Third Sunday of Advent B
John 1:6-8, 19-28
Happiness is remembering that God is with us.
John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie" (Jn.1:26-27).
The third Sunday of Advent is called "Gaudate" which means, "rejoice". Today instead of lighting the purple candle we light the pink as it suggests a more rejoicing attitude. Christmas is the time when we are caught up in preparations for a joyful celebration. We plan for a meaningful family gathering. We buy gifts and we decorate our homes with vivid lights. We wish our Christmas to be happy. This is what we long for and what we hope for, "Sana masaya ako ngayong pasko (I wish to be happy this Christmas)".
However, for some people especially those who are experiencing difficulty of their lives, this may simply be wishful thinking. There are those who will celebrate their Christmas without the presence of loved ones who died this year. Others are sick with cancer or other terrible disease. Some have been laid off from their jobs. Some are experiencing unbearable depression. Some are heartbroken. We wish to be happy this Christmas and we say to ourselves, “I wish I had my loved ones with me.” “I wish I could buy the dress that I want.” “I wish I could give gifts to my friends.” “I wish I could go shopping.” “I wish the girl that I love would already say yes to me.”
Yet, what will make Christmas truly happy is to remember that God is with us in good times as well as in bad times. He is present with us whether we are happy or sad. Many people have forgotten this truth. They are preoccupied with the things that they think will make them happy, and they have forgotten that the true source of happiness is Christ Himself.
This is what John the Baptist is inviting us to see - the one among us whom we do not recognize. The one coming after him whose sandal strap he is not worthy to untie (John 1:26-27). John points Christ out to us and directs us to the Lord. Therefore, our focus should be on Jesus because He is the One that will make us Happy.
A man who ran out to meet a monk who was passing by in a village. “Give me the stone,” he cried. The monk said, “What stone are you talking about?” The man said, “Last night the Lord appeared to me in a dream saying that a monk will pass by and give me a stone that will make me rich. So give me the stone.” The monk reached to his pocket and took the biggest diamond in the world and gave it to the man. The man seized it and went running home. That night he was not able to sleep. The following morning he went back to the monk and returned the diamond saying, “Here is your diamond. I want the kind of wealth that enables you to throw this wealth away.”(De Mello).
If we want to find happiness this Christmas, we have to discover the greatest wealth God gave us, and that is Jesus His son. It is only in Jesus that we can “Rejoice always” (1 Thes.5:16).
Friday, December 09, 2005
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Patience to Wait
32nd Sunday A
Mt.25:1-13
“Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all become drowsy and fell sleep” (Mt.25:5).
There were ten virgins who took their lamp and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish they took their lamp but brought no oil with them. The other five were wise they brought flasks of oil with their lamps. The bridegroom got delayed in his coming and they became drowsy and fell asleep.
What can we expect? It is not that easy to wait and they did not even know the time of the coming of the bridegroom. To wait is not actually a big deal but why is that it becomes a hard thing for us to do? Well, in our time where information technology rules, everything becomes fast and easy. Internet, cell phones, emails, ATMs, EZ pass, express lane, text and instant messages, etc. make everything quick and easy for us. Even the food that eat and the beverages that we drink are instant – instant noodles, instant coffee and those microwavable dinners.
These things are cool and good but we do not notice how they put us always in haste. Consequently, we want everything to be fast. Apparently we don’t have the patience to wait. The kids cannot wait until Christmas to open their gifts. Many people bet in the lottery because they want to get rich instantly. Some cannot wait for their promotion. We want instant success. We want instant popularity. Many young guys cannot wait for the right time to marry. Many motorists drive over the speed limit without realizing its danger. We become impatient when things don’t get done right away. We become compulsive and we want to accomplish a lot of things. We want to get to the top right ahead. We are never satisfied and we keep on craving for more. Our excitement is short-lived. We easily get tired of everything. We get upset when we don’t get things our way. We want quick-fix solution to our problems. We cannot tolerate boredom. We easily become frustrated when we fail. We focus too much on our timetable without giving time to appreciate the simple beauty of life. We run too fast to reach the finish line but we forget to look at the goal why we are running. We have too many tasks to accomplish but we have too little time do it. Everything must be fast, fast and fast.
There was a farmer who took delight in his farm. He ploughed and sowed special seed and did all he could to enrich his harvest. After a few weeks he began to wonder why in his neighbor’s field the grain grew taller than his own. This worried him. Suddenly he got a bright idea. He ran to his farm and began to pull the blades of growing grain out of the ground a bit to make them look taller. On his way home, he met his neighbor with the exceptional crop and told him what he had done. Both of them hurried back to the field to see if the new idea had worked. They were shocked to see that the entire field was withered and wilted (Karl Kleiner).
This is an example of a man who has no patient to wait. Our impatience could incite us to make foolish decisions and actions. It could affect our relationship. In our desire to become rich and successful we may forget our family. It could also affect our prayer life. We cannot spend longer time in prayer and savor the presence of the Lord. It could also affect our self-esteem. We only feel good about ourselves when we accomplish something.
Patience is a great virtue. The book of Proverbs says: “It is better to be patient than be powerful. It is better to win control over yourself than the whole city” (16:32). Let us reflect on these lines found in the breviary of St Teresa of Avila after her death:
Nada Te Turbe! Nada te turbe, Nada te espante; Todo se pasa; Dios no se muda. La paciencia todo lo alcanza. Quien a Dios tiene Nada le falta. Solo Dios basta. (Let nothing disturb you! Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frightens you, Everything passes away, God does not change! Patient endurance attain all things He who is with God lacks nothing at all; God alone is enough.)
Mt.25:1-13
“Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all become drowsy and fell sleep” (Mt.25:5).
There were ten virgins who took their lamp and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish they took their lamp but brought no oil with them. The other five were wise they brought flasks of oil with their lamps. The bridegroom got delayed in his coming and they became drowsy and fell asleep.
What can we expect? It is not that easy to wait and they did not even know the time of the coming of the bridegroom. To wait is not actually a big deal but why is that it becomes a hard thing for us to do? Well, in our time where information technology rules, everything becomes fast and easy. Internet, cell phones, emails, ATMs, EZ pass, express lane, text and instant messages, etc. make everything quick and easy for us. Even the food that eat and the beverages that we drink are instant – instant noodles, instant coffee and those microwavable dinners.
These things are cool and good but we do not notice how they put us always in haste. Consequently, we want everything to be fast. Apparently we don’t have the patience to wait. The kids cannot wait until Christmas to open their gifts. Many people bet in the lottery because they want to get rich instantly. Some cannot wait for their promotion. We want instant success. We want instant popularity. Many young guys cannot wait for the right time to marry. Many motorists drive over the speed limit without realizing its danger. We become impatient when things don’t get done right away. We become compulsive and we want to accomplish a lot of things. We want to get to the top right ahead. We are never satisfied and we keep on craving for more. Our excitement is short-lived. We easily get tired of everything. We get upset when we don’t get things our way. We want quick-fix solution to our problems. We cannot tolerate boredom. We easily become frustrated when we fail. We focus too much on our timetable without giving time to appreciate the simple beauty of life. We run too fast to reach the finish line but we forget to look at the goal why we are running. We have too many tasks to accomplish but we have too little time do it. Everything must be fast, fast and fast.
There was a farmer who took delight in his farm. He ploughed and sowed special seed and did all he could to enrich his harvest. After a few weeks he began to wonder why in his neighbor’s field the grain grew taller than his own. This worried him. Suddenly he got a bright idea. He ran to his farm and began to pull the blades of growing grain out of the ground a bit to make them look taller. On his way home, he met his neighbor with the exceptional crop and told him what he had done. Both of them hurried back to the field to see if the new idea had worked. They were shocked to see that the entire field was withered and wilted (Karl Kleiner).
This is an example of a man who has no patient to wait. Our impatience could incite us to make foolish decisions and actions. It could affect our relationship. In our desire to become rich and successful we may forget our family. It could also affect our prayer life. We cannot spend longer time in prayer and savor the presence of the Lord. It could also affect our self-esteem. We only feel good about ourselves when we accomplish something.
Patience is a great virtue. The book of Proverbs says: “It is better to be patient than be powerful. It is better to win control over yourself than the whole city” (16:32). Let us reflect on these lines found in the breviary of St Teresa of Avila after her death:
Nada Te Turbe! Nada te turbe, Nada te espante; Todo se pasa; Dios no se muda. La paciencia todo lo alcanza. Quien a Dios tiene Nada le falta. Solo Dios basta. (Let nothing disturb you! Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frightens you, Everything passes away, God does not change! Patient endurance attain all things He who is with God lacks nothing at all; God alone is enough.)
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Our faith is not a Matter of Performance
31st Sunday A Mt 23:1-12
"The greatest among you must be your servant" (Mt. 23:11)
There was an army major who was in his new office when a private appeared at the door. He wanted to impress the soldier, so as he let him in, the major said, "Come in, soldier! I'll be right with you after I answer this phone call." Speaking on the phone he said, "Well, General, good to hear your voice. How can I help you?" After a pause, he then said, "Fine General, I'll call the President within an hour!" Then he said to the rpviate, who was staring at the floor nervously, "Now soldier, what can I do for You?" Without looking up, the private said in a loud voice, "The sergeant told me to come in and hook up your telephone."
Jesus always rebuked the Scribes and Pharisees because they did not practice what they preached. They tied up heavy burdens and laid them on people's shoulder, but not lift a finger to move them. All their works was performed only for show. Just like the major in our story, the Scribes and Pharisees merely wanted to impress people.
For Jesus, greatness does not consist in taking places of honor at banquets, or seats of honor in synagogues, being greeted in marketplaces and being called "Rabbi". Rather, he or she must be the one who serves others.
Jesus invites us to reset our values. While the world tells us to aspire for position, Jesus is saying the opposite, "The greatest among you must be your servant" (Mt. 23:11). The disciples whom Jesus looks for is a humble servant.
Can we serve the Lord, even if there is no position, or we are not elected as parish council officers? Can we serve the Lord even if there is no applause, recognition or publicity? Can we serve the Lord even if nobody sees us? Can we serve the Lord even if we are rejected and humiliated? Can we serve the Lord even if people laugh at us? Can we serve the Lord even if people do not say thanks to us? Can we serve the Lord even if our task is the most menial ones?
William Barclay told a story about a type of disciple that Jesus looks for. A monk was dispatched from one manastery to another as abbot. When he arrived at his new jurisdiction, the monks did not inquire who he was. From his manner and appearance, they judged him beneath them. So they sent him to work in their kitchen at the most menial tasks. Without complaints, their new abbot spent long days scouring pots, washing floors, and shelling beans. Finally, the bishop of the diocese arrived at the monastery. When he could not find the long overdue abbot, he went on a search. Of course, he found him in the kitchen preparing the night's supper. He officially presented him to the monks in their chapel at Vespers. The disposition of this abbot taught them a lesson in humility.
God calls us to serve Him many various ways. Titles and positions are only good if they help us fulfill our tasks. But if they will make us proud, we are no better than the Scribes and Pharisees. Remember, for Jesus, the greatest is not the person with titles or positions but the one who serves others.
Our faith is not a matter of performance geared to impress people. It is a matter of humble service.
- Fr. Nony S. Villaluz
"The greatest among you must be your servant" (Mt. 23:11)
There was an army major who was in his new office when a private appeared at the door. He wanted to impress the soldier, so as he let him in, the major said, "Come in, soldier! I'll be right with you after I answer this phone call." Speaking on the phone he said, "Well, General, good to hear your voice. How can I help you?" After a pause, he then said, "Fine General, I'll call the President within an hour!" Then he said to the rpviate, who was staring at the floor nervously, "Now soldier, what can I do for You?" Without looking up, the private said in a loud voice, "The sergeant told me to come in and hook up your telephone."
Jesus always rebuked the Scribes and Pharisees because they did not practice what they preached. They tied up heavy burdens and laid them on people's shoulder, but not lift a finger to move them. All their works was performed only for show. Just like the major in our story, the Scribes and Pharisees merely wanted to impress people.
For Jesus, greatness does not consist in taking places of honor at banquets, or seats of honor in synagogues, being greeted in marketplaces and being called "Rabbi". Rather, he or she must be the one who serves others.
Jesus invites us to reset our values. While the world tells us to aspire for position, Jesus is saying the opposite, "The greatest among you must be your servant" (Mt. 23:11). The disciples whom Jesus looks for is a humble servant.
Can we serve the Lord, even if there is no position, or we are not elected as parish council officers? Can we serve the Lord even if there is no applause, recognition or publicity? Can we serve the Lord even if nobody sees us? Can we serve the Lord even if we are rejected and humiliated? Can we serve the Lord even if people laugh at us? Can we serve the Lord even if people do not say thanks to us? Can we serve the Lord even if our task is the most menial ones?
William Barclay told a story about a type of disciple that Jesus looks for. A monk was dispatched from one manastery to another as abbot. When he arrived at his new jurisdiction, the monks did not inquire who he was. From his manner and appearance, they judged him beneath them. So they sent him to work in their kitchen at the most menial tasks. Without complaints, their new abbot spent long days scouring pots, washing floors, and shelling beans. Finally, the bishop of the diocese arrived at the monastery. When he could not find the long overdue abbot, he went on a search. Of course, he found him in the kitchen preparing the night's supper. He officially presented him to the monks in their chapel at Vespers. The disposition of this abbot taught them a lesson in humility.
God calls us to serve Him many various ways. Titles and positions are only good if they help us fulfill our tasks. But if they will make us proud, we are no better than the Scribes and Pharisees. Remember, for Jesus, the greatest is not the person with titles or positions but the one who serves others.
Our faith is not a matter of performance geared to impress people. It is a matter of humble service.
- Fr. Nony S. Villaluz
Friday, October 07, 2005
What Kind of Guests are we to Christ's Feast?
28 Sunday A
Mt.22:1-10
“Many are invited, but few are chosen” (Mt.22: 14)
One Sunday, a gentleman was coming out of church when the priest grabbed him by the hand, pulled him aside and said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!" The man replied, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Father." The priest questioned, "How come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?" He whispered back, "Father, I'm in the secret service."
Christ told us the story of a king celebrating the wedding of his son. This was a metaphor of God’s invitation to experience His salvation. There were different kinds of guests mentioned in the parable. The ones who were invited but refused to come; the invited guests who paid no attention and went away, some to their fields and others to their work.; the guests that the servants found on the road which filled the hall, and a man not wearing a wedding garment.
In the Eucharist, God invites us to celebrate His love and our salvation. It is here where we hear the word of God telling us how much He loves us. In the Eucharist we are spiritually nourished as we partake in the body and blood of Christ. But how eager are we to come to this celebration?
Are we in the active or are we in the secret service? What kind of guests are we to Christ’s feast? For our reflection, let us compare ourselves to these different kinds of guests.
There were guests who went to the fields or to their work. They were not bad people but they were preoccupied with their own affairs and business. It is not bad to be serious in our job. We need to work, but we become preoccupied with the necessities of life that we cannot attend the Eucharist anymore. It becomes a hindrance for us to experience the joy of celebrating God’s love and salvation.
Every Sunday all the churches in the Philippines are filled with people. But do you know that they are not even 30% of the church total Catholic population? It is a sad reality: All is invited but many refused to come. Many people who missed mass on Sunday felt guilty because they failed their Sunday obligation. But how many are truly sorry not because they failed in their obligation but they missed this great celebration of God’s love?
Who is the guest not dressed in a wedding garment? There are people who go to church not modestly dressed that can be a cause of distraction. However, this can also be likened to those people who are physically present in the church but their hearts and minds are not in the celebration. They go to church for show and chat while the mass is going on. They never turn off or put their cell phones in a silent mode. They look for people to criticize and even judge how the lectors do the reading or how the priest delivers the homily.
What kind of guests are we to Christ’s feast? Like those who ignore the invitation? Like those who come but not properly dressed? Or like those who accept the invitation with joy and celebrate Christ’s feast with faith, hope and love?
God Bless you all!
Mt.22:1-10
“Many are invited, but few are chosen” (Mt.22: 14)
One Sunday, a gentleman was coming out of church when the priest grabbed him by the hand, pulled him aside and said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!" The man replied, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Father." The priest questioned, "How come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?" He whispered back, "Father, I'm in the secret service."
Christ told us the story of a king celebrating the wedding of his son. This was a metaphor of God’s invitation to experience His salvation. There were different kinds of guests mentioned in the parable. The ones who were invited but refused to come; the invited guests who paid no attention and went away, some to their fields and others to their work.; the guests that the servants found on the road which filled the hall, and a man not wearing a wedding garment.
In the Eucharist, God invites us to celebrate His love and our salvation. It is here where we hear the word of God telling us how much He loves us. In the Eucharist we are spiritually nourished as we partake in the body and blood of Christ. But how eager are we to come to this celebration?
Are we in the active or are we in the secret service? What kind of guests are we to Christ’s feast? For our reflection, let us compare ourselves to these different kinds of guests.
There were guests who went to the fields or to their work. They were not bad people but they were preoccupied with their own affairs and business. It is not bad to be serious in our job. We need to work, but we become preoccupied with the necessities of life that we cannot attend the Eucharist anymore. It becomes a hindrance for us to experience the joy of celebrating God’s love and salvation.
Every Sunday all the churches in the Philippines are filled with people. But do you know that they are not even 30% of the church total Catholic population? It is a sad reality: All is invited but many refused to come. Many people who missed mass on Sunday felt guilty because they failed their Sunday obligation. But how many are truly sorry not because they failed in their obligation but they missed this great celebration of God’s love?
Who is the guest not dressed in a wedding garment? There are people who go to church not modestly dressed that can be a cause of distraction. However, this can also be likened to those people who are physically present in the church but their hearts and minds are not in the celebration. They go to church for show and chat while the mass is going on. They never turn off or put their cell phones in a silent mode. They look for people to criticize and even judge how the lectors do the reading or how the priest delivers the homily.
What kind of guests are we to Christ’s feast? Like those who ignore the invitation? Like those who come but not properly dressed? Or like those who accept the invitation with joy and celebrate Christ’s feast with faith, hope and love?
God Bless you all!
Sunday, October 02, 2005
We are only tenants of God’s blessings
27th Sunday A
Mt.21:33-43
"Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit” (Mt 21:43).
I have been to many churches but I have never seen one without doing any fund raiser for their projects. I have seen a lot of generous people and I admire them for supporting the church. I am annoyed though to hear people saying, “I will help build the church if I win in the lottery.” Or “I will donate to the church when good fortune comes to me.” If churches depended on these kinds of people, I wonder how they would survive. Churches would be closed. Sometimes I ask, “Why is it that when it comes to the church we are cheap when in fact whatever we have comes from the Lord?”
In the parable of the tenants, the landowner leased the vineyard to the tenants. When vintage time came, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants, and one they beat, another they killed and a third they stoned. The landowner never gave up, he sent more servants but they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son thinking that they will respect him. But when the tenants saw the son they killed him also to acquire his inheritance. The vineyard in this parable stood for the people of Israel. The owner was God. The farmers were the rulers and priests who supervised the country. The servants were the prophets sent throughout the centuries and the son was clearly Jesus. The chief priests and elders had been placed in charge of the law, the prophecies, the sacrifices and all the riches, which God bestowed upon the Chosen People. But sad to say they were more concerned with themselves than with the work of God’s kingdom.
God has also entrusted us with time, talents and treasures, which we can use to promote God’s kingdom. At the day of reckoning, we are all accountable to the Lord to return its produce. Whatever we have is not actually ours because we are only God’s stewards, and we have to share our time, talents and treasure for the good of the community to promote God’s kingdom. But are we like the tenants whose greedy purpose is to keep God’s blessing for themselves? Why is it so hard for us to be generous to church? Why are we apathetic to the poverty around us? I think the problem here boils down to the fact that many of us opted to be avaricious.
Aesop has this fable about the dog and the shadow. A dog, crossing a bridge over a stream with a piece of flesh in his mouth, saw his own shadow in the water, and took it for that of another dog, with a piece of meat double his own in size. He therefore let go his own, and fiercely attacked the other dog, to get his larger piece from him. He thus lost both: that which he grasped at in the water, because it was a shadow; and his own, because the stream swept it away.
Even though people who are greedy are dissatisfied with what they have, they still cannot share it to others. Let us not forget that whatever we have is God’s blessing to us. We are only tenants of His blessing and not the owners. We are responsible and accountable to Him for the way we use or abuse our endowments.
Are we using our gifts to promote God’s kingdom or are we using it to advance our personal interests?
Rev. Fr. Nony S. Villaluz. CRM
Mt.21:33-43
"Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit” (Mt 21:43).
I have been to many churches but I have never seen one without doing any fund raiser for their projects. I have seen a lot of generous people and I admire them for supporting the church. I am annoyed though to hear people saying, “I will help build the church if I win in the lottery.” Or “I will donate to the church when good fortune comes to me.” If churches depended on these kinds of people, I wonder how they would survive. Churches would be closed. Sometimes I ask, “Why is it that when it comes to the church we are cheap when in fact whatever we have comes from the Lord?”
In the parable of the tenants, the landowner leased the vineyard to the tenants. When vintage time came, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants, and one they beat, another they killed and a third they stoned. The landowner never gave up, he sent more servants but they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son thinking that they will respect him. But when the tenants saw the son they killed him also to acquire his inheritance. The vineyard in this parable stood for the people of Israel. The owner was God. The farmers were the rulers and priests who supervised the country. The servants were the prophets sent throughout the centuries and the son was clearly Jesus. The chief priests and elders had been placed in charge of the law, the prophecies, the sacrifices and all the riches, which God bestowed upon the Chosen People. But sad to say they were more concerned with themselves than with the work of God’s kingdom.
God has also entrusted us with time, talents and treasures, which we can use to promote God’s kingdom. At the day of reckoning, we are all accountable to the Lord to return its produce. Whatever we have is not actually ours because we are only God’s stewards, and we have to share our time, talents and treasure for the good of the community to promote God’s kingdom. But are we like the tenants whose greedy purpose is to keep God’s blessing for themselves? Why is it so hard for us to be generous to church? Why are we apathetic to the poverty around us? I think the problem here boils down to the fact that many of us opted to be avaricious.
Aesop has this fable about the dog and the shadow. A dog, crossing a bridge over a stream with a piece of flesh in his mouth, saw his own shadow in the water, and took it for that of another dog, with a piece of meat double his own in size. He therefore let go his own, and fiercely attacked the other dog, to get his larger piece from him. He thus lost both: that which he grasped at in the water, because it was a shadow; and his own, because the stream swept it away.
Even though people who are greedy are dissatisfied with what they have, they still cannot share it to others. Let us not forget that whatever we have is God’s blessing to us. We are only tenants of His blessing and not the owners. We are responsible and accountable to Him for the way we use or abuse our endowments.
Are we using our gifts to promote God’s kingdom or are we using it to advance our personal interests?
Rev. Fr. Nony S. Villaluz. CRM
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
26th Sunday A
Mt.21:28-32
What is your opinion?
A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.” He said in reply, “I will not,” but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, “Yes, sir,” but did not go. “Which of the two did his father's will?” They answered, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you” (Mt.21: 28-31).
The story is told of a man who was confined to his bed at home. People from the parish came to see him. After their visit, they said, "We will pray for you." The cripple replied, "I can do my own praying. But, if you really want to help, you can take out the garbage and do the dishes"(Gilhooley).
Sometimes it is so easy for us to express our care and concern but we fail to demonstrate it more eloquently through our action. As Christians we must be the visual aid to teach other people the right way of living. In the parable of the two sons, we heard the first saying “No” to his father who told him to go out and work in the vineyard, but later he changed his mind and went. The second son on the other hand, says, “Yes” but actually did not go. The first son may be worse for saying “No” but because he resolved to go, he was actually the better one. The second son may be commendable for saying, “Yes” to his father, but he is false to his father. His love is only in words and not with his heart and his action.
From this we can see that what validates and authenticates our love is our action. We prove our love by our deeds. Actions speak louder than words. Jesus is teaching us how to be committed to God. Commitment is a matter of performance and not words. It is not only observing rituals and keeping the rules but also living the Gospel values. Our greatest downfall as Christians is the ambivalent ways we live our lives. We praise God inside the church but we are indifferent with our fellow human beings outside the worship.
In 1896, Charles Sheldon had written a book “In His Steps”, which started the movement WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?). One day a ragged man told a church congregation, “It seems to me, there’s an awful lot of trouble in the world that somehow wouldn’t exist if all the people who sing such songs live them out.” The man later passed away. The minister and congregation were shocked and ashamed. They pledge to do everything in their daily lives after asking the question, “What would Jesus do?”
Saying “yes” to God means we try to become Jesus to others. There must be congruence in what we say and do. Perhaps we are drawn to God’s love but our response is “no” because we are not yet ready to commit ourselves to Him. Thus, we fail many times. But the good news is we can always repent and commit ourselves to the truth. We can overcome our resistance and hesitation and love God with our action. The challenge of true Christian commitment is not only to say, “Yes” to God but also to be like Jesus to others. When people meet and get to know us, do they also want to meet and get to know Christ? Do we attract people to Christ or we turn them off by the way we live? Let us turn away from selfishness and hypocrisy. Let us humble ourselves to the Lord and ask pardon for the many times we say “no”.
Let us not only say nice things to others but act in the way that enhances their well-being.
Rev. Fr. Nony S. Villaluz, CRM
Mt.21:28-32
What is your opinion?
A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.” He said in reply, “I will not,” but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, “Yes, sir,” but did not go. “Which of the two did his father's will?” They answered, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you” (Mt.21: 28-31).
The story is told of a man who was confined to his bed at home. People from the parish came to see him. After their visit, they said, "We will pray for you." The cripple replied, "I can do my own praying. But, if you really want to help, you can take out the garbage and do the dishes"(Gilhooley).
Sometimes it is so easy for us to express our care and concern but we fail to demonstrate it more eloquently through our action. As Christians we must be the visual aid to teach other people the right way of living. In the parable of the two sons, we heard the first saying “No” to his father who told him to go out and work in the vineyard, but later he changed his mind and went. The second son on the other hand, says, “Yes” but actually did not go. The first son may be worse for saying “No” but because he resolved to go, he was actually the better one. The second son may be commendable for saying, “Yes” to his father, but he is false to his father. His love is only in words and not with his heart and his action.
From this we can see that what validates and authenticates our love is our action. We prove our love by our deeds. Actions speak louder than words. Jesus is teaching us how to be committed to God. Commitment is a matter of performance and not words. It is not only observing rituals and keeping the rules but also living the Gospel values. Our greatest downfall as Christians is the ambivalent ways we live our lives. We praise God inside the church but we are indifferent with our fellow human beings outside the worship.
In 1896, Charles Sheldon had written a book “In His Steps”, which started the movement WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?). One day a ragged man told a church congregation, “It seems to me, there’s an awful lot of trouble in the world that somehow wouldn’t exist if all the people who sing such songs live them out.” The man later passed away. The minister and congregation were shocked and ashamed. They pledge to do everything in their daily lives after asking the question, “What would Jesus do?”
Saying “yes” to God means we try to become Jesus to others. There must be congruence in what we say and do. Perhaps we are drawn to God’s love but our response is “no” because we are not yet ready to commit ourselves to Him. Thus, we fail many times. But the good news is we can always repent and commit ourselves to the truth. We can overcome our resistance and hesitation and love God with our action. The challenge of true Christian commitment is not only to say, “Yes” to God but also to be like Jesus to others. When people meet and get to know us, do they also want to meet and get to know Christ? Do we attract people to Christ or we turn them off by the way we live? Let us turn away from selfishness and hypocrisy. Let us humble ourselves to the Lord and ask pardon for the many times we say “no”.
Let us not only say nice things to others but act in the way that enhances their well-being.
Rev. Fr. Nony S. Villaluz, CRM
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Putting Ourselves Back in Control
24th Sunday A
Mt.18:21-35
Then Peter approaching asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times”(Mt. 18. 22-23).
Peter asked the Lord how many times does one have to forgive. Jesus told him, “Not seven times but seventy-seven times.” Why did Jesus say this? When we are doing something good and beautiful, we want to repeat it endlessly. Forgiveness is something beautiful and it must be done endlessly.
What is Forgiveness? When we are wronged we carry pains in our hearts. Deep within us we feel the need to protect our pride and demand justice for the unfair actions done to us. If we are thinking that seeing our offenders punished for what they have done, would give us some peace of mind, we are mistaken. The key to inner peace is not revenge but forgiveness. Forgiveness is the only choice that we can make to have a peaceful heart. To forgive is to use our creative power to heal the wounds of the past that we cannot change. We want to be healed by forgiving those people whom we blame for wronging and wounding us. While forgiveness may be an unnatural response to the wrongs done to us, it is the only remedy to heal our pain.
One time, I was watching the news and it’s about the son of Lydia De Vega (Philippine sprint queen) who was killed when hit by a passenger jeep. She loved her son very much and mourned his death. However, she did not sue the driver. She said, “I already lost my son because of what happened. I don’t want the children of this driver to suffer the loss of their father if he will be incarcerated. One loss is enough.”
Isn’t this inspiring?
Why do we need to forgive? We need to forgive not only because it is an opportunity to be like Jesus to our wrongdoers. We need to forgive because this is what is good for us. We want to forgive not because we condone the wrongs done to us but we simply want to give peace to ourselves. The decision to forgive is an act of charity for others and for ourselves. Schell said, “To refuse to forgive is to continue to hurt yourself. Victimized once, your lack of forgiveness keeps you stuck as a victim, holding on to a victim’s identity.” We need to forgive because we don’t want to live a disturbed, agitated, and distressed life. Forgiveness is about the quality of our life. Whenever we ask the questions: “What if our wrongdoers are not sorry? What if the person has no remorse for his trespasses? What if the person does it again? Or what if she doesn’t change?” We give them power over our decision to forgive. We allow them to influence us in the way we want to live our life.
Schell said, “Don’t put conditions on your forgiveness, or your inner peace will depend on the decision of the person who hurt you. Make your own choice. Forgive even when there has been no apology or restitution. If you withhold forgiveness until wrong is made right, you risk condemning yourself to a life sentence of bitterness; you risk letting your life be shaped by someone else’s.”
Let us not forget, when we forgive, we are putting ourselves back in control.
(Posted in behalf of Fr. Nony)
Mt.18:21-35
Then Peter approaching asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times”(Mt. 18. 22-23).
Peter asked the Lord how many times does one have to forgive. Jesus told him, “Not seven times but seventy-seven times.” Why did Jesus say this? When we are doing something good and beautiful, we want to repeat it endlessly. Forgiveness is something beautiful and it must be done endlessly.
What is Forgiveness? When we are wronged we carry pains in our hearts. Deep within us we feel the need to protect our pride and demand justice for the unfair actions done to us. If we are thinking that seeing our offenders punished for what they have done, would give us some peace of mind, we are mistaken. The key to inner peace is not revenge but forgiveness. Forgiveness is the only choice that we can make to have a peaceful heart. To forgive is to use our creative power to heal the wounds of the past that we cannot change. We want to be healed by forgiving those people whom we blame for wronging and wounding us. While forgiveness may be an unnatural response to the wrongs done to us, it is the only remedy to heal our pain.
One time, I was watching the news and it’s about the son of Lydia De Vega (Philippine sprint queen) who was killed when hit by a passenger jeep. She loved her son very much and mourned his death. However, she did not sue the driver. She said, “I already lost my son because of what happened. I don’t want the children of this driver to suffer the loss of their father if he will be incarcerated. One loss is enough.”
Isn’t this inspiring?
Why do we need to forgive? We need to forgive not only because it is an opportunity to be like Jesus to our wrongdoers. We need to forgive because this is what is good for us. We want to forgive not because we condone the wrongs done to us but we simply want to give peace to ourselves. The decision to forgive is an act of charity for others and for ourselves. Schell said, “To refuse to forgive is to continue to hurt yourself. Victimized once, your lack of forgiveness keeps you stuck as a victim, holding on to a victim’s identity.” We need to forgive because we don’t want to live a disturbed, agitated, and distressed life. Forgiveness is about the quality of our life. Whenever we ask the questions: “What if our wrongdoers are not sorry? What if the person has no remorse for his trespasses? What if the person does it again? Or what if she doesn’t change?” We give them power over our decision to forgive. We allow them to influence us in the way we want to live our life.
Schell said, “Don’t put conditions on your forgiveness, or your inner peace will depend on the decision of the person who hurt you. Make your own choice. Forgive even when there has been no apology or restitution. If you withhold forgiveness until wrong is made right, you risk condemning yourself to a life sentence of bitterness; you risk letting your life be shaped by someone else’s.”
Let us not forget, when we forgive, we are putting ourselves back in control.
(Posted in behalf of Fr. Nony)
Friday, September 02, 2005
A Spiritual Veggie
23rd Sunday A
"Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I in their midst"
Matthew 18:20
There is a wonderful story about a family with one house rule that always was strictly enforced: everyone's plate had to be cleaned at every meal, without question or discussion of any kind. And the rule included vegetables. At first, the children griped a lot, but soon they fell in the spirit of the rule and eating every morsel on the plate became almost automatic to them. Moreover, the rule began to pay great dividends for the children after a sign was posted in the school lunch-room. It read: "No dessert until you show your empty plate." The children of that family had no problem with that lunch-room edict, and the eleven-year-old even found a way in which to turn it into a fantastic enterprise. This was revealed when his father stumbled onto a cigar box loaded with $38 in small change tucked away in the boy's bedroom closet. The parent had no notion of how his eleven-year-old son had come into such a sum. Fearing the worst, he asked the boy about it. "I earned it at school," the boy explained. "The other kids pay me to eat their vegetables. I charge a nickel for spinach, ten cents for broccoli and fifteen cents for cauliflower."
That, I am told, is a true story, and an excellent one to remember when we are tempted to question God's silence. We pray and we pray, and we wait and we wait for some comforting answer but we hear no response and we ask "Why?" "Why doesn't God answer our prayers?" Or we come here to Church for worship and prayer together and we hear the Gospel Lesson teaching us that Jesus is right there in the midst of it when two or three are gathered in His Name, and it all sounds very appealing, but nothing is happening. Here we are in God's House, in God's Presence. Jesus is in our midst, and nothing is happening. It's all very ho-hum and humdrum, just like last week and the week before that. Why? I suspect the answer for many of us is that we are not eating our own spiritual spinach. We pray that our lives will be enriched. We want peace of mind and soul. We want to live inspired lives, to grow and develop to our full potential. We want fulfillment. We want the new life that Jesus and the Gospels and the sermons are always promising us. In short, we want the truly good things in life but we do not want to pay the price. We want our lives to soar on undernourished wings. But we'll never get off the ground that way. Distasteful as it may seem, we simply must eat our own spiritual spinach or there will be no spiritual growth, no effective prayer experience, and no happenings here in Church when two or three, or three hundred are gathered together. Week after week we can assemble here as we have today, but if we are not eating our own spiritual spinach we are not gathering together in Jesus' Name. And we shall continue to move from this uneventful worship and prayer experience to the next, and the next, and the next ...
You cannot have your dessert until your plates are clean! The most important thing you can do with your life right now is to embark on a plate-cleaning inward journey, deep down into the center of your being-the point of direct encounter with the love and the power and the Grace of God. We are talking about that deep, deep level where the soul is laid bare, where the real stock-taking occurs, where the spinach is swallowed and the plate is picked so clean you can see your reflection in it as clearly as when you do the dishes with Ivory Liquid. We are talking about that deep, deep level at which you can see yourself as you really are and where you can make honest decisions about your life, about who you are and what you ought to do. We are talking about that deep, deep level where the cost of fulfillment is revealed as the bitterest of all spiritual spinach: change. To admit that you will be unable to enrich your own personhood, fulfill your life, become the beautiful, unique human being God created you to be unless you change radically, is a bitter potion for you to swallow.
Into the midst of His People Jesus came. He announced the Good News of a loving God who would bring them to fulfillment. Through who He was and what He did He revealed to His People the image of the God of Love. He offered Himself as the Supreme Model for a proper response to their loving God. And His People decided that He must die. They couldn't stand the love of God in their midst. Jesus had made it clear that in order to follow after the Model they would have to make radical changes in their accustomed life-styles. They needed to change their ways of relating to one another and to outsiders. And they could not stand it. They refused to let go of things-as-they-were. It threatened their security, their ego, their pocketbook and their spiritless, rigid religiosity. Jesus came with the Good News that a loving God was offering them a better way. Life would be enriched by a whole new spirit, a whole new value system. Their lives would be raised up, out of the pit of purposelessness and on to a new level of lasting meaning. All this would come to those who would repent (i.e., change radically) and follow Him. But they could not stand that spiritual spinach. And so they nailed the Prophet to a tree and He died in their midst.
Do we want a dead Jesus or a live Jesus in our midst? Do we opt now for things-as-they-are or for things-as-they-ought-to-be? Go down deep, where you can see and feel and embrace the living Christ in your midst. And ...
-If you are involved presently in a relationship or a habit that is potentially destructive to yourself and others, then decide down at that deep, self-revealing level whether or not you are going to change all that
-If you are involved presently in a business or a job that profits from the deception and exploitation of other human beings, then decide at that deep self-revealing level whether or not you are going to change all that
-If you are a self-righteous person, grown used to condemning others out of hand, then decide at that deep, self-revealing level whether or not you are going to change all that
-If your family life is sick for want of your love and compassion and forgiveness, then decide at that deep, self-revealing level whether or not you are going to change all that
-If you are a person who is content to have an abundance of material resources while others have not even the means of survival, then decide at that deep self-revealing level whether or not you are ready to make a radical change in your attitude toward the poor and the downtrodden
At a high school commencement exercise, one of the senior girls delivered a closing prayer which she herself had written. The young woman began to read her prayer at that time when the confusion and the shifting at the edges of the crowd begins, as people's thoughts turn to the parking lot. But, as the prayer unfolded, the noise quickly subsided and a miraculous silence settled over the crowd. It lasted until the last word of the prayer was uttered. Here is a portion of that prayer:
Dear God, grant us one thing before we leave the sheltered reassurance of our childhood. Show us Life. Not an empty, shallow world of shallow people and shallow dreams, but real life ... For we have known the bliss of childhood as well as the passion of adolescence now. We've heard the cry of babies, and we've seen the fear of death on a soldier's face. We want to change the world but we don't know how. We want to throw our arms around our brothers but our hands cannot reach. We want to break the bonds of conformity that tie us to the ground, but we're not strong. Smile on us when we drink from the waters of truth. And, when we are old, reassure us that our struggle helped to make the world a world of peace, compassion and wisdom. And please don't let us die without ever having lived ... May we feel God's love always in our lives!
"Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I in their midst"
Matthew 18:20
There is a wonderful story about a family with one house rule that always was strictly enforced: everyone's plate had to be cleaned at every meal, without question or discussion of any kind. And the rule included vegetables. At first, the children griped a lot, but soon they fell in the spirit of the rule and eating every morsel on the plate became almost automatic to them. Moreover, the rule began to pay great dividends for the children after a sign was posted in the school lunch-room. It read: "No dessert until you show your empty plate." The children of that family had no problem with that lunch-room edict, and the eleven-year-old even found a way in which to turn it into a fantastic enterprise. This was revealed when his father stumbled onto a cigar box loaded with $38 in small change tucked away in the boy's bedroom closet. The parent had no notion of how his eleven-year-old son had come into such a sum. Fearing the worst, he asked the boy about it. "I earned it at school," the boy explained. "The other kids pay me to eat their vegetables. I charge a nickel for spinach, ten cents for broccoli and fifteen cents for cauliflower."
That, I am told, is a true story, and an excellent one to remember when we are tempted to question God's silence. We pray and we pray, and we wait and we wait for some comforting answer but we hear no response and we ask "Why?" "Why doesn't God answer our prayers?" Or we come here to Church for worship and prayer together and we hear the Gospel Lesson teaching us that Jesus is right there in the midst of it when two or three are gathered in His Name, and it all sounds very appealing, but nothing is happening. Here we are in God's House, in God's Presence. Jesus is in our midst, and nothing is happening. It's all very ho-hum and humdrum, just like last week and the week before that. Why? I suspect the answer for many of us is that we are not eating our own spiritual spinach. We pray that our lives will be enriched. We want peace of mind and soul. We want to live inspired lives, to grow and develop to our full potential. We want fulfillment. We want the new life that Jesus and the Gospels and the sermons are always promising us. In short, we want the truly good things in life but we do not want to pay the price. We want our lives to soar on undernourished wings. But we'll never get off the ground that way. Distasteful as it may seem, we simply must eat our own spiritual spinach or there will be no spiritual growth, no effective prayer experience, and no happenings here in Church when two or three, or three hundred are gathered together. Week after week we can assemble here as we have today, but if we are not eating our own spiritual spinach we are not gathering together in Jesus' Name. And we shall continue to move from this uneventful worship and prayer experience to the next, and the next, and the next ...
You cannot have your dessert until your plates are clean! The most important thing you can do with your life right now is to embark on a plate-cleaning inward journey, deep down into the center of your being-the point of direct encounter with the love and the power and the Grace of God. We are talking about that deep, deep level where the soul is laid bare, where the real stock-taking occurs, where the spinach is swallowed and the plate is picked so clean you can see your reflection in it as clearly as when you do the dishes with Ivory Liquid. We are talking about that deep, deep level at which you can see yourself as you really are and where you can make honest decisions about your life, about who you are and what you ought to do. We are talking about that deep, deep level where the cost of fulfillment is revealed as the bitterest of all spiritual spinach: change. To admit that you will be unable to enrich your own personhood, fulfill your life, become the beautiful, unique human being God created you to be unless you change radically, is a bitter potion for you to swallow.
Into the midst of His People Jesus came. He announced the Good News of a loving God who would bring them to fulfillment. Through who He was and what He did He revealed to His People the image of the God of Love. He offered Himself as the Supreme Model for a proper response to their loving God. And His People decided that He must die. They couldn't stand the love of God in their midst. Jesus had made it clear that in order to follow after the Model they would have to make radical changes in their accustomed life-styles. They needed to change their ways of relating to one another and to outsiders. And they could not stand it. They refused to let go of things-as-they-were. It threatened their security, their ego, their pocketbook and their spiritless, rigid religiosity. Jesus came with the Good News that a loving God was offering them a better way. Life would be enriched by a whole new spirit, a whole new value system. Their lives would be raised up, out of the pit of purposelessness and on to a new level of lasting meaning. All this would come to those who would repent (i.e., change radically) and follow Him. But they could not stand that spiritual spinach. And so they nailed the Prophet to a tree and He died in their midst.
Do we want a dead Jesus or a live Jesus in our midst? Do we opt now for things-as-they-are or for things-as-they-ought-to-be? Go down deep, where you can see and feel and embrace the living Christ in your midst. And ...
-If you are involved presently in a relationship or a habit that is potentially destructive to yourself and others, then decide down at that deep, self-revealing level whether or not you are going to change all that
-If you are involved presently in a business or a job that profits from the deception and exploitation of other human beings, then decide at that deep self-revealing level whether or not you are going to change all that
-If you are a self-righteous person, grown used to condemning others out of hand, then decide at that deep, self-revealing level whether or not you are going to change all that
-If your family life is sick for want of your love and compassion and forgiveness, then decide at that deep, self-revealing level whether or not you are going to change all that
-If you are a person who is content to have an abundance of material resources while others have not even the means of survival, then decide at that deep self-revealing level whether or not you are ready to make a radical change in your attitude toward the poor and the downtrodden
At a high school commencement exercise, one of the senior girls delivered a closing prayer which she herself had written. The young woman began to read her prayer at that time when the confusion and the shifting at the edges of the crowd begins, as people's thoughts turn to the parking lot. But, as the prayer unfolded, the noise quickly subsided and a miraculous silence settled over the crowd. It lasted until the last word of the prayer was uttered. Here is a portion of that prayer:
Dear God, grant us one thing before we leave the sheltered reassurance of our childhood. Show us Life. Not an empty, shallow world of shallow people and shallow dreams, but real life ... For we have known the bliss of childhood as well as the passion of adolescence now. We've heard the cry of babies, and we've seen the fear of death on a soldier's face. We want to change the world but we don't know how. We want to throw our arms around our brothers but our hands cannot reach. We want to break the bonds of conformity that tie us to the ground, but we're not strong. Smile on us when we drink from the waters of truth. And, when we are old, reassure us that our struggle helped to make the world a world of peace, compassion and wisdom. And please don't let us die without ever having lived ... May we feel God's love always in our lives!
Friday, August 26, 2005
Our Cross Brings Us Closer to Jesus
22nd Sunday A Mt.16:21-27 Fr. Nony S. Villaluz, CRM |
Friday, August 19, 2005
Meeting Jesus Up Close and Personal
21st Sunday A
Mt.16:13-20
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (Mt.16: 15-16).
There was a young nun who began her apostolate in the hospital. She was nervous and anxious, but seeing other sisters moving from bed to bed, giving medicine to the patients, assisting them, giving them kind words, and touching them with tender loving care eased her a little bit.
Suddenly, Mother Theresa came to her and said with a smile, “Come with me Sister, I want you to meet someone.” She followed her and soon they arrived at a bed in the far corner of the ward. There lay a skinny man whose eyes were sunk deep into his head. His hair was gone, and he only had one tooth in his mouth. Mother Theresa took the old man’s face in her two hands and knelt down by the bed. “Sister Anna.” She said to the young sister, “I want you to meet Jesus.” (Bro. Brian Morton, FM).
Have you met Jesus already? If He asked you, “Who do you say that I am?” how would you respond to Him? When Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” he passed His test with flying colors. He confessed Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus called Peter “blessed” because it was heavenly Father who revealed this to Him. But how can we answer Jesus if we do not have first-hand experience of the earthly and historical Jesus of Peter? Where can we meet Him up close and personal and have a deeper knowledge of Him? The historical and earthly Jesus may no longer be with us, but with our faith we believe that He is with us and we can still recognize His presence in our midst. When we were baptized we entered into divine life with Him together with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is with us in the sacrament. Jesus is with us in the Eucharist. Jesus is with us in the church and in the community. He Himself said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”.
When we are happy and joyful, or even depressed, upset, frustrated or broken-hearted, and we reach out to Jesus in prayer, we can experience His presence. When we sin and ask for His forgiveness, we can feel His love. When we extend our forgiveness to our wrongdoers we let them experience the love of God. When we are asked who Jesus is, perhaps there are too many things that we can say about Him. However, we can confess Jesus as our Messiah, the Son of the living God as revealed to us by the Father, when we recognize and feel His presence in the celebration of the Liturgy, when we experience His love (especially in the sacrament of reconciliation), when we meet Jesus up close and personal while reaching out to Him in the poor, the prisoner, the sick, the aged, and those who live in sorrow. (Mt.18:20).
Meeting Jesus happens in the family when they hold hands as they pray together. Jesus is also present in the poor, the hungry, the naked, the sick, the prisoner, and the economically marginalized. He identifies Himself with them, and when we reach out to them we reach out to Christ who said, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me”(Mt.25: 40). When we are happy and joyful, or even depressed, upset, frustrated or broken-hearted, and we reach out to Jesus in prayer, we can experience His presence. When we sin and ask for His forgiveness, we can feel His love. When we extend our forgiveness to our wrongdoers we let them experience the love of God. When we are asked who Jesus is, perhaps there are too many things that we can say about Him. However, we can confess Jesus as our Messiah, the Son of the living God as revealed to us by the Father, when we recognize and feel His presence in the celebration of the Liturgy, when we experience His love (especially in the sacrament of reconciliation), when we meet Jesus up close and personal while reaching out to Him in the poor, the prisoner, the sick, the aged, and those who live in sorrow.
God Bless you all!
Mt.16:13-20
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (Mt.16: 15-16).
There was a young nun who began her apostolate in the hospital. She was nervous and anxious, but seeing other sisters moving from bed to bed, giving medicine to the patients, assisting them, giving them kind words, and touching them with tender loving care eased her a little bit.
Suddenly, Mother Theresa came to her and said with a smile, “Come with me Sister, I want you to meet someone.” She followed her and soon they arrived at a bed in the far corner of the ward. There lay a skinny man whose eyes were sunk deep into his head. His hair was gone, and he only had one tooth in his mouth. Mother Theresa took the old man’s face in her two hands and knelt down by the bed. “Sister Anna.” She said to the young sister, “I want you to meet Jesus.” (Bro. Brian Morton, FM).
Have you met Jesus already? If He asked you, “Who do you say that I am?” how would you respond to Him? When Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” he passed His test with flying colors. He confessed Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus called Peter “blessed” because it was heavenly Father who revealed this to Him. But how can we answer Jesus if we do not have first-hand experience of the earthly and historical Jesus of Peter? Where can we meet Him up close and personal and have a deeper knowledge of Him? The historical and earthly Jesus may no longer be with us, but with our faith we believe that He is with us and we can still recognize His presence in our midst. When we were baptized we entered into divine life with Him together with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is with us in the sacrament. Jesus is with us in the Eucharist. Jesus is with us in the church and in the community. He Himself said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”.
When we are happy and joyful, or even depressed, upset, frustrated or broken-hearted, and we reach out to Jesus in prayer, we can experience His presence. When we sin and ask for His forgiveness, we can feel His love. When we extend our forgiveness to our wrongdoers we let them experience the love of God. When we are asked who Jesus is, perhaps there are too many things that we can say about Him. However, we can confess Jesus as our Messiah, the Son of the living God as revealed to us by the Father, when we recognize and feel His presence in the celebration of the Liturgy, when we experience His love (especially in the sacrament of reconciliation), when we meet Jesus up close and personal while reaching out to Him in the poor, the prisoner, the sick, the aged, and those who live in sorrow. (Mt.18:20).
Meeting Jesus happens in the family when they hold hands as they pray together. Jesus is also present in the poor, the hungry, the naked, the sick, the prisoner, and the economically marginalized. He identifies Himself with them, and when we reach out to them we reach out to Christ who said, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me”(Mt.25: 40). When we are happy and joyful, or even depressed, upset, frustrated or broken-hearted, and we reach out to Jesus in prayer, we can experience His presence. When we sin and ask for His forgiveness, we can feel His love. When we extend our forgiveness to our wrongdoers we let them experience the love of God. When we are asked who Jesus is, perhaps there are too many things that we can say about Him. However, we can confess Jesus as our Messiah, the Son of the living God as revealed to us by the Father, when we recognize and feel His presence in the celebration of the Liturgy, when we experience His love (especially in the sacrament of reconciliation), when we meet Jesus up close and personal while reaching out to Him in the poor, the prisoner, the sick, the aged, and those who live in sorrow.
God Bless you all!
Saturday, August 13, 2005
TGIS
20th Sunday A Isaiah 56:1, 6-7
Thank God It’s Sunday (T.G.I.S.)
And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, ministering to him, Loving the name of the LORD, and becoming his servants -- All who keep the Sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, Them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; Their holocausts and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples (Is.56:6-7).
It was Christmas morning. A priest stands at the door of the church after the mass to shake the hands of the people as they leave. He grabbed the hand of one of the parishioners and pulled him aside. He said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!" The man replied, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Father." So the priest questioned, "Then how come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?" He whispered back, "I'm in the Secret Service."
The fourth commandment of the Decalogue states, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Sabbath is from the Hebrew word šabbât, which means, to rest. Fr. Kevin O’Shea, C.Ss.R. described Sabbath as getting to the root of everything or getting to the reality at its deepest level. Entering Sabbath allows us the opportunity to be aware that God and us are bonded together in a covenant. This is our time of “togethering” with God. In the first reading, God is concerned that His people and the foreigners (Gentiles) hold on this, His covenant, and do not profane or defile the Sabbath (Is.56:6). Profane means to treat with irreverence. Sabbath is the barometer of our relationship with God. Our Sabbath as Christians is Sunday. "Sabbath" means "Rest" not "Saturday" or "seven" or "week," so even if the Mosaic Laws were binding on Christians, there is no need for it to be kept on Saturdays instead of Sundays. We gather on Sunday because this is the Lord’s Day for us. In the Letter of Barnabas 15:6-8, written in A.D. 74, at the end of a few paragraphs on the old Jewish Shabat vs. the Christian Lord's Day, wrote: "We keep the eighth day [Sunday] with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead."
What should be our disposition on the Lord’s Day? Just like in Isaiah, one of the earliest Christian writings Didache chapter 14 says, “But every Lord's day, gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one who is at odds with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned.” Both Isaiah and Didache speak of the importance of Sabbath and not profaning it. If we are going to check honestly what’s going on in our church, without any doubt we are guilty of not keeping the Sabbath holy. How many of us would miss Sunday liturgy for no valid reason at all? How many of us go to church not reconciled with their wrongdoers of harboring grudge in our hearts? How many of us would go to church not properly dressed, with cell phones on, coming late, and not actively participate in the liturgy? God blesses us abundantly and we must be grateful to Him. Don’t forget: “Thank God It’s Sunday (T.G.I.S.)”.
Let us not stay in the Secret Service because the CH- -CH is nothing if “UR” not in it. God bless you all batchmates!!!!
Thank God It’s Sunday (T.G.I.S.)
And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, ministering to him, Loving the name of the LORD, and becoming his servants -- All who keep the Sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, Them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; Their holocausts and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples (Is.56:6-7).
It was Christmas morning. A priest stands at the door of the church after the mass to shake the hands of the people as they leave. He grabbed the hand of one of the parishioners and pulled him aside. He said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!" The man replied, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Father." So the priest questioned, "Then how come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?" He whispered back, "I'm in the Secret Service."
The fourth commandment of the Decalogue states, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Sabbath is from the Hebrew word šabbât, which means, to rest. Fr. Kevin O’Shea, C.Ss.R. described Sabbath as getting to the root of everything or getting to the reality at its deepest level. Entering Sabbath allows us the opportunity to be aware that God and us are bonded together in a covenant. This is our time of “togethering” with God. In the first reading, God is concerned that His people and the foreigners (Gentiles) hold on this, His covenant, and do not profane or defile the Sabbath (Is.56:6). Profane means to treat with irreverence. Sabbath is the barometer of our relationship with God. Our Sabbath as Christians is Sunday. "Sabbath" means "Rest" not "Saturday" or "seven" or "week," so even if the Mosaic Laws were binding on Christians, there is no need for it to be kept on Saturdays instead of Sundays. We gather on Sunday because this is the Lord’s Day for us. In the Letter of Barnabas 15:6-8, written in A.D. 74, at the end of a few paragraphs on the old Jewish Shabat vs. the Christian Lord's Day, wrote: "We keep the eighth day [Sunday] with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead."
What should be our disposition on the Lord’s Day? Just like in Isaiah, one of the earliest Christian writings Didache chapter 14 says, “But every Lord's day, gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one who is at odds with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned.” Both Isaiah and Didache speak of the importance of Sabbath and not profaning it. If we are going to check honestly what’s going on in our church, without any doubt we are guilty of not keeping the Sabbath holy. How many of us would miss Sunday liturgy for no valid reason at all? How many of us go to church not reconciled with their wrongdoers of harboring grudge in our hearts? How many of us would go to church not properly dressed, with cell phones on, coming late, and not actively participate in the liturgy? God blesses us abundantly and we must be grateful to Him. Don’t forget: “Thank God It’s Sunday (T.G.I.S.)”.
Let us not stay in the Secret Service because the CH- -CH is nothing if “UR” not in it. God bless you all batchmates!!!!
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Trust in Jesus
19th Sunday A (Mt. 14:22-33)
Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." (Mt. 14:27).
A group of botanists were exploring a mountain in search of new species of flower. One day they saw a flower of great rarity and beauty. However it lay in a deep ravine and to reach it someone needed to be lowered by a rope and a dangerous undertaking. They saw a boy watching them and offered him money if he would be willing to be lowered down to pick that flower. The boy looked down at the ravine and said, “I will be back.” When he returned he was accompanied by an older man. He said to one of the botanists, “I’ll go over the cliff and get the flower for you if this man holds the rope. He is my father”. (Mark Link)
Our lives are confronted with different challenges. Sometimes the challenge is so tough that we feel as if our lives were being tossed about by waves. We have a good reason to fear it. But holding on to the words of Jesus, “Take courage, It is I, do not be afraid,” which means, “I am here to save you,” we can conquer all our fears. Just like the boy who put his trust in his father, we need to put our trust in Jesus because He cares for us and will not allow us to sink.
There are times, however, when the challenge is not equal to our faith. Though we believe in God’s saving presence, our trust at times becomes conditional. We tend to panic when things get out of control. Peter requested to walk on the water and Jesus invited him to come. Peter started off with confidence. He was able to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened and began to sink.
Often times our confidence also turns to fear when we start to focus on the wind. When life’s challenges come along our way, we tend to concentrate on the problems, and we sink into frustration and despair. Look at what happened to Peter when he stopped trusting in Jesus: he sank. This too happens to us when, instead of trusting in Jesus, we begin to trust in ourselves. We worry too much and our anxieties become unbearable. Yet let us not forget that Jesus is here to stretch out His hand to save us.
Our faith is a gift from God. If we truly believe that He loves us we know He will not let us sink. Jesus is here to save us. If we believe in His love we will put our trust in Him.
May God bless you all!
Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." (Mt. 14:27).
A group of botanists were exploring a mountain in search of new species of flower. One day they saw a flower of great rarity and beauty. However it lay in a deep ravine and to reach it someone needed to be lowered by a rope and a dangerous undertaking. They saw a boy watching them and offered him money if he would be willing to be lowered down to pick that flower. The boy looked down at the ravine and said, “I will be back.” When he returned he was accompanied by an older man. He said to one of the botanists, “I’ll go over the cliff and get the flower for you if this man holds the rope. He is my father”. (Mark Link)
Our lives are confronted with different challenges. Sometimes the challenge is so tough that we feel as if our lives were being tossed about by waves. We have a good reason to fear it. But holding on to the words of Jesus, “Take courage, It is I, do not be afraid,” which means, “I am here to save you,” we can conquer all our fears. Just like the boy who put his trust in his father, we need to put our trust in Jesus because He cares for us and will not allow us to sink.
There are times, however, when the challenge is not equal to our faith. Though we believe in God’s saving presence, our trust at times becomes conditional. We tend to panic when things get out of control. Peter requested to walk on the water and Jesus invited him to come. Peter started off with confidence. He was able to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened and began to sink.
Often times our confidence also turns to fear when we start to focus on the wind. When life’s challenges come along our way, we tend to concentrate on the problems, and we sink into frustration and despair. Look at what happened to Peter when he stopped trusting in Jesus: he sank. This too happens to us when, instead of trusting in Jesus, we begin to trust in ourselves. We worry too much and our anxieties become unbearable. Yet let us not forget that Jesus is here to stretch out His hand to save us.
Our faith is a gift from God. If we truly believe that He loves us we know He will not let us sink. Jesus is here to save us. If we believe in His love we will put our trust in Him.
May God bless you all!
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Our Generosity can Make God’s Miracle Happen
18th Sunday A (July 31, 2005)
Mt.14:13-21
Jesus said to them, "There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves." But they said to him, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have here." Then he said, "Bring them here to me," and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds (Mt.14: 16-19).
There was an old woman that lost her sense of God’s presence. She shared this to her friend and the latter’s advice was, “Pray to God, ask Him to touch you and put His hands on you.” The lady began to pray right then and there. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Full of joy she told her friend, “The Lord has touched me! But you know, it feels just like your hand.” Her friend replied, “Sure it was my hand. What do you think God would do? Stick a long arm out of heaven to touch you? He will just take the hands of the person near to you and use that.”
The disciples of Jesus were so concerned about the hungry crowd that they asked Jesus to dismiss them so that they could go and buy themselves something to eat. But instead of sending them away, Jesus told His disciples, “Give them some food yourselves.” But all they have were five loaves and two fish. The disciples trusted in Jesus and they gave them to Him. Jesus blessed the food, broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples who in turn gave them to the crowds. To their amazement, the food that they partook was more than enough to satisfy their great hunger.
The disciples were concerned with the crowds and they accompanied this concern with their generosity to share. In sharing what they had with Jesus, a miracle happened. Five thousand men (not counting women and children) ate and were satisfied. God would like to continue doing miracles. He wants to touch the lives of people. He wants to help them in their needs. He wants to console them in their misery. He wants His presence to be felt by them. But God would not stick out a long arm out of heaven to touch others. He will use us to make His miracle happen.
Around us people are starving. They suffer all kinds of hunger. Hunger not only for food but love, peace, care, understanding, patience, kindness, acceptance, and forgiveness. God would like to satisfy this hunger, but He is waiting for us to share our five loaves and two fish. God’s miracles happen when we become generous and share our blessings with others.
Mt.14:13-21
Jesus said to them, "There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves." But they said to him, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have here." Then he said, "Bring them here to me," and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds (Mt.14: 16-19).
There was an old woman that lost her sense of God’s presence. She shared this to her friend and the latter’s advice was, “Pray to God, ask Him to touch you and put His hands on you.” The lady began to pray right then and there. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Full of joy she told her friend, “The Lord has touched me! But you know, it feels just like your hand.” Her friend replied, “Sure it was my hand. What do you think God would do? Stick a long arm out of heaven to touch you? He will just take the hands of the person near to you and use that.”
The disciples of Jesus were so concerned about the hungry crowd that they asked Jesus to dismiss them so that they could go and buy themselves something to eat. But instead of sending them away, Jesus told His disciples, “Give them some food yourselves.” But all they have were five loaves and two fish. The disciples trusted in Jesus and they gave them to Him. Jesus blessed the food, broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples who in turn gave them to the crowds. To their amazement, the food that they partook was more than enough to satisfy their great hunger.
The disciples were concerned with the crowds and they accompanied this concern with their generosity to share. In sharing what they had with Jesus, a miracle happened. Five thousand men (not counting women and children) ate and were satisfied. God would like to continue doing miracles. He wants to touch the lives of people. He wants to help them in their needs. He wants to console them in their misery. He wants His presence to be felt by them. But God would not stick out a long arm out of heaven to touch others. He will use us to make His miracle happen.
Around us people are starving. They suffer all kinds of hunger. Hunger not only for food but love, peace, care, understanding, patience, kindness, acceptance, and forgiveness. God would like to satisfy this hunger, but He is waiting for us to share our five loaves and two fish. God’s miracles happen when we become generous and share our blessings with others.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Valuing Ourselves as Jesus Values Us (July 24, 2005)
17th Sunday, Year A
Mt.13:44-52
The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it (Mt.13: 44-46).
One day a priest decided to change his strategy in asking donations from couples who would like to get married. Instead of asking for a fixed donation, it would depend on how much the guy value his wife. One day a couple came to him, after learning all the requirements for marriage, the man inquired how much the donation was. The priest said, “It depends on how responsible your fiancée is.” The man then said, “If that is the case I will donate $1,000.” The priest was happy with that donation. A little later another couple came inquiring about marriage. After learning the procedure, the guy asked how much the donation was and the priest said, “It depends on how loving your fiancée is.” Then the man said, “If that is the case, I will give $5,000.” The priest was happy with this big donation and proud of his new strategy. Later a man came by himself. He also asked about marriage in the church. The priest asked him, where is his wife to be. The man said, “She is waiting in the parking lot.” After learning all the requirements, he asked how much the donation was. The priest said, “Oh it depends on how beautiful your wife to be is.” The man said, “If that is the case, here is my donation of $10.” The priest was stunned. He wondered how his wife to be looks like, so he sneaked out of the office and looked for the girl in the parking lot. Upon his return, he smiled to the man, handed him $5 back, and said, “Here is your change!”
How we perceive and feel about ourselves is important. Without some measure of self-worth, our life can be enormously painful. When we reject parts of ourselves, we damage the psychological structure that keeps us alive. In our story, the guy seems to reject the physical appearance of his wife to be by not bringing her with him. It is important for us to be affirmed, admired, and appreciated. Seeing how Jesus values us would raise our self-esteem which in turn would change the way we interpret our lives. Jesus speaks about the Kingdom of God like a treasure buried in a field or a pearl of great value. To know the value of the Kingdom of God is to know our value.
In this parable, we see two attitudes. The first is a person’s joy for finding such treasure, and second is the willingness to risk everything for it. I believe the Kingdom of God can only reign in our hearts if we see that we are blessed and we are God’s most valued treasures. Sometimes with all the bad things that we experience, it is hard to believe that there is a God who loves us. We start to wander far from Him.
But God is taking the risk just to get us back. He became like us in all things but sin. Jesus embraced our wounded humanity and transformed us to become adopted children of the Father and become co-heirs to the kingdom. To God we are the treasures buried in a field or the pearl of great value. The price that He paid to redeem us is the blood of His Son. He gave His Son Jesus to us that we may have life in Him. He sees our uniqueness as persons and our worth as His children. Do we see ourselves as God sees us? Do we value ourselves as Jesus values us?
Mt.13:44-52
The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it (Mt.13: 44-46).
One day a priest decided to change his strategy in asking donations from couples who would like to get married. Instead of asking for a fixed donation, it would depend on how much the guy value his wife. One day a couple came to him, after learning all the requirements for marriage, the man inquired how much the donation was. The priest said, “It depends on how responsible your fiancée is.” The man then said, “If that is the case I will donate $1,000.” The priest was happy with that donation. A little later another couple came inquiring about marriage. After learning the procedure, the guy asked how much the donation was and the priest said, “It depends on how loving your fiancée is.” Then the man said, “If that is the case, I will give $5,000.” The priest was happy with this big donation and proud of his new strategy. Later a man came by himself. He also asked about marriage in the church. The priest asked him, where is his wife to be. The man said, “She is waiting in the parking lot.” After learning all the requirements, he asked how much the donation was. The priest said, “Oh it depends on how beautiful your wife to be is.” The man said, “If that is the case, here is my donation of $10.” The priest was stunned. He wondered how his wife to be looks like, so he sneaked out of the office and looked for the girl in the parking lot. Upon his return, he smiled to the man, handed him $5 back, and said, “Here is your change!”
How we perceive and feel about ourselves is important. Without some measure of self-worth, our life can be enormously painful. When we reject parts of ourselves, we damage the psychological structure that keeps us alive. In our story, the guy seems to reject the physical appearance of his wife to be by not bringing her with him. It is important for us to be affirmed, admired, and appreciated. Seeing how Jesus values us would raise our self-esteem which in turn would change the way we interpret our lives. Jesus speaks about the Kingdom of God like a treasure buried in a field or a pearl of great value. To know the value of the Kingdom of God is to know our value.
In this parable, we see two attitudes. The first is a person’s joy for finding such treasure, and second is the willingness to risk everything for it. I believe the Kingdom of God can only reign in our hearts if we see that we are blessed and we are God’s most valued treasures. Sometimes with all the bad things that we experience, it is hard to believe that there is a God who loves us. We start to wander far from Him.
But God is taking the risk just to get us back. He became like us in all things but sin. Jesus embraced our wounded humanity and transformed us to become adopted children of the Father and become co-heirs to the kingdom. To God we are the treasures buried in a field or the pearl of great value. The price that He paid to redeem us is the blood of His Son. He gave His Son Jesus to us that we may have life in Him. He sees our uniqueness as persons and our worth as His children. Do we see ourselves as God sees us? Do we value ourselves as Jesus values us?
Friday, July 15, 2005
Judgement!! (July 17, 2005)
"The virtuous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of the Father"
Matthew 13:43
The parable in today's Gospel is about a farmer who sowed good seed into his field. Under cover of the night, an enemy sowed "darnel (weeds) all among the wheat." And when the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel appeared as well.
We find it hard to imagine that someone would go to the trouble of purposely sowing bad seed in another person's fields, but among the ancients this was a favorite method of revenge or punishment. According to most translations, the bad seed is what is nowadays called "bearded darnelle." Darnel and wheat is a particularly insidious combination, because the sprouts of both seeds are indistinguishable, even to a trained eye. Consequently, the darnel cannot be weeded out as soon as it emerges, lest the wheat be pulled up by mistake. By the time the plants can be distinguished, it's too late to weed out the darnel because the roots of the darnel and the roots of the wheat become intertwined. Plucking the mature weed will also uproot the good wheat.
The farmer in the parable could burn off the whole field and sow again, but instead he pursues the only course which will allow him to salvage his original crop. He allows the wheat and the weeds to grow side-by-side until the harvest. Then every plant will be cut, the wheat will be stored in the barn, and the weeds will be gathered for burning. In explaining the parable Jesus says, "The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather out of His Kingdom all things that provoke offenses and all who do evil, and throw them into blazing furnaces" (Mt. 13:43).
It is probably safe to say that in our mental images of Jesus' parable of the wheat and the weeds, we depict ourselves as the wheat. We see ourselves on the side of the angels. We see them collecting all those evildoers (the weeds) and throwing them into the fire while we (the good wheat) patiently wait for those nice angels to escort us into heaven. There, in Jesus' words, we will join "the virtuous who will shine like the sun in the Father's Kingdom" (Mt. 13:43). In other words, the parable is a proper warning for the evildoers (some of whom we would have little trouble identifying) but, as for us, we're the "good guys," we're on the side of the angels, we're on God's side ... Aren't we?
Merely asking that question should remind us that judgment of all persons is God's prerogative, not ours. If God is willing to let the wheat and weeds grow side-by-side for now, why should we presume upon God's decision? Judgment is God's prerogative. It's not our job to sort out those who belong to the Kingdom or to weed out those who do not. That is God's job, and God will handle it just perfectly, thank you, in His own time.
The story is told of a woman who decided to take a break after a long afternoon in a big shopping mall. She sat down on a bench, opened her newspaper, and reached down to take a bite of the candy bar she had just purchased. A well-attired man was sitting next to her and, much to her chagrin he suddenly reached down, took a piece of the candy bar and popped it into his mouth!
The woman was a bit shocked, but she figured, "I'll ignore it." Then she took another piece of the candy -- and he took another piece and popped it into his mouth. Then he beat her to the punch and took yet another piece of the candy bar. By this time she was incensed. She grabbed the remaining candy, threw it in a trash basket, and stormed off through the mall, muttering to herself, "That awful person. I should have slapped his face!"
Minutes later she spotted the man standing in front of a bakery with a donut in his hand. Later, she said, "I couldn't resist the temptation. I grabbed that awful man's wrist, took a big bite out of the donut, and walked away." Then she confessed, "When I got home, I put my things down, opened my purse -- and there was my unwrapped candy bar!" All that time she had been eating his candy!
The constant willingness to pass judgment on others can bruise feelings, stifle relationships, and box people into stereotypes. Instead of being constantly judgmental, we should be constantly striving to bring out the best in one another.
In 1968, a psychological study was carried out in a lower middle-class elementary school. Two researchers convinced the faculty that they had developed a test which allowed them to predict which students were on the verge of surging forward in their learning. To all the teachers they gave a confidential list of the students who were supposedly primed to "blossom" in the coming year. Unknown to the teachers, the researchers had conducted no such predictive test, and the pupils on the list had been selected at random.
At the end of the school year, the listed students had indeed made better grades, performed better on exams, and even improved their scores on intelligence tests. Their teachers expected the best from them, and the students responded by giving their best!
A fable tells of an ancient King who wanted to discourage his four sons from making rash judgments...
At his command, the eldest made a winter journey to see a mango tree. When spring came, the next oldest was sent on the same journey. Summer followed and the third son went. Finally, after the youngest had made his visit in the autumn. the King called them together and asked them to describe the tree.
The first son said it looked like a burnt stump. The second disagreed, describing it as lovely -- large and green. The third son declared its blossoms were as beautiful as roses. The fourth said that they were all wrong. To him it was fruit -- like a pear.
"Well," the old King said, "each of you is right." Seeing the puzzled look in the sons' eyes, the King went on to explain. "You see, each of you saw it in a different season, thus all of you are correctly describing what you saw. The lesson for you, said the King, is to withhold your judgment until you have seen the tree in all its seasons."
There are those who have embraced judging others as a way of life. There are those who seem to take demonic delight in it. A woman was talking about a member of her bridge club. She said, "I wouldn't say anything about her unless it was good. And boy, is it good!" She then went on to gossip about the woman in a very judgmental way.
There was a priest who found a great deal of judgment going on among the people in his Church and he found a wonderful way of dealing with it. Everytime someone in the congregation started to make a judgmental statement about someone else he took out a notebook and a pen and he said, "Now will you please repeat this? I want to be sure I get it down exactly as you said it." It's simply amazing how the people would disappear into the night. I think it would be wonderful if we all kept a notebook on ourselves. When we get our judgmental statements down in writing they may shock us enough to realize how terribly self-righteous we have become.
Through His whole life and ministry and teaching, Jesus has assured us that our relationship with God is the single most important thing in our lives. He also has shown us how our relationships with other persons affect our relationship with God. When our relationships with others are enriching and loving, the power and love of God can move in us and through us. But when our relationships with other persons are destructive, the power of God is literally blocked and we become estranged from Him, cut off from His power. Jesus is very clear, very direct and very specific about this: Do not judge and you will not be judged," He says. "because the judgments you give are the judgments you will get, and the amount you will measure out is the amount you will be given. Why do you observe the splinter in your brother's eye and never notice the plank in your own?" (Mt. 7:1-3).
The parable of the wheat and the weeds is a story about judgment -- about good seed and bad, saints and sinners living side by side in the world. In the end God will sort everything out, and God's judgments will be just. Meanwhile, our lot is to strive for the best from ourselves, look for the best in others, and leave the harvesting to God! For it is God alone who sees each and every one of us in all our seasons.
Matthew 13:43
The parable in today's Gospel is about a farmer who sowed good seed into his field. Under cover of the night, an enemy sowed "darnel (weeds) all among the wheat." And when the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel appeared as well.
We find it hard to imagine that someone would go to the trouble of purposely sowing bad seed in another person's fields, but among the ancients this was a favorite method of revenge or punishment. According to most translations, the bad seed is what is nowadays called "bearded darnelle." Darnel and wheat is a particularly insidious combination, because the sprouts of both seeds are indistinguishable, even to a trained eye. Consequently, the darnel cannot be weeded out as soon as it emerges, lest the wheat be pulled up by mistake. By the time the plants can be distinguished, it's too late to weed out the darnel because the roots of the darnel and the roots of the wheat become intertwined. Plucking the mature weed will also uproot the good wheat.
The farmer in the parable could burn off the whole field and sow again, but instead he pursues the only course which will allow him to salvage his original crop. He allows the wheat and the weeds to grow side-by-side until the harvest. Then every plant will be cut, the wheat will be stored in the barn, and the weeds will be gathered for burning. In explaining the parable Jesus says, "The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather out of His Kingdom all things that provoke offenses and all who do evil, and throw them into blazing furnaces" (Mt. 13:43).
It is probably safe to say that in our mental images of Jesus' parable of the wheat and the weeds, we depict ourselves as the wheat. We see ourselves on the side of the angels. We see them collecting all those evildoers (the weeds) and throwing them into the fire while we (the good wheat) patiently wait for those nice angels to escort us into heaven. There, in Jesus' words, we will join "the virtuous who will shine like the sun in the Father's Kingdom" (Mt. 13:43). In other words, the parable is a proper warning for the evildoers (some of whom we would have little trouble identifying) but, as for us, we're the "good guys," we're on the side of the angels, we're on God's side ... Aren't we?
Merely asking that question should remind us that judgment of all persons is God's prerogative, not ours. If God is willing to let the wheat and weeds grow side-by-side for now, why should we presume upon God's decision? Judgment is God's prerogative. It's not our job to sort out those who belong to the Kingdom or to weed out those who do not. That is God's job, and God will handle it just perfectly, thank you, in His own time.
The story is told of a woman who decided to take a break after a long afternoon in a big shopping mall. She sat down on a bench, opened her newspaper, and reached down to take a bite of the candy bar she had just purchased. A well-attired man was sitting next to her and, much to her chagrin he suddenly reached down, took a piece of the candy bar and popped it into his mouth!
The woman was a bit shocked, but she figured, "I'll ignore it." Then she took another piece of the candy -- and he took another piece and popped it into his mouth. Then he beat her to the punch and took yet another piece of the candy bar. By this time she was incensed. She grabbed the remaining candy, threw it in a trash basket, and stormed off through the mall, muttering to herself, "That awful person. I should have slapped his face!"
Minutes later she spotted the man standing in front of a bakery with a donut in his hand. Later, she said, "I couldn't resist the temptation. I grabbed that awful man's wrist, took a big bite out of the donut, and walked away." Then she confessed, "When I got home, I put my things down, opened my purse -- and there was my unwrapped candy bar!" All that time she had been eating his candy!
The constant willingness to pass judgment on others can bruise feelings, stifle relationships, and box people into stereotypes. Instead of being constantly judgmental, we should be constantly striving to bring out the best in one another.
In 1968, a psychological study was carried out in a lower middle-class elementary school. Two researchers convinced the faculty that they had developed a test which allowed them to predict which students were on the verge of surging forward in their learning. To all the teachers they gave a confidential list of the students who were supposedly primed to "blossom" in the coming year. Unknown to the teachers, the researchers had conducted no such predictive test, and the pupils on the list had been selected at random.
At the end of the school year, the listed students had indeed made better grades, performed better on exams, and even improved their scores on intelligence tests. Their teachers expected the best from them, and the students responded by giving their best!
A fable tells of an ancient King who wanted to discourage his four sons from making rash judgments...
At his command, the eldest made a winter journey to see a mango tree. When spring came, the next oldest was sent on the same journey. Summer followed and the third son went. Finally, after the youngest had made his visit in the autumn. the King called them together and asked them to describe the tree.
The first son said it looked like a burnt stump. The second disagreed, describing it as lovely -- large and green. The third son declared its blossoms were as beautiful as roses. The fourth said that they were all wrong. To him it was fruit -- like a pear.
"Well," the old King said, "each of you is right." Seeing the puzzled look in the sons' eyes, the King went on to explain. "You see, each of you saw it in a different season, thus all of you are correctly describing what you saw. The lesson for you, said the King, is to withhold your judgment until you have seen the tree in all its seasons."
There are those who have embraced judging others as a way of life. There are those who seem to take demonic delight in it. A woman was talking about a member of her bridge club. She said, "I wouldn't say anything about her unless it was good. And boy, is it good!" She then went on to gossip about the woman in a very judgmental way.
There was a priest who found a great deal of judgment going on among the people in his Church and he found a wonderful way of dealing with it. Everytime someone in the congregation started to make a judgmental statement about someone else he took out a notebook and a pen and he said, "Now will you please repeat this? I want to be sure I get it down exactly as you said it." It's simply amazing how the people would disappear into the night. I think it would be wonderful if we all kept a notebook on ourselves. When we get our judgmental statements down in writing they may shock us enough to realize how terribly self-righteous we have become.
Through His whole life and ministry and teaching, Jesus has assured us that our relationship with God is the single most important thing in our lives. He also has shown us how our relationships with other persons affect our relationship with God. When our relationships with others are enriching and loving, the power and love of God can move in us and through us. But when our relationships with other persons are destructive, the power of God is literally blocked and we become estranged from Him, cut off from His power. Jesus is very clear, very direct and very specific about this: Do not judge and you will not be judged," He says. "because the judgments you give are the judgments you will get, and the amount you will measure out is the amount you will be given. Why do you observe the splinter in your brother's eye and never notice the plank in your own?" (Mt. 7:1-3).
The parable of the wheat and the weeds is a story about judgment -- about good seed and bad, saints and sinners living side by side in the world. In the end God will sort everything out, and God's judgments will be just. Meanwhile, our lot is to strive for the best from ourselves, look for the best in others, and leave the harvesting to God! For it is God alone who sees each and every one of us in all our seasons.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Put Yourself Into It (July 10, 2005)
There are some who receive the Word with great joy
"As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit"
Matthew 13:23
A seminary student was showing little promise of developing into a good preacher. One day, as he stumbled through a practice sermon in class, his homiletics professor called out to him from the back of the room: "Why can't you be more enthusiastic? Speak louder. Open your mouth. Put yourself into it!"
No better phrase could describe the energy and enthusiasm of the New Testament writers: "They put themselves into it!" They wanted us to know and love Christ as they did. And they made a particular effort to try to get us to think of Christ as the Word of God. The Apostle Peter has written,
Your rebirth has come, not from a destructible but from an indestructible seed through the living and enduring Word of God.
Then, quoting from the Old Testament Prophet, Isaiah, Peter says:
All mankind is grass and the glory of men is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower wilts, but the Word is the Gospel which was preached to you" (1 Pt. 1:23-25).
Among all the other ancient religions, sight is primary in the relationship with God. There is an emphasis on visions or on idols that one can see. In our Judeo-Christian Tradition, the element of sight has not been absent. Prophets were referred to as "seers" or "visionaries," for example. Nevertheless, in the Judeo-Christian Tradition, the encounter with God is not primarily through seeing but hearing. The "Word of the Lord" is a phrase that occurs hundreds of times in the Old Testament.
According to a story told by the late humorist, Bennett Cerf, there were press agents at work all the way back to the time of Moses in the Old Testament. It seems that Moses' chief publicity person was urging him to build a bridge across the Red Sea as an escape route from the Egyptians. "There is no time for that," said Moses. "I have just received the Word of the Lord. I am to order the Red Sea to part in the middle and we'll just walk right through." To which the press agent replied, "You do that Moses and I'll guarantee you at least two full pages in the Old Testament."
Open your Bible to the very beginning -- the creation story in the Book of Genesis -- and you will read, "Then God said, 'Let there be light.'" (Gen. 1:3). And from that point on, emphasis on the spoken word of God continues to build:
Then the Word of the Lord came to Abraham (Gn. 15:4). And Moses commanded the People according to the Word of the Lord (Num. 396:5). The Word of the Lord came to Samuel (1 Sa. 15:10). Hear the Word of the Lord! .. Hear the Word of the Lord! ... Hear the Word of the Lord!
On and on it goes and, as it does, it picks up more and more content, so that the "Word" is not merely a sound but a Presence. The Word is filled with God's Presence. The Word is filled with the pre-existent Christ-Presence. Finally, when we come into the New Testament, John tells us in his Gospel that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn. 1:1, 14).
This Word is with you always, calling you by name. In order to hear it clearly, you need to go deep down -- below the noise and the distraction and the confusion and the busyness of your life. You need to go down deep to the level of spaciousness and silence, where this Word is given to you: this Word that is more than sound; this Word that makes you uniquely you; this Word that is your life. And when you allow it to come into your life, it will reverberate through your whole being.
The professor in a college English class was trying to impress upon his students the value of a rich vocabulary. He said to them, "If you will just take a new word and use it ten times it will be yours forever." Whereupon, a young woman in the class looked dreamily out the window and started saying, "George, George, George, George ... "
What the New Testament writers are trying to impress on you is that if you take this Word, which is Christ, and make it truly yours forever, you will be born again to a living hope, born again to a new life.
When you turn to Scripture, something special happens because Scripture is the Word of God coming to us in a very special way. Yet, how many of us read our Bible for an average of, say, ten minutes a day? That's one problem. Another problem is that when we do get into our Bible, we merely study it. Bible study is valuable, but we must remember that "understanding the Scripture" is not a mere intellectual exercise. The Bible is not simply one more puzzle, along with others, to be solved. We need to understand that there is a profound difference between studying the Bible and praying the Bible. Studying the Bible gives us a certain richness we can bring into the experience of Scripture reading. But in praying the Bible, we settle down in our quiet time, select a passage, let's say in the Gospel, and we begin to read slowly. We bring our mind into it, of course. But we bring more than our mind -- we bring our whole self. If we open our minds and hearts to the Word of God in this way, God uses the occasion to make His Presence very real to us. And the experience becomes an encounter with the living Word of God.
In today's Gospel, Jesus is speaking in parables to the crowds gathered about Him. He tells them the story of "a sower who went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path." Since this ground, which had been walked on, was hard, the birds came and devoured the seeds. Some seeds fell on rocky ground "where they had not much soil." Consequently, the plants that sprang up were not deeply rooted and they quickly withered and died. Some seeds fell among the thorns that had been turned under when the land was plowed, and the thorns grew up and choked them. "Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold." Later, Jesus interprets the parable for the disciples. The seed in hard, rocky ground represents His followers who have heard His Word and accepted it in faith. But not all persevere in the faith. There are some who receive the Word with great joy but do not allow it to take root deep within their being. Consequently, when trouble or persecution occurs because of the faith, they soon falter. "As for what was sown among thorns, "these are the ones who hear the Word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful." As for what was sown on good soil, "these are the faithful who hear the Word and persevere in it. They indeed bear fruit -- as much as a hundredfold."
"He who hears the Word and understands it, he indeed bears fruit" (Mt 13:23). We can inspire the world to a new and living hope by hearing and receiving Jesus Christ, the living Word -- of God! We can be Christ's reconcilers in our divided world, if we put ourselves into it!
May God Bless you and your families!!
Fr Nony
"As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit"
Matthew 13:23
A seminary student was showing little promise of developing into a good preacher. One day, as he stumbled through a practice sermon in class, his homiletics professor called out to him from the back of the room: "Why can't you be more enthusiastic? Speak louder. Open your mouth. Put yourself into it!"
No better phrase could describe the energy and enthusiasm of the New Testament writers: "They put themselves into it!" They wanted us to know and love Christ as they did. And they made a particular effort to try to get us to think of Christ as the Word of God. The Apostle Peter has written,
Your rebirth has come, not from a destructible but from an indestructible seed through the living and enduring Word of God.
Then, quoting from the Old Testament Prophet, Isaiah, Peter says:
All mankind is grass and the glory of men is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower wilts, but the Word is the Gospel which was preached to you" (1 Pt. 1:23-25).
Among all the other ancient religions, sight is primary in the relationship with God. There is an emphasis on visions or on idols that one can see. In our Judeo-Christian Tradition, the element of sight has not been absent. Prophets were referred to as "seers" or "visionaries," for example. Nevertheless, in the Judeo-Christian Tradition, the encounter with God is not primarily through seeing but hearing. The "Word of the Lord" is a phrase that occurs hundreds of times in the Old Testament.
According to a story told by the late humorist, Bennett Cerf, there were press agents at work all the way back to the time of Moses in the Old Testament. It seems that Moses' chief publicity person was urging him to build a bridge across the Red Sea as an escape route from the Egyptians. "There is no time for that," said Moses. "I have just received the Word of the Lord. I am to order the Red Sea to part in the middle and we'll just walk right through." To which the press agent replied, "You do that Moses and I'll guarantee you at least two full pages in the Old Testament."
Open your Bible to the very beginning -- the creation story in the Book of Genesis -- and you will read, "Then God said, 'Let there be light.'" (Gen. 1:3). And from that point on, emphasis on the spoken word of God continues to build:
Then the Word of the Lord came to Abraham (Gn. 15:4). And Moses commanded the People according to the Word of the Lord (Num. 396:5). The Word of the Lord came to Samuel (1 Sa. 15:10). Hear the Word of the Lord! .. Hear the Word of the Lord! ... Hear the Word of the Lord!
On and on it goes and, as it does, it picks up more and more content, so that the "Word" is not merely a sound but a Presence. The Word is filled with God's Presence. The Word is filled with the pre-existent Christ-Presence. Finally, when we come into the New Testament, John tells us in his Gospel that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn. 1:1, 14).
This Word is with you always, calling you by name. In order to hear it clearly, you need to go deep down -- below the noise and the distraction and the confusion and the busyness of your life. You need to go down deep to the level of spaciousness and silence, where this Word is given to you: this Word that is more than sound; this Word that makes you uniquely you; this Word that is your life. And when you allow it to come into your life, it will reverberate through your whole being.
The professor in a college English class was trying to impress upon his students the value of a rich vocabulary. He said to them, "If you will just take a new word and use it ten times it will be yours forever." Whereupon, a young woman in the class looked dreamily out the window and started saying, "George, George, George, George ... "
What the New Testament writers are trying to impress on you is that if you take this Word, which is Christ, and make it truly yours forever, you will be born again to a living hope, born again to a new life.
When you turn to Scripture, something special happens because Scripture is the Word of God coming to us in a very special way. Yet, how many of us read our Bible for an average of, say, ten minutes a day? That's one problem. Another problem is that when we do get into our Bible, we merely study it. Bible study is valuable, but we must remember that "understanding the Scripture" is not a mere intellectual exercise. The Bible is not simply one more puzzle, along with others, to be solved. We need to understand that there is a profound difference between studying the Bible and praying the Bible. Studying the Bible gives us a certain richness we can bring into the experience of Scripture reading. But in praying the Bible, we settle down in our quiet time, select a passage, let's say in the Gospel, and we begin to read slowly. We bring our mind into it, of course. But we bring more than our mind -- we bring our whole self. If we open our minds and hearts to the Word of God in this way, God uses the occasion to make His Presence very real to us. And the experience becomes an encounter with the living Word of God.
In today's Gospel, Jesus is speaking in parables to the crowds gathered about Him. He tells them the story of "a sower who went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path." Since this ground, which had been walked on, was hard, the birds came and devoured the seeds. Some seeds fell on rocky ground "where they had not much soil." Consequently, the plants that sprang up were not deeply rooted and they quickly withered and died. Some seeds fell among the thorns that had been turned under when the land was plowed, and the thorns grew up and choked them. "Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold." Later, Jesus interprets the parable for the disciples. The seed in hard, rocky ground represents His followers who have heard His Word and accepted it in faith. But not all persevere in the faith. There are some who receive the Word with great joy but do not allow it to take root deep within their being. Consequently, when trouble or persecution occurs because of the faith, they soon falter. "As for what was sown among thorns, "these are the ones who hear the Word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful." As for what was sown on good soil, "these are the faithful who hear the Word and persevere in it. They indeed bear fruit -- as much as a hundredfold."
"He who hears the Word and understands it, he indeed bears fruit" (Mt 13:23). We can inspire the world to a new and living hope by hearing and receiving Jesus Christ, the living Word -- of God! We can be Christ's reconcilers in our divided world, if we put ourselves into it!
May God Bless you and your families!!
Fr Nony
Sunday, June 26, 2005
A Committed Disciple
A king was diagnosed to have a heart ailment and was advised to undergo a heart transplant. However, he needed a donor. The king said, there was no problem since the people loved me and I am sure that they would volunteer to give their hearts to me. When he returned, he summoned the people to assemble in his palace. He asked them, Do you love your king? and the people replied on the top of their voice, Yes, we love our king! Then, he told them his
predicament. Thinking that everybody would be willing to volunteer and it would be odd just to choose anybody, he proposed to throw a feather and to whom it falls, will be the donor. Five minutes have passed since he threw the feather but to his surprise it hadn't fell yet to anyone. When he gazed on the people, everybody was looking up and blowing the feather away.
Jesus was instructing His twelve disciples about the cost required for being His committed followers. First, a disciple must be driven by the love he bears for Christ. Love for Christ is the foundation of this commitment otherwise a disciple would be like one of the people in our anecdote who blew the feather away. A true follower of Christ must be someone who is in love with Him in such a way that love of parents and children, or love of spouse, assumes
secondary importance. A family is a beautiful institution. The love for the family is important, in fact one of the 10 commandments says, Honor thy father and mother. There are times, however, when love for the family can be distorted and ugly. For example, a father gets involved in graft just to provide an affluent living for his family.
Decisions to follow the Lord could create conflict among family members. St. Francis lived a life of leisure and riches. As his conversion began, he spent more time in prayer and wept for his sins. One day while riding through the countryside, Francis, the man who loved beauty, who was so picky about food, who hated deformity, came face to face with a leper. Repelled by the
appearance and the smell of the leper, Francis nevertheless jumped down from his horse and kissed the hand of the leper. When the leper returned his kiss of peace, Francis was filled with joy. As he rode off, he turned around for a last wave, and saw that the leper had disappeared. He always looked upon the leper's passing as a test from God. Acting again in his impetuous way, he took fabric from his father's shop and sold it to get money to repair the church of San Damiano. What Francis did made him seem like a madman to his father. Hence, his father dragged him before the bishop and in front of the whole town demanded that he returned the money and renounced all rights as his heir. Francis was disowned by his father for loving Jesus in the poor.
Secondly, a disciple must be sustained by the love he receives from the community. Christ's disciple does not only dispense love, but also receives the love and hospitality of the people he serves. Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. A minister needs support and love from the people. He is not the only one who inspires them, they also inspire him. He is not the only one who teaches them, they also teach
him. The Christian community must support the priests and show their love for them. They must be a source of inspiration and strength for one another. A committed disciple is not a disciple on his own. His commitment is motivated by the love for Christ and his commitment is sustained by the love he receives from the community of faith.
predicament. Thinking that everybody would be willing to volunteer and it would be odd just to choose anybody, he proposed to throw a feather and to whom it falls, will be the donor. Five minutes have passed since he threw the feather but to his surprise it hadn't fell yet to anyone. When he gazed on the people, everybody was looking up and blowing the feather away.
Jesus was instructing His twelve disciples about the cost required for being His committed followers. First, a disciple must be driven by the love he bears for Christ. Love for Christ is the foundation of this commitment otherwise a disciple would be like one of the people in our anecdote who blew the feather away. A true follower of Christ must be someone who is in love with Him in such a way that love of parents and children, or love of spouse, assumes
secondary importance. A family is a beautiful institution. The love for the family is important, in fact one of the 10 commandments says, Honor thy father and mother. There are times, however, when love for the family can be distorted and ugly. For example, a father gets involved in graft just to provide an affluent living for his family.
Decisions to follow the Lord could create conflict among family members. St. Francis lived a life of leisure and riches. As his conversion began, he spent more time in prayer and wept for his sins. One day while riding through the countryside, Francis, the man who loved beauty, who was so picky about food, who hated deformity, came face to face with a leper. Repelled by the
appearance and the smell of the leper, Francis nevertheless jumped down from his horse and kissed the hand of the leper. When the leper returned his kiss of peace, Francis was filled with joy. As he rode off, he turned around for a last wave, and saw that the leper had disappeared. He always looked upon the leper's passing as a test from God. Acting again in his impetuous way, he took fabric from his father's shop and sold it to get money to repair the church of San Damiano. What Francis did made him seem like a madman to his father. Hence, his father dragged him before the bishop and in front of the whole town demanded that he returned the money and renounced all rights as his heir. Francis was disowned by his father for loving Jesus in the poor.
Secondly, a disciple must be sustained by the love he receives from the community. Christ's disciple does not only dispense love, but also receives the love and hospitality of the people he serves. Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. A minister needs support and love from the people. He is not the only one who inspires them, they also inspire him. He is not the only one who teaches them, they also teach
him. The Christian community must support the priests and show their love for them. They must be a source of inspiration and strength for one another. A committed disciple is not a disciple on his own. His commitment is motivated by the love for Christ and his commitment is sustained by the love he receives from the community of faith.
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