candelaria and mercy - feb 2 2016

Last year I reflected with you on the first reading – God as refiner's fire and God as the fuller's lye.  Today we focus our reflection on our second reading – from the letter to the Hebrews.

Let me begin by pointing out that in the gospel, Jesus like all Jewish first born male was offered in the temple following the prescriptions of the law.  Jesus as first born male is a special property of God and so he must be bought back, he has to be redeemed by sacrificing in his stead another victim.  If his parents were rich, then they should offer a lamb to redeem him but if they are poor sacrificing two doves will do.  His parents sacrificed two doves.

I am recalling this event in Jesus' life, an event which we commemorate today, because the letter to the Hebrews affirms the fact that indeed Jesus shared and continues to share in our blood and flesh.  He is truly human, born of a human family, born subject to the laws of his people, born subject to the nature of being human with its goodness and weakness, with its joys and sorrows.  Jesus knew how it was to be tempted, he knew human yearning, he knew how it was to suffer.  For as the letter to the Hebrews said, "He had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way."  Not just in this way or that way, but in every way. 

For this Jesus is appointed high priest and as high priest, as our representative before God, he is merciful and faithful.

Jesus is merciful.  Why is Jesus merciful – because he knew how it was to be tempted.  Why is Jesus merciful?  Because he knew how it was to suffer.  Why is Jesus merciful?  Because Jesus knew our weakness and goodness, our sorrows and our joy, our yearnings and our struggles.  He knew how, and therefore he is merciful.  As the letter to the Hebrews says, because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

Our ability to sympathize comes from experiencing for ourselves personally the same situation of need and the same difficulty.  The way to become merciful is to look at things with the same eyes, from the same perspective and from the same point of view.

When I was assigned here and a big fire hit a squatter's area, a person came to me with a donation saying, bal-an ko gid kon ano kasakit kon tanan mo nga pagkabutang maubos sa sunog, nasunugan man ako.  I know how it is.  I know how it felt.

Try fasting, do not eat, then around 3 o'clock in the afternoon go to Jolibee or Mang-inasal or Mcdo. Take a deep breath, do not eat anything - just take a long, deep breath. By then you have just felt how it is to be very hungry in the midst of plenty.  Yet many Filipinos experience that everyday.  Then you will understand what the little boy feels when he knocks on the glass window as you eat heartily your hamburger.  Then you will feel anger when people just throw away food, food that can alleviate the pain of an empty stomach. I know how it is.  I know how hunger felt in the midst of plenty.

In the seminary I am the rector, and sometimes I really feel bad when I have to expel or let go a seminarian who did not pass his exams, a seminarian who did something wrong, a seminarian who failed.  Because once upon a time there was also a would be seminarian who had big dreams for himself.  He also wanted to enter the seminary but alas he failed.  He did not pass.  Then after so much pleading the former rector smiled at him and said, ok we will give you another chance.  And in that class I was the only one who became a priest because somebody gave me another chance.  I know how it is.  I know how it felt.

To be human is to know suffering in all of its manifestations.  And only when we look into the wealth these experiences of sufferings can we learn to become merciful to each other.  May the blessed mother teach us to be merciful like the Father, like the Son.