visible rhetoric

Today in the last week of the liturgical year the church reads from the book of revelation because the book of revelation speaks of the end times, the time when the second coming of Jesus is near.  Revelation as I have explained last week is full of symbols because it is a subversive document and thus has to write in coded language.  Today we talk about the 144,000 who stand together with the Lamb in Jerusalem.  144,000 is the result of multiplying 12 and 12 and 1000.  12 represent the 12 tribes of Israel – it is a perfect number.  This is multiplied with 12 representing the 12 apostles – again it is a perfect number.  Then the total is again multiplied by 1,000.  1.000 is a symbol of a vast multitude, it represents a number that we cannot count.  And so there we have 12 times 12 equals 144 times 1,000 equals 144,000.  It represents the vast multitude of Christians who are marked on their foreheads with the name of the Father.

Why is it that it takes time for a running train to stop?  Why does it take time for a car driven fast to come to a full stop?  Because of a law in physics which we call momentum.  Momentum is mass times velocity.  An object has more momentum if it is bigger or if it is going faster.  For example gamay man lang ang football pero tungod kay ginsipa sing todo, dasig kaayo, then the momentum is higher and so it is harder to stop – the goalie will have to bear the force of the kick if he wants to catch the ball and prevent it from entering the goal.  A ng truck nga nagakambia sa neutral if it begins to roll, gamay lang iya velocity, indi gid sia madasig, pero tungod kay daku ang iya mass ukon bug-at sia, then budlay papundohon.  Pero kon bug-at na kag dasig pa pareho abi sang tren ukon eroplano ukon nagadalagan nga awto, mas mabudlay pa gid papundohon bisan naprinohan mo na.  Why because of the momentum which was created and determined by mass and velocity.  Bisan sanggon mo pa ang

Two things from our first reading today. First, the little scroll that John ate was sweet like honey to the mouth but when it is swallowed it fills the stomach with bitterness.  In symbolic language this is what prophecy is all about.  It is filled with grace and blessing but it also contains judgment and condemnation.  Whenever we seek God’s will there will always be blessings and grace but there will also be dying, parting and cutting.  Be always prepared for that.  As they say you cannot have your cake and eat it too.

Today we read from the book of Revelation.   It is a book full of symbolisms, full of coded messages because it is a subversive book and only insiders can understand the book. In this particular passage John tells of a sealed scroll, a sealed book which contains the plan of God.   John shed many tears because he cannot open the book, and no one can open the book. John needs to know what is written in the book.   In fact all people should know the contents of the book because it contains the plan of God.   They who know God’s plan will be able to discover the meaning of life and they will therefore cease to be anxious about the past, or the present and or even the future.   In our case for example if we can just open the book we don’t have to be anxious anymore asking again and again, will I become a priest or not, will I become a good priest or not, will I become a good husband, a doctor, a nurse, a lawyer, or what.   And yet no one knows how to open the book.

If you ask me what is the sign of a religious vocation in the individual, I would answer it is generosity, when a person lives not for himself but for others. Love always begins as self-love.  A baby will always call attention to self without consideration for others.  When a baby is hungry it will not consider the fact that his mother might be doing something important and could delay in giving him attention.   A baby will demand immediate attention because his world is just himself.  He cannot see beyond himself and his needs. But as the baby grows little by little he begins to see the wider world, that he is not alone, that there are other people beside him, that there are other needs besides his, that there are other necessities more important even than his.  And so he begins to think of others, he begins to take into consideration their needs, sometimes even more than his needs.  Little by little he becomes conscious that he is not alone, that the world is bigger than

Today we read from the 3 rd letter of John, a letter addressed to Gaius.   It is a short personal letter asking Gaius meant to secure hospitality and material support for missionaries.   Specifically John the elder is asking Gaius to take care of Demetrius who had come to preach the gospel in the vicinity where Gaius lived.   The elder John commended Gaius for his hospitality in receiving pilgrims, missionaries and itinerant preachers of the gospel sent by John to the many churches scattered all over the area.   Gaius ministered to them and supported them by welcoming them into his house and by giving them material assistance in their work.   For this John the elder called Gaius a co-worker in the truth, a fellow worker in the truth because of his hospitality to a minister of God, and because of this Gaius shares in the merit of the preacher, he receives the prophet’s reward.   Paul would also commend such hospitality and support shown to those working for the Lord’s vineyard and

Today we read the second letter of John.  It is addressed to the Chosen Lady or Electa who is a metaphor of the church.  It was written at a difficult time for the community when false teachers were misleading the children of the chosen Lady, the members of the church.  There was division in the community because of false teachers spreading another set of doctrine, and not everything is well in many Christian communities.  There were divisions because of false teachings.  However the elder was thankful that the children of the chosen lady were all following the truth and have not succumbed to lies. 

Today we read the shortest of Paul’s letter and also one of the most beautiful.   Philemon was a convert of Paul and by some circumstance Paul met in prison and converted a run-away slave by the name of Onesimus who was owned by Philemon.   When the slave was released Paul gave him this letter, the letter to Philemon so that the slave Onesimus could deliver it to his master.   As the owner of a runaway slave Philemon could have Onesimus executed, but Paul interceded to Philemon to accept him back, no longer as a slave but as a brother.   Why?   Because he is a fellow human being and in the Lord.

Today we read the last part of this short letter of Paul to Titus and this last part is basically a reminder of the basis why a Christian has social obligations, why a Christian should be obedient to authority, why a Christian should not slander anyone, why should he or she be peaceable, considerate, courteous and gracious toward all?   What is the basis of these good actions?   What is the basis of these social obligations? The basis is this - a Christian should show in his or her actions the effects of salvation in his or her life and relations.   A Christian should show the change from sin to grace, and she should show the change happening in her life from an era of slavery and error, to the era of freedom and rebirth.   Since yesterday this was the theme of Paul.   Faith transforms the person.   Our baptism in Christ does not only wash away our sins, it does not only erase our sins.   Instead baptism sanctifies us and transforms us.   It makes us better persons, it makes us ho

Somebody once said, "The more I say 'No' to myself, the more I say 'Yes' to the Holy Spirit."  This is what St. Paul has been saying in many of his letters, written in different ways but always expressing the same sense.  In Galatians he talked about crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires, and to go against the desires of the flesh, to say NO to our worldly desires.  In Ephesians Paul wrote about the old self deteriorating because of desires.  Turning to Titus in our first reading today Paul gave the same entreaty saying, “reject godless ways and worldly desires.” Why is St. Paul so concerned about our desires?  A Philosopher by the name of Thomas Hobbes said that human desire is the fundamental motivation of human action.  It is our desire that moves us to act, it is our desire that makes us decide how to act, it is our desire that makes us decide what to do. Many times our desires, when these are not tempered by reason can become an ob

Somebody once said, "The more I say 'No' to myself, the more I say 'Yes' to the Holy Spirit."  This is what St. Paul has been saying in many of his letters, written in different ways but always expressing the same sense.  In Galatians he talked about crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires, and to go against the desires of the flesh.  In Ephesians he wrote about the old self deteriorating because of desires.  Turning to Titus he gave the same entreaty saying, “reject godless ways and worldly desires.” Why is St. Paul so concerned about our desires?  A Philosopher by the name of Thomas Hobbes said that human desire is the fundamental motivation of human action.  It is our desire that moves us to act, it is our desire that makes us decide how to act, it is our desire that makes us decide what to do.

Today we read from the letter of Paul to Titus.   Titus was for a time the secretary of Paul.   And you and I know very well how secretaries always end up.   Titus was sent by Paul from Ephesus to Corinth.   In fact he was sent all over to organize the collection for Jerusalem.   He was called again to Nicopolis and from there he was sent again to Dalmatia.    We never hear Titus complain.   Probably as a secretary he got so used to being pushed and pulled about by his mentor.   In this letter we know that Paul left him again in Crete to organize the church there and then.     He was left to minister to the people of Crete, an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.   It was not an ideal assignment.   In fact in the next verse Paul said that he was told that the people of Crete are" liars, evil beasts and idle gluttons. "  Nevertheless Paul told Titus to stay behind and set right what remains to be done.   Titus accepted this job as a grace and he faithfully set o

Today we celebrate all saints day.  It is that day once a year when we come together to remember all the saints in heaven, saints with a small letter s and the saints with the capital letter S.  Today we remember all the citizens of heaven, a citizenship which we also aim to attain when our death comes. Today our gospel reminds us of something very important to us as believers of Jesus which we most often forget. First our gospel tells, commands us to be happy.  It says blessed – blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are they who mourn, blessed are the meek.  Blessed means be happy.  Our life in Jesus is not a sad life.  It is a happy life.  Yes from time to time we will be burdened by so many cares and difficulties, every now and then we will be weighed down by so many anxieties, but in the end we are basically a happy people.

In our first reading we read one of the most beautiful hymns sung by Christians during the time of St. Paul.  Until now, two thousand years later, this hymn forms part of the prayer of the church in its evening prayer.  It is the earliest proclamation of the divinity of Christ, that Jesus is really God as he is truly human. Jesus is often referred to by the Fathers of the Church as the New Adam.  He is called the New Adam because there was an Old Adam.  They are a study in contrast.  The old Adam wanted to become like God, the new Adam in contrast though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God.  The Old Adam was steeped with pride filled with his ego, wanting to be what he was not, in contrast the new Adam was humble, he emptied himself and took the form of a slave.  The Old Adam was disobedient, defying the expressed command of God, in contrast the New Adam who was obedient even to accepting death on the cross.  Because of this the Old Adam was banished fr

Paul in our first reading today writes to the Christians in Ephesus.  Paul reminds them of their former lives – they were pagans, they were gentiles, they were excluded from the people of God, they were despised by the Jews.  Their status as gentiles is symbolized by the wall in the temple.  In the temple in Jerusalem during the time of the apostles there was that wall which separates the gentiles from both the sanctuary and from the Jews.  They could not see much less approach  see the sanctuary where God dwells because a wall blocks their way.  They could not interact with the Jews or even come near them because again a wall separates them from the Jews.  Why that wall?  Because in the past only the Jews were considered sons.  It was only to them that God made a covenant. It was only to them that God gave the Law and it was only to Jews that God made his promises.  There was no such grace for the gentiles, only for the Jews.

The letter to the Galatians reveals the true colors of St. Paul, not just his temper which is too glaring to hide in this particular letter especially, but above all his zeal, his passion, his love for Jesus.  This letter was occasioned by some Christians who insisted on the Galatians that they can only become true Christians if they follow the law of Moses.  This would include being circumcised and following the traditions and rituals followed diligently by the Jews as pointed out and condemned by Jesus in our gospel today.  The point of contention is this – is it necessary or not?  Is it necessary for salvation or not.  Paul is not saying circumcision is bad.  He is merely saying that it is not necessary.  Paul is not saying like Jesus, that following the rituals of the Jews is bad but it is not necessary.  It is not required.  It is not a sine qua non , one which you could not do without.  We were saved by the death of Jesus.  We are not saved by being circumcised or by doing