it is the altar which makes the relic holy: 34th week tuesday II

Last week we talked about the word sacrifice - that the mass is not just a mass but the holy sacrifice of the mass.  This is because the mass is the sacrifice of Jesus in Calvary and it is made present today for our benefit.  But joined to this sacrifice of Jesus are our own sacrifices, that this, too, is my sacrifice and yours, for when we join our sacrifices as parents, as children, as husbands and wives, as priests and religious, when we join our sacrifices in life with that of Jesus, these too become acceptable to God the Father almighty.  That is why it is recommended that in every altar there is a relic of a martyr.  I do not know if our altar has a relic, but, although not required, it is something recommended. 

Ngaa may relic gid?  Para magmangin balaan ang altar?  No.  It is not the relic of a martyr that makes the altar holy.  Rather it is the altar that makes the relic holy.  For it is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross that gives meaning to the sacrifice of a martyr.  It is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, on the altar which makes holy the death of a martyr.  Amo man ina sa aton - mangin balaan ang aton pag-antus, mangin balaan ang aton mga paghimakas, ang aton mga pagsakripisyo para sa isa kag isa kon ini naangot sa sakripisyo ni Kristo sa krus. 

Ang tatay ni Msgr. Joemarie napatay kag ginsugid ni Msgr. nga tuman gid ang kasakit nga  ginabatyag sang iya tatay tungod sang cancer of the liver.  Every hour na ang pain reliever.  Sa primero ginpamangkot man sang iya tatay ang iya kaugalingon ngaa masakit, ngaa maantus gid ako sing tuman, pero sia man lang ang nagasabat sang iya pamangkot.  May isa ka bes nga siling niya nga ining iya kasakit isa ka pagpaambit sa kasakit ni Kristo - nga siling niya nga daw ginpapahuway niya anay si Kristo sa kasakit kag sia anay ang nagkarga sini, sia anay ang nag-antus sang mga alantuson ni Kristo para sa aton.

Ti ano na lang ayhan kon indi ka sini makakita, kon wala ka sing kasubong nga panan-aw?  In Europe they want to make euthanasia legal, in fact there are countries where it is already legal.  Why? Why have themselves killed?  So that they won’t have to suffer anymore.  Why?  Because there is no more meaning to suffering.  Once you take away the crucifix from your line of vision, sacrifice becomes meaningless.  It is Jesus who gives meaning to our sacrifices and sufferings;, it is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross that lends meaning to my own and your own sacrifices.  This is our lex vivendi - our rule of life.  Take away the cross and there are a lot of things you cannot understand in your life anymore.  Sakto na ang siling ni Pope Benedict - it is Jesus who makes us human.  Indi kita ido nga kon indi na kita mapuslan, kon nagamasakit kita injeksyonan na lang kita agod magtulogan kag indi na makabugtaw pa.  Take away Jesus from the picture and a lot of what is human in us will also be gone.

This week I would like to reflect on the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer, specifically on the response, It is right and just.  When the priest says, let us give thanks to the Lord our God.  You answer, It is right and just.  In the past we answered this by saying, It is right to give him thanks and praise.  Today lex orandi is, it is right and just.

It is right and just to give thanks to God - God is worthy of our thanks and not only is he worthy but it is just - we are obliged to give thanks to God because we believe that God deserves to be thanked.  God does not only deserve to be thanked, it is also justice to give thanks to God.  It is justice to worship him, we give God what is due to God as God.  This is what we call the virtue of religion.

This is a typical Filipino attitude.  Ingrato, wala ka sing kabalaslan - we are referring to people who forgot to say thank you, to people who did not acknowledge a debt of gratitude.  And these accusations are not taken lightly.  That is why not to go to mass on Sunday is not just committing a sin against the third commandment.  It is also committing a sin against a cultural and social obligation of reciprocity and giving thanks.

This is a preoccupation of the Jews as we have seen in the gospel today - the temple was filled with precious gems and precious metals.  For the Jews that is justice - giving to God what is due to God because of what God has done for them -s ot he temple has to be beautified.  But Jesus reminded them that this kind of justice is passing, all these will crumble to the ground.  Why?  Because in reality we cannot pay God his due.  Indi naton mabayran ang Dios kay indi naton matupungan ang iya kaayo sa aton.    Indi mo matupungan ang kaayo sang Dios.

Nevertheless, though our efforts to please God will always be found wanting we render to him what is due to him to the best of our ability.  We call this the virtue of religion, we render to God what is due to God to the best of our ability.

Thus we affirm it is right and just to give thanks to God - it is an obligation, a demand of justice because God deserves to be thanked.