at least once in a while. Sometimes we act like masters of ourselves; other times through the funny habits that rule over us, we deny the freedom that should be ours; now and again we turn our talents into idols that blind us to reality; we shut our ears to the messenger that says, “Brother, pay attention to this or that,” or, “Friend, avoid that path, it goes the wrong the way.”

 

But like the little boy who pastures family goats with delight and joy, the Lord never abandons us. Let us be thankful for who and what we are. The life we have, the talents that help us, the people that we meet, our cam and our community, all are given, there is nothing that we really deserve; all are just gifts that we have to receive with gratitude. May we use them to bear fruit in plenty and always remain pleasing to the Lord!

 

End

 

ISA 55:1 Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty; though you have no money, come! Buy corn without money, and eat, and, at no cost, wine and milk. 

 

Musing

My worries are for nothing,

My God provides for me

Before I ask,

He knows what I need,

 

Therefore I will take,

The guitar and the song,

I will chant and stamp,

All my joy away

 

Those who see and hear

My joy they will tell

In the midst of their gossip

On street and table

 

He hears me,

Whenever I call,

He responds,

Before I know it

 

Glory to the Father,

And the Son

And the Spirit

One in three

Blessed Trinity

 

Suffering

Oh Lord, keep the gravity of your suffering flesh within our hearts and memories. That when we ourselves suffer, it may cause us joy and thankfulness knowing that we are joining our little sufferings to yours for the salvation of souls. That in this way, all may be restored to the Father, that you may reign eternally over all, and that the Holy Spirit may glorious reign in the hearts of all people.

 

When we suffer, let us not suffer for Christ, for he does not our suffering. Let us instead be kind enough to conjoin this suffering to that of Christ for the salvation of souls.

 

He chose Food

Since yesterday, I have been wondering in my thoughts. I have wondered a lot, at my frailty. But the greatest focus of my wonder has been the mystery of the Holy Eucharist with the specific question, “why of all things did the Lord choose the Eucharist as the sacrament of his real presence. I found out that I did not have to look to the angels to find the answer. I simply had to look at myself and fellow humans for that is what the whole Christ event essentially focused upon. The answer is seemingly simple and I am sure I do not doubt it.

 

To eat is the most basic our needs. The Lord saw it right and fitting to be fully present with us at the very moment we are in utmost need. So he left us something that we eat for his real presence.

 

The Eucharist is the food of the pilgrim people of God.  Therefore to go without the Eucharist is like to be someone who sets off for a long journey on empty stomach. Chances are that he or she will not last long before collapsing along the journey.

 

I was also amazed at the fundamental unity between the Holy Eucharist and the Holy priesthood. Do not you wonder that the Lord choose the same event to institute both sacraments. The Lord knew that there is ultimately no Eucharist without the priest.

 

When I realize this I see how much we need priests. For how will the pilgrims reach their destination on empty stomachs? And how will there be food without priests?

 

The above fact leads to a conclusion that the basic function of the priest is nothing but to celebrate the Eucharist. I have not used the greatest tenets of logic to arrive at this conclusion. But I deem it something nearest to the truth. Ultimately we do not really know many things. But what we know is always good enough at that moment we know it. It is what we need then. Since the future builds on the past, we cannot stop to be students.

 

My ideas are so disorganized at this moment. I have been reading a bit of Locke on religion. He is such a Protestant. I also talked to my spiritual director. We just talked about life, present and past. I feel that is what spiritual direction should be about. But he seems a bit uncomfortable. He seems to like that we talk about “spiritual matters.” I find it so hard to separate my spiritual life from my everyday life. May be somebody can help me with the difference. But in any case, it will not be helpful in the long run. When human beings began to separate, their everyday life from their spiritual life, they apparently did not come to a better realization of God’s presence in their lives, but they seem to “lose” him more and more. God does not work in our lives only at certain moments. Whether we are asleep or awake he is there, so invisible, but only to those who do not pay attention to him.  He does not hide from them that seek him with a sincere heart.

 

I think I will continue from here later on.

 

Paradoxes

There is a paradox about almost everything. Here is the one of faith. From the earliest days of the Church, it is clear that as some people cross the line out of the Church, those who remain become even stronger in their faith. Eventually they attract others to join them and the Church goes on. This process is endless in time. Christ is its divine foundation and director while Peter standards for him among men. Thus the Lord said to Peter, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! … You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the Netherworld will not prevail against it” Mt 21:17-18. That is what I am seeing these days as I look at the Church in the USA. After the scandals of many priests, many have defected from our ranks. They have turned the guns against us. In their defection, we have become even much stronger. Men and women, young and senior, weak and stronger have all braced themselves with hardened glittering armors to fight the enemy with unwavering vigor. Many have entered the Seminary, many have picked the pen for their gun while others have chosen to shine with overwhelming brightness to attract and illuminate those in their midst and to shatter the darkness.

 

I think the enemy is crying foul play. Indeed as the great one says, “he can inflict but he cannot destroy.” (JCHN) I sincerely feel sorry for what I said in class last week. Somebody was claiming that Luther snatched the Church away just it approached the outskirts of hell. I almost called him a heretic. I was harsh but indeed not so far from the truth. I do not think even the great Luther would have loved to hear such a thing said about him. The Church essentially does not need any one of us in particular. We need it. We cannot save it. We are saved with and through it by Christ.

 

The Church is indefectibly holy. However, those who expect her members to be perfect are like the one who when Christ announced that he was destined to suffer responded, “God forbid it Lord, this must never, happen to you.” They not only deny the reality they see at hand but become stumbling blocks on the path leading to the accomplishment of the mission. Thus, the Lord says to them, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things” Mt 21:23.

 

Even in his Church Christ continues the journey of Calvary. He is wounded. Sometimes the wounds seem to heal and then they resurface only to bite even deeper. Thus he says, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” Mt 21:24. The Church shall not cease to carry the cross until all will be all in all. For then what will she be without the Cross? Christ saves by the Cross. The church must bear the cross, and you and me must carry it with her. For St. Paul speaking of himself has already clarified this, “in my suffering I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is the Church” Col 1:24b. That is the gist of the mission. It is the cross. It is affliction.

 

And here comes another paradox, for the man or woman of faith, affliction is endured with joy. Don’t these things strike you? The Apostle says of himself that, “I am rejoicing in my sufferings for you sake,” Col 1:24a and of us “And you have become imitators  of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit,” 1Thess 1:6. When a true disciple suffers let him or her rejoice then. For that is a blessing which the Lord has not given to so many. And as he said in all the Beatitudes Mt 5:1-12, for such is the Kingdom of heaven destined

 

“Big Bang”

 

My mind has been wandering all over this day. I have been wondering how probably it was like before the Fall. What were human beings like? What were animals like? How were the stars, the sun, the moon, the planets, the galaxies, and the universe like? The scientist may claim to be the authentic authority to answer these questions. Can’t we compare the Fall to the “Big Bang” that the scientist prides in? Although he tells us about the “Big Bang,” he cannot tell us how things were before it happened. To whom shall we turn then? Non other than the theologian: Let us ask the one whom God has inspired may be we shall find some answers.

 

“God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them” Gen 1:27. He put them in a paradise and they enjoyed it until they disobeyed him. No sooner was their freely chosen act complete than the Big Bang happened. Woe came to the whole world. Adam turned against Eve, Eve turned the against the snake, animals turned against each other and against human beings, the springs that controlled tectonic movements loosened, all “paradisal” bonds were loosened, harmony was lost, all things experienced incompleteness and became prone to corruption. Universal peace was shattered. And man had to wait many years in this deplorable situation until the one to restore him and everything came.

 

This is what the Apostle says of him: “He is the image of the invisible God,” Col 1:5. What does this literally mean save that Jesus of Nazareth is the man of paradise; the unblurred image of God. But as a man amongst us he was no different from us except in one aspect, sin. And here I cannot but stop for a while. Was Jesus Christ tempted? Yes for that is what the good book says and not just once but several times: Mt 4:1-10, Mk 1:12-13, Lk 4: 1-13; and I bet even in moments of anger such as about the Temple incident, Jn 2:13-25, and of near desperation such as in Gethsemane Mt 26: 26ff are also moments of temptation. Furthermore, how would he ever be truly human without temptation? However on may inquire here that how can he human without sin? He is human without sin because sin is not to the nature of man. Sin is a defect. As the perfect image of the invisible God, he bears no defect and thus no sin. Nonetheless he faced exactly the same temptations as we do. Mention it he faced it. Temptations correspond to our passions. Therefore it is just normal to be tempted. The real problem is the reaction, the lack of prudence. That is where Jesus differed from all of us. He did not allow the temptations to ride over him, to overpower him. He had the concupiscence that arises out of our passions but he did not allow them to become inordinate. So he had sinful concupiscence.

 

I am diverging from the purpose I intended this to be. Let me get back in line. Probably I will pursue that matter letter. The point I want to make is that the true Christian is the peaceful person. Peace was the greatest mark of paradisal life. For this reason as we read everywhere in the good book, peace is the essential attribute of the messianic age, of divine presence. Whenever Israel was at peace, God was with them. Whenever there was war, God had deserted Israel. The greatest king is the one who ruled in peace. The greatest blessing was peace in one’s house and the greatest prayer was the wish of peace of or for peace. The clearest expression is in Isaiah; He uses the term or and it derivative 17 times. He makes the clearest expression of this state in chap 11. Peace comes from integrating.

            [To be continued later]

Christ is the image of the invisible God.

In your light we see light

 

In the Bitter Valley

After the Council that opened the windows of the Church, a cool breeze came in. It felt like the beginning of springtime. We could henceforth enjoy that cool feeling that follows a fresh breath: a feeling of relaxation, and excitement.  Scandals that have hit the Church so many people have come to call crises; there has been a tendency among the clergy to become gentlemen.

To be continue later

 

Greatest Machine ever can’t measure up to Greatest Fool ever

 

Why is the most instinctive of human actions at the same time the “highest” productive activity he can ever do? By “highest productive activity” I mean nothing more than the act of bringing another human being into the world. Above this there is only one greater, saving a soul from damnation. There is no doubt that even the most sophisticated of machines can never measure up to a fool.

 

I would think that God intended to show all his creatures that it is not by virtue of their ingenuity, learning or virtuousness that this can be done. It is a given.

 

Hence the Lord preserves for himself the essential ingenuity of creating another human being or other animate being that is born into the world.

 

Even if the scientist claims to show how to do it in the test tube, he or she does nothing other than do that which God by his infinite wisdom and power has ordered. The difference is merely change of place.

To be continue later.

 

Sam

I was talking to a Presbyterian seminarian called Sam yesterday in USML library. I was supposed to be preparing for my Reform Church History quiz but I suspended the study. We talked for almost an hour. Starting form our names and our identities. He was Korean. He was Studying Scripture at a seminary in Evanston on the NW university campus. Over the break I used to carry my guitar to their beach and wine down for a while. I think it is a great place to study.

 

He asked me what I was doing here and I explained. He was so surprised at how much we have to do to become priests. Our talk was much about our differences and similarities especially as regards, Church scandal and vocations in this country, homosexuality, protestant ecclesiology, scripture, and the Bless Virgin and the Saints.

To be continued later.

Dennis Kasule Created on November 2^nd, 2005

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Fall Retreat ‘05

Today is the 2^nd day of our Fall Retreat at USML. The theme of the retreat is “Caritas Christi urget Nos.” and the facilitator is Fr. Richard Miller. He is probably a man in his 60s or nearing to that. He has a lot of stories from his own experience and he quotes greatly from Scripture particularly St. Paul. He has inspired to this love of Paul by Albert Cardinal Meyer a great priest and theologian at II Vat who also happen to be his teacher here at USML. He has engaged several theological insights to his talks particularly from Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI), and JP II.

 

We have so far had four topical themes: Experiencing the love of God; rejecting it or receiving it, Scripture, Jesus Christ, and Anger. Fr. Miller laying great emphasis on our human experience in the concrete events of our own existence and the interpersonal experiences of various individuals we have encountered. This signals to theological reflection. Every experience is important as both a learning moment and a teaching moment.

 

Last night I went through a surprising experience. After working on one of my computers for a while (repair), I decided to listen to the passion according to John – on one of my favorite Gregorian chant records. I also picked up the little laptop I had just acquired and tried to follow the chant music with the text from the Vulgate. I could not understand so much but I could follow. The touching moment came when Jesus was hanging on the Cross. John narrates that nearby the cross stood: Mary mother of Jesus, her sister Mary wife of Cleopas and Mary Magdalene. When the moment of his death arrived Jesus made his will. He said to his Mother, Woman behold you son. And then to John, behold you Mother.

 

I was drawn to tears by the utter simplicity of my Lord’s will. He has just two earthly concerns, his mother and his beloved disciple. He was utterly poor. He had no donkeys, no fields, and no herds of sheep. He had nothing to give anyone except his love. He willed that his mother loves his disciple like a son, like she had loved him. Becoming a son to her, he had to take on the role of Jesus himself. He had the responsibility of taking care of the blessed Mother. And that is exactly what he did. And from that hour, the disciple took her into his home.

 

Looking back at the events going just before my Lord passed from his earthly life, something has become very clear to me. After the death of Joseph – her most chaste spouse, Jesus had to take care of his mother. The gospel does not point out this particular detailed perhaps because it was known. But at that the last hour of Jesus life, it became very clear. He had to find someone else to take the responsibility. The blessed perhaps went along in the company of her son for most of her life. He had to fend for her and her for him.

 

The life of Jesus and Mary cannot be put apart anyhow. They seem to have been always one and the same. At the wedding feast they were together. One may not ask why Mary is outstandingly noted as present at this particular event. It is because her role was explicit. In all other events she was there and present too. Listening and taking everything he said to the bosom of her the heart. She was his life and he was her life.

In the writing of Padre Pio, he says, “Do not be so given to the activity of Martha as to forget the silence of Mary. May the virgin who so well reconciled the one with the other be your sweet model and inspiration.”[14] Mary was always with her son. Listening to him as Mary and serving him as Martha. She was the model for disciples.

 

We have a very beautiful painting here at USML. It is found in the hallway the leads to the Deacon Chapel. This painting depicts at once 3 key moments of the life of Jesus and Mary: First, the two are sleeping besides one another, Mary a teenage mother with her little son. My Lord is crying and the blessed mother has at once awakened to take care of him. She is offering him her breast and he is taking it. They are both covered with a piece of cloth as they lay on a ground bed. In the same picture, the blessed mother now calmly smiling, is present my infant Lord to someone whose entire stature is not portrayed. The hands seem to be those of an old person. He is extending his arms to hold the baby. In the same picture, the blessed mother now an old woman perhaps in her 50s is holding my Lord who is now a grown up man. He is dead and she is in bitter sorrow, weeping while facing upwards. The body of my Lord seems not heavy at all for her. It is her sorrow which is tearing her apart. My Lord’s body is slumped. He seems lean and dead and from exhaustion. His face is swollen and he carries a crown of thorns on his head.

 

On the Spiritual Life

The end

Imagine there is no heaven. Imagine there is no hell. Imagine all the people who live just for today. The spiritual life relies on the belief that there is an end. Without this belief there any attempts at the spiritual life are rendered superfluous. Some people have said that there is faith because human beings naturally doubt. If such were the case then, it would be inhuman to believe with any certainty – thus to believe at all. On the other hand, it is seems that to trust is of the fundamental nature of man. Babies trust everything until their trust is abused. It is only hence that they begin to doubt, and to fear. Therefore faith, certainty, certitude is the natural to man.

 

The end of the spiritual life is to possess heaven - to live in happiness with God for eternity. This of itself implies that one may not attain heaven. And subsequently supposes the reality of hell and some form of sorrow that must attend to it. Faith is the foundation for belief that there is such an end as eternal life with God. Hope sustains it in the midst of trials and tribulations and charity is the living of it. To live eternally with God is to perfect charity because in God is the fullness of love. Such is the mission that begins here on earth. Some by the grace of God accomplish it to the end on earth, while others can only go a certain degree in the direction of its fulfillment. They continue to fulfill what still lacks beyond this life. 

The goals

One moving to a large city far away often meets hills, valleys, corners, intersections, straight stretches, smaller cities, gas stations, deserts, rivers and even seas. There is a single end but many goals. The goals while being distinct and independent are not mutually exclusive and all emerge toward a single point – the end. Thus while at the beginning of the spiritual life, the goal is dying to self. When such is achieved the goal becomes living for the other. These two always go hand in hand. The former hinges upon humility, the later upon charity. As such “humility and charity go hand in hand. The one glories the other sanctifies” [Padre Pio]. All the other virtues build upon these two; obedience, courage, sacrifice, mortification etc.

 

The first step towards humility is the acknowledgement that “I cannot do anything on my own.” It is similar to the beginning of charity i.e. that all I have has been given to me for a purpose.

The means

When one sets a goal, he must as well set the means to arrive at the goal. Every spiritual life has a goal or goals. The goal informs the means that must attend to it. But none is a real means of advancement in spiritual life that excludes suffering. Suffering is a key feature of any form of spirituality. But the suffering of the saints is not empty. It is suffering which is informed by a mission. Sometimes it is chosen, other times God chooses it for us. The saints discover that their suffering is not for nothing. Thereby they cease to complain against it. It is not suffering anymore if it involves no pain of some sort on the part of the individual.  But this pain is endured in joy rather than resentment. Thus the saint continues to be peaceful in the midst of great pain and abjection. The sublime degree of humility consists in transcending merely enduring suffering and abjection and beginning to love it. No one detests and loves at the same time. Thereby the saints desire suffering – they seek for it but without defying obedience.

 

Obedience! Obedience! Without obedience, there is no virtue. Without virtue, there is no good. Without Good there is no love. Without love, there is no God. Without God there is no end. Obedience is the lubricant of the spiritual life. It begins with merely answering promptly when one is called. But most essentially, obedience is mission. Thus the Lord says to those who doubted him, “I have come here from God; yes, I have come from him; not that I came because I chose, no, I was sent, and by him” [Jn 8: 42]. The saints put duty before everything else, even something holy. The key to success is, to “imagine you are obeying the Lord” [Padre Pio].

 

Thus hand in hand with obedience is service.

Dennis Kasule, 11/27/2005 12:07:29am

 

Priestly zeal

For many of us seminarians and priests, our initial attraction to the priesthood often had to do with priestly identity which sometimes appears very comfortable and cozy or can easily be turned as such. However that is just the peripheral aspect of the priestly ministry. Priestly ministry requires priestly zeal. The essential element of priestly zeal is a strong sense of mission. This mission is service. It is founded on deep love for God and his people. And is characterized by a self-sacrificing love sometimes even at the cost of one’s very life as we find in  St. Paul Miki and companions, the martyrs we commemorate today. The fact that we often start by thinking of the priesthood in terms of identity poses many of us with the great challenge of moving beyond that peripheral notion of the priesthood and cultivating the priestly zeal modeled upon the example of Jesus Christ. Christ kindled the flame of God’s love and we have to spread the fire this love to all corners of the earth. Therefore, in the order of things, the mission is not there for us but we are there for the mission - salvation of souls.

Priestly ministry entails holding at the same time and balancing priestly identity and zeal. Priestly identity without zeal is clericalism; zeal without confident and sustained identity will not last. But there is also the danger of misguided zeal. This happens if as a priest one does not take care of his own spiritual, personal and physical life. Such as already indicated will burn out sooner than later. Christ, the Good Shepherd provides us such an important as we say in the gospel reading of this Sunday (Mk 1:29-39). He preaches in the Synagogues, he goes to visit his friends and heals Simon Peter’s mother- in-law. Then people from all surrounding villages bring him people tormented by illness and demons. He cures all of all of them and frees those tormented by the demons. Then he withdraws in solitude for to pray. These moments of solitude are the source of strength for the mission.

 

Pastoral Care

Pastoral care is a vital aspect of the Church’s life. It is the heart and soul of the mission for which Christ instituted the Church.  He, the great shepherd entrusted to the apostles and their successors the ministry of shepherding God’s flock. As Scripture and tradition witness, the apostles and their immediate successors devoted all their energy to the care of the flock and when their time was up they handed over to others to continue the mission. These are the bishops, priests and deacons of the Church. By virtue of their ministerial offices, they share and participate in the very priesthood of Jesus Christ. He who was anointed by the Holy Spirit to preach the Good News to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight of the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Lk 4: 18-19; Is 61:1-2). Christ is the manifestation of God’s love for his people. Bishops, priests and deacons, sharers in Christ’s ministerial priesthood ought to manifest the same love in the local communities where minister. They are to bring Christ to everyone, they are to be present and available to all, to reach out to those in need, to show how God loves and cares for his people.

 

Since the quality of pastoral care is essential to the success of the Church’s mission, Scripture, magisterial tradition and diocesan archives are richly endowed with guidelines on the subject. To mention a few examples: St. Paul’s pastoral letters (1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus), Gregory the Great’s Pastoral Care, Vatican II’s Presbyterorum Ordinis, and John Paul II’s Holy Thursday letters. 

 

Christ’s love for his flock did not merely mean having warm feelings for the people he encountered, or that he was merely nice to people, or that he merely treated them fairly, or that he smiled at all of them, rather it lies in fact of his readiness to serve and offer himself completely to the flock.

 

There is no doubt that sometimes priests are overwhelmed by the amount of work they have do especially in this day and age where in many diocese a priest can practically be available once in a blue moon.

From the example of Christ what matters ultimately is the attitude. Nonetheless, we face the challenge of having too few laborers for so rich a harvest.   

 

Wandering Again!

2007

 

Dec 8. Immaculate Conception:

God must be like us in some way otherwise we could never love God. God is utterly different from us otherwise we could not love him supreme. We must be like God in some way otherwise he would never love us, which is not an option since he created us.

 

Dec 9. II Sunday Advent

More than a feeling, love is an activity. As such it is presupposes ability – the capacity to love. I love and I am in love are both action phrases. The feeling is carried and upheld through the activity of loving. In turn the feeling prompts further loving activity. In this cyclic process, when the activity stops the feeling also dwindles.

 

When the activity and feeling cease the ability may remain. I say “may” because, like all our other abilities, we can develop it or we can thwart its development. We develop ability to love by loving and we thwart ability to love by indifference, hatred, and prejudice.

 

 

Dec 10. Rejoice

 

Dec 14. St. John of the Cross

Love is first a gift and also an obligation. Love is a gift in as far as it’s a capacity we are freely endowed with and in as far it is something we freely give and freely receive. Love is an obligation in as far as when we do not love we are not doing that which is required of us as part of our human constitution.

 

Love is always preceded by knowledge in far as it’s a conscious activity and also as a feeling. Perhaps, this observation is not quickly apparent in the instance of the later. To try to explain, we have to examine the nature of our emotions in general. As rational creatures, our emotions are always preceded by some kind of a particular knowledge, or a perception. Thus, I feel disappointed because I have perceived that such and such is not as it should be. I feel sorrow and weep because a friend is in trouble or missing.

 

Similarly, I love (or better I feel love) because of a certain perception of or about the beloved. We can’t love unless we have some knowledge or perception even if false or inaccurate of and about the beloved. We love God because we have some perception or notion of and about God. We love another person because we have some perception of or about him or her.

 

 

Dec 15. Give Thanks

It is characteristic and distinctive of our nature to pose questions, to be curious. Thus as soon as we are able to communicate, we begin to ask. “Ma, where do babies come from?” “Papi, why is the sky blue?” In questions like these, the infant seeks not scientific explanations such as, conception takes place when a spermatozoon unites with an ovum, or the sky appears blue due to Rayleigh scattering, that is, as light goes through the atmosphere, the “reds” tend to go straight through because they are lower frequency light radiations while the “blues” are absorbed by gas molecules in the atmosphere and then re-radiated in different directions because they are higher frequency light radiations. Hence everywhere overhead we see blue and so the sky looks blue.

 

While scientific explanations such as these are factual, they are not what the little one is seeking. Junior is simply seeking to know how to relate to his parents and to his surroundings. Hence, the wise Ma would perhaps say to Junior that baby came from the love between Papi and Ma, or wise Pa would say that God created a beautiful world for us. And he thought it’s good to have a bright blue sky rather a brown one. Such answers while not being so scientific are not false, but other ways of approaching reality. At this time in Junior’s development, they serve better his needs and orient him to his parents and the world in a more friendly fashion.

 

I am expressing these half thoughts and observations in writing because of the relation which as I see they bear to preaching. The unconscious question the person in the audience poses to the man in the pulpit is: How do you interpret my experiences theologically, that is, place them in the basket of God’s love, mercy, and faithfulness, relate them to life of the prototype human being – Jesus, and then inspire me?

 

 

Dec 24. Happy Birth Day Baby Jesus

My Dear Friends,

 

All over the world; East, West, South, North, there is this strange thing called "Love." I call "Love" strange not because it is out of the ordinary, but because we do strange things to express our love to those whom we love, more so, when we love that special someone so much, yet we are not able to tell them that we are dying for the love of them. I guess this why some people have concluded that, "LOVE IS BLIND!"

 

To give you an example, when I was a kid about 10 years old, a new family moved in across the street where I used to live. In this family, there was girl about the same age as I was. She started going to my school and we were in the same class. Now I wished to have this cute new neighbor as my friend, but I could not ask her. Nevertheless, being in the same class with her, I quickly got to know that she was not so good at Math. So out of love for her, what I used to do everyday was to give up all my playing time, to do our Math homework as quickly as possible and then secretly slide a copy of the answers into her locker.  For a while I kept on offering this anonymous secret help for her and I was not caught. Then one day, without my knowledge, she hid where she could see the secret angel who was helping her with her Math. And that is how she caught me. As soon as I had posted the answer paper into her locker I turned around and there she was, starring at me. I was so ashamed and embarrassed that up to now I clearly remember how it all happened. But now remember, it is NOT because I was so embarrassed that I decided to go into seminary to become a priest! [I went to the seminary for greater Love].

 

Tonight, we are celebrating the strangest act of Love that the world has ever known and will ever know, namely, "God sleeping in a Manger as a baby." You and I as human beings would perhaps have imagined that for all his greatness, God would be born in the nicest place on earth; perhaps his parents would have a hammer or a Cadillac to take him around, or the best house in the neighborhood. Yet this is not the case. Instead God comes as a defenseless child, wrapped in shabby clothing in the midst of asses, surrounded by heaps of stinking dung. He comes as a stranger, unexpected and unwelcomed. In other words, God makes himself blind to all his greatness, and all this for the sake of his immense Love for you and me.

 

It is because of Love that God comes like this, to embrace all of us; the poor, the rich, the lonely, the sickly, those who feel abandoned, those who feel unloved, those who are joyful for so many blessings, and those who are weeping for the lose of a love one. Jesus comes to let you and I know that above all God loves each and all of us because he made us, and he made us out of Love. And when he comes, though he is fully God, He also becomes exactly as we are. He wants to be together with us, to feel what we feel, to listen to our talk, to walk with us. Isn't this the biggest part of Love? Being with those we Love, entering their world and becoming as they are. I am not an expert on love but if there are any lovers out there, I think they would agree with me.

 

God loves you and me so much that He wants to be with us and to make us like Him, to make us lovers. And this is precisely why Christmas is such a special time, this is why we decorate, put up all these beautiful lights, and share gifts with those we love. It is also for God's Love that I strongly believe in Santa coming down the Chimney of my room to give me strength to wake up everyday, that even when I have been a bad child, the heavenly Santa forgives me and even gives more gifts than I deserve. And guess what, the greatest of all these gifts is the Eucharist, which he gives us to draw joy and energy, to go into the world like the angels, to spread joy and to Love all people.

 

Like the Angels, on Christmas, we are to go to our families and friends to proclaim what great things God had done for us: that in the midst of our all the brokenness of our lives, we can still sing, we are still alive, we can forgive one another, we can share, we have faith, we have hope, and we can love.

 

 

Dec 27: John, the Apostle, the beloved of my Lord, the Evangelist, the theologian, THE POET OF LOVE

Although Paul uses the word “Love” about 100 times in the Canonical writings attributed to his name (including those which some scholars consider to be Deutero-Pauline), while John uses the same word about 70 times in the Gospel, the short Letters, and the Apocalypse attributed to his name, it’s John who is the Apostle of Love per excellence. WHY? Because for John there is no Love without Truth, there is no Truth without Love. Love and Truth while distinct are united as sides of a Coin. And this Coin is not a “what” but a “who”.

Thus the Poet of Love summarizes in 1Jn that:

“4:7 My dear people, let us love one another since love comes from God and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.

4:8 Anyone who fails to love can never have known God, because GOD IS LOVE.

4:9 God's love for us was revealed when God sent into the world his only Son so that we could have life through him;

4:10 THIS IS THE LOVE I MEAN: NOT OUR LOVE FOR GOD, BUT GOD'S LOVE FOR US WHEN HE SENT HIS SON TO BE THE SACRIFICE THAT TAKES OUR SINS AWAY.

4:11 My dear people, since God has loved us so much, we too should love one another.

4:12 No one has ever seen God; but as long as we love one another God will live in us and his love will be complete in us.

4:13 We can know that we are living in him and he is living in us because he lets us share his Spirit.

4:14 We ourselves saw and we testify that the Father sent his Son as saviour of the world.

4:15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God.

4:16 We ourselves have known and put our faith in God's love towards ourselves. GOD IS LOVE AND ANYONE WHO LIVES IN LOVE LIVES IN GOD, AND GOD LIVES IN HIM.

4:17 LOVE WILL COME TO ITS PERFECTION IN US WHEN WE CAN FACE THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT WITHOUT FEAR; BECAUSE EVEN IN THIS WORLD WE HAVE BECOME AS HE IS.

4:18 In love there can be no fear, but fear is driven out by perfect love: because to fear is to expect punishment, and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love.

4:19 WE ARE TO LOVE, THEN, BECAUSE HE LOVED US FIRST.

4:20 Anyone who says, 'I love God', and hates his brother, is a liar, since a man who does not love the brother that he can see cannot love God, whom he has never seen.

4:21 SO THIS IS THE COMMANDMENT THAT HE HAS GIVEN US, THAT ANYONE WHO LOVES GOD MUST ALSO LOVE HIS BROTHER.

(Based on translation from the in the New Jerusalem Bible)

 

Jesus is “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn 14:6). Jesus is Love. Thus for John, to be a disciple of Jesus is to be the witness of Truth and Love. The life of the disciples is the life of truth and love (2Jn 1:3), the disciple loves in truth (3Jn 1:1), and the perfection of love is to be like Jesus – to completely and totally give oneself to and for the sake of the beloved (Jn 13:1; conf. also 2Jn 14:17).

 

 

Jan 7: St. Raymond

 

Our attitudes towards and our visions of the people and things around us are greatly affected by our interior states and dispositions. People and things appear to be more beautiful as a person grows deeper and deeper into a state of peace within him or herself. With this interior peace, the person begins to notice the great beauty that is imbued in all of creation; he sees the people and things around him as objects of love, to be known and contemplated for what they essentially are – beautiful.

 

It’s thereby not surprising that in the autobiographies and biographies of holy people, we are told that they die with this extraordinary sense of peace around them even when their deaths are those that often occur in the midst of great pain. Even when they die at the hands of fellow men, they often die without fighting instead they see in their persecutors and killers or executioners that intrinsic beauty that lies deep beyond their actions.

 

If we are fallen as many religious traditions teach us in someway or other, one of the great consequences of that fall has to do with the distortion of our interior appreciation. The difference between holy people and most of us is that in the ordering of their lives this interior appreciation is restored. This restoration becomes the cause of corrected perception of the beauty of the people and the things that they behold.

 

Fundamentally this corrected perception of the people and things does not happen until there is a corrected perception of self in the context of our environs, and our placement in the universe of all there is. This is entails recognition that I am a beautiful person, unique and relatively autonomous in the limits of my freedom, and at the same time profoundly interconnected and dependent on the people and things around me.

 

But born as babies, in our infantile existence we clamor for all things we want, we want all the attention on us, we want what we want, when we want it there and then, and we want everything here and now to be as we want it. In the process of growing, if it is normal growth, this infantile selfishness can gradually subside as our developing intellectual faculties bring us to a more corrected perception of self in the context of our environs, and our placement in the universe of all things.

 

To the extent to which we outgrow this infantile selfishness or the extent to which we get fixated or steeped into it, is also the extent to which we dispose ourselves to live serenely or in competition with other people and things around us.

 

 

Jan 9 Vine seed you are!

In his very lucid work De Incarnatione St. Athanasius, the bold defender of our Nicene faith, offers an analogy that may perhaps be helpful for all of us as we prepare to meet the Lord through death. Christians, “like seeds cast into the earth, we do not perish in our dissolution, but like them shall rise again, death having been brought to nought by the grace of the Saviour.”[16] When vine seeds are laid into rich watered soil, they rise or fail to rise into new plants depending on the materials and energy which they stored up in the process of their growth. Thus when a seed is attacked by certain worms which hollow it and deprive it of its materials and energy, it does not rise into a new plant, rather it perishes for ever. On the other hand, if a seed makes good use of the provisions supplied to it by the Vine and it shields itself from pests, it will remain healthy and once planted in well watered ground, it will rise and grows into a beautiful vine just like the Vine.

 

Christians, we are seeds on the Vine. The Vine, on which we are, graciously provides us with our daily Provisions of materials and energy to grow into healthy seeds that will rise once laid into rich soil. On one hand we are free to cooperate in the acceptance of these gratuitously given Provisions. On the other hand, we have the duty of banking these provisions safely within our hearts so that worms do not hollow into us and deprive us of the source of our hope.

 

 

Jan 9 Be Thankful

In the most recent wanderings, Wanderer has been imagining: Supposing there was never the cruel Sanhedrin, Pontius Pilate, Annas, Caiaphas, Herod, and some Jews and Romans who subjected My Incarnate Lord to the horrible yet salvific Passion and Death, how would it be?

 

And the answer is: Ha! You or I (sinners) would have done the horrible thing anyway. So do not condemn. Rather, be thankful that Jesus died for you and for every grace and blessing!

 

 

Feb 22, 2008: Even then

 

Even when my faith is weighed by misery

Even then Lord shall I trust.

Even when my longing seems too great to quench

Even then Lord shall I trust.

Even when I seem to get lost at home

Even then Lord shall I trust.

 

Even when my sinfulness seems too deep to route

Even then Lord shall I trust.

Even when our enemies are too many to count

Even then Lord shall I trust.

Even when my strength seems to give way

Even then Lord shall I trust.

 

Even when Lord You seem so far away

Even then Lord shall I trust.

Even when boredom seems to capture my lot

Even then Lord shall I trust.

Even when they my friends seem too far

Even then Lord shall I trust

 

All I can do my Lord is to trust

So then Lord shall I trust!

You have given light even when the dark looms

So then Lord shall I trust!

You bring us home when our strength is gone.

So then Lord shall I trust!

 

So then Lord Shall I trust.

So then Lord shall I trust!

Even then Lord shall I trust ….!

 

 

March 5, 2008

5^th Sunday of Lent Year A 2008

Homily for 5 PM Saturday Mass to be given on March 8, 2008

 

This evening we are going to adjust our clocks and watches by one hour forward. We are going to spring forward in time. Amazingly and providentially, this is also precisely the invitation which the Word of God put to us this evening. We are being called to spring forward in our faith life – To update the clocks of our faith life.

In the first reading, we have the prophet Ezekiel.  Ezekiel carries out his ministry at a crucial time in the history of Israel - a time when God’s people are in captivity in Babylon. More than anything else, this captivity is a spiritual captivity. The Temple of Yahweh has been destroyed. Jerusalem has been burned to the ashes. The people whom God chose as his own, now feel abandon, hopeless, and rejected by God. They encounter themselves as spiritually dead, as dwelling in spiritual graves for as the Psalmist (Ps 137) tell us: they could not worship God or in other words they could not express their faith.

It is nevertheless precisely at such a time of little hope and in circumstances of helplessness that God sends Ezekiel to tell the God’s people that – to spring forward to life for God was going to open their spiritual graves and have them rise out of them. God was going to put his spirit into them so that they may live; so that they may have life again.

In the Gospel we are again presented with similar circumstances. Lazarus is in the tomb. His sisters Martha and Mary are weeping at the loss of their brother. They feel that Jesus abandoned them this is why they both say that if Jesus had been with them, their brother would not have died. Martha and Mary are very close friends of Jesus, yet the loss of their brother so deeply shakes up their faith and their trust in him that they are not able to believe that Jesus can raise Lazarus back to life there and then.

However, despite their shaky faith, Jesus still lets his love break into their lives in so dramatic a way. The key message here is the same. Jesus does not want us remain bound by the forces of evil and death. Instead, Jesus is moved by our suffering. He weeps upon seeing the suffering of Martha and Mary, and at once he calls Lazarus out of the tomb restoring him to life and to his family.

So, today the Good News teaches us that, Jesus’ passion is for to free us from the bondage of sin and the grip of death. The question for all us is: Do we believe that God is able to bring life to the areas of our lives that are “dead”? These spiritual wounds and graves from which we must trust God to free us are not only our weaknesses, and our sins; but also the ordinary challenging and difficult experiences in our lives: at home, at work, at school, in society- experiences which leave us wounded, bound and helpless. Do we trust that God will carry us through these as well?

But that is not all. The Gospel also shows us that like Lazarus, in order to enjoy true freedom, you and I need one another to untie each other from the bands and bandages wrapped around our souls. As Jesus counts on his disciple to free Lazarus, Jesus counts on you and me to work with him to free one another. We do this every time we reach out to one another with love and concern: through praying for one another, through mercy and kindness, and through alms giving. In these rather ordinary endeavors we do no less that reflect God’s own parental care and love for us and for others.

So my sisters and brothers let us pray at this Eucharist that we may continue to spring forward in our life of faith, that we may continue to see God’s love breaking into our lives and restoring life to the dead areas of our being. Let us also pray that we too may continually reflect this love of God’s to one another, by reaching out to each other with love and concern.

 

Dennis Kasule March 14, 2008

 

Robert “Bob” Vehlow

“The Good Samaritan of Vocations”

Priests are a gift from God.  Nevertheless, before a person becomes a priest; he needs to be born and nursed by parents, he needs the believing community to teach him the faith, he needs a priest to invite him to consider the priesthood and a bishop to accept and to ordain him, and ultimately he needs the faith community to pray for him, to give him encouragement, to affirm him, to show him that he is valued and needed. What all this means is that promoting vocations to the priesthood is not some else’s business but our business together as a church; or to paraphrase a famous adage “it takes faith community to raise a priest.”

This article is about Robert “Bob” Vehlow, an ordinary Christian who has committed himself to nurture vocations to the priesthood; therefore one who can serve as a good example to us. As a member and facilitator of a modest 20-some group of senior citizens called the “Renew” group of St. Joseph in Libertyville, Bob suggested to his colleagues to start a program which today is called the Fund for Seminary Education. Under the program, members of “Renew” pledged to dig into their pockets in order to assist needy foreign seminarians.

In 1991 when the program started, Vehlow and the “Renew” group were only able to help two seminarians studying at Mundelein.  However, despite such a humble beginning, as of 2008 the Fund for Seminary Education has benefitted such great number of seminarians, thirty nine of whom have been ordained to the priesthood. That is indeed is no small achievement!

 Bob says that “The fund not only helps young men become priests, but it helps to spread the gospel all over the world. The seminarians who are assisted by the program come from all over the world and a lot of them go back to minister as priest in their countries, including South Africa, South Korea, Uganda, Vietnam, etc.” Therefore the Fund benefits the church locally and internationally.

Today the original “Renew” group is no longer present. However Bob did not let go of the great work he had started; rather he sold the idea of supporting priests to other people. “The money that helps the seminarians comes from parishioners of St. Joseph’s Libertyville, from individuals outside St. Joseph’s and from businesses.”He says.

This school year (2007-2008), the Seminary Fund is assisting twelve seminarians with a stipend of $50 each per month. Of the twelve, three are deacons to be ordained priests before the end of the year. Deacons Dennis Kasule and Deogratias Walakira will be going back to Uganda and Deacon Byoung-Jin Lim will be returning to South Korea. Other Seminarians assisted by the Fund include: Elvio Baldeon, Lorenzo Gamboa, Marek Rosiek, Pawel Matuzewski, Sergio Mena, Norbert Rola, and Jesus Presiado, who are studying for the Archdiocese of Chicago, and Geoffrey Andama and Peter Mukasa who will be going back to Uganda.

Speaking about Bob and the Fund, Peter says that, “The call to priesthood is a journey on which the traveler needs others to direct him, to cheer him, to encouraging him. This is especially true when the traveler reaches places unfamiliar or unknown. If he finds a kind heart, he must greatly thank God. Bob is one person like that; a Good Samaritan, one who gives without hoping to receive in return”. To this Geoffrey adds that, “from the money I receive from Bob and the Seminary Fund, I buy a lot of the books I needs for classes at the Seminary, clerical shirts etc. I am also able get myself a gift for Christmas from the many gift cards I receive at the end of December. Indeed the Seminary Fund makes a difference in my life and in the lives of other Seminarians.”

Bob also gets tremendous satisfaction from helping and knowing the seminarians. “I enjoy doing it. To me it is a ministry.” He says.  “I have even incorporated the Fund and I hope that within the next five years it will assist 20 seminarians at $100 each per month.”

In addition to supporting young men preparing for the priesthood: Bob is also a dedicated member of his parish and family. Having converted to the Catholic faith after marrying his wife Millie; he has participated in the faith community of St. Joseph’s Libertyville as a commentator, a lector, an usher, a Eucharistic minister, and a member of the Vocation Club of his parish. He also plans and organizes two weekly Masses at Sedgebrook where he lives and hopes to continue promoting Catholic faith life there. Bob’s wife Millie went to the Lord in 1999 after 56 years marriage. He has three children, and four grand children. Bob is also a veteran who he served his country in the Second World War.

To be a saint is live an ordinary life in an extraordinary way. I think this definition fits Bob so well. He is the ordinary Christian out there who has extraordinarily dedicated himself to nurturing vocations to the priesthood. Anyone wanting more information about the Seminary or wishing to make a donation through the Fund can get in touch with Bob Vehlow at 1-847-913-6858.

 

March 28, 2008

2^nd Sunday of Easter Year A 2008

Homily 5 PM Saturday Mass

 

As we came to church this evening, we encountered people on our way, and other people encountered us. We recognized some people and some people recognized us. Encounters like these are part of our ordinary lives and they take different forms. There are some people we encounter like the wind. They simply come along and they go. Then there are other people who we encounter and we hope to see them again. These are people who touch us quite a bit. Then, there are other people who we encounter and our hearts skip a beat or even two. These are people we are spontaneously attracted to. But then a short while afterwards, the feeling goes and we can even forget them. Then there are those other people who we encounter and we say; “Ah … Him …. Her …that is the one I have been looking for.” And deep within us we want to remain them as for long possible. These often times are encounters with the special people in lives.

This evening the Good News presents us with encounters between the Risen Christ and his disciples. The first encounter takes place between the Risen Lord and 10 of his Apostles. John, the Gospel writer, tells us that the encounter takes place in the evening – meaning that it’s getting dark, then, he tells that the doors are shut because of fear. The disciples are therefore in a place of insecurity, a place of fear and doubt; the centerpiece of their lives is missing. Then, they encounter the Risen Lord and as soon they see him, their fears, their doubts and anxieties are replaced with rejoicing because they have seen the one for whom they are longing.

Then, John tells us that in this first encounter, Thomas is not with the rest of Apostles. We may ask the question: Where is Thomas? The answer is that, Thomas is still shrouded in darkness with a lot fear, doubt and anxiety. He is yearning to recognize and encounter the Risen Lord. This is why as soon Thomas recognizes the Risen Christ, Thomas exclaims saying, “Ah… My Lord and my God!” It is you I have been looking for. From this we can know very well that Thomas’ struggle to believe is actually a struggle to recognize and encounter the Risen Christ. This is a struggle that perhaps many of us face at one time or another.

What the Gospel says to us is that, Easter is not only about commemorating an event that took place almost 2000 years ago, it is about you and I striving to recognize and encounter the Risen Lord in the everydayness of our lives; in the members of our families, in our moms, in our dads, in our girls, in our boys, even in our wives and husbands. And if we are more attentive, we can also recognize and encounter the risen Christ in the stranger who comes our way, the neighbor who lives across from where we live.

The other side of the Gospel story is that although the Lord has appeared to the 10 Apostles, When Thomas finds them; they are still hiding behind closed doors. This is part of the reason why Thomas does not believe when the 10 say to him that they have seen the Lord. Thomas is asking, “If you have really seen him, why are you still shutting yourselves behind these doors? If you have really seen him, why aren’t you out there bearing witness to him?”

Therefore, this evening we can also ask ourselves questions like these: What in our lives shows that we have really encountered the Risen Lord? What is different in our lives, which can bring those around us to confirm that the Lord is truly Risen and living in and among us?

In the first and second readings, we have been told of the great things that can happen when we encounter the Risen Lord through faith and become transformed in the process. We become witnesses of the Good News, we pray and share together, we reach out to others, and ultimately we look forward with hope even when for those without faith, there may seem to be so little to hope for.

The Risen Christ says to Thomas, “DO NOT BECOME FAITHLESS BUT BE FAITHFUL.” What the Lord says to Thomas, He is saying to all of us. Only through and with faith can we recognize, encounter, and witness to the Risen Lord in the everydayness of our lives. Faith is a relationship with God and communion with one another.

 

May 1^st 2008 Holy Joseph, the Worker

Well, after yesterday’s farewells and great discourses, I imagine that you are amazed that the spirit wants to speak at this ambo through another fourth year man. But as you know that is the spirit, it blows where it wills!

So it is that on this first day of the month of our Lady, we commemorate, Joseph, her husband, the foster father of our Lord. Given his humility and greatness, as a righteous man, an obedient servant of the Lord, and the keeper of God’s mysteries, we can easily spend the whole day here marveling at Joseph. However, today the Church invites us to specifically look to Joseph, as the model of authentic Christian workmanship.

In the Gospel we just heard, Matthew shows that after all the words and deeds, which Jesus had done; rather than believe in him, Jesus’ people took offense at him and rejected him. They could find the source of Jesus’ authority because they knew him to be an ordinary man; they knew him to come from a poor family; they knew him to be the Carpenter’s son. 

Obviously, what Matthew is trying to point out to us is that Jesus’ people were in a Christological cave. They could not realize that being the Son of God is entirely compatible with being a carpenter. They could not come around to the truth that that the Savior of the World, the Son of God, was a man who had to earn his living through both the satisfactions and the drudgery of carpentry!

So then we may ask, what has this to do with us? Well, besides, our friend, Mr. Brian Carpenter, who is a carpenter by name, none of us is probably going to become a carpenter. However, from the readings of today, we can realize that we, as human beings, resemble God, we resemble Jesus, not only in the higher capacities of our nature such as thinking and loving, but also in our work, in the things we do with our own hands. Thus, we can realize that our human activities and physical work: be it study, be it writing, teaching, assisting in the kitchen or doing the dishes, taking care of the cam room, cleaning our rooms, I guess even sports, chopping wood, and physical exercises, all these are “entirely compatible with the perfection of the Son of God” (René Voillaume, Brothers of Men). Through these activities we participate in God’s creative mystery.  And, although these activities do not define who we are, the ways in which we approach these ordinary circumstances are the concrete expressions of our holiness.

Then for us deacons and soon to be priests, it also means that ontological change does not take us away from the ordinary, rather it is a calling to immerse ourselves more fully into the human condition, because that is what the Lord does in order to save us. 

It is precisely in this that St. Joseph is a very good example for us. When Pius XII was instituting May 1^st as the commemoration of St Joseph the Worker, Pius said that, “The spirit flows … to all people from the heart of the God-man, Savior of the world, but certainly, no worker was ever more completely and profoundly penetrated by it than the foster father of Jesus, who lived with Him in closest intimacy and community of … life and work.”

So what Joseph teaches us is that, we should always do our work in such a way that it brings us into closer intimacy with Christ. That from prayer, we go to work and from work we go to prayer. 

 

14^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A - At ST. Pat’s, July 5-6, 2008

Thank you St. Pat’s

The readings this weekend continue an important theme in the Bible and especially in the Gospel according to Matthew, namely that:

IN THE EYES OF GOD, AN OPEN, LOVING, COMPASSIONATE AND FAITHFUL HEART TRUMPS OVER POWER, TRUMPS OVER AUTHORITY, TRUMPS OVER KNOWLEDGE, AND TRUMPS OVER SUCCESS! Why …? THIS IS BECAUSE GOD IS LOVING, COMPASSIONATE, AND FAITHFUL AND BY BECOMING LOVING AND FAITHFUL YOU AND I BECOME LIKE GOD AND WE MAKE GOD KNOWN IN THE WORLD.

Last weekend I was driving through Mundelein and I came across this huge poster. It read: “July 13, crowning the king of wings.” I got very curious as to who this powerful person might be. Only to discover a second later, that the king of wings will be he who will eat the more chicken wings in the shortest time. And I said to myself, thank God I won’t be there to see a kid pass out with a chicken wing in his throat.

Then, driving on the next block there is Mundelein high school, the Mustangs; here I came across another poster. It read, - “the search is on for the queen of the Mustangs. I said ok, I think this is probably about horses; only to discover that it was the school beauty pageant about to take place. I wish somebody could organize a beauty pageant focusing upon the hearts of these young ladies.

Then, of course having been raised in Uganda and where many tribes have kings, queens and princes and princesses. In my own particular tribe the king is called Kabaka; a title symbolizes power, honor, authority, entitlement, wealth, fortune, etc.

These and many more are some of earthly kings and queens with whom we may be acquainted.

Today Zechariah, the prophet points us to a king whose identity is not that of fortune, power and authority, or beauty but humility, compassion, peacefulness, and meekness. Zechariah speaks of a king whose foremost credential is the loving heart by which he identifies with those that he governs.

To give you a little background, in Zechariah’s time there were no cars nor trains nor airplanes as means of transport. If one was well to do then they would use a horse or a camel to go from place to place. If one was not so well to do or just average folk, all they could afford was their feet or ass or donkey (el burrito) or colt (cross breed of a donkey and a horse). This was the means of transport for poor and average folks.

Zechariah speaks of a king who will travel on a donkey and a colt to show that the king and just savior will readily share in our life, our hardships, our experience, the plight of his people. Great as he will be, he will be compassionate, loving and peaceful.

Now Christians, who is this king, a just savior, so compassionate, loving, humble, meek yet so great? 

Indeed, this is none other than the one, who speaks to us in the Gospel saying that,

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.”

Zechariah’s prophetic message is realized for us in Jesus Christ, who though being the Son of God, identifies with us by being born a poor defenseless child, then walking our walk, talking our talk, working as a carpenter for a living, and then suffering immensely on our behalf. In all things, he has become our companion, our friend.

This why in the Gospel Jesus calls upon to come to him, to take to him all our labors, all our burdens so that in him we have rest! Therefore all we need to do is to rest in Jesus. Let us take to him all our concerns, our worries, our fears and challenges and with him we shall find a way through it all.

Secondly, in the Gospel, as Jesus invites us to find rest in him, he also invites us “to take my yoke upon you.” He invites you and I to be his companions take his yoke upon ourselves.  The yoke of Jesus in this case is Jesus’ mission of making the Father known to the world. To share Jesus’ yoke therefore is to share in Jesus’ mission to make the Father known to the world.

Jesus reveals the Father to the world not through power or authority but through humility, meekness, compassion, though identifying with our own experiences of life.

The key from the Gospel is to realize that we do not make God known in any other way as we do by our heart. That, unless our hearts embrace the humility, the meekness and the compassion of Jesus, whatever we say or do becomes likes chaff which the wind blows coming to nothing. We have to be with Jesus and to become like Jesus in order to make the Father known in the world.

The question for us to think about this is thus a double question: First, how do I (how do you) approach Jesus when burdened and how do I (how do you) find rest with him?

Secondly, how do I (how do you) share in and take up Jesus’ yoke of revealing God to the world in everyday life?

As I get ready to return to my home, I would like to thank you for making God known to me by your compassion, your care, your endeavors to be faithful to God, and your love.

Yesterday in the afternoon, I received two friends who came to say farewell to me as get ready to return home. They asked me about St. Pat’s and quite simply I told them, St. Pat’s has nothing except so many people with great loving hearts, a people full of hope, and a people who deeply trust in God. Then, one of my friends responded, “Indeed a loving heart is what matters the most.”

Thank you St. Pat’s! Thank you for welcoming me and for giving me a hug, thank you praying with me and for encouraging me, thank you for nurturing me and for clothing me, thank for being there to help me and for rejoicing with me, thank you for working with me and for taking me out for some fun, thank you for learning with me and for loving me. You have been all things to me. I am so proud of God and I am so proud of you! Please be sure that I will remember you always and ask God to bless you and reward you for your kindness to me.

 

Farewell St. Pats

Dear members of St. Pat’s parish,

May God’s peace and grace be yours forever! As you may know, God willing I will be ordained to the priesthood on Saturday August 9, 2008 at 10.00AM at Lubaga Cathedral in Kampala, Uganda. This means that as much as I would wish to spend the whole summer at St. Pat’s, at this time God’s provident hand points me towards home.

Indeed the prospect of going home after four years of prayer, study, work, and play fills me with great joy. But even more the awesome gift of priesthood which I will receive is like no other. It’s the real reason for much rejoicing. St. Paul reminds us to weep with those who are weeping and to rejoice with those who are rejoicing (Rom 12:15). So please rejoice with me that God has favored me with such a gift and know that you are all invited to come to the Ordination and to the Thanksgiving celebration which will follow the day after. There will be lots of praising, thanksgiving, sharing, and the dance floor will be open to all.

Over the past few years, I have been blessed to help out at a number of good parishes. But of all of them, St. Pat’s has been the most special for me. There is a famous African proverb which says that, “it takes a village to raise a child.” I believe that along the same line, I can also say that it takes a faith community like St. Pat’s to raise a priest.

Thank you so much for making your contribution towards my formation and growth as a Seminarian during the summer months of 2007 and as deacon in the summer months of 2008. Thank you for welcoming me and for giving me a hug, thank you praying with me and for encouraging me, thank you for nurturing me and for clothing me, thank for being there to help me and for rejoicing with me, thank you for working with me and for taking me out for some fun, thank you for learning with me and for loving me. You have been all things to me. I am so proud of God and I am so proud of you! Please be sure that I will remember you always and ask God to bless you and reward you for your kindness to me.

Till we meet again … Adios!

July 10, 2008

It is 5:15PM. I am at Detroit Metro Airport at Gate A66 waiting for a flight to Amsterdam. We will not be taking off until 7PM Eastern time. I have been sitting here since about 2:40PM, the time at which our flight landed from Chicago. I left Chicago at 12:10 Central time after a hefty and hectic luggage check in. I am glad I was get on the plane most of the luggage I spent many hours packing and unpacking. On the flight from Chicago to Detroit I was also fortunate to say the three earlier hours since prior I was rather busy making sure that I got to the airport on time.

I wish I had been able to go to Mass very in the morning and to go to confession but that was not possible. The Merciful Lord knows how I wish.

I had a grilled chicken teriyaki sandwich and a bottle of orange juice, as I made a few phone calls to say farewell to a few people. Until a minute ago, the sky had been bright and the sun shining. Now it is turning kind of gloomy and showing some sign of rain. I am glad for the cool off because it was getting rather hot with the sun’s raying coming at us through windows. I just finishes going through the reading of today and those of next Sunday.

I am forcing myself to have some thoughts come to me but without much success. I am sleepy anyway given that last night I only gave myself three hours of sleep. One thing that has struck me is the level of nakedness especially of the teenager and young adult women walking about in the airport. You would think that this is a beach or perhaps something worse. Anyhow winter will soon be on its way. Perhaps the coolness will restore some sanity.

It is now 5:35PM. My next flight departs at 7:00PM, which means about another hour and half of waiting. I hope that it’s is as smooth as can be. I am going to spend 8 and half hours seated in a little cushion until we make it to Amsterdam.

It is 5:48. The sun is back full time and hopefully we shall have some good weather as we bird across the Atlantic.

 

July 20^th 2008 Homily at Kissem

Omuyimbi ggwe bayita Chameleone mumumanyi? (Ggwe wamma ddala muli ba mulembe ggwa dot.com!)

Waliwo akayimba akaayimbiwa Chameleone oyo.  Kalimu ebigambo ebiringa bwebiti: “Tobeesiga tobeesiga batekeko akasengeja. Balyammere tobeesiga bateekeko akasengeja.” Ani akamanyi ayinza okatuyimbira?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Akayimba ka Chameleone ako newankubadde ka kubinnuka ndowooza kayiiza okutuyamba okwebulira ku Vangiri ya Sunday eno. Ate mmwe engeri ggy’emuli abaana ba dot com ndoowooza kajja kukolera ddala bulungi.

Tuwulidde nti Omusizi yasiga ensigo ennungi mu nnimiro ye ate oluvannyuma ng’abantu bonna beebase omukyaye najja naasiga zizaniya mu nnimiro eyo. Zizaniya mu lulimi lw’ennaku zino tuyinza okubiyita obikyupuli.

Kaakati mmwe mulowooza omusizi y’ani? Ate ennimiro?

Omukama y’emusizi. Ennimiro oyinza okulowooza nti y’ensi, oba ye community kati ng’eno seminario. Naye olwaleero nsaba tulowooze nti ennimiro ye ggwe nange.

Ggwe nange ffe nnimiro Omukama mwasiga ensigo ennungi. Ensigo ennungi njagala tuloowoze nti z’ennema (graces) Mukama zaatuwa buli omu. Omwo oyinza kiyiinza okugeteeza ebintu bingi omuli: Ekigambo ky’a Katondo kyetuwulira buli lunaku n’ekitufuukira emmere y’obulamu obutaggwawo, ebitone Omukama byawadde buli omu ku ffe; abamu tuli bayimbi, abalala tuli baakabi mu mizannyo egy’enjawulo, oba twokya ku kibiina, abalala tulina emitima emirungi egifa ku balala n’ebirala ng’ebyo. Mungeri y’emu ensigo eyinza okuba empisa ennungi; obuwulize, obw’etangize, obutukuvu, n’ebirala. Byonna bibala bya neema Omukama zaatuwa.

Ku ludda olulala, zizaniya oba obikyupuli z’empisa embi ng’obunafu, n’obugayaavu Sitaani n’abantu abakyaamu bye baagala okutusigamu.

Nagambye nti akayimba ka Chameleone kayinza okutuyamba okwebulira ku Vangiri ya leero kubanga Chameleone atulabula nti twegendereza abo abalyammere abayinza okutuwabwa. Abantu n’ebintu byonna ebiyinza okutufuula ab’ebikyupuli.

Ffena tumanyi nti Omukama yatutonda mu kifaananyi kye. Wabula empisa embi, obugayaavu n’emizze emibi bwe butwefunza olwo nga tufuuka bikyupuli.

Bwetubeera mu nsi eno kizibu okwewala buli kabi naye mu ngeri y’onna bwewabaawo ebikyupuli mu ffe, evangiri etulaga nti Omukama mugumiikiriza, atuwaayo akadde okwetakuluzaako eby’ekikyupuli byonna: emize egitali mirungi, obugayaavu, empisa embi zonna. 

Omugezi agezaako neyeetakuluzaako ebikyupuli byonna kubanga evangiri etugambye nti obudde bwamakungula bwebunaatuuka Omukama ebikyupuli byonna ajja kuwa ekiragiro bikumweko Omuliro bisiriire bigwewo. Nsuubira nti nze naawe tetwandiyagadde kubeera bikyupuli . N’olwekyo tukole ky’onna ekisoba okwewala ebintu n’abantu abakyaamu Sitaani mwayita okutufuula ebikyupuli.

Wabula twetanire abo abantu abalungi Omukama mwayita okutusigamu ensigo ennungi.

Wano mu seminariyo, mu kalimiro k’Omukama, tulina Omukisa abantu bangi abantu abobuvunaanyizibwa. Tubawulirize ate twewale abo abatali ba ttendo nnyo.

 

 

23^rd Sunday Year A

“What we owe another is nothing else but love.”

Good Morning,

I just came back from Uganda, and I picked something I would like to share with you. In Uganda they say: “God is good … All the time. All the time … God is good and that is God’s nature wow!!”

The Word of God today is about caring love. Not so much the love of hearts and flowers. Rather, its love that is enduring; the kind of love that we have to extend to someone who misbehaves or someone who hurts us.

What happens when someone misbehaves or hurts me? What should I do? “Punch them out?” or “kick their butt?” or “just keep quiet and let it go?”

No. No. In the Gospel this morning, Jesus lays out for us a detailed plan for helping someone who has done us harm.  This plan is good and applicable whatever the damage is: saying unfair things behind your back, embarrassing you in public, stealing, cheating, unfaithfulness, you name it. Jesus tells us that, “the Christian thing to do would be:

First of all, to go to the person, the friend, the sister, the brother, the spouse, and let him or her know that you believe you have been hurt by what they have done or said. This is not an opportunity to “let out our anger and frustration” rather an opportunity to repair the relationship.

If the person does not listen to you, Jesus tells you and I to keep trying by involving other good people and the Church as witnesses, until the matter is smoothed out. All this is to ensure that truth and forgiveness are given a chance.

The reason why Jesus recommends this plan is what we have heard in the first reading from prophet Ezekiel. Like the prophet, you and I are responsible for one another in the sight of God. If I do something bad or evil and you do not tell me to stop it, then you also share my sin and carry the blame. But if you help me and I stop doing the evil thing, then we you share the grace and the reward. The idea here is not that we become policemen of other people’s lives, but rather that we try to show that we care for one another (x2).

The other piece in all this is that we got to be receptive to fraternal correction; realizing that as good and as lovely as we are, we are also imperfect and often blind to our faults.

As I told you, I just came back from Uganda. One of the things that caught my attention is the community life of monkeys in the wild. When a pack of monkeys goes into a garden to eat, one of them always remains on the tallest tree close to the garden to keep watch over the rest. It will blow the whistle or make a warning cry as soon as it sees one of it’s friends going too far from home or when danger approaching. As soon as the cry is made, all the poor monkeys run home for safety. Aren’t we better than monkeys?

St. Paul reminds us that, “what we owe another is nothing else but love.” And in the Gospel, we hear that when we stay together in love, then God makes a home with us.

Let us pray at this Celebration of the Eucharist that we be agents of love, of truth, and forgiveness, in our homes, in our work places, and in our schools. It is then that God will indeed dwell in our midst.

 

27^th Sunday Ordinary Time Year A October 5, 2008:             10/3/2008 4:52:30 PM

“The Kingdom will be given to a people that will produce its fruit”

Dear sisters and brothers,

Today Word of God in the first reading presents us with the Prophet Isaiah singing of his friend, a friend and his vineyard. Isaiah’s friend is God and the vineyard is God. The picture Isaiah paints is quite dramatic. Over the summer, I imagine that many of us have had gardens. If you care for a garden, clear it out, put in fertilizers, irrigate the ground and then finally plant your best flowers and plants that can grow on the kind of soil, then you would expect that your efforts will pay off if the weather co-operates.

Such is the image that the Prophet Isaiah makes of God in the first reading. God is like a devoted gardener. We are the garden which God tends and looks after day by day with delight. We are the choicest vines or the favorite flowers, melons or strawberries which God has planted through baptism and watered; wishing to delight in who we are and desiring to find delightful fruit fitting for the Kingdom of heaven.

But not only that! Unlike mere vines, or flowers, melons, and strawberries, delightful yet unthinking as they are, we human beings are responsible subjects. We are therefore stewards of our lives and are accountable for what we make of ourselves.

The gifts and blessings that we have each received, we have to account for by the we take ourselves, the way live with others, the way we think of others, what we say to others, and what we do or not do for them.

Saint Paul has reminded that:

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable whatever is just, whatever is pure whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious if there is any excellence and if there is anything worth of praise, think about all these.

Do these things, then, the God of peace will be with you!

Christ, whom we receive in the Eucharist is our peace. He is the Cornerstone. When the Cornerstone is about, the entire house collapses. We can do nothing without his help. Let us therefore beg him to send us his Spirit; the Spirit of wisdom and of power, that we may be fruitful gardens where love, hope, and faith are nurtured. Let us grow into the best stewards we can be; grateful to God and committed to a life of faith and of love.

 

28^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A October 12, 2008       October 10, 2008

What are we doing about God’s invitation to a relationship?

We live in a world that tends to compete for our attention and to demand our time: school, homework, a daily job, walking the dog, shopping, political debates and political campaigns, the economic crisis, games and sports, the Cubs, the Sox, the bulls, the bears, the hawks, entertainment, TV, the Simpsons, this movie, that movie, computers, email, telephones, etc. While all these activities and things are useful, we can never find fulfillment in them. Very often instead we can find our lives lost in them. Rather than finding life we miss it.

In the Gospel today we hear about such a scenario. Jesus tells us a parable about guests who are invited to a banquet. God, the giver of life prepares a banquet for his Son the source of life and God invites guests. But, too busy trying to make life; they can’t go to the fountain and ground of life, they end up in fact missing life, loosing it.

We too, in the midst of all the joys and the business of life; we are always presented with an ongoing invitation. It’s an invitation to a relationship with God. Loving God with all being! But we can’t have a relationship with God unless we have a relationship with fellow human beings: the person we live with at home, the stranger we meet as we walk the dog, the person we meet on the way to Church, the person sitting next to us on the train or on the bus.

This is life of love is the Kingdom of God. Isaiah pictures it a rather dramatic. There will the best food and the best wine. All this is to points to one thing namely, that it is a kingdom of Communion, a Kingdom of sharing. 

 

30^th Sunday Year A October 25^th

Friendship with God and fellowship with one another! That is the priority

It is such an honor for me to be here with you once again. When I was going home last July I had some real doubts as to whether I will ever be able to see you again. But the Lord is good. I thank him for keeping all of you alive, looking good, and happy, at least for the most part. I know there have been challenges here and there, from time to time. But as we heard in first reading from the Book of Exodus, in the midst of our weaknesses, powerlessness, poverty, and oppressive circumstance, the Lord does not abandon us. He is our rock, our fortress, our shield, our salvation, our rescue, our deliverer.

Yet, very often, it is rather difficult for most of us to see the hand of God acting in our lives here and now. There is the economic crisis, unemployment, poverty, bills, quarrels at home, rent, misunderstandings at work, bad grades at school, flooding in the basement, political uncertainty, the threat of terrorism, sickness, old age, too much home work, jammed traffic terrible, etc. And so we often ask ourselves: Where is God in all this?

The Gospel has the answer! Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart. This is the great and first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

These words of Jesus are called commandments, but in actuality, they are invitations. Love as it is cannot be commanded. Love can only be given or received. What Jesus is doing, therefore, is to invite us, you and me, into friendship first and foremost with God and then friendship with other human being, the people we live with, and those we meet on our ways.

The cause of the majority of problems that exist in the world today is one. It is selfishness: My being selfish towards others; their being selfish towards me, failing to be compassionate, failing to be considerate, failing to look to the needs of the other.

Just like the cause of the majority of troubles is one, the solution is also one. It is compassion. It is being considerate; it is looking at that old lady and extending a helping hand to her. It is seeing that child in danger and coming to her rescue, it is sharing some of our cloth with those who have none, it is sharing our food with those who have none, it is stopping to look at ourselves as Puerto-Ricans, or as Mexicans, or as African Americans, or as Africans, or as White and looking at one another as Children of God.

The first and most vital step for us to grow in compassion is friendship with God. It is by knowing how much God loves us that we can be compassionate to other people. It is by being grateful to God that we can learn to share with others.

 

Monday October 27, 2008

Look at her as Jesus

The Gospel presents us with a woman, a cripple, bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. She has been at the Synagogue for 18 years, perhaps abandoned there by here family who could no longer take care of her.

There are two men standing close by.

The first man the leader of the Synagogue sees her. The sight of her is offence to him. In his sight, she is ugly and unattractive; she seems not worth even the dignity of an ox. He sees her with prejudice. He condemns her.

Then, there is a second man, Jesus. He looks at the poor woman as a daughter of Abraham; a daughter of God yearning to be free. He feels compassion for her. He extends his hand, he touches her, he tells her everything will be alright and he sets her free.

The way we look at people either condemns them or sets them free. Whenever we look at a person with prejudice either for her physical appearance, race, color, background, creed, sex, we condemn them.

Love begins with seeing and seeing with compassion.

When we look at a person with compassion, seeing them from the point of view of God, we set them free.

That is why St. Paul calls on us to be imitators of God; to look at people from Jesus’ point of view.

The highest degree of meekness consists in seeing, serving, honoring, and treating amiably, on occasion, those who are not to our taste, and who show themselves unfriendly, ungrateful, and troublesome to us.

 

For October 29, 2008 Children’s Mass

It is one thing to know and another to actually do …

How many of us know basket ball?

How many of us know how play basketball?

Is To know basket ball is the same as to know how to play basket ball?

NO.

How do we get to be good basket ball players? ….. Practice!

To know how to play basket ball one has to learn by practicing shooting, dribbling and making great passes. With practice, little by little he will become a good basket ball player.

Today, Jesus tells us a similar message. He says that to know Jesus is not the same as to be a good Christian. Knowing Jesus is not enough to get us into heaven.

Just like we need to practice shots in order to be good basketball player, we need to practice our Christianity every day in order to become good Christians, and to enter eternal life.

How do learn to be Good Christians?

-          First of all, by saying our prayers everyday.

-          By sharing some of our stuff with other people.

-          By helping friends in difficulty.

-          By listening to our parents and helping them with dishes for instance, and chores at home. By cleaning our rooms.

-          By doing home work

-          By being holy etc.

 

October 30, 2008 Daily Mass St. Anastasia

God - Love surpasses all

For most of us as striving to grow into holiness, we try to avoid sin or we try to put up a fight with it, trying our level best to be holy. But, do we succeed?

No. Often times as soon we think we have succeeded, we fail.

This is what Paul highlights today. The spiritual struggles which we face are not all merely of human origin. Rather, some of these struggles originate from influences beyond us or as Paul refers to them, “powers” and “principalities.” They are influences beyond our capacity; influences which we can’t handle on our own.

To give you a simple analogy, let’s consider an addict of any sort. After the addiction has taken root, even when the addict is willing to change, he or she remains quite helplessly inclined to do what the addiction calls for. He or she may want to stop the addition, but he or she just can’t help it.

Sin is often times like. It takes hold of us, and we can’t of our power overcome its influence.

But Paul does not stop at telling us of the superhuman forces of sin. He goes on to tell us that, the immense and steadfast love of God for us surpasses these powers. He thus calls upon us to handover our struggles to the higher power, to the power of God’s love in Jesus Christ.  After handing over our struggles to Jesus, then we can work with him to gradually get out of our spiritual mess.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that he has no other purpose but to get us out of our spiritual mess, He has no other purpose but to heal our spiritual woundedness, and to restore us to spiritual health and free us from the powers of sin and death.

In the context of our daily Christian lives, the readings of today remind us of the need for the sacrament of Penance. They invite us to that well which refreshes dry and thirty souls. The Sacrament of Penance is the medicine that heals our Spiritual wounds. It is the beginning of our reconciliation with God and neighbor.

 

Wednesday November 5, 2008 Addolorata Villa

No one but God defines you

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are in a society that constantly suggests to us that we are entirely self-determining or self-defining. We are tempted to think that “I am what I say I am” or to think that “we are defined by our earthly relations, family, friends, associates, etc.”

Because of this temptation to define ourselves in entirely worldly terms, we at times hardly have any room for God to work in our lives.

Today St. Paul exhorts us with quite strong words. He says, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work.”

If God is to work in us as Paul says, we have to leave room for God in our lives.  In simple terms, this is a call to recognizing our nothingness before God and allowing God to define us rather than you and me defining ourselves.

The message of the Gospel is similar to that. Jesus addresses us saying, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

By any means, Jesus is not encouraging us to hate anyone, for we know that he even asks us to love our enemies. Instead, the Lord is teaching us that all these other relationships should not stand in the way of our relationship with Him. Relationship with God has to be the priority and the organizing principle of our lives. Our relationship with Jesus has to take precedence over any other relationship.

 

Dedication of St. John Lateran Saturday November 8, 2008

We are the temples of God

Our Church is a celebrating Church. This weekend, we commemorate the dedication of the mother of all Churches, commonly known as the basilica of St. John Lateran. Officially called “Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior, St. John Baptist and St. John the Evangelist at the Lateran;" St. John Lateran is the oldest and first ranked of all Churches in Christendom. Though it is not in the Vatican, St. John Lateran is the official Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.

St. John Lateran is dedicated to Christ the Savior. Like the temple which Ezekiel [47: 1-2, 8-9, 12] speaks about adorned and re-adorned with lively beauty since the third century, this mother of all Churches has been beautified to be indeed a suitable and appealing dwelling place for the Lord Jesus to who it is dedicated. For those who have it, it indeed imitates the glory of heaven.

Nevertheless, the Lord Jesus does not long to dwell in structures of wood and stone as much as he longs to dwell among us. The commemoration of the dedication of St. John Lateran to Christ the Savior is therefore meant to remind us of our own dedication to Christ. In the reading from Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 3:9-11, 16-17), Paul compares the community of Corinth to a building whose foundation is Christ. Paul uses this image because the Corinthians were plagues by disharmony, divisions, even hatred. He wants to encourage the Corinthians to live as a community.  Our little community at Sedge-brook is a community not so much unlike the Community at Corinth. All of us have to work towards living harmoniously. This means being considerate, being nice, saying hello to people, listening and paying attention to another.

St Paul further reminds us that through baptism, we are dedicated to the Lord. We became temples of the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit in each of us is the cause of every good we accomplish. Yet for the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, we have to allow him. None of us, no one, even among us human beings enjoys the live in a dirty, gloomy, neglected, and unappealing home.

John Lateran is adorned, and ornamented for the Lord. How about us? What is the condition of our souls and bodies in which the Holy Spirit wants to dwells? Are they cleansed, are they wiped, are they ornamented and adorned so that the Holy Spirit dwells happily within us? Or, are they dirty, gloomy, neglected and unappealing?

As the Liturgical year draws to a close, we ought to examine our interior lives. The Lord Jesus must not become angry so as to take a whip at us for turning our souls into a market place of evil.

Much as we often clean our homes, wipe cabinets, and mend broken walls in order to make our homes nice and homely, we ought to continually do the same with our selves; for we are the temples of God and the Spirit of God dwells in us. It behooves us, therefore to continually cleanse ourselves especially in reconciliation with one another and with God.

For this duty, we have a great model and example in Mary, the mother of Jesus and the mother of the Church. She allowed the Spirit to come upon her and so bore for us the Savior. Because of her special mission as the Tabernacle of the Lord, she kept free of sin and humbly cooperated with the Holy Spirit. Let us therefore turn our gaze to Mary, the Mother of the Church, to be our model. A woman of modesty, of humility, of gratefulness, who follows not to her wishes but submits to the voice and will of the Lord. She is our mother.  She loves us. She intercedes for us.

Let us pray at this Eucharist for a spirit of devotion and love for reconciliation. Let’s ask the Lord to cleanse us, to make fitting homes, which appeal to him, so that he may happily dwell in us.

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Dedication of St. John Lateran Saturday November 8, 2008

We the sign of God’s Presence in the World

Our Church is a celebrating Church. This weekend, we commemorate the dedication of the mother of all Churches, commonly known as the basilica of St. John Lateran. Officially called “Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior, St. John Baptist and St. John the Evangelist at the Lateran;" St. John Lateran is the oldest and first ranked of all Churches in Christendom. Though it is not in the Vatican, St. John Lateran is the official Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.

On the Liturgical Calendar, there is no other Church whose dedication we commemorate as a feast as we do for St. John Lateran. This can help to understand its special significance. As the official Cathedral of the Pope, who as the successor of St. Peter presided over the unity in Charity of Catholic Christians throughout the world, St. John Lateran is the symbol of our symbol of unity in of faith, hope and charity.

St. Paul in the second reading (1 Cor 3:9-11, 16-17) reminds the Church at Corinth that they are a building. For something to be a building it has to have a foundation, it has to have walls, a roof and decorations and all these must be united together as a unity block by block from bottom to top. The building St. Paul is speaking about is not a physical structure rather it is the community that is the Church. Indeed, when we speak of Church, physical structures are secondly. The Church is the communion of faith, hope and Charity. And so we here, members of the Catholic community at Sedge-brook are a church. But like a building, we are truly Church when we are a community where the members care for one another. This implies concern for one another, mutual compassion, love, reaching out in friendship, togetherness, unity. But the foundation for such greater connections is little virtues like saying hello to people, listening and paying attention to another, being considerate and “nice.” If these are present, then there is harmony, there is life, there is joy. And, these are the manifestations that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, as Paul says in the same reading.

In the introduction, I shared with you that the Church is the symbol of God’s saving presence in the world. We, as a church a community of love, are a witness to the rest of the world around us of the fact that God lives and he lives here among us.

The foundation of the building of our community is Christ, most present among us in the Most Holy Eucharist which we are celebrating. At this Eucharist let us therefore pray that we may indeed be a true community of faith, of hope, of love; a community imbued in mutual concern for one another, in compassion and caring, in togetherness. Then we shall be a community where the Lord happily dwells.

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Thirty Third Sunday Year A: November 16^th 2008

The Lord has so trusted us

Dear brothers and sisters,

The parable Jesus tells us today can be interpreted in many ways. But I suggest that we go with this one. Jesus is the man in the story. He is going away to heaven and He entrusts his property, the Kingdom of God to his trusted servants, that is, all of us - Church. In this trusting, Jesus not only chooses us as a team, but he also gives us his talents, gifts, graces, to use to build the Kingdom of God on earth.

The gospel teaches us about the great trust that Jesus has in us; the fact that he has chosen us as a team, and has entrusted to us the mission of continuing his work on earth.

By being members of the Church, you and I are the feet which Jesus uses to extend his message of love. You and I are his hands which he uses to comfort the sorrowful. You and I are his eyes which he uses to see those in need. You and I are his energy which he uses to help others. You and I are his mouth which he uses to spread the Good News.

Now, supposing the Lord comes here and now and he asks you, how you are doing? How have you used your feet to building the Kingdom of God? How have you used your hands to build the Kingdom of love? How have you used your eyes to see and reach out to those that need help? How have you used your actions to spread the God News? How would you respond to Jesus? Would you be caught off guard? Would you be reduced to silence?

As the gospel tells us, we all do not have the same talents and graces. We are not all pastors. We are not all mothers and fathers, we are not all catechists. We are not all are children. Not all of us are fired up preachers like Fr. Brady. But each one of us has been given something, a special gift that others do not have. 

At home, there is a fire place story which can perhaps illustrate this for us.  [Do not worry I am going to say it in English]. 

Once upon a time, there were three friends, the Ear, the Eye and the Brain. They went to a concert in town.

As soon as the concert started, Ear boasted about and said, “you… poor Eye …, you can’t hear the great melodies that I am enjoying.” 

The Eye responded, “oh well …, you hear them sounds … but can you see what I see; the dancers and the beauty that is around everywhere?”

 Looking disgustfully at his two friends, Brain said, “…oh you little ones … none of you can do thing with me.” “I rule!”

The two little responded in unison, “Come on Big Brain, you are as good as dead without us!”

Recognizing their boastful folly, they were humbled, and they pledged henceforth to work together, each to do her part so that they may fully enjoy the concert.

My dear friends, you and I are on Jesus’ trusted team; we all have an indispensable role to play in the building of God’s Kingdom on earth. Some us are eyes, some of us are ears and some of are brains. Let us beg the Holy Spirit to help us use all our talents to the best that we can, so that we enter the joy of Jesus.

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Christ the King Year A: November 22/23, 2008

You are queens! You are kings!

Good evening/morning friends, this weekend concludes liturgical Year A…

Happy feast day of Christ our King! This is great for all us because in baptism, we also share in the Kingship of Christ, for we were anointed Priest, Prophet and King. So believe it or not, we are queens and kings.

Being that the United States is an old democracy without kings and queens, perhaps I am the only one here who comes from a background where there are still kings and queens. The king is called the man of men and the queen, woman of women. They are very rich, very majestic; they bear the highest of titles that can be given to anyone. They are admired. Their wishes have to be respected.

But guess what, Christ our King is the king of all such kings. He rules all presidents. He is the eternal sovereign; the angels worship him, demons take cover at his word, all seasons obey his laws, all of creation depends upon him, for as St. Paul to the Philippians: “At the name of Jesus, every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

But let’s take a step back and look at this King of ours again. Let’s us reflect on how this king appeared on earth.  He is born in dire poverty, he has no place to be born, his parents cannot afford a crib they put him in a manger, he spends his life with one piece of cloth, “foxes and holes and the birds of the air have nests, but he the Son of man has no where to lay his head! Moreover he remains present to us, as the Gospel tells us, in the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the ill, and those in prison. What kind of king is he?

Definitely, from the indication of the Gospel it would be wholesomely incorrect to merely think of Christ’s kingship and his kingdom in terms of power or majesty. In Mt 20:28, the Christ the King says of himself that: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Then, in the Beatitudes [Mt 5], he reminds us that: “happy are the poor in Spirit …, happy are the gentle …, happy are those who mourn …, happy are those who hunger for what is right …, happy are the merciful …, happy are the pure of heart …, happy are the peace makers …, happy are those who are persecuted in the cause of right … there is the Kingdom of heaven.” “Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account, my Kingdom is yours.”

Evidently, the Kingship of Christ and his kingdom is quite different from the kingships and kingdoms of this world. It is not a kingship of property or titles. It is not a kingship of territory; and clearly it not one of majesty. Rather, the Kingdom of Christ is a Kingdom of love; a kingship of the heart.

For this reason, there is nowhere else that the kingship of Christ is most manifest to the world as at that moment when Christ gave up his life for the sake of you and me. On the Cross Christ undertook the most loving action there can ever be. For as he says: “A person can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends” [Jn 15:13]. Moreover, Pilate’s inscription: “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews;” written not only in Hebrew, but also in Latin and in Greek indicates that Christ is King not only of the Hebrews but, but his kingdom is universal.

Christ is the king of love. His kingdom is in every heart where love reigns. It is firmly rooted in you and me whenever we give of ourselves in loving others; in compassion for the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked; in caring for those that need our assistance.

Thus, without castles and titles, we too in Christ and with Christ, are kings and queens. You realize your queenship in Christ by feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. You realize your kingship in Christ by providing for the thirsty and reaching out to the poor. This is the meaning of our baptism. We have become other Christs. 

Let us pray at this Eucharistic celebration that by our loving actions we may be granted a share in Christ’s kingdom of love.

For our King, the Lord Jesus is sovereign overall, yet he is the king in tatters, he is the King who gives up his life for the sake of his friends, for the sake of all of us.

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Advent Sunday I Year B November 29/30, 2008

“Watch” - Christmas is about a person

Dear Friends,

With Thanksgiving gone by, we now have Christmas to look forward to. In various ways, all of us will do some kind of activities to celebrate the Holiday: Gift finding, shopping, sharing Christmas greetings, decorating, going for Christmas concerts and nativity plays, Christmas parties, etc. All these activities form part of the excitement about Christmas.

Nevertheless, these exciting activities cannot be the focal point of our Christmas preparation. A lot of good people, indeed good Christians, often fail to prepare well for Christmas simply because well before Christmas itself, they often get into too much excitement and celebration so much so that by the time Christmas itself comes, they have a hunger over. Others get too much anxiety over Christmas gifts, and the money to buy them. What shall I give to so and so? Where shall I get money? And now with the economic crisis which we are experiencing, the anxiety might even increase. But that should not be the case my dear friends. Christmas is not about activities. Christmas is about a person – Jesus Christ.

Today, we begin the season of Advent. Advent is a time of expectation – waiting – anticipation of the coming of our God in our midst. Our excitement should therefore focus on the hope that the “Lord is coming.” Advent is a time for us to prepare our hearts and our lives to welcome the Lord Jesus; not only for the Nativity of our Lord, but also preparation for his “Second Coming” in glory at the end of time.

The Gospel today is about getting ready for this Second Coming. Jesus reminds us to “Watch”, to be ready to meet him when his comes at the end of time. In history, there has been a lot of speculation about this end, the end of the world. People have even come up with dates most of which have already past. As Catholics, though we believe that the Second Coming of Christ will be an event in history; an event that can happen within our life time, yet we do not try to predict the exact time because Jesus tells us that, “you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.” "No one knows when that day or hour will come, not the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father.”

Moreover, if the end of the world does not happen in our life time, then the coming in glory will take the form of Jesus meeting us at the hour of our death. In either case, whether at the time of our death or at the end of the world, Jesus wants us to be ready. The Lord does not expect us to know the hour of his coming. What he expects of us is that when that hour comes, we are ready to welcome him, and he to welcome us.

And so the question is how shall we get ready, how shall we prepare?

First, I am sure that all of us have at least received an important visitor before. Often before the visitor comes, we dust out the cabinets, clean the closets, and fix the broken walls. The same logic applies to our spiritual lives. We have to clean out our interior house and put it in order. Jesus himself is ready to help us with this. He has given us the sacrament of Reconciliation. Advent should not pass without making use of this sacrament of inner healing and cleansing.

Secondly, we have to endeavor to know about our guest: What he expects, what gifts to give him. Jesus has also helped us. He has given us the Bible. Advent should not pass without reading at least Chapters 1 and 2 of Matthew and Luke. [A good way to do this is reading at home as a family or as a group. Perhaps just before dinner or another appropriate time, read a few verses and then think about them in the context of your live as a family and as individuals].

Thirdly, Jesus has told us that it is him that we are entertaining whenever we feed the hungry and clothe the naked, or when we provide a cup of water for the thirsty. Advent is a time to share our blessings with those who have less. It is a time to share the joyful hope that the Lord is coming.

2^nd Sunday of Advent December 7^th 2008:  12.5.2008 at USML

Over the past months, a lot of construction has been happening on Interstate 94. Rough places have been smoothed out, potholes have been covered, and narrow passes have been widened. Now much of the construction is finished. With normal traffic flow it takes an average driver just about 45 minutes to get to down-town Chicago. Previously with rather normal traffic flow, it could take even a speed merchant over an hour to get to get to the same place because a lot time was spent getting around rough place, potholes, and narrow passes.

The Gospel uses the image of a highway. It presents us with John the Baptist, the voice in the wilderness, saying “Prepare the way of the Lord [make straight a highway for our God], make straight his path.” John in these words fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah chapter 40 which we heard in the first reading. He specifically calls upon us to prepare a highway for the Lord by acknowledging our sins and repenting for their forgiveness. John points to Jesus, whom he acknowledges to be mightier, for he will create a new people of God by baptizing with the Holy Spirit.

            Reflecting on the message of John, we can wonder: Why does John ask us to acknowledge our sins and repent as preparation for Jesus’ coming? How do my sins and your sins make the coming of the Lord slower?

The readings we heard from Isaiah and Peter have the answers to these questions.

The first reading from Isaiah chapter 40 opens “the Book of Consolations.” It focuses on God’s consolation and restoration of his people who by that time were probably in exile. The experience of exile had put their trust in God to a test. Isaiah is saying that that should not be the case. God is going to lead his people back home, to console and restore them, all because of the deep, personal affectionate relationship that exists between God and his people. This deep personal affectionate relation is implied in the phrases: “my people,” “our God”.

There is a huge difference when someone says, “tell those people” and when he says, “tell my people.” The word “my” here indicates that God makes his presence among his people and relates to us in a personal affectionate way; my daughter, my son, my children, my people. God relates to us affectionately.

Isaiah therefore shows us that God makes his presence among us to have a relationship with us, a relation that is personal and affectionate. // But, we know that any true relationship always stands on some principles: trust, faithfulness, listening, striving not to offend the beloved, forgiveness, etc. Similarly, although God loves us unconditionally, God’s love for us remains unrealized unless we are willing to enter into a relationship with him. God’s love is realized “we” the beloved of God engage ourselves by doing what builds up our mutual love.

In the Second reading Peter tells us what we have to do for our part of the relationship. He says, “conduct yourselves in holiness and devotion, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God  … be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.” Peter is thus saying that the more we do to accept God’s love, his embrace, the more we strive to be pleasing to him and to make him the center of our lives; the smoother his highway into our lives will be become, the faster he will be born in our hearts.

Thus we shall see the Lord coming into our lives as one who comforts, who speaks tenderly, who takes away our sins and liberates us from our fears, who provides and cares for us like a shepherd feeds his flock and gathers them close to his heart. It is in relationship with the Lord that we enjoy the good things he promises those who love him.

And by any means, this relationship is never simply about me and my God, but about “our God and us”. Our relationship with God grows as our relationship with the brothers and sisters God has placed in our lives. Peace and justice, care for the hungry, the poor and the weak, mutual forgiveness, these cement our relationship with God.

Friday 3^rd Week of Advent Year B          12.20.2008

Dear friends,

There are three points I would like to reflect upon from the readings given to us by the Church today.

First point: God’s choice of us is pure gift. He even turns what society sees as a curse into a blessing. The readings, we have heard, present to us two married couples: Manoah and his wife, and Zechariah and Elizabeth. Although separated in time by hundreds of years, the two couples are experiencing a lot in common. They do not have children because Manoah’s wife is barren and so is Elizabeth the wife of Zechariah. 

In Hebrew culture and in many other cultures, not having children is not a mere biological occurrence. It has religious implications. It is shameful, a disgrace as we have heard from Elizabeth’s words. This is because children are regarded as a blessing and the failure to bear children implies not being blessed.

Nevertheless, for Elizabeth and Manoah’s wife, God turns all this shame and disgrace around. God chooses these women who are seen as disgraced in the eyes of society and he bestows upon them great favors. He turns their barrenness into a blessing. The point is that these women are not chosen so much due to their merits but due to God’s love, God’s will.

In the same way, God has chosen you and me to be followers of his Son, Jesus Christ, not because we are different from other people; rather, because God willed to turn a curse into a blessing for us. Then, the question is: do we take our Catholic faith seriously? Do we treasure it as a blessing, a pure gift from God?

Second point: God chooses us for the sake of others. In the readings, God chooses Manoah’s wife and Elizabeth to bear a child; a child whom God is going to use as a source of blessing for others. As the story continues, Manoah’s wife bears Samson, a courageous warrior, who will defends God’s people against their enemies. Elizabeth bears John the Baptist, the one who prepares the way for the Savior and who shows him to those searching for salvation.

In the same way, God has chosen you and me to be Christians, Catholics, not just for our own salvation but for the salvation of others. The question then is: The blessing which God has given you, your being a Christian, your being a Catholic, being chosen by God, has this made a difference in your neighborhood, or have you put a basket over the lamp which God has lit?

Third Point: The messenger of the Lord and God’s word is to be trusted.  In the secularized culture in which we live today, often times angels are portrayed in figures of beautiful persons with wings. This may distract from the image of angels as described in today’s readings. Angels are messengers of God, frightening and so terrible to behold. They are messengers from on high, bringing a message which is not to be taken lightly but as the word of the Almighty. Zechariah becomes a mute because he doubts God’s message and his messenger. The question then is: How seriously do we take God’s word? Do we read it or listen to it with respect and trust as the message of the Almighty who is capable of turning curses into blessings?

4^th Sunday of Advent Year B                   12.20/21.2008

Dear Friends,

The word “choice” is often used and heard in statements of people’s convictions. We want to have the freedom to choose. And, the capacity to choose is indeed part of our humanness. It is part of our dignity, part of what distinguishes us, human beings, from the environment.

Today, the word of God points beyond our personal choices to the reality of being chosen; chosen by God for a mission. [This divine choice is a ‘choosing’ to which our choices are responses: either as Yes, in accepting God’s call to participate in God’s plan of salvation, “the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested” [Rom 16:25-27]; or as NO, in refusing to accept God’s call by taking our choices rather than God’s choices as paramount].

The Scriptures of the Church give us two well known characters: David from the Old Testament reading [2 Sam 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16], and Mary from the Gospel [Lk 1:26-38]. David wants to build a house for God. But when David consults the prophet Nathan to find out if that is the will of God, God says no. God says that, it is not you, David, to establish a house for me; rather, I will establish a house for you. The deep implication here is that, it is not David who has chosen God; rather, it is God who has chosen David and made him from being a mere boy tending sheep in the fields into a powerful king. And, this is not because David is so special, but because of God’s love; God’s will to save the world.

Similarly, the Gospel dialogue of the Annunciation presents Mary, the heroine of Christmas. Mary has a plan; her choice is to remain a virgin. But the angel says to her, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall name him Jesus.” Mary is disturbed for she can’t understand all this. “How will this be,” Mary asks the angel, “since I have no relations with a man?” Gabriel explains that the birth will be by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Though even then Mary cannot fully understand how it will be, she gives up herself in trust and obedience to God. She responds to Gabriel with the great YES: “Behold, I am the maidservant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” It is because of this Yes of Mary that we look forward to Christmas. On Mary’s trust in God’s goodness depends the salvation of the world. And, her obedience of faith enables her to become a link between God and humanity, for through her “the Word was made flesh.” 

Dear friends, like David and Mary God has chosen us. We are here because God has chosen us to participate in his loving plan of salvation. But from time to time, God is knocking on the doors of our hearts asking us to let him in; to say YES, so that He uses us to transform the world, to bring healing to our brokenness, bring peace, to save the world.

As followers of Jesus, our role in God’s plan of salvation is to sanctify the world; to make the world holy through our “Yeses” manifest in our words and our actions; at our homes, at school, at the place of work, on the road even when other drivers drive like they have more alcohol than blood in their systems.  Indeed, there are many ways we can sanctify the world. There are many ways through which we can say Yes and let the Lord take over in our lives, but as we enter the week of Christmas, I request us to say Yes through our Kindness; kindness to one another in our words and our actions.

Not in Grandeur, in a Manger – Christmas 2008 Dawn and Day

Dear Friends,

I would like first of all to wish a happy birthday to Baby Jesus. Please join me and let us sing together: “Happy birthday to you … Happy Birthday Dear Jesus …” On behalf of Baby Jesus, I say thank you for your melodious voices. It is so good to see all of you from so many families, ages, sopranos, altos, tenors and basses singing together for God’s Son as one family of God.

Friends, we are all here because the Birth of Jesus is our day. So, I would like to wish you a blessed Christmas. Merry Christmas to you all! Warm welcome to the faithful who pray in this Church regularly; warm welcome to family and friends who are visiting with us for Christmas; warm welcome to those who are here because its grandma’s Christmas wish, warm welcome to those who came to Church just to get out of the house before the Christmas party begins. For whatever reason you are here, welcome! All of us Christmas is our day because the savior is born for all of us.

Over the past weeks of preparation for this day we have dressed in purple, today we are clad in cream; we have not been singing the Glory to God in the highest, but today, we joyfully join with the angelic voices singing “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people of earth.” Christ, the Light from on high has come among us to enlighten us. For our sake God has become man to take away from our lives the gloom of eternal death. In the child of Mary is our peace, our redemption and our salvation. Thus, we celebrate, we rejoice, our tables are ready, overflowing with plenty, we are going to eat and drink and be with family and friends. It is Christmas. The day we have been awaiting has finally dawned.

But as we celebrate Christmas 2008 the word of God invites us to a flash back to the first Christmas; to remember that on Christmas 0001, the glory of the Lord came not in grandeur but in a manger. Luke reminds us that Child is born at Bethlehem, a small farming town; to Mary a poor girl and Joseph her husband who can’t afford room anywhere to have their baby. Mary’s child is born lowly, his crib is a manger. And, as if that is not enough, the news of his birth is brought not to kings and nobles, instead the angels are sent to the least of all, the shepherds, those considered unclean, who nevertheless are watching and can be amazed at the glory of the Lord  manifest in insignificant ways. No wonder then that as John tells us, “He [through him all things were made] was in the world … but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.” They waited for him to appear in grandeur; he chose to appear in a manger.

Dear sisters and brothers, this reminds us that the Savior born for us today comes to us not according to any one’s terms but on His own terms. He does not look for a welcome of grandeur but of amazement, of glorifying and praising God for what we hear and see; even though the world may considers it unattractive or insignificant.

As we celebrate Christmas in our homes, let us be attentive and allow ourselves to be amazed at God’s wonders set before us not in grandeur but in a manger. Let us keep in mind that child of Mary makes Himself known not to the world’s powers but to seekers, to the poor of heart who yearn for and can recognize God’s glory manifest in small ways. It is of these that John says, “But to those who did accept him he gave the power to become children of God.”

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Year B

Dear Friends,

There is a saying that, “You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family.” The truth about this saying is that we all without much choice come from a family of some kind. And, psychologists tell us that in one or another we are expressions of our families. This is because it is in our families that our experience of human life begins: both its ups and its down. In our families we experience our greatest joys and sometimes sorrows, we experience love and we learn to forgive, we experience the support of loved ones and we give them our support. 

Since we all come from families, the celebration of the feast of the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, is a celebration of all our families to which we belong as children like Jesus and at other times as parents like Mary and Joseph.

The first reading from Sirach is a straight forward address to children, “Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and preserves himself from them. When he prays, he is heard; he stores riches who reveres his mother.” It can’t be better said than this. Children if you want God to bless you honor and revere your parents.

The Gospel Luke tells us that, “they [the holy Family] fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord,” then, “they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.” Although, this says little concerning the day to day life of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the little we hear suffices to tell us that the Holy family of Nazareth lived a silent and ordinary life following the customs and practices of their place and time. But Luke points out that it is in this ordinariness and silence of family life in a remote Nazareth that “the child [Jesus] grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him,” Luke tells us. In our own technological age with the car, the TV, the iPod, the computer, and the cell phone for each child, such quiet seems to be gone and as a consequence inner peace also seems to become more and more elusive for a lot of young people. It is the quiet of Nazareth that Jesus prepares to launch for his public ministry. The life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph at Nazareth shows us that we need a certain amount of quiet in our lives if we are to attain personal spiritual growth. Perhaps this sends an important message to parents about creating a favorable environment at home to help the young ones grow. The TV, the computer, the iPod, the cell-phones are good, but we need to control their use in order to leave room for the spirit to grow through prayer, silence and meditation. This is the recipe for peace of mind!

But in no way does this quieting of life mean seclusion from other people because the Holy Family of Nazareth is a community of love, working together and sharing.  “Charity begins at home,” the saying goes. How do we expect the world to become so good, when families are getting so broken? Jesus, Mary and Joseph give us a model of family life. It is in the shared experience of common family where the parents and the children play their role; that we grow in wisdom and holiness.  Thus the Holy Family of Nazareth, reminds us of the need to love and support one another, to take interest in one another’s well being, to work, to be one as a family.

As we return to our families let us keep in mind the call of St. Paul. He says, “Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.

May Jesus, Mary and Joseph accompany us on our personal journeys of continued spiritual growth in peace and quiet and on our journey together as families of love and as one family of God!

Epiphany Year B    January 3/4, 2009

Dear friends,

The message of Epiphany is that the invitation of salvation is offered to all people, to all of us.

The magi: Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar that we hear about in today’s Gospel represent all of us. In their story perhaps we can see our story of discipleship - a journey of responding to the invitation of salvation in Jesus.

Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar were wise people, princes, kings.  One would then think that they had everything they needed. Yet they are searching. Why? Well, often times when people search, they are looking for something. They wish to arrive at greater fulfillment – the knowledge of Christ. In humility they leave behind their wealth and security and embark on the long journey from the East to Bethlehem. The journey is not an easy one. They encounter obstacles; forces of death represented by Herod.

            But Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar are not stopped by the obstacles. They endure, they continue on the journey until finally they encounter Jesus at Bethlehem. At this they become overwhelmed with joy. They have at last found the source of peace. They worship him as they offer to him their very best.

            Moreover, upon their encounter with Jesus, our true wisdom and peace, Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar do not go back the same way they came; meaning that their lives are now changed. God has given them new perspectives.

Perhaps what this story can teach us is that without knowing -encountering Christ our lives would be without true peace, for Christ is our lasting peace. But to fully have Christ in our lives, we have to leave behind our comfort zones, to journey from the East and come to Bethlehem. This journey to Christ is often filled with obstacles, distractions, and discouragements. Yet when we endure and come into the full presence of Christ, our joy then becomes complete. We find true wisdom, and true peace!

            Dear brothers and sisters, like the star leading the magi, God’s grace has enabled us to encounter Christ. Perhaps the invitation of today’s Gospel is for us to examine our own journeys of discipleship.

Where have I reached on the journey to Bethlehem? Is the knowledge of Christ the magnet in my life or I am I wandering elsewhere? Am I ready to continue the journey into the presence of Christ without reserve, hesitation or fear moving further away from my comfort zone? How about the challenges and obstacles I meet? Do I have hope in Christ or am I little by little giving up? Am I giving to Christ my best in service? Am I willing to give up this or that for Christ? I am I ready to go a different way for the sake of my relationship with Christ? Am I walking with the Church or getting lost?

2nd Sunday in Ord Time

The Christian Vocation

January 17/18 2008

Dear brothers and sisters,

Perhaps you have heard the saying: “Do what I say, but do not do what I do.” This is exactly the contrary about Jesus, our teacher. In the Gospel, we hear Jesus inviting those who want to follow him with the words, “Come, and you will see;” stay with me, observe how I live, look at my life, look at what I do, dwell with me, then you will be become my disciples.

Often times, we hear preachers saying, “Acknowledge Jesus as your personal Lord and savior and then you are saved.” Today the Gospel indicates that the Christian vocation, to be a disciple of Jesus, is much more than confessing with the mouth.

To become fully disciples of Jesus, we have to go where Jesus stays and stay with him.

It is there together with Mary, Andrew and Peter and others, in the community of Jesus, that we are familiarized into the pattern of life which the Gospel calls us to.

And, the Psalm we have sang today summarizes for us the pattern of Gospel living. It says, “Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.” The way of Jesus is putting our entire being; our heart, our soul, and our body at the will of God. That is the way of Jesus. That is the Christian vocation. It begins with acknowledgment of Jesus as the Messiah; and then it flowers in commitment to a particular way of living. That way of living is what we celebrate at this table of the Eucharist.

Friday Third Week Ord Time Year B     January 30^th 2009

 

The message of the Gospel is that: God is ultimately in charge. It is He who gives growth and makes the insignificant magnificent.

 

The Psalm has told us that: Our salvation comes from Him.

 

Then, first reading has reminded us that: The servant of the Lord lives by faith: Faith in the fulfillment of God’s promises.

 

As times change, Do you have faith that the Lord is in charge and that you are about to receive Him at this table this morning?

 

In the name …

 

Amen.

Saturday January 31, 2009 Third Week Year B St John Bosco

 

In the Gospel, Jesus is sleeping like a baby. But his friends are experiencing a storm; the boat they are in with Jesus seems to be filling up. The disciples are scared, terrified, they think they are going to sink. But it is not the violent storm that really scares them. I think they are even more terrified that the Lord seems not to care. He seems to have abandoned them.

My dear brothers and sisters, do not we feel like this so often. When we are in trying moments, when the circumstances are unfavorable, when we have prayed for years and little seems to change, do not we feel like the Lord is sleeping, like the Lord has abandoned us and left us on our own?

But Jesus asks the disciples and he asks us, “why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”

One would think, that the fact that the disciple call upon Jesus signifies their faith. But by questioning their faith, Jesus indicates that their faith is wavering. How can they think for a moment that the Lord has abandoned them?

This makes the first reading so telling. Abraham is tried but his faith never wavers. So is Isaac and so is Jacob. They endure all trials under the banner of faith.

Weak as we are, now and again our faith wavers, but even then, we see in the Gospel that as soon as the disciples call on the Lord, he comes to their aid. “Quiet! Be still!” he commands the seas. In moments of weak faith, let us call upon the Lord. He will calm the seas.

St. John Bosco whom we commemorate today was and is a man of faith. Though he had such a rough childhood, he did not despair, rather by faith he was transformed to become a Good Samaritan of many young people. His faith was a source of his transformation. His faith bore fruit. Even to this day, the congregations he established continue to offer a life line to many youth around the world.

Let us pray for his intercession, that our faith may be strong, that we may be transformed by it, and that it may bear fruit through our actions of love and words of encouragement towards one another. St. John Bosco … Pray for us.

4th Sunday Ord. Year B     January 31/February 1st 2009

We called to be prophets

This weekend is “big game weekend.” The Cardinals are taking on the Thieves; I mean the Steelers, no offence to those who support Pittsburg. At this moment none of us really knows who is going to win. We are waiting for the action. In situations like this if one were able to predict beforehand who would turn out to be the winner, in common speech we would call such a person, a prophet or a psychic, one who sees into the future.

The first reading today defines for us a prophet according to the Bible. The Lord says to Moses, “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him.” Thus we see that a prophet in the Bible is not a psychic. Prophecy is not so much about predicting the future. Instead, a prophet is a spokesperson of God, a mouthpiece of God, one who delivers a message of God to the people. What makes a person a prophet is that he or she speaks the message of God!

The irony of prophecy in the Old Testament is that even though as we hear the people asking that God sends to them prophets, most of the time, the people did not pay attention to the prophets that God sent to them. They killed most them, and instead they chose to follow false prophets, those who told them what they liked to hear rather than the message of God.

In the Gospel, we see Jesus as the fulfillment of all prophecy. Jesus not only speaks the message of God, Jesus has the authority of God. Jesus is the “the Holy one of God” himself. He has power to scare hell out the demons. He is God incarnate. But the irony continues, it is the demons which recognize who Jesus’ identity, the people do not. This is why, like the prophets, Jesus will eventually be put to death.

And the irony continues to our day. A few years ago, one of the greatest Musicians in South Africa sang a great song with the refrain: “Stand for the truth and you will always stand alone.” He was killed last year. All over the world, the truth is challenging, we often can’t stand its challenge.

The irony also continues at this table. Statistics have it that the majority of Christians do not believer in the real presence of Christ. Roughly only 33% of Catholics in America believes that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist. I hope and pray that all of us here are all in the 33%.

Dear brother and sisters, in the first reading as we heard, God promised to send us his prophets. God has not ceased to send them. We are have prophets among us, the so many people who remind us of God’s presence, and of commandments; people who challenge us, people who encourage us, people who console us, people who love us. These are the prophets of our day! And, the other side of the coin is that we are the people called to be prophets. We are the people to carry God’s truth, God’s love, God’s consolation, God’s encouragement to one another.

And, the source from which we draw energy to carry on prophetic work is here. It is the Eucharist; the sacrament of God’s abiding presence among us. As we receive Jesus today and always, may we not be unbelieving, may we not harden our hearts! Instead, may we listen to Jesus’ whisper in our hearts, a whisper that spell joy, a whisper that says, “I am with you all the time, until the end of the world.”

Correctly predicting the winner between the Cardinals and the Steelers does not make one a prophet. But making God’s love and commandments known to your neighbor does.

Tuesday February 3^rd 2009 4^th Week O.T B

The Gospel presents to us two dramatic episodes of perseverance: the perseverance of Jarius, the synagogue official, and of the woman with a hemorrhage. We see that both persons are in dire need of help. They have been waiting for help for a long time.  But waiting so long to receive help has not daunted their faith.

On the other hand, we see Jesus’ total willingness to offer help, his prompt response both under formal request and by a sheer act of faith in his power.

The message for us is to persevere as well in our own waiting for help. We need help; spiritual and physical. And, the Lord is not unwilling to bringing us help. Hebrews tells us to “persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.”

But also as followers of Jesus we ought to be like him: to be willing to offer help to those in need whether requested or simply out of our own discernment. We are Jesus’ hands and his feet.

The story of Blasé is our example. Today we are going to having the blessing of our throats because when Blasé saw a child with a fish bone stuck in his throat, he prayed for the relief of the child and God granted his prayer. The bone came out of the child’s throat.

Our outreach may not be visibly that miraculous or dramatic, but each of us in little or big ways can do something to help another person.

St. Blasé … Pray for us.

5^th Sunday Year B  Feb 7/8 2008

“Confidence in the Father”

“Is not man's life on earth a drudgery?
Are not his days those of hirelings? …….

My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.
Remember that my life is like the wind;”

The brokenness that Job expresses in these poetic verses perhaps captures some of our own feelings during moments of sickness, fatigue, and frustration. Unwelcomed as these situations may be, they are a part of our lives as human beings.

            In the Gospel we see Jesus fully immersed into this reality of our human life. He tends to the sick, and he attends to those who are needy in the crowds coming after him. Then, after all that much effort, he too gets exhausted; he needs to be replenished, to be reenergized to focus again on the purpose for which he has come.

            But we need to ask, how does Christ get reenergized? How does he get the energy to engage the brokenness of our world? 

            The Gospel says that,

“Rising very early before dawn, he left
and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.”

It is by going into conversation with his Father that Jesus draws energy and confidence to once again steam ahead with the purpose for which he has come.

In this, perhaps Our Lord shows us to approach the brokenness we experience in of our lives; how to survive in situations in which we feel spiritually and physically spent or exhausted, dejected or melancholic. It’s more than ever in these moments that we need to approach the Father to tell Him about our lives and to listen for his encouraging voice.

            In the narratives of the Gospel, we find that long periods of prayer come before the most critical moments and events of Jesus’ life: Before choosing the Apostles (Lk 6:12-13); before John baptizes him (3:21); during the transfiguration (9:29); before raising Lazarus (Jn 11:41-42); at the last supper (Mt 26:26-30; Mk 14:22-26; Lk 22:14-23); saying farewell to his disciples (Jn 17); before the Cross in the garden Gethsemane ((Lk. 22:39-46); on the Cross (Mt 27:45-56; Mk 15:33-41; Lk 23:44-49), etc.

            Jesus all the time draws his confidence from his Father. If Jesus who is the Son of God prays, I think we should even pray the more especially for Jesus’ healing touch.

On the other hand, in Jesus we also see that while all the feelings of frustrations and misery may not simply be taken away, they acquire new meaning for us who believe. They are transformative, salvific, moments to come ever closer to in our relationship with our heavenly Father; the source of our sustenance, and the supreme provider.

I am reminded of the words of Abraham Lincoln who has been quoted on a number of occasions especially these days. We can also use his words even now. He once said,

“I have been driven many times to my knees by the

overwhelming conviction that I had absolutely no other place to go.”

Let’s not wait to be cornered so as to pray. May our routine be our prayer even now as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper and may we attend to one another to bring the healing of the Lord especially to the confused and brokenhearted! We are Jesus’ hands.

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Tuesday 5^th Week OT St. Scholastica

We go to a science class; we learn that world operates according to certain laws. What the story of creation reveals is that these laws are not an end in themselves; rather, they are to be at the service of a higher end, God’s love. God has created all things out of his love. Whatever he has created is good. He loves it all. But above all, God loves human beings, the climax of His creative love in the world. Having created them male and female in his image, he found it very good.

In the Gospel, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees and the Scribes for making the observance of their own laws an end of itself. All laws are supposed to be at the service of love because love is the end of every commandment that God has given.

We can see this message in the story Pope St. Gregory the Great narrates about St. Scholastica. During her last visit with her brother St. Benedict, she wanted him to spend the night visiting with her. He said no, he needed to get back to the monastery; so she prayed and asked God to extend the visit. When Benedict was preparing to leave, it began to storm so heavily; he had to stay the night in Scholastica’s company.

He scolded her saying, “May God forgive you for this.” But she replied, “I asked for a favor of you, and you refused; I asked God, and he granted it!”

We see in this story that the time Scholastica and her brother Benedict spent together was more valuable in God’s eyes than keeping the schedule or the rule. Scholastica loved her brother so much.

7^th Sunday Ord. Time          February 19, 2009

Friendship / Reconciliation

            There is a popular saying which goes that “a friend in need is …” That saying is fulfilled in today’s Gospel. Two weeks ago, those of us who came to Church heard the story of Jesus curing the mother-in-law of Simon Peter. Since then, a few days have passed. Jesus has been away preaching and healing. Today Jesus has returned to Capernaum most likely to the house of Simon Peter. He is at home perhaps to take a day or two off.

Though Jesus has come quietly, the few people who have noticed him have passed on the word to their friends. A crowd of people have gathered all around Peter’s house where Jesus is staying. Some have come to see him; the Scribes have come to check if he says anything religiously incorrect; others have brought their sick to have him touch them. Among the last group are four men. They are bringing their paralyzed friend to Jesus. After several attempts to access Jesus through the door, they simply do not succeed. So they go to plan B, the roof. They are saying to themselves, if the door has failed the roof won’t. These men are characters indeed.

Most of us probably think that they are crazy. Right? The house is not theirs. They could fall down and break their bones. And, they do not even have health insurance to cover them. But they trust in Jesus’ healing power and they will do anything for their friend to experience this healing.

On the other hand, there is Jesus. He is also a character. He sees the Scribes there. He knows that they are looking out for him. But right there in their face, he utters words only God can say. Jesus affectionately says to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” The Scribes are like what the heck did he just say? Only God forgives sins for god’s sakes! They can’t understand that in Christ Jesus God’s friendship with us has become fully manifest.

Dear friends, the drama and humor of this story is a revelation of God’s friendship for sinners and the miracles which occur every time you and I encourage a friend to come closer to God. God is our friend! “To call sinners to repentance, to bring them back to the sunshine of His presence from the darkness of night, is the very meaning of the mystery of the Incarnation”[18] But, we may ask, why did the Scribes fail to realize God’s friendship in Jesus? Their problem to put it quite simply is that that wasn’t their idea of God!

Today, we too or most of us have a problem which hinders us from experiencing God’s friendship. To put it quite simply, our problem is, “We feel that we do not sin any more, or if we do it is no big deal.”[19] This is clearly what the gradual disappearance of the sacrament of Reconciliation means. Confession is one of the greatest ways of experiencing God’s faithfulness and friendship, comfort, and healing through the Church. 

A few years ago there was a Swiss physician named Dr. Tissot. Although he was a Protestant he paid recognized the healing power of confession, as practiced by the Catholic Church. One day he was called to treat a young lady from Uganda who had become seriously sick. Because she was a Catholic, he called a priest who heard the patient’s confession and then anointed her.

At once a distinct change for the better took place. Frantic form fear of dying before, she was now calm and composed. Next morning Dr. Tissot found the fever had died down. The patient recovered. Tissot often related this incident, always adding with sincere admiration: “Behold the power of confession among Catholics.”[20]

Sin disfigures, stresses, and paralyses us. The sacrament of Penance not only brings us spiritual healing but also release from the stress we carry in our hearts. As we begin the Season of Lent this week please go to confession at least once. You do not have to break through a roof. Just go to any priest!

But there is another side to the story. It’s the friendship of the four men that enable their paralyzed friend to experience God’s healing. On this note, I would like to offer a word of thanks to you all for the gifts you gave me to carry home. First you gave me religious items which are so need at home. Then, as I went home I took from here a chalice and some altar vestments.  These items have helped a lot. Now we are building a simple Church in my village. The closest church is about five miles away and people have to walk to it every Sunday. Older people just like the paralytic can’t walk that long. This is why we are building a small Church at least to have weekly communion services. I have not come to ask for help but if you are like those four men in the Gospel, that is fine. Any kind of help is welcome.

Finally, I will tell you a little bit about our Ordination. We had 18 priest ordained that day and 16 deacons. The Mass lasted about 5 hours. The singing was simply heavenly, everything was perfect. The following day, I celebrated Mass at my parent’s house. They simply could not believe it! And, a few days later, I was told to return to Mundelein to study more. My mom just cried! But here I am; so happy to see you!

As we enter into the Season of Lent, let’s pray that that our fasting, abstinence and almsgiving may strengthen our friendship with God and with each other. And, as we celebrate this Eucharist, let us lovingly welcome Jesus, our friend!

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7^th Week Ord. Time Tuesday February 23, 2009

If we have been attentive, we would notice that for a number of weeks we have been continuously reading the Gospel of Mark. Mark has sixteen chapters. Today we have read from chapter nine which means we are a little over the half mark. As we can see at this point, Jesus is getting rather impatient with his disciples because after all he has taught them, after all they have witnessed they do not understand him or what he is saying. He has just told them that he will be killed before rising. But that is no big deal to them. The real deal for them is worldly power, ambition, greatness. Instead of thinking in the ways of God, they are still deeply steeped in the ways of the world. This is upsetting for Jesus.

Today we have one day left to make our Lenten plans or resolutions. The goal of these resolutions is for us to move closer to Jesus, to be more Jesus-like.

Jesus gives us a concrete example of going about this goal. He says “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the one who has sent me.” Jesus likens himself to one who is lowly and helpless, a child.

The question for us to ponder is what is our view of the Jesus whom we are going to strive to be like? Is it the Jesus who appears in the poor and lowly in our community and who calls us to be servants of one another? Or are we arguing like the ambition and power ridden disciples who are upsetting Jesus?

Lent is going to be an opportunity for us to recognize our own weaknesses and to try to amend our lives. A true sign of an amended life is the ability to recognize God in the poor and the lowly. A true sign of an amended life is the ability to become servants of one another. This is the goal towards which our Lenten plans should lead us. We have one day. Let’s think about what we need to amend in our lives so as to become more Christ-like.

Ash Wednesday 2009 Feb 25th

"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return"

Every Ash Wednesday we cross our foreheads with ashes.  In Hebrew dust and ashes are synonyms of the word earth (adamah). From this word are derived Adam and the Hebrew word for human being.  Ashes symbolize our humanity and mortality. They remind us that we are mortal; they remind us of our weakness, our sorrow, our being utterly dependent upon God other than ourselves.

This is why during the rite of smearing with ashes we echo to one another the words God addressed to Adam and Eve. "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return" Genesis 3:19.

However, we do not smear ourselves with ashes anyhow.  Rather, we make the sign of the Cross of Jesus Christ. The sign of the Cross gives deeper meaning to the ashes. In Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection, we have been granted salvation. Christ has saved us from everlasting death and from meaningless sorrow.

The external symbol of ashes therefore calls us to a deeper interior transformation. This interior transformation is what we hope to come about through our fasting, abstinence, and almsgiving which we are to practice during this season of Lent.

 

Second Sunday of Lent Year B: “God - The actual Sacrifice and actual Sacrificer”

When a person keeps on saying to another that, “I love you” or “things of that nature,” there eventually comes a time when the other person will say, “Well, show it.” Words are used to express feelings of love and trust but after so many words, some kind of action has to follow to show that the words said are actually meant. A proof that the love and trust is real! The Genesis story of God and Abraham which we have heard can be understood from such a point of view. It seems as if God is saying to Abraham, “Well, you say you love me with all you heart and soul. You say, you trust me and have faith in me to fulfill all my promises to you, now show it.”

But before going further, let us think for a minute. Who has actually given his One and Only beloved Son as a sign of his love? Is it Abraham? Throughout the Old Testament God used words and actions to expresses his covenantal love for Israel, a love that signified his love for all us and all of his creation.  But time and time again the people of Israel asked God to show his love as if they were not seeing God’s faithfulness to them. And God, out of his love and faithfulness to his Covenant, did not refuse their request. In the year 00AD, a child was born at Bethlehem of Judea, he walked our walk, talked our talk, and one could even take him to be simply one more offspring of Adam.

But the Gospel tells us more. The episode of the transfiguration has concluded with the declaration of the One in heaven. He declares that, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."

The ultimate Sacrificer therefore is God. It is him who has actually given his Son as a gift to us and as the means of our Salvation. It is therefore God’s love for us that has been tested and proven. God has not withheld from us even his one and only beloved Son. Or as St. Paul has reminded us, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He … did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all.” Christ is the actual Sacrifice. And, God has done it all to invite us into the intimacy of his love and mercy.

We all know that a one side relationship is rather frustrating. So the question we have to ask ourselves every day is: If God has indeed loved you and me that much. If God has not spared his own Son but has handed him over for all of us, what have you done to respond this love of God?

Well indeed, you may give answers such as the following: I come to church on Sundays or perhaps some of them. I give a weekly offering in the collection or from time to time I do. Or even some of us might say, I have even taken part in the ministries at my church.

Whatever your answer may be, let’s just try to put it side by side with God’s own love for us. When the times are bad like this, sometimes we are blinded to God’s love. But here it is in St. Paul’s reminder, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He … did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all.”  So, even if all the banks run bankrupt, even if Illinois politics does not seem to get any better, even if the share market keeps losing points, God has made the ultimate sacrifice for you and me and that is what matters when all is said and done.

It always remains for us to respond to God’s invitation. God’s invitation is quite direct. He says, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."

Dear Brothers and Sisters, this I think is the solution to all of the world’s problems. The Gospel, the message of Jesus, is the ultimate medicine for the evils and sins of our society. If we listened to the Gospel and practiced in our lives, then, we would not have hatred, contempt, injustice, gossip, racism, murder, war, abortion, exploitation, domination, divorce, and name it.

All our Lenten practices, prayer, fasting, abstinence and almsgiving are meant to clear the ground for the Gospel to take deeper roots in our lives. But how can the Gospel ever take root in our lives if we do not read it? We are therefore challenged during this Season of Lent to read the word of God. Make it a point to read and reflect upon at least one Gospel book before Easter. These books are not very long. Take the Gospel of Mark for instance. It’s only a few pages. Make it a point to read one small section each day and think about, reflect upon it, see what it says about God, about us, about the world, and about you.

The beginning of all this, however, is to have an attitude of gratefulness. Think about what God has done for us. “He … did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all.”

The times may be bad, but we can’t say that God hates us. We have to be grateful if for nothing else at least for the gift of his Son. And maybe then, when we are grateful to God, we shall hear a blessing from God similar to that given to Abraham who was obedient.

Our thanksgiving begins here. The very meaning of the Eucharist is thanksgiving. Let it truly be our thanksgiving to God, an offering of our very selves, our very hearts in union with Christ. If God is for us, who can be against us? In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Tuesday Lent B III: St. Patrick, Bishop

The lesson of the parable that we have heard today is repeated every time we pray the Our Father. We say, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Thus, it seems that our forgiveness by God goes with our own forgiving one another.

As challenging as this thought is, it is at the heart and bone of the Christian way life. To have a sound relationship with God, having a good relationship with the brothers and sisters with whom we live is not a luxury but a necessity.

So, before we ask forgiveness from God, we have to forgive others.

St. Patrick whom we recall today could not have become who he is without being a most forgiving person.

Patrick was born in Great Britain around 385. As a young man he was taken to Northern Ireland as a slave. After six years of Slavery, he was able to escape and return to his family. But soon after he had returned to Britain, he realized that he was being called to bring Christ to the Irish.

Patrick could not have returned to Ireland, if he had not forgiven the Irish for all his years of Slavery.

But being Christ-like, Patrick forgave all and he returned to Ireland. He evangelized the whole Irish country, converting thousands, building churches, founding monasteries. Because Patrick was able to forgive and move on, the whole Irish country received the Gospel instead of revenge.

Patrick’s Christian spirit is exemplified in his prayer the so called, “Patrick Breastplate.” It says,

“Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ at my right, Christ at my left, Christ in my lying down, Christ in my sitting, Christ in my rising, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me. Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me. Christ in every eye that sees me. Christ in every ear that hears me.”

Our way of life is not the life of “me and my God.” It is our God and us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Wednesday Lent B III: St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and Doctor

There are two concepts in today’s readings which we can pay attention to. The first invites us to look at our past while the other invites us to look forward with hope.

The first is memory. In the first reading, Moses says to Israel and to us,

“Take care and be earnestly on your guard
not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen,
nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live,
but teach them to your children and to your children's children."

Many times when we face times of desperation, we tend to forget where we have come from. The struggles we have come through. Yet, the past is often the testimony of God’s love for us. God takes us through thick and narrow openings. When we look at our histories this becomes clear. Memory can makes aware of God’s faithfulness to us. How he finally delivered from the bad we faced, or how he gave us the good we enjoyed.

The second is fulfillment. In the Gospel, Jesus comes says to us,

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

In the New Testament, the Old Testament is referred to as the law and the prophets. What we find in the Law and the prophets are God’s promises and God’s constant invitation into his Love.

Christ comes to fulfill God’s promises and to reveal God’s love for us. He does this in a most special way in his Death on the Cross and his Resurrection from the dead. This is what we celebrate every time we gather for the Eucharist. This is the fulfillment of the hope of the world.

Today we live in that hope. Let’s take time to look back to see how God has taken us through the thick and the narrow. Let’s us look with hope because we are in the time of fulfillment. We are the people God has redeemed.

St. Cyril, whom we commemorate today, reminds that, “All of [mankind] us are called to the wedding feast, for he [the Lord] is a generous lover.”

How then can we begin to despair? How can we not offer Praise?

Lent III B Friday: “Spirit of Christ, renew us with your Love”

Twenty days, we started on a journey of renewal and reinvigoration or what we call the Season of Lent. We are now left with another twenty days.

We all made plans at the beginning of this graceful season.  Given that today we are half way through we have to do a midterm evaluation or assessment of our progress. How well are we doing as regards those decisions and commitments we embarked on twenty days ago? Where do we need to improve?

The Gospel we have just heard gives the yard stick or the standard upon which to measure our spiritual progress.

Jesus states it this way:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The measure put simply is love.

It is the end to which our acts of fasting, abstinence and almsgiving should be directed.

Our focus during Lent is therefore is not so much on self improvement or anything akin to Oprahism. Rather, it is about strengthening the bond of love between God and I, and between neighbor and I.

 

The Holy Spirit is the soul of this renewal and rejuvenation of love. How?

1.    The Spirit is the love of the Father and the Son. As such it is the Spirit who draws into loving communion with God and neighbor.

2.    The Spirit is also the breath of God, the ruah, the principle of life. The Spirit is the One who renews our Life. He is the force of transformation directing the whole of creation to its destiny and fulfillment in Christ.

At the beginning of this Lent, the preacher of the papal household, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa reflected on the theme, "The law of the Spirit of Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:2). In his homily to the Pope and the Curia, he said that,

“The Holy Spirit is he who makes each one of us pass from chaos to the cosmos: From disorder, from confusion and from dispersion, to order, unity and beauty, that beauty which consists of being conformed to the will of God and in the image of Christ, in passing from the old man to the new man.”

On this first day of springtime, let us in a special way call upon the Spirit of Christ Jesus, to renew us, two renew the whole world, to restore beauty to our broken world, to rejuvenate our lives, and to bring us into deeper communion with God and with one another.

Saturday Lent III B

Mother Theresa’s Dark Night

We have all heard of Mother Theresa of Calcutta. Have we? She was a holy woman, one who walked among us as a saint. We would think that all the time, she recognized God in her life. Yet, that is not the case. For a lot of her life, she felt God’s absence and God’s silence. In her confessions to her spiritual director she says, “the silence and the emptiness is so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear … The more I want Him [God], the less I am wanted.” “I am told that God loves me, and yet the reality of darkness & coldness & emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul.”

Jesus presents us two characters in today’s Gospel reading:

The Pharisee, who is self righteous, and critical. This Pharisee exemplifies a proud and judgmental person.

The tax collector, who is humble, repentant. The tax collector exemplifies the proper attitude of a Christian disciple: Recognition of his weakness and sinfulness and complete dependence on God’s goodness.

This is spirit of our Lenten practices. It is not to pump up our egos. Rather, it is to cut out all egomania.

The holier we become the humbler we should become. Because then we realize that it all depends on God. All is gift.

 It is not the outward show, but interior change or as Hosea has reminded us,

“It is love that I desire, not sacrifice,
and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

Sunday Lent IV B: “We could be lifted”

As we said at the start of the Mass, we have entered into the second phase of our Lenten journey. This is why we have these rosy banners at the ceiling of our Church. Day by day, we are moving towards Good Friday and then Easter.

Lent is a time to remind to remind us that we depend not upon ourselves but upon God. In first reading which came from II Chronicles, the Chronicler shows that when Israel tried to depend upon itself or upon the nations around it, Israel lost its fidelity to God. Without God, Israel was left at the mercy of the nations, it was trampled upon until it recognized that it prosperity depended upon fidelity to God. As soon as the people became faithful to God, God uses Cyrus, the King Persia, to restore Israel. God’s mercy is understood as dependent upon our fidelity to Him.

The New Testament, however, indicates that God’s mercy is in fact far richer than that. St. Paul says, “By grace you have been saved through faith”. Grace means a total free gift. God does not save us because of what we give him. God saves out of his mercy and love. Salvation is a gift of God’s love and mercy. This is why the Gospel according says,

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.

Basically, what this says is that, God has taken the place of his people. He suffers for them. He suffers so as to restore them. Jesus does not condemn. Rather, He is condemned by men and lifted up on the Cross,

As he says to Nicodemus, everyone who looks at the Son of Man on the Cross, and believes in him, will have eternal life."

But this is because there is not one lifting up but two. At first the Son of Man is lifted on the Cross, but three days later, he rises and ascends to the highest heavens.

In this Christ transforms the meaning of our suffering:

1.    First, suffering is not always due to sin. Jesus is the sinless one. Yet, look him! Christ suffers for the sake of others, that is, for you and I. In the same way, as followers of Christ, our sufferings can be salvific. Joined with the sufferings of Christ, our sufferings can bring salvation to others.

2.    Secondly, Christ has shown us that the Cross is not the end. Three days after being lifted up on the Cross, he is lifted up again in glory (Jn 12: 32), as he rises from the dead and ascends to the highest heavens.  Everyone who believes in him follows the same path leading to eternal life.

And so the Gospel invites us to hope. At those moments when we are in search of salvation and in need of answers, Jesus says look up to the Son of Man, believe, and you will be lifted up.

Another way of saying the same is, let us not become dejected, despairing, and resentful due to our weaknesses, sins or sufferings. Just like the Son of Man who is lifted up on the Cross of pain, if fidelity to God does not waver, we are to be lifted with the Son of Man in glory.

Fr. Joseph Henchey, one of the most illustrious professors at Mundelein defines hope as “walking the fine line between despair and presumption.”

In our own day we have a great example of such hope. We have all heard of Mother Theresa of Calcutta. Have we? She was a holy woman, one who walked among us as a saint. We would think that all the time, she recognized God in her life. Yet, that is not the case. For a lot of her life, she felt God’s absence and God’s silence. In her confessions to her spiritual director she says, “the silence and the emptiness is so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear … The more I want Him [God], the less I am wanted.” “I am told that God loves me, and yet the reality of darkness & coldness & emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul.”

The difference between the saint and many of us is that feeling of God’s absence did not take way her hope or stop her from obeying God’s will. Rather, in the midst of her doubts and feelings of God’s absence he continued to walk the fine line between despair and presumption. She journeyed fulfilling God’s will by feeding the poor, caring for the sick, clothing the naked, making a difference in the world.

And, after so many years of yearning for God, wanting Him, she was lifted up. Today her name speaks not of the poor, frail, little woman she was, but of compassion, love, mercy, tenderness and care. He hope never wavered.

This hope begins here at the altar. This is where our hope is nourished. So let us come to this table with faith and devotion. It is our fountain of hope and blessings.

Dear brothers and sisters, we all need to be lifted up from time to time. Jesus says to us; let us lift up our eyes to the Cross. For a short while we may be with Him there but three days after, if our hope does not waver, we are to be lifted with Him forever in glory.

Solemnity of Annunciation of the Lord

Dear sisters and brothers,

It is so wonderful than during this graceful Season of Lent, we celebrate the solemnity of the Annunciation of our Lord.

This Solemnity reminds us of three things:

First, it reminds us of God’s great love for us in choosing to become a human being conceived in the womb of a woman like all of us. This is the beginning of the fulfillment of our salvation. St. John tells us that,

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him. 

The One Mary conceives by the power of the Holy Spirit is indeed the “Son of the Most High,” the eternal King of the Universe. Mary conceives her Creator who chooses to humble himself as an embryo, a fetus, a baby, a child, and eventually a poor man so as to show us the way to the Father. Her child is her Savior who reconciles us with the Father through his Cross.

Secondly, this solemnity reminds of our own need co-operate with God in actualizing our Salvation.

"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."

This is the “yes” of Mary, the humble and courageous Virgin of Nazareth. Unlike King Ahaz, in the first reading, Mary’s “yes” is not due to fear. It is the “yes” of faith and trust in the Almighty. It is the total acceptance of God’s love.

Thirdly, with this "yes”--“May it be done to me," Mary becomes the instrumental cause of salvation of the entire human race.  Thus she will forever be known as the Mother of God and at the same time the mother of all the redeemed, our mother.

From these three reminders, we may pose to ourselves four questions:

1.    Do we recognize the value of all human life from conception to natural death? God has united himself with all humanity without exception, in the womb, in childhood, in adulthood and in suffering. If God has not condemned us, we can’t condemn either upon the claim of choice, our well being or through our attitudes, actions and words.

2.    What motivates our worship? Is it timid fear of punishment like King Ahaz, or a total dynamic acceptance of God’s love? Fear cannot be the ultimate reason for our worship of God. “God is Love.” Our worship has to be praise and gratefulness for His love.

3.    How is God’s plan being fulfilled in our lives? Just as God’s plan for Mary is to be Mother of God, God has unique plan for our lives as well. Are we co-operating. Are we open to God’s invitation in our ways of life, be it as a Catholic parent or grand-parent, or a Christian student, or a Christian teacher, or a Catholic priest, etc?

4.    What is the place of Mary in our life? Mary is the greatest exemplar of discipleship. We must never forget to seek her intercession. Christ is given her to us as our mother.

Annunciation calls us forth to new beginnings. It says, “God’s come among us.” Let us say yes to Him and let us recognize Him and His mother in each of our brothers and sisters all around us.

5^th Sunday Lent B: “Glorified in obedience and love”

As we enter into the fifth week of our Lenten journey, we are closing in on the end of our journey of renewal and preparation for the Easter mysteries. We have just ten days left to enter into the Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday to the Easter Vigil). And so, the readings, which have heard, are preparing us to recognize and appreciate the significance of Christ’s life, his suffering, his death and resurrection. The main focus today is on the meaning of Christ’s sufferings and obedience.

In the first reading, through the prophet Jeremiah God promises to make a New Covenant with his people. He says, “It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers … for they broke my covenant.”

Now, the children of Israel broke the Old Covenant out of disobedience. Disobedience led them into depravity. This why for the New Covenant God says, “I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts.”  Thus, indicating that the New Covenant will be one of enduring obedience and fidelity to God.

The two readings from the New Testament show that Jesus is the embodiment, the actualization of that New Covenant. This is because Jesus proves faithful to the mission given to him by his Father in the midst of suffering. The reading from Hebrews tells us:

In the days when Christ Jesus was in the flesh,
he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears
to the one who was able to save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverence.
//Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;
and when he was made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.//

It is precisely in obedience to the Father, through suffering, that Christ is perfected and glorified as our savior. Thus it follows that the Christian has to follow that same route to perfection and glory. Hence, Jesus says to us,

Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit. //

Our Lord is saying to us, that he will be glorified through his sufferings. By keeping his fidelity and obedience to Father the Son of man will ultimately confirms his identity as the Son of Man and the Savior.

Dear brothers and sisters, given that our Lord’s sufferings are the perfection of his obedience and the confirmation of his identity as the Son of Man, can we Christians, followers of Christ expect not to suffer?  And, can we anymore think that our sufferings are meaningless?

No never! The suffering of Christians; be it our acts of penance and abstinence or the daily endurances which we face so as to try to live as followers of Christ are not for nothing. Hear St. Paul’s words in the Letter to the Colossians (1:24). He says,

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church…

The sufferings of a Christian are a reflection of the suffering of Christ. In fact, they are joined with Christ’s sufferings for the salvation of the world. Thus, St. Augustine says,

Therefore, if you are listening to me, whoever you are, [are] among the members of Christ … anything you suffer …You suffer exactly as much as was to be contributed from your sufferings to the whole suffering of Christ, who suffered as our head and still suffers in his members, that is in us.[21]

Therefore, sisters and brothers, it is Christ who suffers in us and it is Christ whom we serve whenever we attend to one another’s needs, whenever we extend any kindness to one another. We live in solidarity with our Savior.

And so when Christ says,

Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life,

He does not mean that we should not live joyfully in this world. Rather, he reminds us that we should not selfishly spend our entire lives trying to build life securities in this world. This life will perish any way. Doesn’t a Psalm (90:10) remind us that, “Seventy is the sum of our years, or eighty, if we are strong; Most of them are sorrow and toil; they pass quickly, we are all but gone”?

Christ invites us to follow him in spending our lives for others; dying to ourselves in order to live for us. Jesus undertakes his suffering on the Cross, out of compassion and love for you and me. He is glorified by his Father because he was obedient and loved so much.

We too, ultimately, our fortune does not depend on how secure we have made our lives in this world. Rather, our destiny will depend on how much we have loved. How much we have endured everything in fidelity to God and in kindness to our neighbor.

            So, during the remaining period of our Lenten journey, let us secure ourselves into solidarity with Christ. Let your heart and mine overflow with compassion even in during these rather hard times.  As Christ gives himself to us at this altar, let us daily give ourselves to him and to one another!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Monday 5^th Week Lent B March 30, 2009

Dear brothers and sisters,

 

The drama of the first reading uncovers the sequence of sin in people’s lives. We can see this progress in about 4 steps.

First, the progress of sin begins with a suppressed conscience, a conscience, which is closed to God. In reading we heard that,

“They [the wicked judges] suppressed their consciences;
they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven,

Secondly, sin matures in rivalrous desire for what is not one’s own

The reading expresses the nature of “desire-gone-amok” in a combination of lust and envy. Given that Susanna is another man’s wife, the judges want to take what is not theirs. Secondly, their dead consciences do not allow them to control their desire of the body or to consider Susanna.

Thirdly, victimization – Susanna becomes the victim of their accusations.

“In the midst of the people the two elders rose up
and laid their hands on her head.
…..The elders falsely accuse Susanna to be an adulterer.

Ultimately, the progress of sin culminates in condemnation of the victim and doing violence to her.

According to Jewish custom, a woman found guilty of adultery was to be stoned to death. The judges know this and want to see Susanna destroyed.

That is the progress of sin. Its ultimate expressions are victimization or scape-goating and violence.

 

In the gospel Jesus like Daniel uncovers this progress of sin, and he stops it.

1.    First, Jesus refuses to cooperate with the mob accusing the woman.

2.    Second, Jesus uncovers the hypocrisy of her accusers.

Ancient tradition has it that when Jesus bent down, he scribbled on the ground, the sins of those who were accusing the woman. As we he wrote down each one’s sin, the person moved away.

Having stopped the progress of sin, Jesus reverses its sequence by establishing the progress of love.

1.    First, rather than condemn the woman, Jesus forgives her.

2.    Second, He shows her compassion and invites her to change of life.

As Christians we have to watch against the progress of sin in our lives. It comes in the form of engagement in things like gossip, unfounded criticism, envy, jealousy, prejudice, violence, etc.

 

We have to become like Jesus by NOT cooperating in those mechanisms of victimization.

Rather, be we ought to be forgiving, showing compassion and inviting others to a change of life or conversion.

As the boy Daniel was filled with Spirit of the Lord, let us ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom, counsel and understanding.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

DK 3/30/2009 TLJ.

 

Tuesday 5th Week of Lent B: “The Healing Power of the Cross of Jesus”

Dear brothers and sisters,

One this 32^nd day of our Lenten observance, we might be starting to feel worn out by the journey. Fortunately, the readings given to us, for our reflection, address this situation.

The readings invite us to recognize the healing power of the Cross of Jesus.

In the reading from the book of Numbers, the children of Israel are in the midst of afflictions due to their sins. As a cure for their afflictions, God instructs Moses saying,

"Make a saraph [bronze serpent] and mount it on a pole,
and whoever looks at it after being bitten will live."

The bronze serpent on the pole became the sign of God’s healing love. But this was only a pre-figurement of God’s healing and reconciling love which was to be manifest in the Cross of Jesus Christ.

The nature of sin is that it diverts us from God and sets us on the wrong path. God’s solution to sin is the Cross of Jesus. In the Gospel reading Jesus warns the Pharisees,

“For if you do not believe that I AM,
you will die in your sins." …

But he tells us that that when he is “lifted up” then we shall recognize him and accept him as the Son of Man and the Savior. “Lifting up” signifies both his being lifted up on the Cross and also his rising from dead.

Jesus’ Cross and Resurrection are the ultimate defeat of the powers of sin and death.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, we can’t be ashamed of Jesus’ Cross. It is for us the power of healing and reconciliation.

As we have come believe in Jesus, we have continually to recognize the power of his Cross in our own lives. Every day, we each carry or face small or big crosses. Let us not carry them alone. Rather, let us carry them with Jesus. Keeping our faith and trust in him, we shall overcome them as he does. Then we shall rise with him to glory!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.                                                    

 

Wednesday 5^th Week of Lent B: “Truth is Jesus”

Dear brothers and sisters,

 

It is such a coincidence that on this day, popularly known as “April fool’s day,” the readings focus on knowing the truth and the meaning of true freedom.

In the first reading, we have heard the story of those three young men: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It is a story about the true meaning of freedom. At the end of the story, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, exclaims,

"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who sent his angel to deliver to set free the servants who trusted in him;
they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God."

The heart of the story is that obedience to God’s will is what saved the three young men from the fiery furnace. Putting God before their safety is what gave them true freedom.

In the Gospel, Jesus expands this understanding further in his conversation with the Jews who believed in him. He says to them,

"If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." …

The Jews asked him, How can you say, 'You will become free'?"

Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.

So, according to Jesus, to be free is to be without sin. This is because to be a slave to sin is the greatest kind of enslavement. Therefore, freedom comes from obeying the will of God, which is the opposite of sin.

Such freedom as Jesus explains comes from knowing the truth or “remaining in Jesus’ word.”

 

In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Thus, knowing Jesus and knowing the truth is one and the same thing.

Today, the world tells us directly and indirectly that truth is whatever I choose to be true. And, that freedom is doing whatever I please regardless of God and others.

The word of God is saying NO. That is not the case! Truth is Jesus. Freedom comes from obeying God’s will.

Dear brothers and sisters, on April fool’s day and always let us watch out for those who want to fool us.  And, let us pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance to know better Jesus -the truth, and to give us proper discernment to know God’s will.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

DK April 1, 2009 TLJ

 

Saturday 5^th Week Lent B:

When Caiaphas says that,

“It is better …that one man should die instead of the people,
so that the whole nation may not perish."

He does not have it at all in him that he is prophesying or through his political decision God’s plan of salvation for all of us is coming to its fulfillment. The motive he has in mind is to preserve the political peace of Judea. But it precisely through this very decision that God’s plan for our salvation is going to be fulfilled.

Sometimes when things are happening as they do, we are tempted to think in ways that leave God out of the picture or not to be aware that God’s purposes are coming to fulfillment.

The Gospel highlight that even at those moments God is not totally out of the picture. God is bringing his good purposes to fulfillment.

Three things to reflect upon;

1.    As we approach the liturgies of Holy Week, let us be mindful that they are mysteries beyond our comprehension.

2.    Let our trust in God increase as we become aware of God’s faithfulness to his promises for us. God works to save us in Christ [mysteriously].

3.    Thirdly, let our hope increase, for God’s plans are coming to fulfillment even when we are not thinking or when we can’t see God in the picture right away.

 

Passion Sunday Lent B 2009: “Let him enter the King of Glory”

Sisters and brothers,

We started our celebration with Jesus making his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Branches in hand, shouting Hosanna we welcomed him. Yet, at this point, as it is, we are at Calvary, a few moments after Jesus’ last breath. What happened in between? Is this Crucified man the Messiah awaited? Is he the Son of God?

Well, journeying with Jesus, we see that a decisive moment in Jesus dramatic journey occurred during his agony in the Garden. Jesus says, those definitive words, “Not what I will, but what you will, Father.”

In this way, the Son submits entirely to his Father’s will even if he knows quite well what awaits him; betrayal by a dear friend, rejection by his disciples, denial by his most trusted follower, false accusations, condemnation to death, mockery, scourging, carrying the heavy cross, getting stripped, nailed to a cross, thirsting for a drink, being given vinegar to drink, gasping for a final breath and crying out “Father, to you I commend my Spirit.”

By showing total obedience to His Father even when this means death, Jesus humbles himself. In this he shows determination to accomplish the salvific will of God. For he knows above all, that the Father loves him, and He wishes not to condemn us but that all of us be saved.

Therefore Jesus fulfills him Messiahship in humility. It is precisely by the Cross, that at last the centurion, a gentile, recognizes that, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Why did he not recognize him before? Why did he not see him when the crowds laid their clothing on his path and chanted for him in jubilation as if welcoming the Caesar? 

The answer is quite simple. The Messiah of God does not to come fulfill people’s political expectations but the will of his Father. On the Cross, he shows us how and what kind of Kingdom he comes to establish. He establishes his Kingdom not by domination or conspiracy. Rather, he establishes a Kingdom of peace, love and truth. He does not come with force of arms, or a popular vote. Rather, Jesus is Messiah through humility, obedience and total submission to the will of the Father even unto death, “death on a cross.”

Now, dear brothers and sisters,

The people of Jerusalem were ready to welcome this Messiah and hailed him as their Messiah King. Are you ready to welcome this King of Glory into your home and let him into your heart?

Like the centurion, will you recognize him among us; humble, meek, and lowly, the Crucified?

Are you ready to reflect his humility, meekness, and obedience to the Father in your everyday life? Am I ready to approach the Father as he does? Not expecting God to conform to my expectations. Rather, asking God to give me the grace to conform my will to his.

The Psalm [Ps. 24], which we have sang says to you and I, “O gates, lift up your heads. Be lifted up O ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory!

May Christ, our King, be the ruler of our minds, may he rule hearts, may he be the standard of our lives, and may we enthrone him in our homes and in our communities!

Let us beg him at this Memorial of his Supper, to grant us the grace to journey with him to Calvary into Easter!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen     

 

Good Friday 2009: “The Tree of Life”

Dear sisters and brothers,

            On this holy day, Good Friday, we commemorate, in a special way, the suffering, death, and burial of Jesus. This day is good for us because our Lord willfully suffers and lays down his life to destroy death in himself. And, having destroyed death in himself, Jesus has freed us, who believe in him, from the power of death.

            Indeed, we all know that our bodies will see corruption. But by our faith we know that it is precisely then that Jesus will cloth us in incorruption as long as we remain grafted upon him as branches to the Vine. Apart from him we cannot have life.

            Our celebration of Good Friday is a celebration of our life in Jesus. Through shedding his blood on the Cross, Jesus has taken our sins upon himself. He has asked the forgiveness of our sins from the Father. It is love “to the end” that brings Jesus to give up his life for us.

            So, in the Gospel we have heard that while Christ hung on the Cross, a soldier came and pierced his side with a lance, and immediately blood and water flowed out. The water that flowed from Jesus’ side symbolizes the water for our re-birth in the Baptism. The blood that flowed from our Lord’s side symbolizes the blood for our purification and nourishment in the Holy Eucharist. Thus, the entire Church formed by Baptism and the Eucharist draws its life from the side of Christ on the Cross.

            Therefore, my brothers and sisters, the cross, once a terrifying Roman instrument of torture, has now become an object of veneration. It is a symbol of new life for us who are followers of Christ.

            At the same time, the veneration of the Cross reminds us of our Christian commitment. St. John in one of his letters [1 Jn 3:16] says, “As Christ laid down his life for us, so we too ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

            The Cross invites us to kindness towards one another; to compassion especially for those suffering; to forbearing with one another’s fault and to mutual forgiveness, just as God has forgiven us in Christ. Our veneration of the Cross says to us that we have to follow the way of love, even as Christ has loved us. [Ephesians 4:32; 5:2]. May Christ –the Crucified be King of our lives. Through the intercession his Mother, may we be his faithful and loving followers. Amen

 

Easter 2009: “Life has triumphed. Do not be afraid.”

Dear sisters and brothers,

We have great news this evening/morning. The contest between life and death is over. Life has emerged victorious. Alleluia! Light has contended with darkness. Darkness has been vanquished. Alleluia! Gone are the wintry days, Welcome springtime. Alleluia! Christ has risen from the dead. Alleluia! You and I now have new life. Alleluia!

The background our Easter celebration is the Passover of ancient Israel. The Passover commemorated not only God’s liberation of Israel from slavery in Egypt, but also, it was the end of winter, the end of cold dark day, the beginning of springtime and the re-emergence of life. Thus, the Passover was celebration of new beginnings not only for human beings but for all of nature: plants, birds, worms, animals, and all of creation. It was the end of the days of fear and anxiety, the beginning on era of liberation, trust, and hope.

The theme of liberation from fear and anxiety and making fresh beginning also underlies the Gospel we have heard from Mark. The two Marys and Salome come to the tomb in fear. The three women are worried about the very large stone at the entrance of the tomb. They are afraid they may not be able to move it by themselves. Mark also says that, it was very early in the morning. It is still quite dark. The sun is just overcoming the darkness of night.

But lo and behold, upon reaching the tomb, the three women are in for surprises. The large stone is not there to stop them. The tomb is wide open. And guess who is inside. Not the guards but an angel of the risen Lord! His appearance like lightening and his clothes dazzling bright! And, to quell every one of their fears, the angel of the risen Christ says to the women:

"Do not be amazed!
You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified.
He has been raised; he is not here.
Behold the place where they laid him.
But go and tell his disciples and Peter,
'He is going before you to Galilee;
there you will see him, as he told you.'"

The message of the resurrection angel to the three women is precisely, “Do not be afraid.” And, the three women are supposed to carry the same message to the disciples and to Peter. The risen Lord is saying to them: you may have betrayed me; you may have forsaken me; you may have fallen asleep when I need you to be with me; you may have denied me, Peter; but come to Galilee and there you will see me, as I told you beforehand.

In other words, Jesus is saying, let alone your fear and your anxiety. Take behold steps. It’s a new beginning, a new day has dawned. Be transformed. I bring you life, for I have defeated death. I bring you light, for I have defeated darkness.

The first reading (of tomorrow’s Liturgy) gives us a perfect example of the transforming power of the resurrection of Jesus in the Apostle Peter. Just three days ago, Peter denied Jesus, cursing and swearing, “I do not know that man.” But after the resurrection, Peter is standing bold and proclaiming the Good News.

Where has Peter’s fear gone? Where is his shame? All are taken away by the resurrection of the Crucified.

Now, dear brothers and sisters,

The question of the risen Jesus to us is. Are you going to remain tied up in your fears? Are still caught in the tomb of your anxieties or shame? Or, are you going to come out to encounter the risen Lord and to let your whole self  be transformed in him?

Living in fear is the domain of the devil, the domain of darkness and death. Living with trust and hope is the domain of the risen Lord, the domain of light and life.

You may be wondering, does not the Bible in Ps 127 and elsewhere speak of the "Fear of the Lord." Yes, indeed, the Bible does commend us “to learn the fear of the Lord.” But the fear of the Lord is not the same the fear of a terrorist. The devil is the terrorist. God is not a terrorist!  …. Amen.

St. Hilary of Poitier explains the true meaning of the fear of God saying that,

“For us the fear of God consists wholly in love, and perfect love of God brings our fear of him to its perfection. Our love for God is entrusted with its own responsibility: to observe his counsels, to obey his laws, to trust his promises.”[22]

By the raising Jesus from the dead, God shows us his love for his obedient Son. And, please note! It is not the Father who put his Son to death. It was sinful men. What the Father does is to raise his obedient Son as the first-fruits from among the dead (1 Cor 15: 20-22).

Therefore, the resurrection of Jesus is the starting point of a new redeemed humanity, which Jesus has united with himself. We, the members of his body the Church, are this new humanity. This is why we look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

Our calling like that of the three women and Peter and the disciples is, “Do not be afraid.” Be yourselves. Say, the Lord is risen. Our Lord is alive. He is with us at this Eucharistic banquet. And if we follow his way, in him we shall be raised to eternal life. + Amen.                                                      DK 04/11-12/2009 TLJ

 

Monday in the Octave of Easter: “Marian Participation in the Mystery of Christ”

Dear Friends,

The message of our Risen Lord is quite clear.

"Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me."

Jesus’ message to his disciples is a call is to trust and to mission. It is the risen Lord’s call to us as well. Peter exemplifies the transforming impact of the news and witness of the resurrection. He is no longer the coward who denied his Master. He is a new man upon encountering the risen Lord, who has triumphed over sin and death.

“Mary and the Resurrection of Christ,"

Sacred Scripture does not record Our Lord's Resurrection in detail, merely the fact that St Mary Magdalene found the tomb empty and He then appeared to her. But what of His Mother, who would have mourned His death more than the others? Why do we not see her there with the women? Why does St Mary Magdalene not also run to her to tell her the wonderful news?

JP II  taught in one of his Wednesday General Audiences [MAY 21, 1997] that it is wholly reasonable to believe that Our Lord appeared first to the Blessed Virgin, even though Scripture does not record this intimate moment between the Redeemer and His Beloved Mother.

Thus, Mary full participates in the earthly life, suffering, death, burial, and resurrection of her Son. Mary’s participation entails in her total openness to the entire plan of God which is defined by her Fiat. The Fiat exposes Mary’s total trust and her total openness to the mission God has for her.

Let’s pray for her intercession, that we may center our lives on participation in the Mystery of Christ.

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

Mary turned around and saw Jesus there,
but she did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, "Mary!"
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni,"
which means Teacher.

This brief section of the Gospel indicates something very personal and relational between Jesus and Mary of Magdala.

Mary could not recognize Jesus. But as soon as Jesus says her name, “Mary,” her recognition is opened up. The point is that Jesus reveals himself to us personally, in the context of a relationship, as an actual person. Jesus knows Mary as a teacher knows a disciple that he loves. Mary knows Jesus as a master, a teacher and Lord that she loves.  Mary provides a model of discipleship.

This relationship goes further than mere knowing the other person. It is a relationship of brothers and sisters. So, Jesus tells Mary:

But go to my brothers and tell them,
'I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.'"

The risen Lord now calls his disciples, “my brothers.” He says to them that his Father is their Father.

Similarly Peter in the first reading also calls the other apostles, “my brothers.”

In all this we see that the resurrection opens up a new relationship between Jesus and his disciples and the disciples and God. Jesus is our Lord but also our brother. We are his brothers and sisters but also his servants.

And, what is the cause of all this closeness?

It is precisely because we the disciples of Jesus share the gift of Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son. This Spirit is essentially Love.

 

 

2^nd Sunday of Easter: “Divine Mercy”

            “Peace be with you.” After offering Thomas these words of divine comfort, Jesus says to him, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving but believe.” One feels the joy that filled Thomas upon this awesome encounter with the risen Lord. “My Lord and my God!” says Thomas. Having seen the Lord, the doubting Thomas becomes the believing Thomas.

However, in this Gospel there is something more that John wants to tell us.

What is the root cause of the doubting Thomas? John explains the cause of Thomas’ unbelief rather simply. It is because Thomas had left the community of the other disciples.  Alone in isolation, Thomas did not have the opportunity to encounter the risen Lord. Apart from the community of the disciples, Thomas, the apostle, became doubting Thomas.

On the other hand, John shows us that it is not until Thomas returns to the company of the disciples that he has the opportunity to personally encounter the risen Lord and to become the totally believing Thomas.

The bottom line of the Gospel is that we have the opportunity to personally encounter the risen Lord not in isolation from the community of faith but in the company of the other disciples. Faith involves a personal encounter with the risen Lord. However, this encounter takes places in the context of the community of the disciples. Thus we see that even when Jesus appears to an individual like Mary Magdalene, he sends her to the community of the disciples.

In the western world, we are increasingly faced with a great crisis of faith. Our churches are becoming increasingly empty. And, there may be so many factors that are involved; life’s difficulties, sinfulness, self-dependence, scientism, hopelessness, despair, lack of answers, etc.

However, the Gospel today underlines loneliness as a destroyer of faith. Thomas was a hand-picked apostle of the Lord. He was one of the chosen ones. But in loneliness, clinging alone to his difficulties, his faith quickly gave way to doubt. He became hard of faith.

Therefore from the Gospel we can derive at least two lessons.

(1)  First, the Gospel clearly teaches us where to protect and nourishing our faith. It is in the community of the disciples just like this one that we personally encounter the risen Lord and nourish for our faith. Without regularly coming to the assembly of the faithful we risk falling into unbelief and even despair.

(2)  Secondly, we as the disciples have a challenge to support those who have become weak of faith and searching for consolation. Many of these people are our family members and our friends. In the Gospel, we see that the other disciples looked out for Thomas. They encouraged him during his moments of doubt. They tried to resurrect his faith.

We too cannot simply give up trying to win back or encouraging our children, brothers, sisters and friends who have become hard of faith.  Such hardness of faith may sometimes even involve stubbornness, negativity, and unreasonable demands. Thomas also had all these. But the apostles put with him until the risen Lord personally reveals himself to Thomas.

The key for us is remaining as connected as possible with these people who have like doubting Thomas. We cannot simply abandon them. Most of all we have a sure way provided for us by God, namely, to pray for them, to fast, to seek God’s mercy and forgiveness on their behalf.

The second Sunday of Easter is known as Divine Mercy Sunday. The message of Divine Mercy is simple. Namely, God’s mercy is greater than our sins and his forgiveness knows no bounds even for the most hardened sinner who repents and seeks God. [Means: (1) Penance, - Jesus breathes on the apostles to forgive sins. (2) God’s mercy is shown to others when we forgive one another].

Our Lord gave Thomas, who was hard of belief, full assurance, by showing him the print of the nails, and the wound made in His side by the spear. Let us therefore not hesitate to entrust even the most hardened sinners to the mercy of God. And, let’s be grateful to God for our faith. Thomas was lucky to see the Lord and come to faith. But the Lord says that we are even luckier. “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” In the name +. Amen.         DK April 18/19, 2009 TLJ

 

Tuesday 2^nd Week of Easter: “Be Born ‘from above’”

Biologically speaking, no one can be born again. To be born is a onetime shot for each us. There is not second trial. Yet, in the Good News today, Jesus instructs Nicodemus about getting another kind of birth, namely, to “be born from above,” which Jesus also calls to be “born of water and the Spirit.”

We know that speaks of “to be born of water and the Spirit” he means baptism. This is because to be baptized means to begin a new kind of life, life of a higher quality, new life as a child of God.

Since most of us are baptized when we are still babies, it is necessary that as we mature, we continually reflect upon the meaning of our baptism.

The center of this new life, as Jesus indicates, is believing in the Son of Man, Christ Jesus, which we actualize in our lives by entering into the community of believers and being of “one heart and one mind” with them.

The phrase being “one heart and one mind” is challenging in our world today. Many times, we hear Catholics labeling themselves as conservatives and others as liberals. These categories make it seem as if there are two options from which we could choose to live the Christian life. But actually, there is nothing like that. The disciples were all one heart and one mind. There were no liberals or conservatives.

In the same way, we do not have an option to be liberal and another to be conservative. We are simply to be Catholic Christians. When all is said and done, liberal or conservative are not viable options for us.

So, Jesus says to Nicodemus,

The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Our live of baptism cannot follow the drums of liberal or conservative agendas. Rather, it is the Spirit of God guiding His Church, who provides us the rhythm of our lives.

Therefore, every day, let’s call upon the Holy Spirit to be our guide so that we can sails through this life as beloved children of our heavenly Father.

In the name of + Amen.                                          DK April 21, 2009 TLJ.

 

3rd Sunday of Easter: “Bringing Christ to America … once again”

Two Sundays in a row, the Gospel is focusing upon an important appearance of Jesus to his apostles—an appearance in which Jesus commissions the apostles for their future ministry.

Last Sunday, the Gospel from John highlighted this ministry of the apostles as bringing God’s forgiveness love and mercy to the world through forgiving sins. Today, the Gospel from Luke focuses on the other side of the same mission of the apostles, namely, the commissioning the apostles to be Jesus’ witnesses to all the nations.

Remarkably, the apostles are commissioned not to propagate an idea or some kind of ideology; rather, they are to witness to the things about a person—Jesus—as the Messiah sent by God.

Both in last Sunday’s Gospel and today’s the evangelists emphasize that the central character of this Jesus is “the messiah who had to suffer and to die.” His identity marks for his apostles are the scars in his hands and feet, and the scar of the lance, which pierced his side. He identifies himself as the crucified. Risen as human being, for he eats.

During the time of the apostles, it was not easy to witness to a messiah like this. The Jews did expect such a messiah. St. Paul puts it well in his first letter to the Corinthians [1:23]. He says, “We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.”

In our own day, to proclaim Christ crucified is equally counter-cultural. It is to go against the spirit of our “feel good,” “feel nice,” “instant gratification” society. Nevertheless, just as the apostles were sent to all the nations, Christ still sends you and I as well to be his witness at every time in every place.

Christ commissions us to witness to him, the crucified, because as Peter says in the first reading, “He is the author of life.” Without him, we remain caught in the deep yoghurt of sin and death; while those who believe in him, and repent, and keep God’s commandments, become coheirs of life everlasting with him.

Like the apostles, we are the Easter people, the disciples of our day. The question is: How can we witness to our faith and pass it on for the people of our time? First all passing the faith is not a quarterback throwing a pass to a running-back or like Derrick Rose passing the basketball to Ben Gordon. No. Faith is a gift of God. It is God who gives faith to a person. Our part is to create an environment that nurtures and encourages the flow of faith rather than block it.

Today, we find ourselves in an environment that is quite hostile to faith. It favors extreme focus on the external and the transitory, instant gratification, isolation and self-dependence. So, to witness to our faith, we do not need start by going off to some remote place in Africa [for the most part the faith is alive there]. We rather need to start here, in our homes by trying to restore the environment and social supports of faith, for example; having a Bible, a rosary, or a Crucifix in your living room or your bedroom, or your kitchen. These things are not that expensive. It’s not like getting an HDTV. Often times we think of our parents as having been very religious. But it is because they kept religious customs and practices; having a social and prayer life at home, identifying with their faith. This is how the faith was passes on to us. Today, our people are becoming hard of belief because the environment is missing in which their faith can grow. We have to restore this environment in our homes. This is how we can witness to our faith on a daily basis.

 We are the people that Jesus has called to live our faith not only in our words but in our actions. Faith in Christ has to pervade our entire existence and to bring us into solidarity with our brothers and sisters who love the risen Lord.

America needs to rise. But America will only rise with Christ, the crucified, the risen author of life. Let’s do what is in our means to make this happen. Let us bring Christ to America once again.

In the name + … Amen.                             DK 4/25-26/2009 TLJ

 

Saturday, 3^rd Week of Easter

Today the Church commemorates St. Athanasius, who lived in the 3^rd century. Athanasius was a champion of faith. During his time, some people, who thought themselves to be very wise, started to teach that Jesus was not God but some kind of creature. Off course this was contrary to the teaching of the apostles. As in the Gospel,

Simon Peter says to Jesus, "Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."

Athanasius spent his entire adult life trying to defend this true teaching of the apostles. He exiled and persecuted for his defense of the faith but he did not give up. He continued to teach that that in Jesus Christ, God has come to dwell among us, to show us God’s great love and to save us for eternal life. To say deny Jesus’ divinity is to deny God’s love and our salvation in Jesus.

In the first reading we see that the ministry of Jesus, that is, bringing God’s love into the world, continues through his disciples, the Church represented by Peter. Peter does what Jesus does in the Gospels: preaching, bringing healing to the sick, raising the dead, comforting the bereaved; all done by power of the Spirit of Jesus who dwells in the Church and who gives life.

Perhaps we have heard of the acronym WWJD – “What would Jesus do?” I think it is even better to say, WDJD. “What did or does Jesus do?” He loved us unto do death. He loves us.

The disciples do what Jesus actually did and continues to do. He loves us so much that he gave his life for us. As the disciples of today, let us do what Jesus did and let’s love our faith and defend it as St. Athanasius.

 

4^th Sunday of Easter: “Good Shepherd … good sheep”

“Good Shepherd” is one of our favorite images of Jesus, and today it is timely, since spring is finally here. We often see depictions of Jesus carrying a little sheep on his shoulders, or in his arms, or leading a flock that follows him lovingly. All these depictions present Jesus as a shepherd who knows his sheep and who cares for them.

The Gospel of today is the basis of these popular depictions. Jesus, the Good Shepherd contrasts himself to hirelings. In the context of chapter 10 of John’s Gospel, these hirelings are the infamous Pharisees. This section of the Gospel which has been read is part of a long disputation that took place between Jesus and these Pharisees. Jesus seeks to clearly distinguish himself from them. He shows that the contrast between him, the Good Shepherd, and the Pharisees lies in their different concerns or motivations.

The concern of the hirelings, the Pharisees, is on themselves. Their focus is not the sheep; rather, they focus on “What do I get out of this?” In a word, their labors are not motivated by love and compassion, but selfishness.

On the other hand, the Good shepherd’s concern is for the sheep. Jesus’ entire life is to ensure the well being and the safety of the flock. He lays down his life for the sheep. He is so in love with them. Compassion motivates his labors.

Jesus thus sets a challenge for us who your shepherds in his name. We are to lay down our lives for the love of the Church. This sets a great test for us. We have to continually examine our motives, to examine the reasons for our actions.

But Jesus also sets a great test for all us. Having distinguished himself as the Good Shepherd, Jesus also distinguishes his disciples by comparing them to sheep. At the outset, this comparison can be quite disturbing. Compared to other animals, such as, dogs and cats, sheep appear to be rather dull animals. They can also be quite dirty. So then, why does Jesus make this comparison? Why does Jesus use the image of sheep to identify for his disciples? Jesus explains why he chooses the image of sheep. He says,

“I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” My sheep … “hear my voice.”

The underling idea is the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep. The shepherd knows his sheep. The sheep also know their shepherd. They recognize his voice. They do not follow anyone else but their shepherd. Here lies the mystery of being a sheep.

In Jesus’ time, shepherds used to tend their flocks together. They often took their flocks to the same places where the pasture was rich and to the same shades to rest for the evening. Then, early each morning, as the day began each shepherd would call upon his sheep to gather. As dull as sheep may appear, they always recognize the voice of their shepherd. As he calls out, they hear him and come where he is. Then, having gathered them, he would lead them to pasture. Similarly, at the end of the day, each shepherd would call his sheep. Recognizing his voice, they would gather about him and he would lead them to a place of rest.

The bottom line is that sheep are not really dull. They know their shepherd. They recognize him, listen to his voice and do not follow impostors. So there is a mutual relationship between the Good Shepherd and the sheep. The Good shepherd loves the sheep and the sheep know him, listen to his voice and follow his lead.

The image of the Good shepherd and the sheep invites us to personally think about our relationship with Jesus. Do I recognize him as our Good Shepherd who has given all for the love of us? Do I listen to his voice which re-echoes in the invitations of the Church? Do I follow his lead or am I often wandering away?

In our days, we know so many who are members of the flock of Jesus by virtue of Baptism, yet, who no longer recognize their shepherd and do not follow him. They seek pastures which cannot satisfy them. All the love which the Good Shepherd has for them is wasted. The Good Shepherd is thus left with a broken heart. Would that they come to back to him and be fed!

For us who are here, the Good Shepherd feeds us with the bread of everlasting life and the blood that washes away our sins. May our life be centered upon him, knowing him, hearing his voice, and loving him and making him known and loved by others! May we never break his heart!

In the name of + Amen.                                                      DK May 3, 2009 TLJ

 

Tuesday 4^th Week of Easter: “Added to the Lord”

In the traditional Jewish culture in which Christianity began, there were a lot of legal barriers that prevented Jews from interacting with Gentiles or non-Jews. Jews could not eat food prepared by non-Jews, they could not worship together, contacts with non-Jews was to be minimal if not absent. Because of these barriers, some early Jewish Christians were against the evangelization of non-Jews. Chapters 11-15 of the Acts of Apostles from which our first reading comes redress these barriers. The basic statement of these chapters is that Christ came not only for Jews, but for all, Jews and non-Jews alike. So, the Gospel was to be preached to all peoples.

This understanding is what distinguished Christianity from Judaism. Thus in the reading we have heard that, “it was in Antioch [which is in Syria] that the disciples were first called Christians.” They are called “Christians” because their community is no longer that of Jews alone, nor of Gentile alone; rather, a mixed community of Jews and non-Jews who profess the same faith in Christ Jesus.

Similar to the situation in the early Church, we too today have our differences due to culture, background, language, nationality, tribe and etc. And, because of these differences, sometime it is very hard for us to recognize that Christ has not come for a certain culture, or a certain tribe, or people who speak a certain language, or to see that Church is not be built upon distinctions of culture, language, or nationality.

The message of the word of God in the first reading is that God-given differences should not give way to division. Rather, differences are to enrich the body of Christ.

In the Gospel Jesus says, “The Father and I are one.” Similarly, Christ and the Church are one, for all who become members of the Church are added to the Lord.

Let us pray this Lord, who gives himself to all us, to help us to use our differences to enrich the body of Christ, rather than to divide it. May the same Lord strength us to bring the Good News to our own society and to all societies of the world!

In the name of + Amen.                                                      DK May 4, 2009 TLJ

 

5^th Sunday Easter 2009: Everlasting Life Insurance (ELI)

Last Sunday Jesus gave us the image of the relationship between the Good Shepherd and his sheep as an example of the relationship between him and his followers. The Good Shepherd gives life to the sheep, not only by feeding them but to the extent of laying down his very life for the life of the sheep. In turn the sheep know their Good Shepherd and listen to his voice just as the Son listens to the Father. 

This Sunday Jesus gives us another image of the same relationship. He gives us the example of a vine and its branches. He says to us,

“I am the [true] vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit because without me you can do nothing.”

            The image of the vine has its background in the Old Testament. In Psalm 80 and in the prophecies of Isaiah (Chapter 5); Jeremiah (chapters 2, 6, 8); Ezekiel (chapters 15, 17 and 19); and Hosea (chapter 10); and Joel (chapter 2) ancient Israel, is depicted as the vine, chosen and planted in a well prepared garden by God. However, the life of this vine, the life of ancient Israel, depended upon the health of the religious establishment. This establishment ultimately failed to faithfully keep the Covenant made with God, because it led people into disobedience to the commands of God and false worship.

            By calling himself the true vine, Jesus in effect replaces ancient Israel. And by presenting himself as the source of life he dismisses the religious establishment of Ancient Israel and replaces it with a new way of life which is centered upon him.

Similarly, the disciples of Jesus, the branches on the vine are the new Israel which fulfills the true destiny of ancient Israel. This destiny is to the obedient people of God.

As branches on the vine, to be with Jesus is to have life. To be apart from Jesus is to risk the one’s very life. For every branch that is cut off from the vine will wither and be thrown in the fire where it will burn.

TV ads are terrible when they interrupt a nice show by luring us with a talking gecko reminding us about insurance. Nevertheless, there is a nice ad advertizing life insurance which I would like to quote. It ends with the words, “Do you have All State … Are you in good hands?”

We can always pose this question with regard to our spiritual wellbeing. Are you with the true vine? Have set your heart where it should be? Are you in good hands? Do you have Jesus? Jesus is our everlasting life insurance (ELI). But there is question still to be answered. Namely, how do we know that we are remaining in him and him in us? How do we keep our ELI or everlasting life insurance?

In John 15:10 Jesus says to us,

“If you keep my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.”

So, those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them [1 John 3:24a]. The commandments of Jesus are summarized with a single word, LOVE. Love God with whole self and love one another as I have loved you.

This is precisely how the lively branch on the true vine bears fruit. It bears the fruits of love, including: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity [Gal 5:22-23]. These fruits of love are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. For, “the way that Jesus remains in us is from the Spirit he gave us.”

            We become more deeply engrafted or fasten upon the true vine as this vine become the source our spiritual nourishment here at the Eucharistic table. May we hide our lives in him, our everlasting life insurance!

In the name of + Amen.                                                      DK May 9, 2009 TLJ.

 

 

Thursday 5^th Week Easter “I chose you”

Oftentimes, we hear or see short statements such as “Choose Jesus”, or “I chose Jesus”, or “Reasons to choose Jesus”. These statements affirm the exercise of our freedoms involved in deciding to follow the way of Christ. Nevertheless, we always have to remember what Christ says to us today.

“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit …”

Jesus’ words remind us that our choice to follow his way only a response to his initiative. It is always him who first calls. Then, we respond or refuse to respond.

In the first reading, we have heard that,

Then they [the apostles] prayed, saying:
"You, Lord, who know the hearts of all,
show which one of these two you have chosen
to take the place in this apostolic ministry
from which Judas turned away to go to his own place."
Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias,
and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.

Matthias seems to have been chosen by the apostles to be the twelfth apostle. Yet, the eleven apostles do not think that way. For them, the lot only shows what the Lord has already ordained.

Both readings remind us that our faith, graces and salvation are gifts from God. It is God’s love which lights up the fires of life and love in us.

Having been chosen, the Lord sends on mission to be apostles of love. He says, “This I command you: love one another.” The word love is thrown around very often. When John has a clumsy-flimsy feeling for Jane, they call it love. But, Jesus is very specific in his call to us. He says, “Love one another as I have loved you.” The love of Christ is to live for others even if it means dying for their sake. It is to live selflessly.

May the Eucharist which we receive today express for us the love of Christ and assist us to become for others what we receive!

In the name of + Amen.                                          DK May 13, 2009 TLJ

 

Saturday 5^th Week of Easter: “Live in the world, do not belong to the world”

Today, the readings seem to pull us two apparently opposite directions.

In the Gospel Jesus tells us that we do not belong to the world. He has chosen us out of [away] from the world.

Yet in the first reading Luke tells the story of Paul and his companions going to the world from city to city to spread the Gospel especially to the Gentile or non-Jews, as the Spirit of Jesus guides them. Paul and his companions are fulfilling Jesus commission to go the whole world to spread the Gospel of Salvation in Jesus.

Putting together the two reading we discover that Jesus sends us to the world to bring the Gospel of salvation, yet at the same time he warns against becoming worldly.

The Christian lives in the world and participates in the life of his society and culture, but he or she does not belong to the world.

The late Holy Father John Paul II used to refer to some aspects of our culture and society as the “culture of death.” This encompasses all practices against the dignity of life and the calling to authentic love. Such as, “embryonic stem cell research, abortion, euthanasia, contraception, capital punishment, greed, degradation, sadistic humiliation, Narcissism, selfishness, poverty and war.” [Wikipedia]

In our own day, this “culture of death” is the world to which Christ warns that his followers must not belong. Yet, Jesus also commissions us, each in his own position in society to resist the culture of death, promote the culture of life and heed his calling to authentic love of God and fellow man.

Some people have favored to compromise the principles of the Gospel on the basis of social and cultural trends. Jesus calls to us today is that the world should NOT transform the Gospel, rather, the Gospel should transform the world. 

May the Risen Lord, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World, assist us in our vocation as Christians called to be transformed by the Gospel and to transform the world by the Gospel.

 

6^th Week of Easter …“Jesus, our everlasting friend”

For three Sundays in a row, Jesus has been giving us images which depict the kind of relationship existing between him and his disciples. Two Sundays ago Jesus gave us the image of the Good Shepherd and his sheep. The Good Shepherd gives his entire live to care of his sheep. He ensures that they are well fed and takes them to rest. In turn the sheep recognize their Good Shepherd. They listen to his voice. They do not follow anyone else but him.

Last Sunday, Jesus gave us the image of the vine and its branches. The vine gives life to the branches. They branches have life by will remain on the vine and they bear much fruit having been pruned by the word of God.

This Sunday Jesus gives us the image of friendship to show how closely he has brought us to himself. He says,

“I no longer call you slaves … I have called you friends,

because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.”

Jesus himself initiates and establishes this friendship. He says,

“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit …”

The image of friendship shows how Jesus has elevated us from simply being servants to being friends. He has brought us closer to himself. As our friend, we have access to him. He is available for us.

From the Old Testament, we find that, the title servant or slave God was such an honorable title. Important figures including Moses (Duet. 34:5), Joshua (Jos. 24:29), David (Ps. 89:21) and the prophets are called “servants of God.” Only Abraham (Is. 41:8; Chron. 20:7; See also James 2:23) was called a “friend of God.”

So, by calling friends, Jesus does not give us a simple elevation. Rather, he elevates to the level of Abraham.

The image of friendship calls us to examine our approach to Jesus and God. God is the ultimate Judge. Nevertheless, our faith is not simply about keeping a set of rules and regulations. God is not so interested in keeping track of our sins or mistakes. That is not what a true friend does. Rather, God wishes that we become what He has intended us to be from the beginning, to grow into intimacy with Him, to be God’s image and likeness. In the second reading John reminds us that the nature of God is love. Love is what we are to image and become like. Thus Jesus tells that,

“you are my friends if you do what I command you…

This I command you: love one another.”

This is our Christian vocation: to love. To be and to do as God does. The word love is thrown around very often. When 16 year old John has a clumsy-flimsy feeling for 14 year old Jane, we call it love. But, Jesus is very specific in his call to us. He says, “Love one another as I have loved you.” The love of Christ is to live for others even if it means dying for their sake. It is to live selflessly.

The Eucharist is the perpetual living manifestation of Christ’s love for us. May we receive him as our everlasting friend! And, may we become for others what we receive.   

 

Saturday 6^th Week of Easter B

Dear sisters and brothers,

The Gospel today continues the message which we have been hearing over and over this week. Our Lord is preparing his disciples for his impending physical departure from this world and the persecution of the disciples that will take place thereafter. The Lord encourages the disciples to be courageous and hopeful even as he foretells of the afflictions and sufferings which they will be subjected to.

“Amen, Amen” he says to them, “you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices, you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”

            Why? Jesus says these words to his disciples not because their suffering as such is going to be their source of joy. Rather, he says they will have joy even as they suffer because now their suffering has new purpose. It has new meaning through his Cross and Resurrection in which he has defeated the forces of evil, sin and death. Jesus’ victory and the manner of his triumph become the new pattern of looking life for the disciples. They can endure suffering and afflictions with hope and courage because they are participating in this pattern of dying and rising in and with Christ, their Lord. Thus, the disciples find a new sense of freedom and new life where they would have found hopelessness, despair and emptiness.

 

Ascension of the Lord: the Body, the Church

Dear friends,

Happy Feast day of the Ascension of our Lord! On this day, we celebrate Jesus’ return to the Father in heaven, a fact which occurred sometime after Jesus’ resurrection. As the readings show, the Ascension marks a conclusion and a starting point. The conclusion is Jesus’ earthly ministry. The starting point is the mission of the Church.

So much can be said about this great feast of ours. However, we can focus on two points concerning our faith: First, the destiny of our bodies. Secondly, being the body of Christ which is the Church.

First of all, Christ’s ascension is a celebration of the fulfillment of hope for the human body. This is because Christ returns to heaven with his glorified human body. He does not shed off his body. Rather, he takes it with him to heaven, thus, ushering the human body into divine glory, far above all the angels. How wonderful a gift Christ offers us! 

The Ascension is a great turning point because in this event Christ corrects the existing understanding concerning the human body. Among the Greeks and Roman who laid the background of much of Western intellectual and social culture, the human body was understood as a kind of prison of the soul. Salvation, for them, was freeing the soul from its imprisonment in the human body. The body was no good; it was a jail with all that goes with it.

So, when Christ presents himself ascending to heaven with his glorified body, he gives us a whole new way of looking at our bodies. The human body is not a prison of the soul. Rather, the human body is destined for glory. It is destined for transformation, for heaven. Christ’ ascension heralds the pattern and destiny of all our bodies. Even as they are so often frail and weak, our bodies are destined for glorification. This same truth is born in the mystery of the Assumption of our Lady.

Christ’s body is also the Church, as Christ’s continuing presence in the world. And, this brings us to our second consideration of the message of today’s feast.

As both the first reading and Gospel lay it out very clearly, on the event of the ascension, Jesus issues his final instructions or marching orders to the Church.  Ready for take-off, he says to his disciples,

“Go into the world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”

Thus, our Lord entrusts his work on earth to us. Notably, he does not send us to people alone; but, to every creature, the animal, the plant, and even the rock. The whole world is destined for transformation. Jesus gives us the great privilege to be his co-workers, his teammates in this transformation. To use an image from football, Jesus is like a quarter back making a passing play to us his teammates. As the disciples of Jesus, his team, we have the responsibility to bring salvation to others.

            It is not surprising therefore that when the angels appear to the Apostles first reading, they ask them:

“Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky?”

The angels are otherwise saying: can you guys get work? Don’t you realize the great trust the Lord has put in you by making you his co-workers for the salvation of the universe?

He gave some to be apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers. St. Paul says.

These ministries and all our talents and gifts are the tools which Christ has given us for mission, to be his team. To be the Church!

Today we very well know, as we read from the news, that the Church is in need of dire improvement. And, those who know history know that the Church has always been in need of such improvement. But at the same time the Church in every age has the gifts of Christ: faith, the liturgy, the word, and the sacraments, outstanding teachers and preachers, great prophets and numerous holy men and women. These are her signs of hope, hope for the whole universe.

Aware of both the horizons of sin and hope in the Church, let us ourselves these questions today: What I am doing on Jesus’ team? What gifts have I brought to this team? What are the signs of hope in my life? What hope do I bring to others?

As we end Mass today, we are going to be sent off with words similar to Jesus’ last words to the Apostles, “Go into the world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” or to love and serve the Lord.” May we always remember that this is our primary responsibility in this world;        the cause of hope, even for our bodies.           

 

Pentecost Year B: Mass in the Day: “Welcome the Advocate”

Dear sisters and brothers,

Today is the solemn feast of Pentecost. It is the birthday of the Church. Our birthday! Happy birthday to you all! On Pentecost, we are celebrate the event in which the disciples, who had been hiding for fear of the Jews who had killed Jesus, came out filled with energy and power, and proclaiming to all peoples that Jesus is the Savior. In this event, the Church was completed, having received the Holy Spirit.

Amazingly, the disciples still know that they could be killed for proclaiming the name of Jesus. However, they are unafraid! Why? They no longer fear because now they have received the promised gift. Jesus has fulfilled his promise to send to his followers an Advocate, “the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father.” 

The function the Advocate or Paraclete can be seen from both a legal and spiritual sense. From the legal point of view, in Jesus’ days, legal matters were settled in open-air-town-hall meeting at the gates of a city in an open air meeting of the elders and the community. An advocate or Paraclete was one who assisted a friend in this open court of witness. He would come forward with other witnesses to plead the truth and rightness of a cause and to testify against the false witnesses on the opposing side.

In this sense, the Advocate from the Father was to plead the case about Jesus and lead the witness of the disciples. Thus, the disciples had no more to be afraid of. They had the Advocate on their side.

From a spiritual perspective, as Jesus returned to the Father at the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus very well knew that his disciples were troubled and grief-stricken by his departure. They felt like orphans [cf. Jn 14:16-19]. They were in need of support. They needed inner strength and efficacious power if they were to accomplish the mission entrusted to them.

Hence, Jesus sends the Advocate as the comforter, strengthener, intercessor, helper and guide for his disciples. We see the renewed strength of the disciples in the first reading from the Acts of Apostles (2:1-11). Having received the Holy Spirit, they are strengthened. They go to the people of every nation to witness to Christ the Savior. They perform wonders, healing the sick, and even raising the dead.

Ultimately, the Spirit does not simply guide the disciples to the nations. Rather, by a miraculous power, the Spirit puts an end to chaos and causes communion and fellowship to exist among these peoples of different background. This is what is symbolized by the fact that all the peoples from the different nations could hear the Apostles in their native language. The Spirit of God removes the barriers of communication which separate the peoples of different nationalities. He establishes a new language among them. Namely, the language of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control as St. Paul has told us in the Letter to the Galatians (5:16-25).

This is why Pentecost is often called the birthday of the Church. It is the day of the manifestation of a lively community of peoples from diverse backgrounds who seek to be in loving union with God and in fellowship of faith, hope and love with one another.

Dear sisters and brothers, as the disciples of today, the Spirit of God continues Christ’s work among us, within us and with us. He comes to us as the Advocate, the Comforter, Strengthener, Guide, Intercessor, Helper and cause of communion and fellowship among us.

However, it is noticeable that often times, we pay very little attention to the Holy Spirit. Due to this lack of attention to the Spirit, some commentators have referred to the Holy Spirit as “the forgotten Person of the Trinity.” This, perhaps, explain why we Christians often seem rather defenseless in the face of world which confronts us. We tend to be like spiritual orphans. We are even afraid of practicing our faith openly. But how can we stand ground if we have forgotten our Advocate who is to plead the case of truth? How can we read the signs of the times and face the challenges of today if we do not pray to the Guide, the Counselor, and the Helper sent from above? And, how can we have peace in our troubled world if we have not given a warm welcome to the Comforter, the Strengthener who is to protect and sanctify us?

Let us think of the eye of the body. The eye needs light in order to see anything clearly. Without light, a person walks in the dark, knocks his feet and easily gets lost. Similarly, apart from the Spirit of Jesus, the eye of faith can’t see clearly. Then, we spiritually walk in the dark, we crash, we lose the way, and we lose our selves. So, daily, let us call upon the Spirit of God to be our Advocate, our Comforter and Guide.

In the Eucharist, the sacrifice of communion, let us beg him to renew, sanctify, and strengthen his Church to witness to Christ.  Let us beg him to fill all of us with new life and to teach us his language, the language of divine love.

            In the name of +. Amen                              DK May 30, 2009 TLJ.

 

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Year B: “A communion of Love”

Dear sisters and brothers,

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. The mystery of the Trinity is the greatest and the foundational mystery of the Christian faith revealed by our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus has revealed that God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. However, there are not three Gods. Nor is God some monster with three heads! There is One God. Off course we can’t comprehend this great mystery. But we can say something about what it says about God.

At the heart of this Trinitarian mystery, there is a great revelation about God for us. Namely, that God is a communion of divine Persons. God is the communion of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But what kind of communion is this? We may ask.

In the Gospel over and over we hear Jesus saying to his disciples that he has not do his will but the will of the Father who sent him. He says that his deeds and actions are the deeds of the Father. Even the words he teaches are those of the Father. And to Philip, he says, if you have seen me, you have seen the Father. The Father and I are one. And, on Pentecost Sunday, speaking of the Holy Spirit, he says that, the Holy Spirit, the advocate, will reveal to you everything. He will not say anything of his own. But he will take from what is mine and give to you. The Spirit will reveal what belongs to the Son.

In essence, Jesus reveals that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are of one mind, one will, and one being. To know the Son is to know the Father. To love the Son is to love his Spirit. Jesus does not do or have anything on his own, the Holy Spirit does not do or have anything on his own, and the Father does not do anything without the Son and the Holy Spirit. The three divine Persons are a communion of love. In other words, in God, there is no selfishness, no place for individualism and no room for division. Rather, in God there is always relationship of mutuality and reciprocity. John summarizes all this for us saying that, “God is love.” [1 John 4:16]. Now, what has this to do with us?

  Well, in the Gospel of Matthew which we have heard, Jesus commissions his disciples to go and baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. To baptize is to immerse or deep some into. Therefore, we, the baptized, have all been immersed into the divine communion of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Our baptism opens for us the gates to partake of that divine life of mutual and reciprocal love in the community of God’s children which is the Church. The life of the Church is supposed to reflect the life of the communal life of the Holy Trinity.

There are a number of lessons which we can draw from our reflection on the mystery of the Holy Trinity for our everyday living.

First of all, the mystery of the Trinity invites us to reflect upon the meaning of our baptism and what it means for our day to day living. Baptism gives us citizenship to another realm of existence. St. Paul says,

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you received a Spirit of adoption,
through whom we cry, "Abba, Father!"

The opposite of fear is love. In other word, as adopted children of God we have received a spirit of love. Baptism makes us citizens of God’s world of boundless love. It’s a realm of existence in which all individualism, divisions, and selfishness have no place. We belong to God’s household.

Perhaps, besides me, all of us here are citizens of the United States of America. To remain a good citizen one has to love or at least like his country and to abide by its constitutions and statutes.  Similarly, when Jesus commissions his disciples to baptize, he says,

“Baptize [ing] them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

            It is in observing what Jesus has commanded that we remain good citizens of God’s world. And, all that Jesus has commanded can be summarized by one word, namely, do not be selfish. When we love God, this love bears fruit in love of neighbor.

            Secondly, the closest image God has given us of the Trinity in day to day life is the family; the husband, the wife and their child or children. As a matter of fact, Jesus uses the familiar language of Father and Son to express divine relationships. The community of the husband and his wife and their children in a Christian family is meant to reflect the life of the Most Holy Trinity. Husband, wife and children bound as a family of mutual and reciprocal love.

            We see that God has ordained the family to be so close to God’s Mystery. As we reflect on the divine communion in the Trinity, we are therefore invited to think of our family life. How do you make decisions as a father without consulting you wife? How do you make decisions as a mother without considering your child? How do we possess what we have? Does your family life still bear the image of the Trinity in its day to day affairs?

            Let’s pray that the grace of this Eucharist, the sacrifice of communion, may nurture our baptismal life and transform our families into communities of life and love which reflect God’s life in the world.

In the name of + Amen.                                          DK June 6, 2009 TLJ

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