OUR PARISH PRIEST

DIVINE AUTHORITY Days after Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines, many people are still entranced by his person, his charisma and his authority.   This is not an authority that comes with the power to control or trample on others.   rather it is an authority that flows from the smile, the kindness, the concern and the genuine love that from a very simple man of God. If the authority of the pope can touch millions of lives, how much more the real authority behind the pope, the Person he came to bring to us, the Person he wanted us to recognize as already in our midst.   The gospel today speaks of Jesus’ authority, one that both attracts and confuses people. Jesus had authority in his words. here was a man speaking from a different plane, “not like the scribes”. He doesn’t refer to this or that tradition or interpretation. He speaks for himself and his testimony is enlightening and attractive. Jesus has authority also over the evil spirits. I...

HINDI NA SIYA PATAY! Hindi pa ako nakakakita ng isang tunay na ketongin. Sa Bible ko lang ito nababasa. At noong Kapaskuhan, napanood ko ang pelikulang Molokai, ang buhay ni Blessed Damien de Veuster, ang paring naging ketongin dahil sa kanyang pagmamahal sa mga ketongin. Sa Mabuting Balita (Mk 1:40-45), masasabi natin na mahirap maging ketongin dahil para kang isang nabubuhay na patay.   Ang ketongin ay unti-unting namamatay sa pisikal na anyo. Isipin na lang kung paano ang katawan ay naaagnas, ang laman ay kinakain ng virus habang buhay ka pa. malungkot tiyak dahil tingnan pa lang ang katawan mo ay tila wala nang pag-asa. Alam mong mamamatay ka na, malapit na. walang lusot sa nag-aabang na kamatayan. Pero ang ketongin ay patay na din sa mata ng lipunan. Kinatatakutan ang ketongin dahil baka makahawa. Kaya itinatapon siya papalayo, inihihiwalay sa iba, kasi baka mapanganib ang sakit niya. Tila ito ikalawang kamatayan para sa ketongin. Nakalimutan n...

DEAD NO MORE! I have never really met a leper. I read about lepers in the Bible. And last Christmas season, I watched Molokai, the film about Blessed Damien de Veuster, the priest who became a leper when he served lepers. From the gospel (Mk 1: 40-45), I think we can say that lepers are like the living dead.   The leper is physically slowly dying. Imagine your body wasting away; imagine your flesh being eaten by a vicious virus while you’re still alive. it must be very sad for the leper. Just looking at his body makes him feel hopeless. He knows he will die soon. He knows he has no way out but death. But the leper is also dead in the eyes of society. The leper is feared because he might infect others. so the leper is thrown out of the community, away from others, so that he will not be a danger to others.   So a second death-while-still living is experienced by the leper. He is forgotten, abandoned, left behind by the people close to him. W...

DALAWANG ASPEKTO NG PUSO NI HESUS Ipinapakita ng Mabuting Balita ngayon kung gaano ka-abala ang Panginoong Hesus (Mk. 1:29-39). Una, pinagaling niya ang biyenang babae ni San Pedro. Tila mabilis kumalat ang balita at lahat ng maysakit at pinahihirapan ng masasamang espiritu ay dumating sa bahay noong gabing iyon. Halos lahat ng tao ay nasa pintuan ng bahay ni San Pedro. At hindi nabigo ang mga tao dahil sa sobrang atensyon na ibinigay ng Panginoong Hesus sa kanila.   Pinagaling ang maysakit, pinalaya ang mga pinahihirapan ng masasamang espiritu. Ito ang unang katangian ng puso ni Hesus – habag! Awa! Malasakit!   Ang kanyang habag ay napakatindi. Hinihipo niya tayo kung saan tayo nasasaktan, kung saan tayo naguguluhan, kung saan tayo pinahihirapan o inaalipin. Ang awa ng Panginoong Hesus ay nagpapahilom, nagpapatahimik, nagpapabalik sa normal sa mga tao. Ang puso niya ay puno ng malasakit sa nahihirapan sa puso, isip at katawan. Subalit gaano ma...

TWO DIMENSIONS OF JESUS’ HEART The gospel today shows us a very busy Jesus (Mk. 1:29-39). First he healed the sick mother-in-law of St. Peter. This must have spread quickly that after sunset, so many sick, possessed and afflicted people were brought to Jesus for healing. Imagine, the whole town “was gathered at the door.” Jesus did not disappoint anyone. He continued to heal the sick and to vanquish the evil spirits. This is the first dimension of Jesus’ life – mercy!   His mercy is so great that he touches people where they are hurting, where they are confused, where they are oppressed and enslaved.   The mercy of Jesus heals, pacifies, returns people to normal.   His heart is filled with so much mercy. But the busy Jesus does not only dedicate his life to people, however much they run after him and beg his help.   The gospel writer noticed that, “very early before dawn,” the Lord Jesus rose and sought a secluded place to pray to his...

BANAL NA KAPANGYARIHAN Ilang araw matapos ang pagdalaw ni Pope Francis, marami pa rin ang tulala sa lakas ng kanyang pagkatao, ng kanyang karisma at ng kanyang kapangyarihan. Pero hindi kapangyarihang sumusupil o nakatapak sa iba, kundi kapangyarihang bumubukal sa ngiti, kabaitan, malasakit at tunay na pagmamahal ng isang simpleng alagad ng Diyos. Kung ang kapangyarihan ng Santo Papa ay naka-antig sa puso ng milyun-milyon, paano pa kaya ang kapangyarihan ng nais na ipakilala at dalhin sa atin ng Santo Papa, ang Diyos at taong si Hesus, na nais niyang lalo nating makilala sa ating buhay? Si Hesus ay may kapangyarihan sa kanyang mga salita. Narito ang isang taong nangungusap mula sa ibang level, hindi tulad ng mga eskriba, sabi sa ebanghelyo. Hindi siya nanghihiram ng salita lamang sa tradisyon o pakahulugan ng iba.   Si Hesus ay nagsasalita mula sa kanyang sariling patotoo at ito ay nakaliliwanag at nakakabighani sa iba. Si Hesus ay may kapangyar...

ANG TAMANG SALITA Hindi lahat ng salita ay nakakatulong. Tama bang mag-joke ka kapag nasa harap ka ng isang namatayan?   Ok bang magkuwento ng nakakatakot sa isang birthday party? Dapat bang mag-ingay kapag nagdarasal ang buong pamilya? Isipin natin ang mga pagkakataong ang ating mga salita ay nakasakit, nakahadlang, o nakadagdag sa kaguluhan at pagkalito sa paligid.   Subalit ang Diyos, alam niya ang tamang salita para sa tamang pagkakataon. Nang malapit nang “maubusan ng oras” ang mga taga nineveh dahil sa kanilang kasamaan, ginawa ng Diyos ang isang kahanga-hangang bagay: isinugo si Jonas upang ipahayag ang pagsisisi at pagbabalik-loob.   Nang panahon na upang simulan ang pagliligtas ng daigdig, dumating si Hesus upang ipahayag ang Mabuting Balita ng Diyos sa lahat. Tumawag din siya ng iba pang makakasama niya sa pagpapahayag ng salita ng kaligtasan, bilang mangingisda ng mga tao. Ganyan ang salita ng Diyos. Lapat at nararapat sa panganga...

THE RIGHT WORD Not all words help. Must you crack a joke when somebody just died? Should you tell a horror story in a birthday party? Is it proper to start conversation when people around are praying? Just think of the times our words hurt others, or obstructed a good message, o added to confusion and mayhem around us. But God is different from us. he knows the right word for the exact need. When Nineveh was “running out of time” because of their evil deeds, the Lord did an extraordinary thing: sending Jonah to preach the word of repentance and conversion.   When the time was ripe, Jesus the Lord came to preach the Good News to all. He even called simple men to train them to spread the word and be fishers of men and women. That’s the Word! Appropriate and right for the exigencies of the world and the need of every person. God’s Word is truly powerful and effective, specially when we allow it to take root in our hearts. Like the apostles, the Lor...