OUR PARISH PRIEST

PRUSISYON NG KABABAANG-LOOB Ang simula ng mga Mahal na Araw ay isang prusisyon ng mga palaspas. Ito ay masayang prusiyon dahil matagumpay si Jesus na sinalubong ng mga tao sa Jerusalem na may galak at pagtanggap. Narito na ang Hari na hinihintay ng lahat! Pero para kay Jesus, ang prusisyon niya ay malayo sa pagkakaunawa ng mga tao. Ito ay prusisyon ng kababaang-loob. Hari siya, oo. Tagumpay siya, oo. Manlulupig siya, oo din! Subalit bilang Mesiyas, eto siya at dumarating na mababang-loob, nakasakay sa asno at hindi sa kabayo. Prusisyon ito ng kababaang-loob para kay Jesus dahil sisikapin niyang hamunin ang pang-unawa ng mga tao tungkol sa Kaharian ng Diyos – hindi tungkol sa mga hari, giyera, kapangyarihan. Aakayin niya ang mga tao na padalisayin ang kanilang isip at puso at subukang lumakad sa pag-ibig, pagpapatawad, pagbabago at paglilingkod.   Siya ang unang pumasok at dito niya tayo nais dalhin at akayin. Ang prusisyong ito din ay isang masakit na prus

PROCESSION IN HUMILITY Well-meaning parish leaders approached me to announce that they were planning a different Palm Sunday procession this year.   They found a horse, and they want me to ride a horse-drawn carriage for a change since the past years I merely walked in the procession. I joked that I prefer to ride the horse itself as I have never done that before.   Later I explained that I prefer to walk again this year as I have always done in the past. Maybe my answer would have been different if they searched for a humble carabao for me to ride! This day’s procession starts the Holy Week. It is a festive and joyful procession as we recall Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The crowds were beside themselves in joy.   the people simply loved the thought that here comes finally the King who is expected to set them free. But for Jesus, the procession was very distant from the people’s vision and understanding.   This procession was a humble one for the Lo

WE LOVE YOU, FR. JOEL! YOU ARE A BLESSING FROM GOD TO US! (CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF SERVICE AS A PRIEST OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST ON APRIL 12, 2014) SIMPLE MAN OF GOD HAPPY WITH THE YOUNG INSPIRING VOCATIONS REFLECTING LISTENING TO THE WORD OF GOD ONE WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST CELEBRATING THE MYSTERY OF FAITH PRAYING FOR OTHERS GIVING THE BODY OF CHRIST UNDER THE PROTECTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN LOVED BY ALL WITH HIS NIECE WITH HIS SISTERS

WALANG PANGIL SI KAMATAYAN Bawal sa paniniwalang Chinese na magbanggit ng tungkol sa kamatayan sa mga okasyon na masaya. Subalit baligtad yata sa paniniwalang Kristiyano. Tingnan na lamang ngayon ang mga pagbasa ng Salita ng Diyos.   Panay larawan ng kalansay at buto, kamatayan at libing ang tumatambad sa atin.   Walang anumang pangingimi o pag-iwas tungkol sa tema ng kamatayan. Bakit? Kasi po ang Diyos ay hindi nasisindak o natatakot sa kamatayan. Hinaharap ng Panginoon ang kamatayan at binibigkas niya dito ang kanyang pagpapala upang mag-ugat ito tungo sa bagong buhay.   Sa unang pagbasa, Ezekiel 37, ang mga buto at kalansay ay muling tatayo at magiging tao. Sa ikalawang pagbasa, Roma 8, ang ating espiritu ay hindi mamamatay dahil nasa atin ang Espiritu Santo. At sa Ebanghelyo, Juan 11, muling binuhay ni Jesus ang kanyang kaibigang si Lazaro na nailibing na ng ilang araw.   Tunay nga si Jesus “ang muling pagkabuhay.” Nakatagpo ng katapat ang kamatayan sa k

O, DEATH WHERE IS YOUR POWER? In the blessing and inauguration of a new mall, the priest celebrating Mass used in his homily an example from his experience of a funeral.   He noticed the Chinese owner of the mall twitching in her seat and uncomfortably mumbling. At the end of the Mass, the owner reproved the priest for citing death in his homily. In Chinese tradition, she said, death is never mentioned in a festive context.   That’s bad for business!   While that may be standard for Chinese belief, the reverse is true for Christianity. As we celebrate today, we are greeted with images of death, dying, funeral and even an exhumation of a corpse!   There is no hesitation, no avoidance, and no fear of death in God’s Word today. Why? God is not threatened by death, nor weakened or intimidated by it.   The Lord confronts death head on and pronounces a blessing on it, so as to transform it into life.   Look at the first reading (Ezek. 37: 12ff.), skeletons

LUMAPIT SA LIWANAG Ipikit mo ang mga mata sandali at damahin mo ang dilim. Ano ang pakiramdam mo? May magagawa ka ba kung ganito ka lagi? Enjoy ka bang maging bulag o nasa dilim lamang?   Syempre hindi!   Ayaw nating maging bulag. Ayaw ng bulag manatiling bulag. Ayaw ng nasa kadiliman na manatiling walang ilaw. Marami sa atin ang takot sa dilim dahil hindi natin alam kung ano ang magaganap sa ating kapaligiran. Si Hesus ay hindi tako sa dilim. Dumating siya upang salubungin ang dilim ng mundo. Dumating siya upang akayin ang bulag palabas sa kadiliman tungo sa mundong may kulay, may hugis, may kilos. Si Hesus ang Diyos na pumasok sa dilim upang ilabas ang mga naroon tungo sa   kalayaan. Ngayon ang kadiliman ay hindi lamang pisikal, kundi panloob, “interior darkness.” Bukas ang mata pero walang direksyon ang buhay. Bukas ang mata pero hindi malaman kung ano ang tama. Malinaw ang mata subalit makipot ang daan papalabas sa galit, hinanakit at sama ng loob. Hindi

ENTER INTO LIGHT Close your eyes for a moment, concentrating on the darkness that engulfs you.   How do you feel with eyes tight shut?   Do you think you can do anything in this condition? Can you walk home, eat your food or work on the computer? Do you enjoy being like this? The answer is obvious.   We don’t want to be blind or to be trapped in the darkness.   The blind want to be able to see. Those in the dark want to emerge into light. Many of us are afraid of the dark because in the dark we do not control our environment and our own movement. Jesus was not afraid of the dark.   He came to encounter the darkness of this world. He came to lead the blind to an experience of color and images and action. Jesus is the God who entered the darkness of this world and the darkness of each of our lives in order to set us free. As we speak of darkness today, we do not primarily refer to physical blindness.   Many of us live each day in interior darkness.

ANG KAWANGGAWA O CHARITY SA KAPWA Pagnilayan natin ang ikatlong disiplina ng kuwaresma – ang kawanggawa o paglilimos. Siguro, ang unang naiisip natin ngayon ay barya para sa pulubi o relief goods sa mga nasalanta.   Totoo ito ay kawanggawa pero kahit taong walang pananampalataya ay kayang gawin ito dala ng awa sa mga naghihirap.   Ang kawanggawa o paglilimos o charity na mula sa Kristiyanong pananampalataya ay may kakaibang hamon para sa atin. Masdan natin ang Mabuting Balita ngayon (Juan 4) kung saan nagulat ang mga alagad na makita si Hesus na kausap ang isang babaeng Samaritana. Alam niyang makasalanan ito subalit binigyan niya ng pag-asa at bagong buhay. Inihayag niyang siya ang Mesiyas na hinihintay ng lahat (v. 26). At pagkatapos kinausap niya rin ang mga kapitbahay ng babae. Nakakagulat ito kasi magkaaway ang mga Hudyo at Samaritano. Tapos, makasalanan ang babae at banal naman ang Panginoon. Bakit o paano nangyari ito? Kitang-kita dito ang tunay n

CHARITY HEALS OUR INEQUALITY The Lenten journey becomes more meaningful as we explore the divinely given helps to holiness.   In the first week, we reflected on fasting that heals our greed. In the second week, we pondered on prayer that heals our pride. The gospel today enlightens us on the third Lenten discipline – almsgiving or charity. Say alms or charity and immediately we think of coins that drop in the hands of a beggar, or donations brought to the church or relief items sent to victims of calamities or accidents. These of course are charitable actions but even people without faith are moved to do them for humanitarian reasons. Christian charity has a challenge deeper than mere giving and helping a fellow human being. In the gospel today (John 4), the apostles were startled at finding Jesus talking to a woman. And yet Jesus comfortably converses with this woman he just met at the well. He knows she is a sinner but offers her hope and new life.

KAILANGAN NATIN ANG PANALANGIN Bakit umakyat ng bundok si Hesus para magbagong-anyo? Kasi kakailanganin niya ang lakas para harapin ang krus. Bakit nandoon ang mga alagad? Kasi kakailanganin nila ang lakas para isabuhay at ipaglaban ang kanilang pananampalataya. Ang pagbabagong-anyo ay karanasan ng lakas para sa kanila. Pero saan nagmula ang lakas na iyon? Hindi tahasang sinabi sa Mabuting Balita ni San Mateo ngayon, pero ipinahihiwatig sa atin na ito ay galing sa panalangin. Tulad ng dati, si Hesus ay umakyat sa bundok upang magdasal at makipag-usap sa kanyang Ama. Ipinagdasal niya ang kanyang nararating na sakripisyo, gayundin ang kanyang mga alagad na umaasa sa kanya. Ngayong Kuwaresma, ipinaaalala sa atin ang mga mahahalagang disiplina ng buhay Kristiyano.   Noong isang linggo, ang pag-aayuno o fasting. Ngayon naman, panalangin. Tila simple lang ang magdasal pero bakit tila ang hirap nito para sa maraming tao? Ang dami kasing nakakakuha ng atensyo

PRAYER HEALS OUR INFLATED EGO Before going to the Holy Land, I received a request from a woman to pray for her husband on the Mount of Transfiguration. The husband was suffering from throat cancer. Years back, he visited that mountain and found so much consolation and energy in his prayer there. Why did Jesus go to this mountain?   Why did he bring his apostles with him?   Jesus went to Mount Tabor because he would need strength to face the Cross. The disciples went with him because they would need strength to live their faith in Jesus and to fight for that faith.   The Transfiguration experience was an experience of strength for Jesus and his men. But where did their strength come from? It was not mentioned directly, but it is deeply implied.   The strength came from prayer. On the mountain, Jesus, as always when he ascended a mountain, prayed to his Father. In deep unity, he discussed his sacrifice. He also prayed for his disciples, and for their sa

FASTING HEALS OUR MIND Why did Adam and Eve eat the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, the forbidden fruit? Were they hungry?   Were they starving? Were they deprived? Far from that! Our first parents would seem to be the most fortunate of all human creatures. Look at the first reading (Gen 2 and 3).   They had everything they needed – food, animals, and an opulent space in the garden of the Lord.   They certainly were not deprived of anything, let alone of nourishment and food. Adam and Eve were not hungry.   No, they were greedy!   Once they learned from the serpent the secret of the tree of life, the tree of knowledge, they were desirous of possessing it, even if they had not need of it.   They were greedy for power, for recognition, for more! At the start of Lent, we are reminded of a trait we have all inherited from our first parents, that of greed. Most important of all, we are given the solution God proposes to counter this negative an

KAILANGAN NG ISIP NATIN ANG “FASTING” Bakit kinain ni Adan at Eba ang bunga ng ipinagbabawal na puno sa gitna ng halamanan? Gutom ba sila? Salat ba sila? Naghihikahos na ba sila? Hindi po! Malayong malayo dito.   Sila na ang pinaka-suwerteng nilalang.   Ayon sa Genesis 2 at 3, lahat ay ibinigay na ng Panginoon sa kanila – halaman, hayop, isda, at magandang tirahan sa kanyang hardin. Wala silang kulang o kailangan dahil nag-uumapaw ang biyaya sa kanila. Hindi gutom si Adan at Eba.   Sila ay sakim!   Nang malaman nila ang kapangyarihan sa likod ng puno at ng bunga nito, ginusto nila itong makuha kahit hindi nila ito kailangan.   Sakim sila sa kapangyarihan, sa pagkilala, sa mas marami pa! Sa simula ng Kuwaresma, paalala sa atin na may minana tayong katangian at ugali mula sa ating unang mga magulang – kasakiman, katakawan.   Subalit mas mahalaga pa diyan, paalala sa atin na may iniaalok ang Diyos na lunas at remedyo sa masamang ugaling ito – pag-aayuno. Sa