OUR PARISH PRIEST

ANG PAGSUBOK SA DAAN NG PAGBABAGO Nakabasa ako ng isang mensahe tungkol sa Kuwaresma: naglalagay tayo ng abo sa noo hindi upang ipakita na tayo ay banal kundi upang ipahayag na tayo’y makasalanang nangangailangan ng habag ng Diyos. Totoo nga na ang Kuwaresma ay taunang paalala na kailangan nating magbago.   Nakikita natin ang ating kamalian at tinatanggap natin na wala tayong lakas na maging tulad ng pinapangarap ng Diyos para sa ating buhay. Kaya sa Kuwaresma, hiling natin sa Panginoon na makilakbay sa atin, basbasan tayo, maging mahabagin sa atin, palayain tayo sa ating nakaraan at akayin tayo sa buhay na bago. Ang pagbabagong-anyo ni Hesus sa bundok ay tila baga napakadali at walang kahirap-hirap. Nagdasal lang at tumayo sa tuktok at ayun na! – nagbagong anyo na siya. Naging maliwanag at nagniningning siya. Pero hindi natin nakikita sa tagpong ito ang bumabalot na mga karanasang naghihintay sa kanya – ang pagbatikos ng mga kaaway, ang pagtataksil ng kaib

THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE I saw a caption about Lent that says: We put ashes on our forehead not to proclaim our holiness but to show that we are sinners in need of God’s mercy. Indeed Lent is a annual reminder of our need for change.   We realize our faults and accept that by our own efforts we cannot become who God wants us to be.   So in Lent we ask the Lord to walk with us, to bless us, to be merciful to us and to liberate us from the past and usher us into the new. The change Jesus experienced on Mt Tabor seems effortless and pretty easy. He just prayed and then stood there and voila! – he was totally transfigured before his disciples.   He became exceedingly shining and bright.   What we do not see here is that this change is a prelude to the experiences awaiting him – the attacks of his enemies, the betrayal of his friend, the abandonment of his disciples, the pain of being misunderstood, the loss of most things dear to him. Jesus’ transfiguratio

THE DANGER OF TEMPTATION On the first Sunday of Lent, Jesus takes us to a tour of the temptations he endured in the desert.   It feels good to know he too, was tempted. Because then the temptations of our lives makes some sense.   If Jesus was tempted, so it   must be normal for me to be tempted, not just three times but many times, so many times in my every day. Temptations can make us but can also break us. A temptation can make us champions or make us defeated.   A temptation can be a source of strength but it can also make us very weak. A temptation can lead us to God but it can also draw us away from him. The worst temptation is to start believing that God is no longer around. Because bad things happened to us, God does not care.   because we are sick, God is not powerful. Because people hurt and betray us, God is indifferent. Jesus felt this temptation in his heart. the devil was trying to convince him that God the Father was a distant, uncaring

ANG PANGANIB NG TUKSO Sa unang Linggo ng Kuwaresma, dinadala tayo ni Hesus sa isang paglilibot sa disyerto ng mga tukso. Masarap isipin na pati siya ay natukso din. Dahil dito may saysay ang mga tuksong hinaharap natin.   Kung natukso ang Panginoon, normal lang palang matukso din tayo ngayon sa ating buhay. Dahil sa tukso, maaari tayong tumatag o humina.   Maaari tayong maging kampiyon o talunan. Maaari tayong lumakas o manlupaypay.   Maaari tayong mapalapit o mapalayo sa Diyos. Ang pinakapangit na tukso ay iyong maniwalang wala na ang Diyos sa paligid natin. Dahil may naranasan kang masama, walang pakialam ang Diyos. dahil may sakit ka, walang kapangyarihan ang Diyos. dahil nasaktan ka at hinamak ng iba, walang Diyos na nagmamahal sa iyo. Naranasan ito lahat ni Hesus. Sinikap ng demonyo na kumbinsihin siya na ang Diyos ay isang malayo at walang pakialam na Ama. At dahil dito, maaari nang sarilinin ni Hesus ang kanyang buhay at bawat pasya.   Pero ala

THESE HUMBLE ASHES Today the entire Christian world starts the season of Lent. How amazing though, that we start this very important season, that leads all the way to the passion, death and Resurrection of the Lord, with the symbol of ashes.   For what are ashes, but, the reminder of nothingness and uselessness. We need wood, we need charcoal, but its residue, ashes are thrown away, or if not, blown by the wind. God is different.   As he reminds us that our lives are like humble ashes, he also reminds us that in the end, ashes will be turned into flame again.   nothingness will be transformed into something great.   Uselessness will be the instrument of salvation.   The humble ashes are our gateway to the empty tomb of the Risen One. But that is, if we take to heart the meaning of the ashes.   We love our ashes for its traditional value, its sentimental sense, its symbolic power.   But do we love our ashes for its transformative meaning. Today, let us f

ITONG MGA ABANG ABO Ngayon ang buong Kristiyanismo ay nagsisimula ng isang bagong panahon, Kuwaresma.   Nakakapagtaka na sa simula nito, na nagdadala sa atin sa dulo ng pagpapakasakit, kamatayan at Muling Pagkabuhay ng Panginoong Hesukristo, ang simbolo ay simpleng abo lamang.   E ano ba naman ang abo kundi alaala ng pagiging walang kwenta at walang silbi. Kailangan natin ng kahoy, kailangan natin ng uling. Pero abo? Itinatapon lang yan at tinatangay ng hangin. Iba ang Diyos. habang ipinaaalala niyang tayo ay tila mga abang abo lamang, sinasabi din niya sa sa huli, ang abo ay magliliyab, maglalagablab, magniningas!   Ang walang kwenta ay magiging dakila.   Ang walang silbi ay magiging kasangkapan ng kaligtasan. Ang abang abo ay magiging tulay sa pagtahak sa Muling Pagkabuhay. Ito ay kung isasapuso natin ang kahulugan ng abo. Mahal natin ang abong ito dahil sa tradisyon, sa sentimiyento, sa sinasagisag nito. Pero mahal din ba natin ang abo dahil sa kapangyar