OUR PARISH PRIEST

  ANG PAG-IISIP NG DIYOS Tumbok na tumbok ni Hesus ang paraan ng pag-iisip ng mga tao (Lk 13: 1-9): sila ang “mas guilty”;  sila ang “mas mali”; sila ang “mas makasalanan”.  Siyempre, tayo naman ang mas mabuti nang kahit konti sa mga taong hinuhusgahan natin. Ganito kumilos ang utak natin. Madali humusga. Kapag nagkamali o nadapa ang iba, agad nating iniisip na “mabuti nga sa kanila” kasi tatanga-tanga sila. Kung ikukumpara sa atin, kulelat talaga sila at ang galing natin. Ipinakita rin ng Panginoon kung paano mag-isip ang Diyos. Sa tulong ng talinghaga ng punong walang bunga, inilarawan niya kung gaano kalayo at kakaiba sa atin ang pag-iisip ng Ama. Gusto natin ng deadline : putulin na iyan!  Gusto naman ng Diyos ng extension : bigyan ng isang taon pa iyan!  Ang nakikita natin ay sayang : bakit pa gagamitin nyan ang lupa?  Ang nakikita ng Panginoon ay posibilidad : baka mamunga na sa isang taon! Kung ang naiisip natin ay

HOW GOD THINKS Jesus nailed it right on when he described how people tend to think (Lk 13: 1-9): the others are “more guilty,” the others are “more sinful.”  Indirectly of course, we think we are better by even a little bit than the people we deplore. This is how the human mind works. We love to judge others. When people fail  or when people fall, we immediately say that they deserve what happened to them because they are plain losers.  Compared to us, they just didn’t make the grade! The Lord also demonstrated how God thinks. With the parable of the fruitless fig tree, the Lord shows us how far beyond our understanding is the way God sees.  We give deadlines : cut it down now!  God gives another extensions : leave it for another year more. We see waste : why should exhaust the soil?  The Lord sees possibilities : there may be fruit next year. When all we can think of is destruction, God comes with the offer of his compas

TUNAY NA MAGANDA May isang titulo ang Mahal na Biren at iyan ang kagandahan. Tota pulchra es, Maria!   Ganap ang iyong kagandahan, O Maria! Kung ganito ang kagandahan ni Maria dahil sa biyaya ng Diyos sa kanya bilang Ina ng Anak ng Diyos, e paano pa kaya ang Anak na iniluwal niya sa mundong ito? Mas maganda, walang hanggang mas maganda, dahil ito ang Anak ng Diyos na naging isang taong tulad natin. Ito ang nakakagulat na kagandahan ni Hesus na nakita ng mga alagad sa bundok. Sa pagbabagong-anyo ni Hesus, nakita nila ang tunay na luningning, ang totoong karangalan, ang likas na busilak ng Panginoon na nakilala nila noon bilang isang ordinaryong tao lamang. Sa kanya ngayon, nabunyag ang tunay na kahulugan ng kagandahan.   Ang Diyos ang kagandahan at ang patunay nito ay ang nagbagong-anyo na si Hesus. Ipinakikita ng Kuwaresma ang kagandahan ng Diyos ngayon dahil nais ipaalala sa atin na tayo din ay mga anak ng Diyos at dahil diya

TOTALLY BEAUTIFUL There is a special attribute of the Virgin Mary, and it is her beauty. Tota pulchra es, Maria!   You are totally beautiful, O Mary! If Mary is this beautiful because of the grace she received as the Mother of God’s Son, then how much more the Son she bore in her womb. The Son must be more beautiful, infinitely more so, because he is the Son of God who came in the flesh. This is the surprising beauty of Jesus revealed in the mountain. At the Transfiguration, the disciples saw the real splendor, the true majesty, the genuine radiance of the Master whose ordinariness they have grown accustomed to. In Him, they found the real meaning of beauty. God is beautiful and the proof is the brilliance of his transfigured Son. Lent shows us the beauty of Jesus to remind us that as God’s children we are all beautiful. Not in the same way as Jesus, of course. But in our own way, we are beautiful. This is not easy to ac

for lenten reflection, go to:    http://spiritfireoflove.blogspot.com/

TRUST IN GOD ALONE When you were rich, so many people called you friend.   When you were famous, people cheered you on. When you were in power, your phone kept ringing the whole day. When you were healthy and productive, you were treated as valuable and worthy of all pride. But soon as you lose all these wonderful attributes, you lose all the people who were milling around you in your glory days. No more greeting in the streets. No phone messages or calls. No favors done for you. No high praises. They turn away from you. They walk away from you. They talk behind your back. They vanish and completely forget you. How many people have proven the truth of the words of Prophet Jeremiah (17: 5): cursed is the one who trusts in human being, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the Lord. If you are to experience your true value as a person, people will continue to disappoint you. Even family members ditch the

SAMAHAN MO AKO, PANGINOON Sa pagpasok ng Kuwaresma, maraming larawan sa ating isip – abo, ayuno, mga bawal gawin, mga dapat gawin, mga dasal, mga rituwal. Subalit sa Salita ng Diyos, ang una nating matatagpuan ay mga karanasan! Sa Deuteronomio 6, inilalahad ng sumulat ang personal at kakaibang karanasan na nakakapagpalubag-loob. Inaalala niya kung paano ipinakita ng Diyos ang kanyang kabutihan sa kanyang bayan sa gitna ng disyerto ng buhay. Tinawag ng Diyos ang kanyang bayan at pinaunlad sila. Inilabas sila sa pagka-alipin at ginawang tagumpay. Binigyan sila ng lupa na matitirahan at bubungkalin. Ang unang larawan ng Diyos ay bilang isang tagapagligtas na nagbubuhos ng pag-ibig at habag niya sa mga taong umaasa lamang sa kanya. Sa Mabuting Balita, Lukas 4, ibinabalik tayo sa isa pang karanasan – ni Hesus sa disyerto! At eto ulit, malaking inspirasyon sa atin!  Palibot ang tukso, subalit nagtagumpay si Hesus bilang tagalupig ng t

  BE WITH ME, LORD As we enter Lent, there are many images it brings to mind – ashes, fasting, do’s and don’t’s, long prayers, devotions. But if we read through God’s Word, we find experiences!   In Deuteronomy 6, the author narrates an experience so personal and so powerful that it continues to inspire.   He remembers how God made his goodness felt to his chosen people in the midst of their desert experience. God called his people and made them prosper. He brought them out of slavery and made them victorious. He gave them a land to inhabit and possess. The very first image of God is that of a savior who pours out his love and mercy on the people who rely on him alone. The Gospel (Lk 4) brings us back to another experience – that of Jesus in the desert!   Again, what an inspiring narration. Riddled with temptations, the Lord emerged as conqueror of every fear and doubt. The Father and the Holy Spirit kept Jesus company an

NATURAL OR SUPERNATURAL? The gospel today tells us of a life-changing incident for Peter and the other disciples. Fishing the whole night, their efforts met with frustrating results – no luck, no fish in the ocean. The waiting, the energy, the expectation – all proved futile in bringing home a bounty. Then their boat was borrowed by a preacher who wanted to use it for his pulpit. Jesus, joining them in the boat and after preaching to the crowds, showed gratitude to the fishermen by wanting to help. He gave them a surprising instruction to return to the fruitless sea and start fishing again. It was then that Peter, seeing things in the natural way, explained that they have just done that and there was nothing to be caught.  Jesus, seeing things in the supernatural, commanded him to just lower the nets.  Peter must have been shocked to receive instructions from a carpenter turned preacher. He was the expert fisherman! But maybe

--> KARANIWAN O HIGIT PA? Ang Mabuting Balita ngayon ay tungkol sa isang insidenteng nagpabago ng buhay kay Pedro at mga kasama. Umuwi sila mula sa buong gabing pangingisda na walang tagumpay – walang suwerte, walang huli anuman. Sayang ang oras at lakas at paghihintay sa dagat. Kaya nang hiramin ni Hesus ang bangka upang maging upuan niya habang nangangaral, pumayag na lang sila. Sinamahan sila ni Hesus pagkatapos at bilang pasasalamat, nag-alok ito ng tulong sa kanila. Nagulat sila nang sabihan silang bumalik sa dagat at  mangisdang muli kahit galing na sila doon at walang nangyari. Si Pedro, na nakatuon ang mata sa pang-karaniwan na sitwasyon lamang, ay nagpaliwanag na kagagaling lang nila sa dagat at walang pag-asa ang pangingisda. Si Hesus, na nakatuon naman ang mata sa higit pa na magaganap pa lamang, ay patuloy na nag-utos na ihagis ang mga lambat. Gulat siguro si Pedro sa nadinig niyang utos mula sa isang karpi