love ako sa gihapon ni … Papa Jesus - 1st sunday of lent C 2019

What is the goal of advertisements on radios and televisions?  How do they convince us to buy the products they sell?  This is the goal – they want to make us feel that we are lacking something, to make us feel inadequate.  That’s how they convince us to buy - ipabatyag nila sa tagpalamati nga may kulang sa aton kabuhi, kag produkto lang nila ang makasabat.  They do not say this directly but they would make you feel this – ngaa daw kaputi na sa iya, ako ya kaitom; ngaa kanami sang iya buhok, akon ya law-ay; kinahanglan ko man ina siguro ay.  Actually if you have not heard about it, you will never realize that you need it.  Have you noticed that?

This is also how the devil tempts us – the devil makes us feel lacking, he makes us feel inadequate.  I feel I am not good enough but if I do this I think I will become better.  I feel I am not loved and appreciated enough but if I do this I will be better loved and appreciated or so I think.  I am angry because I am not listened to.  Depression, suicide comes because I feel bad about myself.

When Jesus was tempted the devil tried to convince him that Jesus turn stone into bread suggesting subtlety that God the Father does not really care for him, that he was on his own.

When Jesus was tempted the devil suggested that he can give him the power and the glory easily if Jesus just worshipped him suggesting therefore that Jesus is too weak, too timid to do it on his own.

When Jesus was tempted the devil suggested that Jesus should test if he is really God’s beloved Son by jumping from the parapet of the temple and see whether the Father will protect him. 

But Jesus resisted all these temptations by reaffirming his relationship with Father in every temptation: God is more important than bread; only God should be worshipped; do not tempt the Lord your God. Jesus reaffirms his bond with his Father.

This is what lent is all about.  Lent is not about not eating this, denying yourself this and that.  No.  Lent is reacquiring, reaffirming our identity that we are children of God, that Jesus loves us, he died for us to save us because he loves each one of us.  That we should not believe the devil when it convinces us that we are good for nothing and that God does not care for us.

Pagkatapos sang malawig nga mga tinuig nakapakonpesar naman ako liwat sa mga kabataan, grade 3 tubtob grade 6.  Nabuhat ko man ini sang una – sa akon first and second year sa pagkapari.  Dayon wala na.  Subong naman after 25 years.  Upod sa duha pa gid ka pari nagpakonpesar kami para sa first communion sang Molo I kag Molo II.  Mga 300 ka mga estudyante.  Siempre sulit, sulit man lang na ang ila sala.  Siguro kaagi man kamo grade 3.  Ti ano gid bi sala mo sang grade 3 ka haw?  Kag siempre sulit-sulit man ang akon laygay.  

There was one little boy whose face I could not forget.  He came to me afraid, ashamed, and shaking.  Nagaduko sia sa pagsugid sang iya sala.   Gin-alsa ko ang iya ulo several times, pero after a while duko naman sia. Pagkatapos niya sugid sang iya mga sala, ginsulit ko sa iya ang laygay ko para sa tanan; “to, bal-an mo bisan nagdinungol ka, kag bisan magdinungol ka pa liwat, tandaan mo gid pirme nga love ka ni…. I did not finish the sentence but he immediately raised his head, gave me a big, big smile which I cannot forget and said, Papa Jesus.  Tandaan mo gid pirme love ka ni…. Papa Jesus.

That is why every time you are tempted to do evil, every time the devil tells you that you are lacking, pigado ka, like Jesus it is good to affirm who we are – anak ako sang Dios and like that little child with a big smile we also affirm nga bisan mag-inano pa da ang tanan, love ako sa gihapon ni … Papa Jesus.