the paschal triduum

Holy Thursday

             With this mass we end the season of Lent, and at this time, we start the very purpose of Lent.  This feast is called the Paschal Triduum.  The Paschal Triduum is the feast of all feasts.  It is the solemnity of all solemnities.  In fact it is so great a feast that it took us 40 days to prepare for it in Lent, and later it will take us another 50 days to celebrate it in Easter, and now it will take us 3 days to commemorate starting with this mass.  That is how big the paschal triduum is - imagine a feast that will take us three days to finish from Holy Thursday and Good Friday, from Good Friday to Black Saturday and from the vigil of Black Saturday flowing unto  Easter Sunday.  Thus, it is called the Triduum.
             Paschal comes from the Greek word pesach or pascha in Latin ukon sa binisaya, paskwa.  Ugaling ang bisaya daw nag-lain ang kahulugan.  Kon si maninoy wala nagapamaskwa sia bagit.  Kon fiesta nila mamaskwa kita.  However, originally, Paschal means the passing through, the passing over.  The word was first used by Moses and the Israelites when they were freed from the bondage of slavery in Egypt and went on a journey of 40 years that took them to the promised land.  It was their pascha, their passing over from Egypt to the Promised Land, their passing over from slavery to freedom.

palm sunday

I am required to do two homilies today, at least two short ones.  This is the first and this is done outside the church to remember the triumphant entry of Jesus in Jerusalem. This is done just before we re-enact this triumphant entry with palm branches and hymns of Hosanna.  The other homily will be done inside the church to remember the passion of the Lord, that is, his suffering and death on the cross.  So we have two shouts today.  A crowd will shout to the top of their voice, “Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”  Then not so long later another shout will ensue, “crucify him, crucify him.”  SO which is which - is it a hosanna or is it a crucify him?  If it is confusing to our hearing today, it must have been even more confusing to the crowd in Jesus’ time who shouted and demanded two extremely opposite and contrary things.

 When I was a seminarian somebody in the community proposed to name our seminary dog “sile.”  So imagine the confusion we would have created to the dog and also to us if we called out to him “totoy sile, totoy sile.” 

If you find this quite silly and absurd, you are right - “totoy sile”, and also hosanna, crucify him.  O by the way, hosanna means “welcome, welcome;” crucify him means “let’s get rid of him.”

So which is which?

nadulman or not choosing

In reading the gospel one gets to wonder why Jesus would ask a man disabled and sick for 38 years whether he wants to get well. After 38 years in your sickbed, who would not want to be healed? But the question is important. It is important because Jesus wanted the man to choose, to choose to be healed or to choose not to be healed.
This is a very important issue during this season of lent for this is the mark whether the person has entered the world of values. We enter the world of values when we are already choosing, when we use our power to choose, when we discern and make a choice. When you are hungry and you eat something, you are merely acting on your hunger. You are not making a choice. If you are hungry and you choose not to eat, now you are choosing. If you are angry and you hit your enemy with a clenched fist, you are acting on your anger, you are not making a choice. But if you are angry wanting so much to hit the other person, but then you decide to control yourself, you decide to forgive the offender, then you are now making a choice. Kon pasugtan lang naton ang luyag naton we can never enter into the world of values, into the world of virtues because we are merely following desires, we are merely following our natural inclinations, and our wants even. Making the choice is important. We could not remain merely following every dictate of our hunger, every dictate of our desires, every dictate of our emotions. We have to learn to make choices.

the cross

In the dialogue of Jesus to Nicodemus Jesus speaks about being lifted up just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert so that all who looked at the bronze serpent were healed. By now we should be more and more attuned to the perspective of the gospel of John for this is the same gospel the church will turn to when it meditates more profoundly on the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus in the coming weeks.
For the other gospels, the resurrection and even the ascension of Jesus are the events where Jesus was exalted and glorified. For John it is different. For him the exaltation and glorification of Christ is not in his resurrection or ascension but on his death on the cross. His humiliation was his exaltation. His death was his glorification. Thus it would be referred to in the fourth gospel as the lifting up - Jesus would be lifted up on the cross, not just literally, but the cross would be his exaltation and his glorification.

sin like scarlet; the color scarlet

It would seem, after hearing our first reading today, that sins in the bible are given various colors. And one of the most common color given to sin is scarlet - though your sins be like scarlet. What is scarlet? Scarlet is an orangish red color, the color of the blood of a living person. In the bible it is a color associated with particular sins, sins that could not be easily forgiven, sins that could not easily be forgotten. A scarlet stain after all is one of those stains too difficult to remove - blood stains are difficult to remove and so are wine stains. So it is with sins like scarlet. They refer to sins that could not easily be forgiven, sins that could not easily be forgotten, sins which we feel guilty of and ashamed of even after having confessed it several times. This happens and I have experienced it many times in the confessional, people confessing the same sin all over again, again and again even if the sin happened a very long time ago and has been confessed several times. It simply goes to show that there are sins that won’t leave us, sins that leave a mark in our mind and in our hearts, mistakes that we find difficult to forgive ourselves of. Have you experienced this? When the memory of that sin keeps coming back and sometimes we would even find ourselves biting our lips in regret or wanting to slap ourselves over and over again?

none is as dumb as all of us: talking to the ex-sems

There is a saying which goes this way, none of us is as dumb as all of us. It means that when we gather we are more stupid than when we are alone, it means that when we meet and talk and plan together, chances are we become more foolish and ridiculous that when we are alone. This has always been our experience whenever we gather as alumni, isn’t it? We cannot agree on anything worthwhile because when we gather together none of us is as dumb as all of us.
This is not a new problem actually. If you read through our second reading which is from the letter of Paul to the Corinthians we see behind this exhortation by St. Paul the same problem. In fact Paul had to remind them not to become a yes and a no disciple - disciples who had difficulty committing themselves to the community as they find themselves always squabbling and quarrelling and behaving rudely towards each other. So what should we do now? Do we just simply disband and leave each other to their liking? Do we to go each our own way and leave the rest to their own preoccupation?

in a world where priesthood is an anomaly

I would like to reflect on two realities presented by the Lord in our gospel today.
The first is the reality that we are present in a hostile world. We are in a world hostile to our way of life - in a world that looks down on the values that we teach; in a world that scoffs at the kind of heroism that we put forward; in a world which could not understand our point of view.

Last night I was listening to the radio as the names of the new nurses were announced, nurses who took their board exams last December. 22,760 new nurses, and 5 of the top ten come from Iloilo. They are one of the last batches of nursing students who chose to study this course 5 or 6 years ago when nursing was in still very much demand. The US and the Middle East were all looking for nurses then. And because of this even established doctors enrolled once more in nursing so that they could avail of this windfall and earn bigger salaries abroad. Unluckily for these new graduates however, after the boom went bust, most of them will end up, at least temporarily, as call center agents.

fr. amore and valentine's day

What I am about to tell you is an inside story why February 14 is no longer the feast of St. Valentine and is replaced by the feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. Why was Valentine’s day, meaning the day of St. Valentine replaced with the day of Sts. Cyril and Methodius?
It began with the priest named Fr. Amore. Fr. Amore was an archaeologist and one of his studies centred on the ancient tomb stones in the catacombs or the so called underground cemeteries of Rome. One of the tombstones that he studied was that of St. Valentinus. On the tombstone of the saint was written the name Valentinus, but alas Fr. Amore discovered that the tombstone or the lapida was actually made up of two broken tombstones glued together, and the marble on one part is different from the marble of the other part. On one part was written Vale which in Latin actually means goodbye, a word that is commonly written on the tombstones of the Romans. The other part contains the letters NTINUS, which can be the last two syllables of so many Roman names like Clementinus, Quintinus, Cotentinus, including Valentinus himself. And so, when the Calendar of the saints were rearranged in the late 1960’s and early 70’s, saints of doubtful origin or saints with stories steeped with so many elements considered legendary where expunged from the list. It is not to say however that they are fake. It only means that the stories about them which reached us today are more legendary rather than stories using factual elements. And besides there are at the very least three Valentinus who were martyred and no one know who of the three is referred to by the feast. That is why February 14 now is no longer the feast of St. Valentine but of Cyril and Methodius.

mother helene marie, assumption

I read a bit of history last night and this is what I found out. When I was in Assumption we were made to learn at the very least 3 lines in French so that we can greet the Mother General, Mother Helene Marie, in her own tongue, during her visit to the school. Until now my French never went beyond these three lines.
I mentioned her at the start of this reflection because it was during her term as Superior General that Mother Marie Eugenie was beatified 37 years ago in 1975 by Pope Paul VI. Reflecting in retrospect I believe that was something timely. Timely because there was a rethinking in the church with Vatican II just recently concluded. With rethinking comes change, and with change comes turmoil - turmoil in the church and also in the congregation. Encouraged by Vatican II’s dialogue and opening up with the world so many congregations begun to rethink their life and mission in the world - and some even questioned not just their significance but also their existence. In part, because of this the Church itself lost so many priests, and I believe it was also at this point when the congregation experienced the loss so many sisters. Mother Helene Marie was in the forefront of all these upheavals in the church and in the congregation, and the visit here most probably must have tackled this grave internal issues. But thanks to the beatification of Mother Marie Eugenie the rethinking led to a re-appreciation of her vision, which eventually led to the renewal of the religious life.

a sense of duty

For forty years now there is a continuing decline in church attendance. Meaning every Sunday fewer and fewer people go to church. This is happening not just in the Catholic Church but even among protestant and evangelical churches. For example 21 years ago, when PCP II was celebrated, it noted in a survey that only 10 to 15 percent of Catholics were actually going to church on a regular basis every Sunday.
There are many studies done to know the causes to this trend but there is one which I believe is reasonable. It says, we have moved from an age of duty to the age of discretion. In the past, the study says, more people go to church moved by a sense of duty. Today, however, discretion reigns supreme - going to church becomes just one of the options - it depends on what you feel about it.

reclaiming the honor: assumption

One of the benefits of an alumni gathering such as ours is its ability to restore or at least reconstruct the past. To restore means to bring back, to return things to its former state. To reconstruct means to recreate to the best of our ability what we could no longer fully restore.
By wearing today our assumption uniforms we are attempting to bring ourselves back to our former state as students and learners, as girls and boys, as daughters and sons of Assumption. This is an attempt at restoration. However, when our seminary driver brought me here four years ago, he was so confused he thought he got me to a wrong address. He saw you in uniforms but this time in wheelchairs and walkers, with gray hairs and wrinkled faces, this time using darker shades of lipsticks and eyeliners, now with wider waistlines than the usual, and with yayas smaller than their wards.

in crisis

When a person is in dire need he forgets his prejudices, he forgets his dignity, and he even forgets his pride. This is what happened to Jairus. He was a leader of the synagogue, and in all probability he did not like Jesus. Probably he was in one of those synagogues where Jesus healed the sick or somebody possessed by the devil on a Sabbath. Most probably he was one of those who protested this healing which was prohibited on the sabbath. But this time however Jairus was in a position of great need. His daughter was sick and dying. And the situation has become desperate. And so, despite his being a synagogue leader, he asked help from Jesus, throwing himself down on his feet. In his dire need he forgets the fact that he does not agree on a lot of things with Jesus. In this desperate situation he forgets the fact that he does not see eye to eye with Jesus. And when he was about to lose everything in his life he swallowed his dignity and pride and finally went up to Jesus and ask for his help.

laurence and shiela

Last night I looked at my records - 12 years of records and this is what I have written in my annual report to the administration in the year 2004-2005 - He is responsible, efficient in the tasks assigned to him, creative, has shown a lot of initiative in his responsibilities. He participates well in community activities and does not exhibit difficulty in relating with other people. He shares his insights and ideas readily to the community. However, he has difficulty in delegating tasks for he would often appropriate to himself all the work. He participates well in spiritual activities as well as in his apostolate. 2005-2006 - He is very diligent and resourceful. He is faithful in his spiritual exercises, and has passion for his studies, shows interest in pastoral activities and has developed that sense of sacrifice but with a happy disposition.

what makes you crazy?

In our first reading today we see David a bit excessive in his regard for ark. He danced in wild abandon, he saw to it that every six steps a sacrifice is made for God.
The ark is the symbol of God’s presence in his people. The ark contains the copy of the law made by Moses. Remember that the original copy of the law made by God himself was thrown by Moses to the people in his anger when he saw them worshipping the golden calf. What is in the ark during the time of David was the copy made and placed there by Moses himself. The ark also contains manna, that miraculous bread that sustained the Israelites in the desert for forty years. The law and the bread in the ark is the symbol of God’s abiding presence in his people.

scapegoating

When John said, Behold the Lamb of God he was referring to Jesus as the lamb. But what kind of lamb? First, Jesus is the lamb of the pasch, the Passover lamb. Just as the blood of the Passover lamb saved the Israelites from the angel of death in Egypt, so also the blood of the Lamb of God shed on the cross will save us from everlasting death. But this lamb is not just the paschal lamb. Jesus is also the lamb who takes away the sins of the world. As such he is also what we call the scapegoat. Scapegoat - what is a scapegoat?

We ordinarily use the word scapegoat as the person or thing which is blamed for the transgression of others. Ginpabangud, ginbangdan, ginbasol. The scapegoat may not have committed any sin but it is made to carry all the sins of the people and their consequences. This is what the Jews do during the day of atonement. Their sins and transgressions are literally put upon a goat which is then driven away to the dessert to wander and to die, carrying with it, taking with it, the sins of the people. So when John the Baptist says that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, he is referring to the lamb who was slain to preserve the Israelites from death, and he is also referring to the scapegoat who took upon himself the sins of the world.

the manger and the cross

Why is the gospel about the resurrection read today when we are just in the third day in the Octave of Christmas? Why is the gospel about the rising of Christ from death when we are still celebrating his birth in a manger?

The most obvious reason is this: today is the feast of St. John, the beloved disciple who as narrated in our gospel today was the first to reach the empty tomb. It is to his name that the 4th Gospel is credited which begins with this famous prologue read on Christmas day - in the beginning was the word, and the word was in God and the word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us; and we saw his glory, glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. This as I said is the most obvious reason. The writer of this beautiful prologue describing the birth of the son of God is also a witness, in fact the first witness, to his rising from the dead.

christmas is not just a birthday

Tonight we are celebrating Christmas, so Merry Christmas. I just want to emphasize this point because starting this night, it is officially Christmas. I say officially because some of us have already started greeting each other Merry Christmas way back November, and even as early as September we have already begun putting up our Christmas Trees and lanterns. That was the unofficial Christmas, otherwise known as the Filipino Christmas. Today it is officially Christmas and we are celebrating it after almost all our Christmas parties are over. We are after all a people known for postponing our grief, and anticipating our joys.
Tonight if the calculations in the Mayan Calendar proved true, this will be our last Christmas. Do you know that? So you are not watching National Geographic. December 21, 2012, the next winter solstice, will also be the last for it will be the day when the world ends. Yes you heard me right. The world as we know it will end next year, 4 days short of Christmas. So don’t sleep on me while I deliver this homily - this is after all our last.

what gives me joy?

I have a child. His name is Lorenzo Esperancilla. Now since I got your attention I would like to tell you that since I cannot bear a child, because obviously I do not have a womb, my only experience of a child leaping for joy was when I was carrying Lorenzo Esperancilla one day. While we were moving happily along we saw a butterfly, and immediately his gaze was transfixed at the butterfly jumping from one flower to the other. With him on my arms we ran after it trying to catch it. When the butterfly alighted on a flower we slowly sneaked behind it, and Lorenzo would reach out his arms to attempt to hold it. But every time his hand was just a few inches away, the butterfly would fly away. This would then excite him so much his whole body would quiver as he made some kind of a quick jump and squeal in excitement and joy. It seemed that every part of his body moved, then, a swift kick would follow. This happened three times and that joy was just so infectious even to me, an adult. He quivered, he jumped and made a joyful squealing sound. This is the only, and I believe, the nearest thing I had in experiencing a jumping child in the womb, this time however, on my arms.
O my God, by the looks on your faces you seem to be pressing the question who is Lorenzo Esperancilla. Let me just assure you that Lorenzo has no middle name in paper and in fact. The law simply requires that I give him my name in the absence of one for the time being. Now does that satisfy you? Suspicious minds indeed.

believing that the impossible will become possible

I have been speaking for at least three times now about the impossibilities surrounding the birth of the God made man. In our Christmas greetings with the bishops I spoke about the impossibilities of the incarnation in the sense that it is easier to believe that a God can raise his dead body to life, than to believe that a God, a pure spirit can become a body, a man. The mystery of the incarnation is just too amazing, too impossible a fact. Last Friday I talked about the impossibilities of the prophecy of Isaiah - how can a little child lead a young lion and a calf to graze together in the field, how can a lion eat grass with a cow - it is not just a lion eating grass but with a cow? The impossibilities presented by the season of advent are building up as we move on towards Christmas and I am afraid this might turn out into another Lito Lapid movie or Mission Impossible itself.
Now these impossibilities are today acknowledged by Mary herself in our gospel. When the angel announced to her “Hail highly favoured daughter, hail full of grace.” The reaction of Mary was as described by Matthew - greatly disturbed. When one is highly disturbed something is going on in the heart and in the head trying to make sense of everything that was being said - why this greeting, why am I called highly favored, I’m just a woman, coming from an unknown town of Nazareth, I am merely ordinary, why. When the angel explained to her what would happen, Mary articulated this perplexity, this incredulity that is happening inside her - how can this be? As I said the impossibilities surrounding Christmas is beginning to build up. How can this be, Mary asked, how can a virgin produce a son? And how did the angel answer her disbelief? The angel answered her with another impossibility, she who was thought to be barren is now in her sixth month. So the logic of the angel is like this, the virgin shall be with child because 6 months ago a barren, sterile woman became pregnant.

remembering bishop piamonte

I was asked by his grace, the Archbishop to give the homily this morning. Specifically I was asked to say something about the man.
Who was Msgr. Piamonte for me, how have I come to know him as a person? Let me start by saying that he was a real human person. He was a human person who gave me all the reasons to act towards him also in a humanly fashion.
He gave me a reason to be proud of him, to be proud of my bishop especially after I read the first five pages of his voluminous dissertation of which I did not understand anything. It was all in Latin.
He gave me a reason to fear him when at one point I was scolded right in front of the congregation who were singing the Gloria. I made the mistake of telling the people to remain standing while singing the Gloria when he wanted them and of course himself, to sit down because of his arthritis. He was really mad at me but in a very controlled way, but I can sense that he was almost shouting. All the while I was there standing in front of him, bending a little, with palms closed on my chest listening to his harangue for what seemed to be eternity. Through all these I maintained my poise and composure.