OUR PARISH PRIEST

--> ANG MAMATAY KASAMA SI KRISTO Ngayong Kuwaresma, nagninilay tayo sa mabuting balita ni Juan sa loob ng tatlong linggo. Ito ang huling pagkakataon. At kaakit-akit ang mensahe ngayon. Ipinapakita sa atin na malapit si Hesus sa pamilya ni Lazaro at mga kapatid nito. May mga kaibigan pala si Hesus. At mahal niya silang tunay! Nakakatuwa di ba? Madalas nating isipin na kasama lang ng Panginoon ang mga alagad at matiyagang nagpapahayag at nagpapagaling sa Israel. Bihira nating maisip na may mga kaibigan pala siya at masaya siya sa piling nila! Pero ito nga ang misteryo. Kung mahal ni Hesus si Lazaro, bakit pinabayaan niya itong mamatay? Bakit hindi siya maaga dumating, tulad ng sabi ni Marta? Kung pinagaling niya ang iba, bakit hindi ang kanyang maysakit na kaibigan? Dahil nga mahal ni Hesus si Lazaro kaya hinayaan niya itong dumanas ng kamatayan. Ang kamatayan ang huling pagsubok ng pananampalataya. Nais ni Hesus na maging matatag si Lazaro at m...

--> DYING WITH CHRIST This Lent, we are reflecting on the gospel according to John for three Sundays. Today is the last of the three installments. And there is something very attractive in this gospel about the raising of Lazarus.  The gospel makes it clear that Jesus was so close to this family. Jesus had friends. And Jesus loves his friends so much! Isn’t that amazing? We mostly think of Jesus having the twelve apostles with him and seriously proclaiming and healing around Israel. We rarely pause to think that Jesus formed friendships and how he enjoyed them! But this also is the big mystery. If Jesus loved his friend, especially Lazarus, why did he allow him to die? Why did he not come earlier, as Martha seems to say to Jesus in a rebuking tone? He healed many others, why did he not heal Lazarus when he was sick? It is precisely that Jesus loved Lazarus that he allowed Lazarus to die. Death is the ultimate test of faith. Jesus wanted to...

--> PAGLALAKBAY Noong nakaraang Linggo nagsimula tayong magnilay sa mabuting balita ayon kay Juan sa tagpo ni Hesus kasama ang babaeng Samaritana. Ngayon naman, ang tagpo ay si Hesus kasama ang lalaking isinilang na bulag. Sa kanyang habag, iniligtas siya ni Hesus sa kadiliman. Nagbunyi ang lalaki sa liwanag, kulay, at kilos na natuklasan niya sa mundo. Pero hindi naman pala niya kilala si Hesus na nagpagaling sa kanya. Kailangan pa niyang unti-unting lumago sa pagkilala bago tuluyang maisuko ang buhay  niya at makasunod sa Panginoong Hesukristo. Una, alam lamang niya na ang “taong Hesus” ang pangalan ang nagpagaling sa kanya. Pagkatapos, naisip niya na baka isa itong “propeta.” Saka napagtanto niya na “mula sa Diyos” ang sinumang may ganitong habag at kapangyarihan. Sa huli, sa harap ni Hesus, natanggap niyang siya na nga ang “Anak ng Tao, ang Anak ng Diyos.” Ilan ang tulad sa atin sa bulag na ito na handang maglakbay patungo sa...

--> PILGRIMAGE Last Sunday we started reflecting on the gospel according to John by looking into the Lenten message of Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well. Today, we read about Jesus’ encounter with the man born blind. In his mercy Jesus saved this man from darkness. The man rejoiced in his discovery of light, of color, of movements around him. But the man did not know who it was who healed him. He did not know the identity of his benefactor. The man had to slowly grow in his knowledge of Jesus before he could surrender his life to him and decide to follow him. First the man knew that “a man named Jesus” was his healer. Later, he concluded that he must be “prophet.”  Then he realized “he came from God” because only God could have mercy on a blind man like him. Finally, in the presence of Jesus, he welcomed into his heart the “Son of Man, the Son of God.” How many of us are like the blind man, who was willing to take a jou...

(March 19 is the Solemn Feast of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary; novena is from March 10-18.) O St.Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interest and desires. O St.Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ our Lord.   So that having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of fathers.   OSt.Joseph, I never weary contemplating you, and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while he reposes near your heart. Press him in my name and kiss his fine head for me and ask him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath.   St Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for me. Amen. (Not only is St. Joseph the second human person, after Mother Mary, closest to the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is also our great friend in t...

--> ATUBILI PERO GUSTO NAMAN… Kahit ang mabuting balita ni Mateo ang sinusunod natin sa taong ito, pinagninilayan natin ang ilang tagpo sa mabuting balita ni Juan. Halimbawa ang Juan 4, kung saan nakatagpo ng Panginoong Hesus ang babaeng Samaritana. Kinakatawan ng babaeng Samaritana ang mga taong nais tanggapin ang Diyos pero may natitira pang pag-aatubili bago mabuksan ang puso. Gusto nilang mahalin ang Diyos pero nais muna nilang mawala ang lambong na nakatakip sa kanilang mga mata. Hindi handa kasi may agam-agam. May agam-agam kasi nasaktan. Nasaktan at kailangan ang paghihilom. Ang unang pagtutol ng babae ay ang hindi pagkaka-pantay ng Hudyo at Samaritano. Totoo naman kasing mababa ang tingin ng mga Hudyo sa mga Samaritano na tinatawag nilang hindi purong lahi. Hindi pinansin ni Hesus ang reklamo at sa halip inialay ang “tubig ng buhay” na dala niya. Natuwa ang babae dahil pagod na siya kaiigib ng tubig. Ang ikalawang pagtutol ng...

--> HESITANT BUT WILLING… Although this year we concentrate on the gospel according to Matthew, in Lent we reflect on some important passages from the gospel according to John. Today we take a look at John 4, the moment when Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman. The Samaritan woman really represents people who want to welcome God in their lives but who have deep reservations that keep them from opening wide their hearts. They want to love God but they want to clear up the shadows that block their clear view of God before them. Unready because hesitant. Hesitant because hurt. Hurt because they need healing. The woman’s first objection is the inequality between Jew and Samaritan: Why do you a Jew speak to me, a Samaritan and a woman? Jews did really look down on Samaritans as somewhat a mixed and impure race. Jesus patiently explained that he only needed water, and in fact, he can give her “living water.” This excites the woman because she was tir...

--> ANG MAHALAGANG SALITA Nangyari na naman! Sa bundok ng Pagbabagong-anyo, narinig muli ng Panginoong Hesus and pinakamatamis na mga salitang patungkol sa kanya. Anak! Minamahal kong Anak! Tiyak naalala niya ang kanyang binyag sa Jordan kung saan sa unang pagkakataon, hayagan siyang tinawag ng Ama bilang kanyang Anak. Napakagandang karanasan na ipagmalaki ng magulang di ba? Ang pagsang-ayon ni Hesus na ialay ang buhay para sa kaharian ay dahil alam niyang mayroon siyang lugar sa kahariang iyon. Laging kasama niya ang Ama. At laging katabi siya ng Ama. Wala nang mas malugod pang karanasan kundi mahalin ang tunay na nagmamahal sa iyo. Para kay Hesus, ito ang sentro ng lahat ng kanyang mga ugnayan, ang bukal na pinagkukunan niya ng lakas para yakapin ang kapwa bilang mga kapatid niya. Bakit nakikinig tayo sa mabuting balita ito (Mt 17) ngayon? Kasi sa Kuwaresma, dinadala tayong muli sa kakaibang karanasan nang tawagin tayo ng Diyos, ang Ama ni Hesu...

--> THE IMPORTANT WORD There it is again! At the Transfiguration, the Lord Jesus heard another time the sweetest words ever addressed to him. "Son! This is my beloved Son." Surely this event took him back to his baptism when at the Jordan he heard those words for the first time in public.  What a wonderful experience to hear your Father proudly call you son, beloved Son. The willingness of Jesus to offer all his life for the sake of the kingdom was due to the fact that he knew he had a place in that kingdom. His Father was always with him. And he was always at his side. Nothing more could be more ecstatic than to know that you are truly loved by the one you truly love. For Jesus this was the core of all his relationships, the source from which flowed all his fervor to embrace others as his brothers and sisters. Why do we listen to the gospel of the Transfiguration (Mt 17) today? Well because at Lent we too are drawn back to the uniqu...

MAKAPANGYARIHANG TAGAPANALANGIN SA PANGINOON SI SAN JOSE LUMAPIT SA KANYA SUBUKAN ANG KANYANG PAGLINGAP PARA SA ATING LAHAT!

--> WALANG KA DRAMA-DRAMA Sa modernong kultura ngayon, ang hilig ng tao sa horror at sa katatakutan, sa kadiliman. Kay daming horror films na patok. Kay daming librong pang-exorcist ang dating. Kahit sa modernong buhay na pilit tinatanggal ang relihiyon sa lipunan, bakit tila yata nahihilig tayo sa kampon ng kasamaan? Sa simula ng Kuwaresma, kasama tayo ni Hesus sa disyerto. Sabi ni Mateo (Mt 4:1-11), matapos binyagan, si Hesus ay dinala ng Espiritu sa ilang upang tuksuhin. Naghihintay doon ang demonyo para gambalain si Hesus, para sirain ang kanyang loob, at para ihulog siya sa matayog niyang prinsipyo. Pam-pelikula ba ang dating ng demonyo sa disyerto? May lumilipad na mga mesa at silya, namamatay na ilaw, at halakhak na bwahahahaha!!!?  Tila sa mahalagang pagtatagpong ito ng Anak ng Diyos at ng demonyo, walang ganun. Panay tukso nang tukso nang tukso lang ang kaya ng demonyo. Hindi niya kayang hipuin o ibagsak ang Panginoong Hesukristo!...

--> NOT DRAMATIC AT ALL Pop culture is awash with materials that deal with horror and is fascinated with the realm of darkness. Just look at the horror films that break box office records. Take a peak at the exorcist-type paperbacks that become best sellers and later are portrayed in the silver screen. The secular world tries to do away with matters of religion and spirit, and yet the crowds crave for the thrill of being entertained by the forces of the dark! As we start Lent, we join Jesus in the desert. In Matthew gospel (Mt 4: 1-11), after Jesus is baptized, he was led by the Spirit into the desert to undergo temptation. The devil was in the desert waiting for his chance to disturb Jesus, to discourage him and to dislodge him from his principles. Was the scene as theatrical as the movies portray the appearance of the devil to be? Were chairs and tables upturned, lights came out, and the hideous monster trailed the Lord in his otherwise peaceful r...