visible rhetoric

Today we end our three days of reflection on John with a note of warning:  Do not love the world or the things of the world. What is this world that we must detached ourselves from; what is in this world that entices us away from God and the values of God; what is this world that belittles the spiritual and the things of God?  What is in this world that makes us value it over God, material things over spiritual things, earthly pleasures over heavenly delights? St. John lists three – sensual lusts, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life.  These are in the world and in a way entices us away from God so as to attach ourselves even more closely to the world. 

How well do we know Jesus? In the bible there are two kinds of knowing.  In fact the Greek bible has two words for knowing.  One emphasizes knowing which means to gather information – what do I know about this person, where he lives, who are his parents, what he does, what did he do, and so on.  The other Greek word for knowing emphasizes personal knowledge.  This is because this kind of knowing is dependent on one’s experience of who Jesus is, it is primarily relational, it refers to one’s intimacy with Jesus.  It refers to how much impact is Jesus making in our lives.  How is he affecting our moral choices?  How is this faith in Jesus changing my outlook, my priorities, my principles.  This is the knowing that is referred to here in John’s letter.  It is not merely intellectual – it is not just memorizing the content of our catholic faith and getting a high grade in catechism Class.  It is experiencing Jesus and allowing him to cr...

Christmas is essentially a celebration of the light. In fact if you are observant the collect or the opening prayer at midnight mass says: “ O God, who have made this most sacred night radiant with the splendor of the true light, grant, we pray, that we, who have known the mysteries of his light on earth, may also delight in his gladness in heaven.” Period.  It never mentions the angels, the stars, the shepherds, the crib, the swaddling clothes or the animals.  Instead it speaks of the light, of God making the sacred night radiant.  IT refers to Jesus as the light.

Today December 26, just after experiencing an overload of joy, love, fun and laughter and togetherness on Christmas day, this day the second day of Christmas, we are already reminded of death, dying, persecution, being hailed to court and the hatred that would be aroused because of our love and faith on this child who was born for us.  Today this hatred claims its first victim by the name of St. Stephen.  If you look more closely at calendar of the church from today until December 31 we should be supposedly celebrating martyrs – Stephen who was the first martyr, John the Apostle who can be considered a martyr though he did not die a Martyr’s death, the Holy Innocents, Thomas a Becket, and Pope Sylvester.  It is only in the 30 th that no feast is celebrated but then it is a holiday in our country as it commemorates the martyrdom of Jose Rizal.  So this is after all "a bloody Christmas" as the English would say, and it is not just an expression but literally bloody...

Before we start our reflection let us first do some rearranging in our belens kay kon kaisa kadamo lang sang gina-presuppose naton nga yara sa belen pero actually wala gid man kontani dira.    The gospels of Matthew and Luke are the sources of what our belen should look like.  So, first, they never mentioned that there were donkeys, cows and horses in the place where Jesus was born.  Yes, Jesus was born in a place meant to shelter animals, but Matthew and Luke never mentioned an animal present during his birth.  Two years ago the seminarians and myself made a belen and we had not only cows and donkeys and horses but also giraffes, elephants, deer, antelopes, lions and tigers.  A seminarian who was more insightful than the rest of us asked, “was Jesus born in a zoo?”  Another seminarian replied, “no we are not making a belen, we are making Noah’s ark.”

Reading through our first reading today there seems to emerge certain things in God’s relationship with us. First it would seem that God chooses his servants from families who have no hope of having children.  Beginning with Isaac until John the Baptist God chooses his servants either from barren wives or from very young virgins, from people you don’t expect to have a child or children.  Why is it that God chooses to pursue and fulfill his plans through barren women or through women you never expect to have children?  Is it to help us see things with hope – that God will fulfill his promises no matter what the obstacles are?  Is it to inculcate trust?  Probably. Second, it would seem that God chooses his servants from families who have no one else to give but their all.  You cannot say anymore, sige lang a may manghod pa man .  It seems that when God asks, one should be willing to give everything – not just the surplus, not just the bilin , but ...

We have just read in our gospel what the Rosary calls the Visitation. Why did Mary visit Elizabeth?  What was the motive of her visit?  Why did she feel the need to go to her cousin Elizabeth? Let it be clear that the journey from the home of Mary in Nazareth to the house of Elizabeth in the hill country of Judea is not an ordinary journey.  At present we could not even compare it to the journey from Iloilo to Carles and with our relatively good and safe roads it would even be incomparable to a roro to Manila.  The journey of Mary would take her 4 to 5 days.  It was a difficult journey and it was not safe.  And yet why the urgency, why the hurry, why even the need? Why?  Because it is said that the mystery of the Visitation of Mary is a mystery of Mercy.  If there was an urgency, if there was persistence despite the difficulty, if there was some stubbornness to go on the part of Mary, it was because of the attraction of Mercy. What is m...

When John describes what has just taken place in Cana he does not call it a miracle.  Actually in the gospel of John there are seven miracles including the event in our gospel today when Jesus turns water into wine.  It also includes the multiplication of the loaves, healings, walking on water and even the dead rising to life.  But John do call these miracles.  Instead he called them signs.  Yes, no doubt, these are miracles.  But John did not call them miracles.  Why?   Because in miracles our attention is called to the laws of nature which Jesus defiles.  In miracles our focus is on the supernatural power of which Jesus has in abundance.  But John does not want us to focus on these, instead he calls them “signs” because he is interested in whether or not we can sense God’s presence in these events.  He is interested on whether or not we can see God having a hand in the events that are taking place because of Jesus.

In our first reading today from the book of the prophet Zephaniah, two of our faculties are highlighted – the faculty of hearing and the faculty of speaking.  The first faculty referred to is hearing.  People do not listen anymore – she hears no voice and thus she accepts no correction.  Listening is a very important aspect in our relationship with God and even with each other.  It is said that the commands of God are always preceded with the call, Listen, O Israel – listen, hearken.  In the letters of Paul where he puts primacy on and the necessity of faith, he says faith comes through hearing, it comes through listening.  In Mary, her listening is prolonged when the gospels mentioned that she kept these things in her heart.  Keeping things in our heart, remembering what was said to us, remembering what was done to us, the events that happened to us, is a prolongation of hearing.

How do we prepare for the coming of the Lord?  John’s answer is not complicated.  In fact it is so simple it consist only of three things.  Three things to do to prepare for the coming of the Lord, three things to do to prepare for judgement.  First, be kind.  Second, be honest.  And third, work hard, do honest work.  First, be kind, if you have two cloaks share the other one with the person who has none.  If you have food, share this with those who have none.  Be kind. Second be honest – stop collecting more than what is prescribed.  In all things be honest, be truthful. And third, work hard, work decently for your keep.  Do not accuse falsely in order to extort.  Do not be a bully to others in order to gain.  Work hard and work decently.

Discernment is first and foremost getting in touch with our reality – with our doubts, with our anger, with the surprises that happen in our life, the consolations, the anxiety.  Then we ask ourselves where is God in my realities, what is God showing me in my anxieties and in my fears; why is he giving me consolations when I talk to a friend; what is he trying to show me, and perhaps assure me, in my doubts; why are there ordinary events and why are there events that surprise, events that give me joy, why has others moved me to tears, what is God trying to tell me in these extreme emotions?  Why do I feel I do not always get what I want, and why do I get what I do not expect - what is God telling me in this confusion?  Where is God in my anger, where is God in my hatred?  Can I acknowledge these feelings before God, can I share these feelings to God in prayer? Can we ask him in prayer – in these realities where are you leading me, what do you want me to see and re...

Today on the third and last day of our Triduum in honor of Mary in her Immaculate Conception we look to her as queen of mercy and compassion because first and foremost she is witness to the mercy and compassion of God in Jesus.  In fact in the new testament, when the promises of the Lord is fulfilled, she is the first recipient of God’s mercy right there in the womb of St. Anne, her mother. How do we define mercy?  I have come upon what I think is the most beautiful definition of mercy.  What is mercy?  When love encounters suffering, it becomes mercy. Many times we only look at suffering as having no food, as sickness and physical pains and ailments, or having difficulties and problems of every kind, from the lack of financial resources to problems related to school, or having troubles and full of stress that either leave us paralyzed to inaction or to the other extreme of being restless and sleepless.  Yes these are sufferings.  But there is anothe...

Our gospel begins with a list of the who’s who of the year 27 AD. First on the list is Tiberius Caesar who was on his 15 th year as emperor of the Roman Empire, then Pontius Pilate who was governor of Judea,  then Herod who was tetrarch of Galilee, also mentioned was his brother Philip who was tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis,  also Lysanias who was tetrarch of Abilene, and lastly Annas and Caiaphas who were high priests.  We have here a list of the VIP’s or very important persons around this time. Of the 4 gospels only Luke claims having done extensive research.  And indeed most scholars agree that his is the most scholarly and historical gospel.  However, after mentioning the big names of this period and the celebrities of his time, Luke the historian, chose to write instead the story of a nobody who was preaching in the wilderness, where nobody goes.  This is where the title historian becomes off tangent.  Why would a historian write about...

Our first reading is describing to us the day when the Messiah will reign over us.  It describes to us through the use of imagery the good things that will happen to a people ruled by the Messiah sent by God. It would be a peaceful place where the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. It describes to us the character of this Messiah king who shall rule with justice and equity because of the Spirit of the Lord rest on him.  He will n ot judge by appearance shall he decide by hearsay rather he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the afflicted of the land. Compare this ideal with what is happening to our nation.  Or compare this ideal with what is happening in our parishes and in our Christian communities or compare this ideal with what is happening in our own families.  Probably our nation is miles apart from thi...

I would like to amplify the second part of my homily this morning at the cathedral based on our gospel today.  Jesus said, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,   and on earth nations will be in dismay,   perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the wave.  People will die of fright   in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,   for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Jesus in effect is telling his disciples that there will be troubles ahead, there will be difficulties and trials, there will be disturbances, there will be suffering and pain, there will be confusion and fear.  So in all these what would a disciple do?  Did Jesus say, “Ok take cover, build yourself a bunker and hide?”  No.  Instead Jesus said, “stand erect and raise your heads.” Now, why should I stand erect and raise my head instead of cower in fear and dread?  Because, Jesus said, “your redemption is at hand.”  The forebod...

Advent is a season that helps us and prepares us to celebrate the two comings of Jesus.  The first coming is celebrated as a commemoration, a remembrance, and a memorial of the past.  It has happened.  Jesus came to our world.  He was born, he lived among us, he died to save us, on the third day he rose from the dead to conquer death and lastly he ascended to the Father to sit on his right hand.  This is what advent prepares us for, to celebrate the commemoration of God’s incarnation in Jesus. The second coming is no longer something we look back to but something we look forward to. It is no longer a commemoration, a remembrance but something that we anticipate, something that we look forward to. It is as Luke describes in our gospel, the Son of Man   coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Today as we end the year we read from the book that foretells so to say the end times – how will all these things end?  The dream interpreted by Daniel for the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar is founded in history.  The gold head represents the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, the neo- Babylonian empire.  The silver chest and arms represent the kingdom of Medes which would succeed Babylon but would not be as great.  Then the bronze belly and thighs represent the Persian Kingdom which will succeed in power the Medes.  This too will collapse and be succeeded by iron and clay which represent Alexander the Great’s kingdom.  Of course iron and clay are different elements and would not blend – this would represent the two great kingdoms that would rise after Alexander’s death, headed by two of his generals, the Ptolemies of Egypt and the Seleucids of Syria.  But then a huge stone the size of the mountain would topple them all and the statue comes crushing to the...

Today we read once more from the book of Maccabees.  In the book we are told that a certain Jew came forward to offer sacrifice on the altar of a pagan g od on orders from the king.  Mattathias, filled with zeal, sprang up and killed the Israelite upon the altar.  We admire the zeal of Mattathias for his courage, dedication and faithfulness to the laws of God but in the light of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ it is wrong to do violence to people who follow a different path.  As Pope Francis has said in the light of recent events of terrorism and extremism, it is a blasphemy to commit violence in the name of God.

This must be the most difficult time in a mother’s life – to see one’s children tortured and killed because of what they believed in.  Her sons may have been martyred but this mother was martyred seven times over because of the death of her seven sons.  And yet one would have expected a mother to save her sons from death, instead she urged them to accept their martyrdom courageously, to resist the temptation of compromising their faith, and to embrace bravely the consequences of the following the laws of God.  Why did she encourage her sons to accept the consequences of serving God over men?  Why was she encouraging her sons to be brave in facing death? 

Today we read from the first book of Maccabees.  This is a story of a people whose faith in God was tested not only through persecution but also through the prevailing culture then that sought to water down and even annihilate their faith in God and their way of life.  People were made to feel ashamed of their faith, they were made to feel that their religious traditions and practices were already passé and that their kind of morality which insisted on following what is written in scriptures is similarly outmoded.  The book of Maccabees is the story of a people who prevailed and persevered in their faith despite the glamour of modern life, despite the pressure exerted by society to make them conform to what was seen as modern, and despite the threat of persecution. 

There is sickness which affects 10 percent of the population.  The sickness is called chronic loneliness.  It is described as chronic because it is prolonged and continuing.  Actually all of us feel lonely from time to time.  It may not be chronic.  It may only be transient.  Nevertheless it is said that only 22 percent of us do not feel lonely.  This means that a little less than 80 percent of us do feel lonely, some from time to time, others in a more or less prolonged state.  It is quite ironic that in an age where we worry so much about over-population (kagutok na gid sang kalibutan) and we have with us the greatest means of communication the world has ever seen – cellphones, emails, messaging, twitter etc. and etc., and yet loneliness is in fact more common today. 

Our first reading today is taken from the book of Wisdom and I believe all of us are familiar with this reading since we often read this during funeral masses or even in masses during the wake or generally in masses for the dead.  Today this is read without this context and we are going to read and reflect on it as men and women who are generally at the peak of their life and health. The reading begins by affirming that we were made in the image of God’s own nature.  What does this mean?  It means that we are endowed with reason – we do not just have knowledge and understanding but we are also capable of seeing meaning in what we do and in the things around us.  By being created in God’s image we share in his nature as creator, we were given the responsibility of using the goods of this world and to care for them, not to misuse them or abuse them but to use it for our good and the good of others.  By sharing in God’s nature we can distinguish right from wro...

Today we read from the letter to the Romans and Paul begins with a critical statement on which all that follows depends.  He says, “we, though many, are one Body in Christ , and individually parts of one another.”  This is the basis for everything that follows. We cannot live in isolation concerned only of our well-being.  We cannot live apart from the community without regard for what is happening around us.  Christianity is not praying the rosary and shutting yourself to the concerns of the world.  It is not going to mass concerned only of saving your own soul.  It is not going to mass concerned only of hearing a beautiful homily and feeling good afterward.  No, Paul says, we are one body, we are not isolated individuals.  We can only love and serve Christ when we love and serve each other.

Today we continue to read and reflect on our first reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.  Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned.  Today Paul leads our thoughts to our human reality, the human reality of sin.  We are all born in sin.  Sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and through him h uman nature, which you and I have, is reduced to that condition in which it must suffer the consequences of the sin of Adam.  We call this original sin.  And thus there is always in us an inclination towards evil.  Let me repeat that.  There is in all of us, without exemption, an inclination towards evil.  This is our human reality.  Amo ina ang rason kon ngaa si Pope Francis is so adamant when he says indi kita mang-husga kay kon lantawon mo ang imo kaugalingon the tendency to sin is also there.  Basi lain lang iya nga sala ang imo pero just th...

The attitude of the Pharisees as narrated in our gospel today can produce two results – results which are dangerous to Christian life and virtue.  These two results are scrupulosity and self-righteousness.  Scrupulosity is the feeling of guilt every time we commit even the smallest mistake and we would be so afraid that God would be angry with us.  When I was in High School I remember every time during exams I would go to extra lengths not to displease God in anyway because he might be angry with me and I will fail.  So every time I got a low grade, when I would ask myself why I got such low grade, my conclusion would always be, I did something bad to God that is why he is punishing me.  Now that is scrupulosity.

St. Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel?  What does he mean he is not ashamed of the gospel?  What is this gospel or this good news that he is not and should never be ashamed about? The gospel Paul is referring to is Christ crucified.  Christ dead on the cross is a scandal for the Jews and a foolishness to the Gentiles.  Blessings and graces for the Jews and the Gentiles are always associated with wealth, health, success, triumphs, attainment.  But how can the cross be a triumph?  How can death on a cross be a blessing?  How can suffering be the source and channel of graces?  How can a Christian draw strength from the cross?  During the time of Paul and I believe even during our time the cross as good news, the cross as gospel is unbelievable.  It is fantastic. And yet the cross for Paul is the power of God. 

The year 2016 is the year of the Eucharist and of the Family.  It is CBCP’s program for the new evangelization, a nine year program till 2021 to celebrate the 5 th centenary of the coming of Christianity to the Philippines.  And so to join the bandwagon celebrating the importance of family life to the life of society and the church, the seminarians made three posters this year in their campaign for vocations in the parishes and schools.  It goes with the theme:  Year of the Family:  Seedbed of Vocations.   I would like to use these three posters to reflect on our theme today, St. Teresa of Jesus, Her Family:  The Seedbed of Vocation.

          Whoever is not with me is against me and whoever does not gather scatters. Jesus is telling us that with him we cannot be neutral.  Jesus is telling us that there is no place for neutrality in Christian life.  If we are not with Jesus then we are against Jesus.  If we do not help in gathering the flock, then we are helping in scattering the flock, even if we are merely doing nothing. If we are not doing anything good, then we are actually doing evil, because by not doing anything good we are actually helping the evil one.           So it is not that easy to say, I have not done anything wrong anyway, because the question which will be asked is, have you done anything good?           There can be no neutrality and there can be no washing of hands.  Either we do good or we participate in evil.

I believe you have heard this gospel a hundred times before.  And I believe the reflections that followed this gospel would almost always be an attempt to interpret Jesus’ answer to the question “who is the greatest?” And I believe you have also heard this a hundred times before.  This morning I will not upset you.  You will hear the same thing as expected.  Console yourself therefore with the thought that if you are bored to death with this reflection after having attended Therese’s feasts year in year out, imagine how the nuns of Carmel would be feeling right now after having attended and heard the same for the past 60, 65, 70 years.  You can always leave if you’re bored but the nuns and seminarians cannot unless they excuse themselves for a personal necessity curiously timed almost always on lousy sermons.

Today we continue our reflection from the book of the Prophet Baruch.  This short work continues with the themes of lamentation and hope.  Sin has left the people of Israel in exile.  They have been unfaithful and for that they were punished.  But this punishment was not meant to destroy.  Remember, Israel, our reading says, You were sold to the nations, not for your destruction.  Punishment is never meant to destroy the person, punishment is never meant to be an instrument of vindictiveness.  It is meant to restore, it is meant to rehabilitate the offender.  As the book of proverbs states, he whom the Lord loves he chastises, he whom the Lord loves he disciplines.

Today we read from the book of Baruch.  Baruch was the secretary or the scribe of the Prophet Jeremiah.  Today’s reading is the start of the prayer of lamentation and contrition.  These are the two themes that would mark this short book.  The two sins that are singled out in this cry of lament are the sins of disobedience and the failure to listen.  The words, “For we did not heed the voice of the Lord, our God” are repeated here twice like a chorus, like a refrain. Obedience is the joining of two Latin words ob and audire meaning “to hear or to listen towards”.  This implies not just simply listening, but listening for the purpose of heeding, with the intent of doing what was said, so that one can follow and comply.  Obedience is first and foremost listening.  We cannot obey when we do not listen and listen well at that.  Thus in Baruch Israel lamented their disobedience as a people because “they did not heed the voice of the Lord.”

Unless the Lord builds the house in vain do its builders labor.  This passage from the psalms is fulfilled in our first reading today from the book of the prophet Nehemiah.  Nehemiah thought that it would be impossible to court the favor of the king, but after months of prayer, it was not just a novena of nine days but 4 months to be exact, after months of prayer an opportunity presented itself so that he can present his request to the king.  The king granted his request.  And more than these he was not just permitted to go back to Jerusalem, he was also given safe passage, things were made easy for him and he was even provided with materials in order that he can begin building the city, its walls and his own home.

The Book of Revelation speaks of the battle between Michael and the dragon.  We are given a glimpse of the battle but we are never really given the reason for the battle.  Some commentators say we can see the reason in the book of the Prophet Isaiah.  “King of Babylon, bright morning star (in some bible this is translated as bringer of the light which in Latin is Lucifer) you have fallen from heaven! You were determined to climb up to heaven. You said you would climb to the tops of the clouds and be like the Almighty. But instead, you have been brought down to the deepest part of the world of the dead.”

Today we read from our first reading, from the book of the prophet Zechariah.  The prophesy of Zechariah was uttered after the exile when they were allowed once more by the Persian Kings to return to their homeland and rebuild their lives, including the temple.  In this homecoming after 70 years of living in a foreign land, the Lord repeated his promises to his people.  The Lord promised security and peace - people will reach old age, and their sons and daughters can play safely on the city streets.  Then the Lord promised to gather all the children of Israel from all over the world and bring them back to Jerusalem.

Our readings today remind us of two related things.  They remind us that there are times when we keep God exclusively for ourselves, when we keep God away from others.  But there are also times when we keep others away from God. First, let us think of the times when we keep God away from others, when we keep God exclusively for ourselves. The disciples were disturbed that a man not from their group would drive away demons and perform mighty deeds in the name of Jesus and they told Jesus about it in the hope that Jesus would order the man to stop.  Jesus however turned towards then to correct their exclusivist, elitist and intolerant attitude. 

Our first reading from the Book of Ezra narrates to us the rebuilding of the temple 70 years after it was destroyed by the Babylonians, 70 years after the exile.  Despite the encouragement and support of Persian Kings Cyrus and Darius, it took them years to rebuild the temple.  There were delayed by Samaritans who opposed the building of the temple and also by the preoccupation by the returning Israelites to rebuild their homes first.  Finally after several years the temple was finished and the great festivities in dedicating the temple begun.  The temple could not compare to the grandiose temple built by Solomon but this structure would last for more than 500 years.  This is the same temple which Herod would beautify, this is the same temple where Jesus would be offered and where he would preach, and still later this would be the temple which the Roman General Titus would destroy on 70 AD never to be rebuilt again till this day.

Why do bad people suffer?  The bible has a ready reply for that question.  It has the story of Adam and Eve to prove it, it has the story of Cain and Abel and Lamech to further justify it, it has the story of Babel and the flood to further explain it.  It is easy to understand why bad people suffer and I believe even bad people will understand more readily why they suffer.  “Ti man” is a good enough explanation, isn’t it? But the more pressing question is why do good people suffer?  The bible is aware of it, Job questioned it, Sirach made some attempt to find a solution to it.  But until now there is no clear and definite answer.  Jesus was a good person and we all know how he ended up.  In fact our first reading today, the book of wisdom spoke of him already in prophecy when it says that the righteous person will be hated, he will be despised, he will be made to suffer and he will be killed by evil men.  Did Jesus do anything to merit the...

In the gospel of Mark the opposite of faith is fear, not doubt, not disbelief, but fear.  When Jesus for example calmed the storm he asked his disciples, “Why are you afraid?  Have you no faith?”  (fear – faith) To Jairus on the news that his daughter is dead, Jesus said, “do not fear, just have faith.”  (again you have fear – faith) That is how it is in the gospel of Mark – faith is the opposite of fear, and fear is the opposite of faith.  When Jesus predicted for the second time his passion that he is going to suffer and die in the hands of the Jews, Mark narrated that his disciples did not understand what he was saying but they were afraid to question him.  So what did they do?  They did what you and I would do when we are afraid – salbaranay kaugalingon .  They thought only of themselves even debating among themselves as to who should inherit what.  Kon sports ini, nagbinuaya sila – ang ila lang ginpanumdom nila.  This is the p...