OUR PARISH PRIEST

--> TANGGAPIN ANG ALINLANGAN Sa isang klase ng mga estudyante sa doctorate-level, tinanong ng propesor ang lahat tungkol sa pananampalataya. Sabi ng isa, matagal na daw nawala ang kanyang pananampalataya at hanggang pagkabata lamang daw niya ito. Sambit ng isa pa, naniniwala pa rin siya pero ang dami niyang tanong at duda sa maraming bagay. Ang propesor naman ang nagsabi na matagal na siyang hindi pumapasok sa simbahan kasi wala namang naidadagdag ito sa kanyang kaalaman at paglago. Ang sarap isipin na maayos na ang lahat dahil sa Muling Pagkabuhay ng Panginoong Hesus natin; na napawi ng Easter ang duda, pag-aatubili, at mga tanong tungkol sa pananampalataya. Subalit maging ang mga ebanghelyo ang nagpapakita na pati ang mga malalapit kay Hesus ay hindi malunok lahat ng naganap kahit pa ang kanyang Pagkabuhay na muli. Hayan si Tomas, ang dalawang papunta sa Emaus, ang mga alagad na ayaw maniwala sa mga babaeng galing sa libingang wala nang laman. ...

--> ACCEPTING OUR DOUBTS In a university class for doctorate-level students, the professor asked the students about their faith. A man readily responded by saying that he has lost it many years before and it was now just a memory of his youth. Another said she still believes but her faith is riddled with doubts about various things. Finally the professor himself said that it has been years since he last entered a church since he could not feel nourished any longer by the routine and staleness of its practices and its preaching. It may seem good to imagine that all is well after the Resurrection; that Easter Sunday has dispelled the doubts, reservations, and hesitations of people to believe and accept the faith. But even the gospels show us in many instances how those closest to Jesus could not embrace totally even the most marvelous event of the Resurrection. Take Thomas for example, or the two men going to Emmaus, or the apostles who dismissed the test...

ANG ISA PANG TAGAPAYO Ang Pagkabuhay, tulad ng Pasko, ay panahon ng mga regalo. Kung sa Pasko, ang mga regalo ay materyal na bagay, sa Pagkabuhay ang regalo ay nag-uumapaw na mga regalong hindi nakikita ng mata. Ibinibigay sa atin ng Panginoong Hesus ang bagong buhay tulad ng naranasan niya. At ibinibigay din niya ang pinakamahalagang regalo mula sa kanyang puso – ang Espiritu ng Diyos. Ngayon, ipinakikilala ng Panginoon sa atin (Jn 14: 15-21) ang pinakadakilang handog na dumaloy mula sa krus at libingan, ang regalong bumababa mula sa langit. Tinatawag niya ang Espiritu bilang Tagapagtanggol o Tagapayo. Siya ang “isa pang” Tagapagtanggol dahil si Hesus mismo ang “unang” Tagapagtanggol. Ipinapahayag ni Hesus ang tunay na anyo ng Espiritu. Hindi siya nakikilala ng mundo pero nakikilala siya ng mga Kristiyano. Sa unang pagbasa, ang mga taga Samaria ay tumanggap ng Espiritu sa pamamagitan nina Pedro at Juan (Gawa 8). Nang patungan sila ng m...

THE OTHER COUNSELOR Easter, just like Christmas, is a time of gifts. And where Christmas brings to mind thoughts of material gifts (inspired by the magi), Easter is a profusion of invisible gifts. Jesus does not only give us the gift of new life as he exemplifies in his resurrection. He also gives us the most intimate gift that can come from his heart – he gives us the Spirit of God. Today, the Lord introduces us (Jn 14:15-21) to the most precious gift that flows from the Cross and the empty tomb, the gift that comes down from heaven. The Lord calls the Holy Spirit Advocate, or Counselor. He is the “other” Advocate or Counselor, because Jesus himself is our first one. Jesus reveals the intimate nature of the Spirit. The world does not know him but we Christians know him. In the first reading, the believers of Samaria wait for Peter and John to come (Acts 8) so that through them, they can receive the Holy Spirit. As they laid hands on th...

PRAYING FOR YOU AND MISSING YOU EVEN MORE... AND I KNOW YOUR PRAYERS FOR ME ARE MOST POWERFUL! --> "ALTHOUGH YOU CANNOT HEAR HER VOICE OR SEE HER SMILE NO MORE, YOUR MOTHER WALKS BESIDE YOU STILL JUST AS SHE DID BEFORE. SHE LISTENS TO YOUR STORIES AND SHE WIPES AWAY YOUR TEARS; SHE WRAPS HER ARMS AROUND YOU AND SHE UNDERSTANDS YOUR FEARS. IT’S JUST SHE ISN’T VISIBLE TO SEE WITH HUMAN EYE, BUT TALK TO HER IN SILENCE AND HER SPIRIT WILL REPLY. YOU’LL FEEL THE LOVE SHE HAS FOR YOU – YOU’LL HEAR HER IN YOUR HEART; SHE’S LEFT HER HUMAN BODY BUT YOUR SOULS WILL NEVER PART." IRENE CONNOR, 12/05/12

WALANG IKATATAKOT   “Huwag kayong mabagabag.” Sa mga salitang ito, hindi nais ng Panginoon na maging impraktikal. Siyempre alam niyang maraming gusot sa paligid natin, sa mga bansa, relihyon, lahi, maging sa pamilya; kayraming gulo sa palibot. Pero ang binabantayan ni Hesus ay isang bagay lamang – ang puso. May isang lugar kung saan kaya nating bawiin ang ating kapayapaan, gaano man kagulo, nakalilito o nakaliligalig ang kapaligiran. May isang lugar kung saan kaya nating ipahayag ang ating tagumpay laban sa mga problema at sigalot ng buhay. Iyan ang puso! Bakit nagugulo ang puso? Naliligalig tayo kapag hindi tayo sigurado sa susunod na kabanata. Maraming pagkabagabag ang dala ng takot na hindi pa nangyayari – mga banta na sa isip lamang nagmumula. Kapag hindi natin alam ang bukas, hindi ba at nalalaglag tayo sa ating upuan? Kaya nga pangako ng Panginoong Hesus: sa tahanan ng aking Ama ay maraming silid! May lugar para sa atin doon. May na...

NO NEED TO FEAR   “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” The Lord is not being impractical here. Or course, there are troubles all around us, between countries, religions, races, even in families; there are frictions everywhere. But the Lord is concerned about one thing – the heart. There is a place where we can regain our peace, no matter how confusing, noisy or disorderly our environment is. There is a place where we can declare victory over every problem or difficulty we encounter. This place is our heart! Why is the heart troubled? The heart is troubled when it is unsure of what will happen next. So many apprehensions are really anticipated fears – those which have no basis except in our imagination. When we do not know what will happen, it throws us off balance. This is why Jesus assures us of one thing: in my Father’s house there are many mansions! There is a sure place for us. God is preparing great things for us. Furthermor...

--> ISA LAMANG ANG HUWARANG PASTOL Matapos ang ilang Linggo na nagninilay tayo sa mga pagpapakita ng Panginoong Muling Nabuhay, ngayon naman ang sipi na pagninilayan natin ay hindi tahasang pangyayari sa Pagkabuhay. Sa halip, ito ay isang katotohanan na kaugnay ng Pagkabuhay ng ating Panginoong Hesukristo. Sa Juan 10, inaangkin ni Hesus ang sarili niya bilang huwarang pastol, ang tanging daanan ng mga tupa. Ang hindi dumadaan dito ay tiyak na magnanakaw. Si Jesus ang pastol dahil inaakay niya ang tupa sa pamamagitan ng pakikipag-usap sa kanila sa tinig na nakikilala nila. Alam natin na sa simbahan, matapos ang Pagkabuhay at lalo na ang Pag-akyat sa Langit ng Panginoon, nabuo ang mga balangkas ng pamumuno. Nagkaroon ng mga lider para gabayan ang mga tagasunod ni Hesus. Ang mabuting balita ngayon ay isang pagtutuwid laban sa mga panganib na dulot ng pamumuno. Ang isang pinuno ay madaling nagiging sikat sa buhay ng mga tagasunod. Lumala...

--> ONLY ONE IS THE MODEL SHEPHERD After several Sundays that we reflected from the Easter appearances of Our Lord, this day our gospel selection is not strictly about an Easter happening. Rather, we reflect on an Easter truth, a deeper meaning connected with the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 10, Jesus identifies himself as the model shepherd, the only gate through which one enters the sheepfold. Anyone who enters not through that gate is a thief and a robber. Jesus is the shepherd because he leads the sheep by speaking to them in a voice they recognize. We know of course that in the church, after the Resurrection and especially after the Ascension of the Lord, structures of authority developed. Leaders were appointed to care for the growing number of the followers of Jesus. The gospel gives a corrective measure to the dangers of having such structures of leadership. Leaders become easily prominent in the lives of th...