OUR PARISH PRIEST

--> ANG PINAKADAKILANG GURO Nagsimula na tayong maglakbay sa pagtuklas ng Mabuting Balita ni Mateo. Ito ang una sa mga ebanghelyo sa listahan ng Bibliya at una din sa listahan ng ebanghelyo sa listahan ng liturhiya ng simbahan. Para sa simbahan, ang mabuting balitang ito ang pinakamaganda sa lahat dahil sa nilalaman, istilo at mensaheng dala nito. Ngayon dinadala tayo ni Mateo sa bundok upang doon ay makinig kay Hesus. Nagsulat si Mateo noong taong 80-90 AD sa mga Hudyo at Hentil na kapwa naging mga Kristiyano. Sa magkahalong grupong ito, ano ba ang mensahe ni Hesus? Ibinibigay ito sa atin sa tulong ng mga pangaral ng Panginoon, at ang una dito ay pangaral sa bundok (Mt. 5:1-12). Nagtuturo si Hesus sa mga alagad bilang tagapagbigay ng batas at guro ng bagong tipan. Kung sa lumang tipan, si Moises ang tagapagturo, para sa mga Kristiyano, natagpuan na ang mas higit pang guro, ang ating Panginoon Hesukristo, na siyang “Diyos na sumasaatin na.” ...

--> THE GREATEST TEACHER We have started our serious journey this year into the treasures of the gospel according to Matthew. This gospel is the first in the order of the gospels as we find in the bible, and also the first in the order of liturgical readings as we find in our ABC Sunday Lectionary. For the church, the gospel of Matthew is the gospel par excellence because of its content, style and above all, its message. Today Matthew takes us to the mountain and there, to listen to Jesus. Matthew was writing in the year 80-90 AD to both Jews and Gentiles who converted to Christianity. To this mixed group of believers, what was Jesus’ message? The gospel gives us the teachings of Jesus in magnificent sermons, the first of which is the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5:1-12a). Jesus gives this teaching to his disciples as the lawgiver and teacher of the New Covenant. If the Old Covenant had Moses as the lawgiver, then Christians have a greater one, th...

--> SI HESUS AT ANG KANYANG KAIBIGAN Narito na ulit ang karaniwang panahon. Katatapos lang ng pista ng Pasko at ng ating Santo Nino, balik na naman tayo sa nakasanayang daloy ng buhay. Mabuhay ang karaniwang panahon! Ang mabuting balita (Mt. 4: 12-23) ay unti-unting nagpapakilala sa atin sa hayag o lantad na buhay ni Hesus, ang simula ng kanyang paglilingkod sa kapwa. Paano nga ba nagsimula ang lahat? Walang announcement, walang piging, at siyempre wala ring paglulunsad, tulad ng proyekto o career ng isang artista o pulitiko. Ang paglulunsad kay Hesus ay bunga ng pagluluksa para sa isa namang tao. Sabi ng mabuting balita, nang marinig ng Panginoon na “dinakip na si Juan Bautista”, umalis na siya sa Nazaret, ang kanyang tahanan, ang lugar ng kanyang natatagong buhay, ang ngayon ay nagsimula nang magbahagi ng liwanag sa mga taong malaon nang naghihintay ng pangakong pag-asa. Pagkatapos, unti-unti niyang tinawag ang mga alagad niya. Tal...

--> JESUS AND HIS FRIEND Well he we are again, in ordinary time. Just after Christmas, after the festive feast of the Santo Nino (the Holy Child), we are back in the usual tracks of life. Welcome back to ordinary time! The gospel today (Mt. 4: 12- 23) slowly introduces us to the public life of Jesus, the beginning of his life-giving ministry to others.  How did Jesus start his public life? There was no official announcement, no welcome party, and certainly, no proper send-off! Jesus’ send-off was a setback for someone else. The gospel said that when the Lord heard “that John had been arrested,” he left Nazareth, his home, the setting of his hidden life, and now started to share the light to the people waiting for his hope. Then he began to call the first disciples. John the baptist was truly the “friend of the bridegroom,” Jesus. All his life was a preparation for his coming and his introduction to Israel. Now that Jesus has final...

--> BAKIT WALANG NAKAPANSIN  “Sinumang magpapakababa tulad ng batang ito, siya ang magiging pinakadakila sa langit.” Mt. 18:4 Katatapos lang ng Pasko. Nagsaya tayo sa pagdating ng Diyos sa pamamagitan ng kanyang Anak na si Hesus na ating Panginoon. Lumitaw ang anghel at nagpahayag. Naranasan ni Zacarias ang isang himala. Naramdaman ni Elizabet na nagsayaw sa tuwa ang sanggol sa kanyang tiyan. Sumikat ang tala sa Silangan at dinala nito ang mga pantas upang mag-alay ng handog at sumamba sa Hari ng mga hari. Kahit sa sabsaban, ang Tagapagligtas ay dinalaw at sinamba ng mga pastol dahil sa utos ng hukbo ng mga anghel. Pero baki tila walang nakaalala nito noong lumalaki na si Hesus, na tila ba simple at ordinaryong tao lamang? Kilala bilang karpintero, mangangaral mula sa simpleng Nasaret. Hindi siya pari, abogado, escriba sa templo. Yung lang siya, manggagawa na ulila ng isang karpintero at ng biyuda nito na simple subalit kaga...

--> WHY NOBODY SEEMED TO NOTICE  “Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Mt. 18:4 We have just finished the Chrsitmas season. There we rejoiced at the presence of God in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The angel appeared to announce his coming. Zechariah experienced a theophany in his muteness. Elizabeth felt something in her womb dancing with joy at Mary’s coming. The star shone in the east to herald his birth. Due to this the Magi came with costly gifts adoring the King of Kings.  Though born in the manger, the Savior was greeted by shepherds who were told by an angel host to come and venerate him. But why was it that when Jesus started his public life, he was just an ordinary person? Known as a carpenter, a lowly preacher from the unimportant town of Nazareth. He was not a priest, nor lawyer, nor scribe in the temple. He was just a laborer, the orphaned son of a departe...

Lk 2:52 My main interest in this reflection is Lk 2: 52, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.” This verse talks about the growth of Jesus. It is good to know that like all of us, Jesus too, grew in every aspect of life. How he experienced this growth will lead us to appreciate the way of life Jesus took, the way he preferred to live his life, the way he knew best to please his Heavenly Father. In the gospel of Luke, it was mentioned twice that Jesus “grew.” The above verse is already the second instance. The first one comes at the end of what is called the infancy narratives , the stories that treat of the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus by the Holy Spirit through the consent of Mary, his mother. The narrative stretches until the presentation of the baby Jesus in the temple, where his coming was greeted with joy by Simeon and Anna, both elderly prophet and prophetess. After Joseph and Mary accomplishe...

--> KAPAG KUMPLETO NA ANG PASKO Bilang mga bata, lumaki kami malapit sa simbahan at palagi kaming nag-uusisa sa mga gamit sa simbahan. Pag Pasko, tuwang-tuwa kami sa Belen habang unti-unti itong nagiging kumpleto – una si Jose at Maria, at ilang mga hayop sa bukid. Pagkatapos, darating ang Nino Hesus na siyang sentro ng lahat. Pero sabi ng pinsan ko, magiging kumpleto talaga ang Belen kapag dumating na ang mga “tatlong hari” o ang mga pantas. Kaya pag nakita naming may dumagdag na mga hari sa belen, kumpleto na nga ang Pasko. Kumpleto na nga kapag nariyan na ang mga pantas dahil sila ang nagsasabi sa atin kung ano ang magaganap pagkatapos ng pagsilang ng Tagapagligtas. Totoong ibinunyag ng Diyos ang buo niyang sarili sa kanyang piniling bayan. Sa kanila ipinadala ng Panginoon ang mga anghel at mga propeta, mga milagro at kababalaghan, higit sa lahat ang kanyang Salita, ang Kasulatan. Pero, sa kabila ng lahat, ang mga Hudyo ay nagsarado ng puso at hindi k...

--> CHRISTMAS IS COMPLETE As children we grew up near the church and most of the time we were in the church to help clean and arrange things. At Christmas time we were fascinated by the Nativity scene as slowly it becomes complete – first, there were just Joseph and Mary and some farm animals, then the centerpiece Baby Jesus comes. My cousin used to say though, that the Nativity scene would not be truly complete until the “three Kings” or Magi arrived. True enough, when we saw the Magi already in front of the King of Kings, we knew that Christmas was indeed complete. The Magi complete the Christmas story because it is through them that we know what happens after the birth of the Savior of the world. God has indeed revealed himself fully to his chosen people. These were a people who met God through the angels and prophets, through miracles and wonders, and most importantly, through his Word, the Scriptures. And yet, not all the Jews would open their heart...

--> SA TULONG NG MGA “SALAYSAY NG PAGKABATA” (INFANCY NARRATIVES)     8.2.1. ANO NAMAN ANG MENSAHE NG MGA “SALAYSAY NG PAGKABATA” (INFANCY NARRATIVES) TUNGKOL SA GAMPANIN O ROLE NI HESUS BILANG KAGANAPAN NG BUONG KASAYSAYAN NG ISRAEL ? NANG ISULAT ANG MABUTING BALITA NI MATEO AT LUKAS, WALA PANG BAGONG TIPAN NG BIBLIYA. ANG ALAM NG MGA TAO NA BIBLIYA AY ANG LUMANG TIPAN LAMANG (BATAS, MGA PROPETA AT IBA PANG AKLAT). ANG PAGLALAGAY NI MATEO AT LUKAS NG MGA “SALAYSAY NG PAGKABATA” SA KANILANG UNANG MGA KABANATA AY PARA BAGANG TULAY MULA SA BANAL NA KASULATAN NG MGA HUDYO PATUNGO SA KUWENTO NG BUHAY AT PAGLILINGKOD NI HESUS.  GUMAWA ANG MGA EBANGHELISTA NG LAGOM O SUMMARY NG LUMANG TIPAN SA TULONG NG MGA SIMBOLO O KUWENTO UPANG IHANDA ANG MGA TAO NA LALONG BIGYANG HALAGA ANG PAGDATING NI HESUS. KAY MATEO, BINAYBAY NIYA ANG PINAGMULAN NI HESUS MULA KAY ABRAHAM NA AMA NI ISAAC. KASUNOD NITO ANG TALAAN NG MGA PATRIA...