OUR PARISH PRIEST

Jesus, risen, give us life! Some years back, a blockbuster movie tried to convince us that Jesus was not God but only a human being, married to Mary Magdalene. The movie is no longer in the news. But Jesus is still the big news of all time! The following year, another film tried to convince us that men found the tombs of Jesus and his wife and relatives. They found his coffin and his bones, they said. The film did not change the world for the good. But Jesus today, stands as the greatest novelty of all. Jesus is not in the tomb. The tomb is empty. He is risen. He is alive! It is interesting to note that men of today are trying to destroy our faith in Jesus, our Lord and God. While there are positive feature stories in magazines, television and film about other religions, almost all you hear about Jesus and Christianity, especially our Catholic faith, is negative and without inspiring value. To be Catholic and to be strong in our faith is truly g...

BEHOLD HIS CROSS…BEHOLD YOUR CROSS… GOOD FRIDAY OF THE LORD'S PASSION INTRODUCTION Days after the funeral of my father, one parishioner met another parishioner and told him: “Look at this priest, he seems very emotionally strong. He was able to confront his father’s death with courage and calmness. It was as if he can readily accept any tragedy.” Hearing his words, I said to myself: what can be farther from the truth?” That first tragic loss in my small nuclear family devastated me not only then but for many months following. How does a priest grieve? Most priests grieve privately, without any public spectacle of his sadness and pain. People look up to us for guidance and direction and what would they think when they see us crying or sullen? When my sister broke the news to me, I knelt before my couch and buried my face on the seat, shouting and crying in such a way that none of my convent staff could hear. As I shuttled forth everyday between t...

A WEEK OF PASSION We love our palms. We will do everything to obtain palms and have them blessed today. The start of Holy Week is always exciting for us Filipino Catholics, always an emotionally charged moment, always a rich cultural show. We simply love Holy Week. But why do we love our Holy Week? For a variety of reasons: It is a grand vacation from school and from work. It is a time to go out with friends to the mountain hideouts of Baguio and Tagaytay. It is our chance to return to the province and see old friends and relatives. Those who can afford plan this week to be an intimate relaxation with family at the beach or other resorts. Those who prefer to stay at home see this week as a lazy, luxurious moment to indulge on tv, phone calls or drinking and socializing with friends. We love Holy Week for every reason we attach to it except the reason the Lord intended for it. This week is not called “vacation week”, “friendship week” or “rest week”....

CAUGHT IN THE ACT…CAUGHT IN GOD’S LOVE Lent - Sunday 5 The evening TV news regularly show people who have been caught in the act! They are identified according to their misdeeds - kidnappers, murderers, arsonists, terrorists and drug pushers. They were caught in the act of executing their crimes. Now they have fallen into the hands of the law. But do you notice that none of these captives delight in standing before tv cameras? In fact, they avoid direct gaze into it. They hang their heads in shame, drop their shoulders in embarrassment. They seem to melt into meekness and helplessness before the media and the entire watching nation. This must have been the agonizing experience of the woman brought to Jesus by the Jews. She too, was caught in the act!. She is now publicly accused of adultery. She was totally helpless amidst the shouting, demanding, rioting crowd. No defense, for she was guilty as charged. No escape, for she was abandoned by ...

The Prodigal Son in us Lent - Sunday 4 This parable of the Prodigal Son is considered the heart of the gospel. The younger son left his father’s home to follow his stubborn heart. Realizing his faults, he came to his senses and asked to be restored into his Father’s household, even as a slave. The father, without hesitation, receives his son. How easy it is for us to identify ourselves with the prodigal son. Our lives are reflected in his rebellion. In one way or another, we are unfaithful children of the Father. But what about the father in this parable? What does Jesus want us to discover about him, especially in his silent ordeal of losing a son? I have met parents who lost their children. Once, a mentally-retarded child left his home in another city, and walking, reached our parish. For a week, the parents were tormented with worry while in search for their boy. Recovering him was for them, the greatest joy of their lives. A young man did not inform ...

The enigma of the smiling crucifix Gerard W. Hughes Why, to so many people, does Good Friday appeal than Easter? The author of God of Surprises thinks we prefer sin and death to Resurrection. For the truth of redemption, he turns to an unusual carved cross I have twice visited the Castle of Xavier in Navarre in Spain. Of the many memories of that place, one keeps recurring - the larger-than-life thirteenth-century crucifix, carved in walnut, of the smiling Christ. When any event keeps recurring in memory, it means that the event has, in some way, touched on something important to us and is affecting us now, although we may not be conscious of its meaning. That smile raises profound questions. Is there not a danger that such a portrayal can trivialise the cosmic importance of Christ’s death, the severity of his suffering, physical and mental, the inhumanity and barbarity of his death? Even more serious: does this smile not trivialise the seriousness of our sins, the caus...

a lenten thought for you dear friends: Christ urges you, when you ask forgiveness for yourself, to be especially generous to others, so that your actions may commend your prayer. - St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan

REVIVING HOPE Lent - Sunday 3 Once before Christmas, a man and his wife split up. The woman returned home to her parents and would not be convinced to return their conjugal home. It was nearing Christmas and the children were asking about their mother. The grandparents, after talking to the woman, promised the children that the family would celebrate a “happy Christmas” for all. The husband was so contrite for whatever shortcomings he had committed and was begging his wife daily to come home. But the wife was adamant and refused to return. She has given up all hope of reconciliation. She has given up on the relationship. She has given up on the family. That Christmas turned out “sad” for all the family. The gospel today stands in stark contrast to the story above. Once again, Luke tells us that Jesus shows the merciful face of God. God is a God always open to reconciliation. He is a God always open to new hopes, new beginnings, new life. W...