OUR PARISH PRIEST

  SINO ANG KARAPAT-DAPAT SA HARI? LK 23: 35-43     May mga taong hindi karapat-dapat magkaroong ng hari.   Iyong mga tingin sa sarili ay mataas pa sa hari, hindi karapat-dapat magkaroon ng hari. Tulad ng mga pinuno ng mga Hudyo sa ebanghelyo ngayon. “Iniligtas niya ang iba…” pero hindi niya kami kayang iligtas. “Iniligtas niya ang iba” pero wala kaming pakialam. “Iniligtas niya ang iba,” pero hindi namin siya kailangan dahil masaya,   kuntento at sapat na ang aming buhay. Ang mga pinuno ng mga Hudyo ay siguradong hindi nila kailangan ang hari dahil masaya silang walang hari.   Iyong mga naghahanap ng pruweba ng kapangyarihan ng hari ay hindi din karapat-dapat magkaroon ng hari. “Kung ikaw ang hari…” ipakita mo muna ang galing mo. “Kung ikaw ang hari,” bulagain mo kami. “Kung ikaw ang hari,” kumbinsihin mo kami bago kami bumilib sa iyo. Ang mga sundalo ay naghihintay ng hari pero gusto nila ay isang hari na sasakto sa kanilang...

  WHO DESERVES A KING? LK 23: 35-43     There are people who do not deserve a King:   Those who think they are greater than a king do not deserve a king. Such are the rulers of the people. “He saved others…” but he cannot save us. He saved others... so what? He saved others, but we do not feel we need him because we live happy, content and sufficient lives. The rulers of the people were sure they did not need a king because they were happier without one.   Those who need proof of the king’s power do not deserve a king. “If you are the king…” then show us what you’ve got. If you are the king, impress us so you will get our attention. If you are the king, convince us so that we will believe you. If you are the king, perform for us what others saw in you. The soldiers were waiting for a king but wanted to be sure they would not be disappointed.   Those who love themselves most and believe only in themselves do not deserve a ...

  GAANO BA KAHALAGA? JN 9:11-17     Ang reklamo ng isang pari ay hindi na daw nagbalikan ang mga parokyano niya matapos ang mga paghihigpit sa Covid. Napansin din ito ng isang kaibigan kong choir member sa simbahan. At sa isang panayam, sabi ng dating obispo ng Brunei na si Cardinal Cornelius Sim maging sa kanila daw bumaba ang bilang ng nagsisimba kahit puwede na. Napag-isip daw siya kung matibay ba talaga ang pananampalataya ng mga tao o sapat ba ang kaalaman nila.   Sa mabuting balita, nabasa natin ang pagpaparami ng tinapay. Gutom napawi, pangangailangan naibigay, pag-aasam natupad. Ganito ang pagmamahal ng Panginoong Hesus sa mga umaasa sa kanya. Sukdulang ipapakita niya ang kapangyarihan, hindi lamang sa tinapay at isda, kundi ang kapangyarihan niyang maglingkod sa lahat. Kung kinakailangan, gagawa siya ng himala ng pag-ibig para sa kanila.   Pero higit pa sa pagpuno ng pangangailangan ng mga tao, may inihahandog si Hesus na...

  HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO YOU? Jn 9:11-17     A priest laments that since the church opening after Covid restrictions, only a few of his parishioners went back to Sunday Mass. I heard the same observation from a choir member who sings in the church. And in an interview, the former bishop of Brunei, Cardinal Cornelius Sim complained that few of their parishioners returned after the lockdowns, making him doubt whether his flock had a solid faith or strong formation.   In the gospel today, we read about the multiplication of loaves. Hunger satisfied, longing satiated, need fulfilled. This is how the Lord Jesus loves and cares for the people who hope in him. This is how he far he will go to show them, not the power of manipulating loaves and fish, but the power of serving his brothers and sisters. If need be, he will work a miracle for each one.   However, more than serving the needs of people, the Lord Jesus is offering even deeper, mea...

  DIYOS NG AKING KARANASAN JN 16: 12-15       Delikadong magsalita tungkol sa Diyos. Nagkakamali ang mga tao. Nauubusan ng paliwanag. Nauuwi sa yabang at sa pakikipagtalo. Ipinipilit ng mga tao ang pang-unawa nila sa isip ng kapwa. Kaya minsan, ang pagsasalita tungkol sa Diyos ay naghahati sa halip na mag-ugnay sa mga taong nais sana ng Diyos na magkaisa, maging pamilya, maging pamayanan niya.   Ang Panginoong Hesus ay hindi nagsalita tungkol sa Diyos sa paraang ginagawa ng mga tao ngayon. Naparito siya na walang dalang listahan ng doktrina, dokumento, katesismo, hadit o manwal. Hindi niya winasak ang pananampalataya at paninindigan ng iba. Hindi siya panatiko o hard-core, sobrang layo niya sa mga sinasabing relihyoso sa panahon ngayon.   Sa pagsulyap sa mabuting balita, si Hesus ay nagkukuwento lamang tungkol sa Amang mapagmahal na may pangarap na kakaibang kaharian sa lupa. Nakikisalamuha siya sa mga makasalanan at nasa lay...

  GOD OF MY EXPERIENCE JN 16: 12-15       It is risky to speak about God. People make mistakes. People run out of explanation. People fall into the temptation of pride and resort to debate with others. People tend to ram their ideas of God into other people’s throats. And so, speaking about God divides instead of unites the very people God wants to gather into a family, a community.   The Lord Jesus did not speak about God in the way we do today. He did not come with a collection of doctrines. He did not read aloud from documents, catechisms, hadiths, or compendiums. He did not malign people’s deeply-held faith and convictions. He did not come as a fanatic or a zealot, so far from what some religious people do today.   If we look at the Gospels, we find Jesus telling stories about the loving Father and his dream of a different Kingdom on earth. The Lord mingled with sinners and outcasts, often in their meals and light moments...

  JESUS INTERROGATES PILATE IN THE AFTER-LIFE JN 18: 33B-37       After Pilate died, his soul appeared before the throne of God. Imagine his surprise when he sees Jesus seated on the throne. A few years before, it was he who sat on a throne and Jesus was brought to him for judgment. He presided at the trial and condemned the Lord to die on the cross.   Jesus stands to meet his former judge: “Ah, Pontius Pilate, we meet again at last. This is only our second meeting and yet you must know that I knew you since you were in the womb of your mother. I knew your talents and strengths, and the achievements that led the emperor Tiberius to name you governor of my land, Judea.”     “You wanted to know if I was a king. Now, you see me in glory. You witness now what you did not see on earth – Not only am I ‘King of the Jews,’ as you heard others say. See then, that I am ‘the King of the Universe’ for I have conquered sin and death!...

  KUNG SI HESUS NAMAN ANG HUHUSGA KAY PILATO JN 18: 3b-37       Nang mamatay si Pilato, napunta ang kaluluwa niya sa harap ng trono ng Diyos. Laking gulat niyang makita si Hesus na nakaupo doon. Dati, siya ang nakaupo sa trono habang si Hesus ay bilanggo. Nilitis niya at pinatawan ng kamatayan sa krus noon ang Panginoon.   Tumayo si Hesus at nagsalita: “Ginoong Pilato, nagkita ulit tayo. Pangalawang pagtatagpo pa lang natin pero alam mo bang mula sa tiyan ng iyong ina, kilala na kita? Alam ko ang lakas mo at talino, ang galing mo at talento kung kaya ka napadpad sa aming lupain bilang gobernador ng Judea sa utos ng emperador Tiberio.”     “Di ba gusto mong malaman kung hari ako? Ngayon, nakikita mo ang kaluwalhatian ko. Nakikita mo ang hindi mo nasaksihan sa lupa – hindi lamang ako ‘Hari ng mga Hudyo,’ kundi ‘Hari ng buong Sangnilikha’ dahil ako ang sumakop sa kasalanan at kamatayan!”   Tinanong mo ako noon kung...

  LUNAS SA KALULUWANG NAGUGUTOM       Nabigla ako sa pagtapat sa gate namin ng isang kapitbahay para makipagkuwentuhan. Sa dami ng kanyang sinabi, binigyang diin niyang nawalan siya ng trabaho dahil sa lockdown. Nang bumalik ako sa bahay, napansin kong nandun pa rin siya sa gate. Tinanong ko kung may sasabihin pa o may kailangan ba siya at sabi niya wala daw. Maya-maya pa, umalis na siya.   Naisip kong nahihiya marahil ito na humingi ng kailangan. Nag text ako sa kanya na bumalik upang mabigyan ko ng konting pagkain. Ang bilis niyang bumalik at masayang tinanggap ang aking alok.   Totoo ang gutom; totoo ang kahirapan ngayong pandemya. Maraming pamilya ang pumapalya sa oras ng pagkain. Natutuwa ang mga tao kapag may nagbibigay ng libreng pagkain. Minsan nga lang, hindi tayo sensitibo sa pangangailangan ng ating kapwa.   Si Hesus ay sobrang babad sa situwasyon ng kapwa. Alam niya nang nagutom ang mga tao kaya pinakain ni...

  REMEDY FOR HUNGRY SOULS       I was surprised when a man stopped by our gate to chat. He talked about many things but specially how he lost his regular job and couldn’t even find a new one due to the lockdowns. As I returned to my desk to finish some paper work, the man continued to linger at the gate. I asked if he needed or wanted to say something and he said he didn’t. Finally, he left.   It dawned on me that the man was too shy to ask. I looked into my cabinet and took out some food, then sent him a text to get them. In a minute he was back and happily took what I managed to give.   Hunger is real; poverty is real in these worsening crisis of the pandemic. Families are getting hungry. People appreciate what little food they can get for free. But sometimes we are so insensitive that we cannot immediately feel our neighbor’s need.   Jesus was totally absorbed with the situation of his brothers and sisters. He knew when they were hun...

  SULYAP SA PAG-IBIG Mt. 28: 16-20       Masasabi nating ngayon ang pista ng pag-ibig, ng Diyos na pag-ibig, ng Diyos na umiibig sa atin. Maraming beses kapag sinabi nating pag-ibig ng Diyos, ang akala natin ay isa lang itong kaisipan. Subalit ang pag-ibig ng Diyos ay hindi nakalutang, hindi katha lamang, hindi kulang sa laman o porma. Hindi iyan tulad ng pag-ibig na paksa ng mga manunula, pilosopo o mga romantiko. Salita lamang, matatamis na salita…   Kapag sinabi ng mga Kristiyano na pag-ibig, ang pag-ibig na iyan ay totoo, kongkreto, tunay. Ang Diyos ay pag-ibig at iyan ang karanasan natin sa ating buhay mula pa sa ating binyag. Ang Diyos ng pag-ibig ay Ama, Anak at Espiritu Santo.   Nang ninais ng Diyos na ipahayag ang kaganapan ng kanyang pag-ibig sa atin, ipinadala niya ang kanyang Anak upang tubusin tayo sa Krus niya at Pagkabuhay. Isinugo din niya ang kanyang Espiritu upang patuloy nating madama at mapagtanto na tayo ...

    A PEEK INTO LOVE Mt 28: 16-20       Today we can say that what we celebrate is the feast of love, of God who is love, of God who loves us. Many times when we mention God’s love, we tend to think of an idea. But God’s love is not a concept, it is not abstract, something hanging in the air. God’s love is not the sort of love spoken of by poets, philosophers, and dreamers. Words… just sweet words…   When Christians say love, that love is concrete, real, and true. God is love and his love is what we experience in our lives from the time of our baptism. God who is love is Father, Son and Holy Spirit to us.   When God the Father expressed the fullness of his love for us, he sent us his Son to redeem us on the Cross and by his Resurrection. He also sends us the Holy Spirit today to continue feeling and knowing that we are loved.   What is more real than seeing God’s Son hanging on a cross to take our sins on hi...