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ANG SIKRETO NG KAPAYAPAAN Pag uwi sa Pilipinas ng kababayan nating si Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, marami ang naghanda na salubungin at parangalan siya. Mahigpit ang security, inayos ang traffic at pati ang schedule niyang susundan. Sino ba naman ang hindi sabik na makaharap o makita man lang ang kagandahang nag-uwi ng korona matapos ang 42 taong paghihintay? Ang Mabuting Balita ngayon ay isang pagbabalik-bayan din ni Hesus na sinimulan nating basahin mula pa noong isang linggo. At grabe din ang karanasan niya. Nahalina kay Hesus ang mga tao, puno ng paghanga at pagkamangha sa isang anak ng kanilang nayon. Pero ang kuwentong ito ay isang summary ng ilang ulit na pagbisita ni Hesus sa kanyang bayan, gayundin ang nag-iibang pananaw ng mga tao tungkol sa kanya. Kung noong una ay paghanga, ngayon naman ang mga tao ay nagagalit na sa kanyang presensya at sa kanyang mensahe. Nagdududa na ang mga tao sa kanyang tunay na pinan...

JESUS SECRET OF PEACE When Miss Universe 2015, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach of the Philippines, came for her homecoming and victory visit to Manila, it was expected that large crowds of people would welcome and follow here wherever she would go. Security was tight, the traffic was managed, and schedules were carefully planned. What Filipino would not feel blessed to meet or, at least see and hear the beauty titlist who finally brought home the coveted crown after 42 years of waiting? The gospel is situated in the visit of Jesus to his hometown, the story of which was proclaimed last Sunday and continues on this day. And what a homecoming that was. Jesus captured the attention of people who were filled with awe and amazement at this native son who has grown so famous. But this gospel actually combines several visits of Jesus to his native place and the altering impressions people had of him. Initially there was admiration, then later on, p...

KAGALAKAN SA SALITA! Matatapos na ang Bible Study nang dumating ang isang tao na masyado nang late; kilala siya bilang eksperto sa Bibliya. Nagbabahagi ang huling sharer at nabanggit nito ang salitang “love”. Pag-upo ng huling dumating na ito, biglang nagsimula na siyang magbahagi tungkol sa paksang “love”. Buti na lang at ipinaalala ng lider na ang paksa ay “Si Hesus, ang Daan tungo sa Ama.” Biglang nagsalita na naman ang huling dumating at nagbahagi tungkol sa bagong topic na nabanggit. Sinabi niyang maraming tao ang nawawala na sa landas ng kabutihan. Dapat labanan ang kabuktutan o kasamaan ng mundo. Walang kumpromiso daw sa pag-ibig ng Diyos kaya kung sino ang hindi makikinig, ay hindi rin makararating sa Kaharian ng Diyos kundi sa kanyang paghuhukom. Walang magawa ang iba kundi makinig sa taong ito na ayaw magpapigil. May mga taong nagbabasa ng Bibliya at akala nila ay mas mataas na sila sa kapwa. Akala nila may karapatan silang manghusga ng kasalan...

JOY IN THE WORD! The bible study group was about to end; it was wrapping-up with a final sharing from a participant. Then someone, known as a Bible expert, arrived just at that time, terribly too late, but as he took a seat, he immediately started talking about a word he overheard. He wanted to discuss his thoughts on “love” he said, because the last sharer mentioned that word.   The leader reminded him that the topic was not love, but “Jesus the Way to the Father”. Without batting an eyelash, this late-comer started preaching about that other topic. He rattled on and on about people today losing the way of righteousness. He passionately told the others how they must fight the wickedness of the world. He told his listeners how God’s love is uncompromising and therefore, unless they change and follow his divine will, they will all experience the harsh judgment of God. The others, who couldn’t control him, were helplessly listening to his endless ra...

MABUHAY SANTO NINO Ang debosyon sa Santo Nino ay hindi bago. Halos sa simula pa ng Kristiyanismo ay kinikilala na ang pagiging bata ni Hesus tulad ng makikita sa mga sulat apokripal (ebanghelyo ni Sto. Tomas, halimbawa). Nagpakita daw ang Batang Hesus kay San Jeronimo at kay Sta. Catalina ng Alexandria. Ang buong mundo ay mulat sa pagiging magkalapit ng Batang Hesus at ni San Antonio de Padua. Pero sa 16 th century naging mas tanyag ang debosyon sa Sto. Nino sa tulong ng espiritualidad ng mga Carmelites. Laging dala ni Sta Teresa de Avila ang imahen ng Santo Nino sa kanyang mga paglalakbay at naglalagay siya ng altar ng Santo Nino sa bawat bagong monasteryo. Kaya nga itinuturing na ang Santo Nino ang tunay na tagapagtatag ng bawat monasteryo ng Carmelites. Nagpakita ang Batang Hesus kay Sta. Teresa sa hagdanan ng monasteryo at ang sabi: “Ikaw si Teresa ni Hesus at ako naman si Hesus ni Teresa.” Bakit nga ba mahalaga ang debosyon sa Sto Nino...

Hail to the Child Jesus! The devotion to the Child Jesus is not new. It goes back to the very origins of Christianity. There are somewhat legendary depictions of the Child Jesus in the Apocryphal Gospels (cf. Infancy Gospel of Thomas, that presents a super-hero Child Jesus). It is   said that the Child Jesus appeared to Saint Jerome, and also to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The entire world is aware of the closeness between Saint Anthony of Padua and the Child Jesus. But it was in the 16th century that the devotion to the childhood of Christ received a great impetus mainly through the Carmelite spirituality that favored and promoted it. In all her travels, Saint Teresa of Avila took with her a statue of the Child Jesus, and she placed a new one in each new Carmel. It was thus that the Child Jesus was considered the true founder of each new monastery. The Child Jesus appeared to Teresa on a staircase in the monastery of the Incarnation, and told her...

WE BECAME HIS FAMILY Baptism is the day we belonged to God with an unbreakable bond. Baptism is the sacrament, the sacred ritual, which flung wide open the doors of the church, our spiritual family, so that we could enter. In this simple celebration of faith, God and our families and friends offered to us the means of salvation, even if we were only infants then unknowingly participating in the motions of the event. Today we know that a child must be initiated with this sacrament to bring him close to the heart of the Lord and of his people. The model of our baptism is none other than Jesus the Lord. Though Jesus did not need baptism to remove sins, since he was sinless, nor to establish a relationship with God, since he is one with him from eternity, Jesus went through the humble gesture of baptism like the rest of the people around John the Baptist (Luke 3). Why? The answer is simple: to identify himself as God’s Son so that his mission could begi...

NAGING PAMILYA TAYO NG DIYOS! Ang ating Binyag ang araw kung kelang tayo ay napabilang sa Diyos sa ugnayang hindi mapapagot kailanman. Ang Binyag ang sakramento, ang ritwal na nagbukas sa atin ng pinto ng simbahan, ang ating bagong pamilya, upang tayo ay makapasok. Sa simpleng pagdiriwang na ito, inialay sa atin ng Diyos at ng ating mga pamilya at kaibigan ang landas ng kaligtasan, kahit tayo ay musmos na sanggol pa lamang. Ang mga sanggol ay binibinyagan upang mailapit sila sa puso ng Panginoon at ng kanyang bayan. Si Hesus ang modelo ng ating Binyag. Kahit hindi kailangan ni Hesus ang Binyag dahil wala naman siyang kasalanan, nagpabinyag siya tulad ng mga taong nakapalibot kay Juan Bautista (Luk 3). Bakit kaya? Simpleng lang: upang ipakilala niya ang sarili bilang Anak ng Diyos na magsisimula na ng kanyang misyon. Sa unang pagbasa (Is. 40) sinasabi sa atin ang mahalagang misyon ng Mesiyas ng Diyos. Maghahari siyang matatag. Magiging pastol siya ...