OUR PARISH PRIEST

PUTULIN MO! Binibigyan tayo ng Mabuting Balita ngayon (Markos 9) ng tila nakatatawang larawan ng langit – isang lugar kung saan ang mga naroon ay mga may kapansanan. Sabi ni Hesus: kung nais mong pumasok sa buhay na walang hanggan (langit), putulin mo ang iyog mga kamay at mga paa, kung ito ang sanhi ng iyong pagkakasala dito sa lupa. Isipin mo na lang kung sa langit nga ang mga tao ay mga naka-saklay at naka-benda ang mga katawan, palukso-lukso dahil sa nawawalang mga bahagi ng katawan. Siyempre, isang larawan lamang ito pero may mas malalim na katotohanan ang mga salitang ito. Sa kasaysayan ng Kristiyanismo, mula noon hanggang ngayon sa maraming mga bansa, ang mga tagasunod ng ating Panginoong Hesus – Katoliko man o Protestante, Ortodoso, o Pentecostal – ay ipinagpalit ang   kanilang mga katawan kaysa wasakin ang kanilang pakikipag-ugnayan sa Panginoon. Ang mga martir na monghang Carmelites ng Compiegne sa France ay pinugutan ng ulo ng mga rebolusyonaryong

CUT! The gospel today from Mark 9 gives us quite a funny picture of heaven – a place where people walk around disabled. Jesus says: if you want to enter into life (heaven), cut off your hands and your feet, if these cause you to sin here on earth.   Imagine heaven as place where people are in crutches and bandages, limping around because of missing limbs.   Of course this is just an image but there is a deeper truth in these words. In the history of Christianity, from the beginning until today in many countries, followers of Jesus, whether Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox, or Pentecostals, traded their bodies rather severe their relationship with the Lord. The Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne were beheaded because of the hatred of the revolutionary leaders in France. They entered into life headless.   The Japanese and Korean Martyrs were burned, chopped, dragged by horse carriages, crucified or crushed by enormous weight but would not for a second entertain ab

HIS ARMS AROUND ME In today’s gospel, Jesus speaks to us very precious words on his coming passion and death, which the disciples failed to understand, as usual.   He also gives a teaching on greatness and on humility in the Kingdom of God his Father, again, very difficult to square with the reality of human attitudes. However, beyond the words, let us notice a special gesture Jesus does in the Gospel. Mark’s gospel is said to be the earliest one, and so, it is almost unedited, almost raw, unlike the other three gospels with their polished theology and careful insinuations to a particular direction. Mark’s gospel was rather composed of direct observations, words and descriptions the early Christians heard and saw from the Lord. Notice that while teaching, Jesus invites a small child to be with him, “wraps his arms around” the child, and explains his point. Isn’t that a striking action from the Lord? Jesus is not a preacher who speaks above the hea

YAKAP-YAKAP NIYA AKO Sa Mabuting Balita ngayon, nagbibigay si Hesus ng mga mahahalagang salita at aral tungkol sa kanyang darating na paghihirap at kamatayan, na hindi madaling naunawaan ng mga alagad. Nagtuturo din siya ukol sa pagiging dakila at pagiging mababang-loob sa Kaharian ng Ama, at hindi rin ito madaling maunawaan. Subalit, sa kabila ng mga salita, pansinin natin ang isang natatanging kilos na ginawa ng Panginoon. Ang Mabuting Balita ni San Markos ang pinaka-unang isinulat, kaya halos hindi ito na-edit, halos hilaw, di tulad ng tatlong ebanghelyo na may maayos na teolohiya at maingat na direksyon na tinatahak. Ang Mabuting Balita ni San Markos ay gawa mula sa mga direktang puna, salita at larawan na narinig ng mga alagad mula sa ating Panginoong Hesukristo. Tingnan na lamang na habang nagtuturo, inanyayahan ni Hesus ang isang maliit ba bata upang tumayo sa gitna. “Kinalong” niya ang bata, at saka ipinaliwanag ang kanyang aral. (sa Ingle

DALUBHASA SA SALITA “Dalubhasa sa salita,” ganyan isinalarawan ng kaibigan ko ang kanyang iniidolo. Hangang-hanga tayo sa mga taong magaling magpa-ikot ng salita at magmukhang kapani-paniwala at totoo. Tila ang galing ng mga taong gobyerno na magaling mag-talumpati. Ang galing ng mga taong negosyo na mangumbinsing magbenta. Mukhang napakabanal ng mga taong simbahan na ang laging sambit ay walang iba kundi ang Diyos. Si Hesus ay hindi kailanman nalinlang ng mga salita. Sa Mabuting Balita ngayon (Mk 8), narinig niya ang mga salita ni Pedro tungkol sa pananampalataya sa kanya. Hindi niya agad pinansin ito. Malaon pa, nagsalita si Pedro upang salungatin ang pangangaral ni Hesus tungkol sa kanyang krus at pagkabuhay. Nagalit si Hesus at pinagsabihan na si Pedro na hindi nakaunawa, mali ang pang-intindi. Buti na lang ang Diyos ay hindi tagahanga ng mga salita, hindi “tagabasa ng mga dila.” Sa halip ang Panginoon ay “tagabasa ng mga puso.” Alam niyang hindi lah

MASTER OF WORDS   “Master of words,” that was how my friend described somebody he admired. We all admire people who can weave words so fluidly that they speak convincingly, effortlessly, and effectively. Government people sound so powerful. Business people sound so concerned. Church people sound so holy.   And we like that. Jesus was someone who was never deceived by mere words. In today’s Gospel (Mk 8), he heard Peter declare his faith. Jesus seemed unenthusiastic at this reply. Later we know why. Peter seemed to revoke his earlier words when he rebuked Jesus’ own preaching about his suffering, death and resurrection. Jesus also rebuked Peter for not getting it right, for failing to understand. It is really a good thing that God is not an admirer of words, not a “reader of tongues.”   Instead the Lord is a “reader of the heart.”   Not all words flow from the heart.   St. James in today’s second reading (James 2) challenges those who testify that

PAGHILOM SA GITNA NG LUHA Isang bagay na ipinagdarasal natin ay ang paggaling o healing. Nagdarasal tayong gumaling ang mga mahal natin sa buhay, o maging ang ating sarili. Hipuin sana ng Diyos ang ating katawan at kaawaan tayo sa ating paghihirap sa banig ng karamdaman. Sa unang pagbasa mula kay propeta Isaias, hinihimok niya ang mga tao sa tulong ng mga tanda ng paggaling habang malapit na silang umuwi sa sarili nilang bayan. Ang Diyos ang tunay na nagligtas at pinagaling niya ang mga bulag, bingi, pipi at lumpo. Hindi lamang tinutulungan ng Diyos ang buong bayan. Ang biyaya niya ay dumadapo sa bawat nilalang na naghihirap. Sa Mabuting Balita, naawa si Hesus sa kalunos-lunos na sitwasyon ng lalaking bingi at pipi. Sa makapangyarihang pananalita: Mabuksan ka!, pinalaya ni Hesus ang lakas ng pandinig at ang lakas ng pagsasalita. Ipinagpapatuloy ni Hesus ang himala ang pagpapagaling na sinimulan ng Diyos sa Israel. Ngayon, ito pa rin ang ating panalan

WHAT IF HEALING COMES THROUGH TEARS? One thing we pray earnestly for is healing. From family and friends, we receive many requests for healing. Just recently, a cousin’s wife was in and out of the hospital, a young girl struggling with dengue, and the brother of a good friend was diagnosed with cancer. That God may touch our bodies with his blessing, is one of the major aspirations of a Christian’s heart. In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah encourages the people with signs of healing to signal their return from exile. God has truly redeemed his people and he has touched the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the mute. God does not only redeem a nation. His grace falls on individuals who are suffering. In the gospel, Jesus takes pity on the deplorable situation of a man both deaf and mute. With the powerful words: Be opened!, he releases the power of hearing, and the faculty of speech. Jesus continues the miracle of healing that God started in Isr