Counting our Blessings

It was the day after Christmas when Maria Fe and her 8-year old daughter, Martina Dominique approached me after my 6 AM mass. She is the wife of Mario Reburiano, a former seminary aspirant and now the President of its Alumni Organization. She wanted me to bless her beautiful girl. I thought it was her birthday. “No, Father. Bless her for the gift of another life!”

On Christmas eve, Martina was in the kitchen to wipe her hands in preparation for Noche Buena few minutes before midnight. Suddenly a stray bullet pierced through their roof hitting the plastic crown she was wearing. The bullet was deflected by it and slightly grazed through her head leaving a small lump that caused her pain. The impact threw her backwards and she cried out “Mom I’m hit!” At first Maria Fe could not understand what happened to her as she clasped her head with both hands. When the Yaya saw the 9 millimeter slug lying on the floor, it was then that Maria Fe felt a deep angst rising within her. She felt a mixture of fear and anger which subsided when the incident was not really fatal. “It’s really a miracle, Father.” She attributes the miracle to Mama Mary and St. Dominic Savio, Martina’s patron saint.

Indeed, it was a blessing of a new life!

As the year 2009 ends, it’s a moment to be grateful. It’s a time to look back at the year that was and count our blessings. Whatever is our circumstance in life, we always have a choice. We can choose to see the good side or the bad side. We can choose to see the bright side or the dark side.

It is faith that allows us to see the good and the bright side of life. Only a person of faith can truly say: thank you Lord! The story of Job is a classic example. Though he was tried and tested in a most life-threatening way at the end of it all he could still exclaim: “The Lord has given, the Lord has taken away. Blest be the name of the Lord!”

Think about how rich we are, not just materially. Our riches does not consist only of tangible things. As the “Little Prince” in Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s book would say: “What is essential is invisible to the eye.” Our treasure also consists of a lot of intangible stuffs. Let us count our blessings as the year ends.

Life is a gift. This is the very first blessing of which all the others flow. Manny Pacquiao recently celebrated his birthday at General Santos City. He was thankful for his gift of life as he shared his blessings to 1,500 guests. During his speech, he revealed the secret of his success. According to him, when he was not yet a champion and he was starting his career he had a talk with God. And God promised him “strength and power.” True or not, these are the kinds of stuff legends are made of. The gift of life is the fount of all success.

Our family is priceless. Among our greatest treasure, our family should be the most brilliant diamond. Our family is like that goose that lays golden eggs. To keep it coming, we need to take care to the goose, nurture it and nourish it. Failing to do so will ultimately bring the goose to death. So too with our family. We need to build it, sustain it and form it. Despite its imperfections, we still love our family and are proud to belong to it.

Health is wealth. Some people actually lose their health to make money and when they have much money they lose it again to gain back their health. It’s crazy! All we need is to put balance in our life. Each in its proper importance whether its work, home, friends and leisure.

Faith gives life a better perspective. Life becomes absurd if seen only in its horizontal plane. Its daily grind and drudgery would be devoid of meaning unless seen from the vertical perspective. From the eyes of faith, our life becomes meaningful with its sense of mission and challenge. Keeping the faith brings in the daily energizer, enthusiasm and excitement. A new day is a new adventure to keep this world a better place than yesterday.

Christmas Story

Our college seminarians of Don Bosco Formation Center have gone caroling to their families, friends and benefactors. They sing and dance. They wear their biggest smiles and keep a 100% performance level when they go to these homes despite tiredness in doing routine choreographed-steps five or six times sometimes at late hours. But each performance is different. In every home they have a meaningful message to tell. They share the joy of the yuletide season. They re-tell the Christmas story to keep it alive today.

The attitude of faith and welcome is so heart-warming in each of the families in opening their doors to the carolers. Some offer something or none at all. Others provide dinner. One could simply sense the happiness the short visit has brought them. The welcome is spurred by the belief that God will shower more blessings on the more disposed recipients. The caroling ends with a blessing for the family.

Indeed, December is the merriest of months. And reason for all these is the story behind Christmas. We recall the birth of an extraordinary child. The focus of this celebration is the manger where God was born in time. We continue to tell and re-tell the story because until now this tale continues to amaze us. It is far different from a movie we watch like Spiderman, Harry Potter or Twilight where the characters are mere figment of the writers’ imagination. These personalities have only virtual existence. But the account of a God-made-man is for real. It is a tale of love which is larger than life.

I have spent four years in the land of Jesus. The Salesian Theological Institute where I studied was only about 6 kilometers away from Bethlehem which remains a picturesque and mountainous town. It is also about 9 kilometers from the historically important city of Jerusalem. The first time I visited the Church of the Nativity was unforgettable. From the so-called Manger Square, we passed by a large paved courtyard where we entered a small entrance. I was surprised that a big church could have such a small entrance where only one person at a time could pass. Not only that. The entrance is quite low that each person who passes needs to stoop or bow to enter it.

Later it was explained that the entrance was purposely constructed that way during troubles times in the fifteenth century to prevent horses from entering the church avoiding desecration. The entrance was never renovated since then to accommodate a more symbolic meaning: a pilgrim who enters the church of the nativity must learn to humble himself or herself like Christ.

The story of Christmas is a tale of God’s humility. St. Paul in writing to the Christians of Philippi encouraged them “Your attitude must be like that of Christ: Though He was in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance. He humbled himself becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:5-8). Christ’s self-emptying is referred to in Greek as “Kenosis.” It is this kenosis or utmost humility that Christmas challenges us to reflect as we pattern our lives to Christ.

My first Christmas Eve in the Holy Land of December 1993 was spent inside the Grotto of the Nativity. While in the Manger Square different choirs from all over the world were singing joyous Christmas carols, I found myself with hundreds of other pilgrims inside the cave where Jesus was born. The white marble floor on one side of the cave indicated it with a 14-pointed silver star bearing the words “Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary.” But the atmosphere inside was different. It was reflective meditative. There was silence and faith-filled contemplation of God’s tremendous and amazing love.

The Christmas story will be forever fresh and forceful every year because God’s love continues to be faithful and true. God’s love did not give up despite repeated sin. It does not give up now and it will always endure until that day when the sun will no longer shine. But God’s love will shine even brighter come what may.

A story is told that some years ago an American soldier on a bus in Sweden told the man sitting next to him: "America is the most democratic country in the world. Ordinary citizens may go to the White House to see the President and discuss things with him."

The man siad: "That's nothing. Here in Sweden, the King and the people travel on the same bus..." When the man got off the bus, the American was told by the other passengers that the man he was talking to, sitting right beside him was actually King Gustav Adolf IV, King of Sweden!

Today we celebrate Christ the King. Like King Gustav of Sweden, our King looks so ordinary that often times we take him for granted. We even ignore him and disrespect Him. That's not something new to Jesus. In His lifetime people rejected Him because He was so ordinary and common place. He seemed to be weak and powerless. So He was scorned, humiliated and mocked. He was nailed to the cross and insulted as "King of the Jews."

In reality Jesus is the King of the universe. He is the Alpha and the Omega - the Beginning and the End. He is the Omnipotent One who will rule forever. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

There are 3 challenges Jesus is presenting to us today:
1. Let Jesus reign in our lives. We ask ourselves who's authority we listen to daily? Common culture bases its authority in media and fashion. I think we should listen more to the voice of Jesus if He should be our King.

2. Scripture tells us Jesus is faithful. So God calls us to be faithful not famous or rich or influential. Life is not about us -- its about honoring God and giving him the glory. Thus we have to glorify God in every aspect and area of our lives: at home, in school, at work, in the market place -- anywhere, everywhere, anytime and all the time!

3. Let us strive to live a life that matters. I received a text message which says: "We can't do anything about the length of our life. But we can do something about its width and depth." So we live our lives to the fullest with depth and with direction.

To God be the glory! Amen.

The Clay

Among my souvenir-collection I have been keeping is a clay sandal. This brown and glossy terracotta doesn’t have a pair. For me, its unique and one of a kind! It was given as a birthday present last year by the First Year Seminarians – Batch 2008. The clay making sessions were part of their Summer Class in Humanities. Ms Menchie Atienza brought her students somewhere in Danao to visit a house of pottery. They had the privilege to watch a potter work on his wheel transforming a dirty lump of clay into something of inestimable value. They also tried it themselves to experience the feel of being “creator.”

Since then I have treasured the gift because it aptly fits the concept of how I see myself. The sandal is the image of a traveler. I am this traveler. I see myself always on the go, nay – on the run! I am active and dynamic; I want to see places and visit new localities. I want to explore and seek adventure my health permitting. I see life itself as a journey, a long walk. Yet at the same time, the clay is an icon of frailty and fragility. It is soft and malleable prone to decay and destruction. Such too is humanity. And I am that also as the song goes: .. “a flower quickly fading / a wave tossed in the ocean / a vapor in the wind..” These powerful words have been inspired no less from scriptures.

At the beginning of time Scriptures tell us that God “formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.” Looking back at how man was conceived by the Master Engineer of all times, I am left amazed at how far man has arrived. Where did he get all these creativity and sense of beauty? How could such technological advancement enter into his finite and tiny mind to bring us into this digital world? For sure, what the Creator did has “sparked” more than just the breath of life. Along with it is the spirit, the genius, the talent that would give forth creativity and beauty which mirrors the face of God.

Lord Byron wrote an insightful poem that captures the paradox of man’s frailty and grandeur:

When coldness wraps this suffering clay,
Ah! whither strays the immortal mind?
It cannot die, it cannot stay,
But leaves its darken'd dust behind.
Then, unembodied, doth it trace
By steps each planet's heavenly way?
Or fill at once the realms of space,
A thing of eyes, that all survey?

Eternal, boundless, undecay'd,
A thought unseen, but seeing all,
All, all in earth or skies display'd,
Shall it survey, shall it recall:
Each fainter trace that memory holds
So darkly of departed years,
In one broad glance the soul beholds,
And all, that was, at once appears.

Yet man continues to be restless and wandering looking for his other “pair.” As he journeys through this life, at times he fails to see his real worth. He does not recognize that he is simply an “earthen vessel” that carries the surpassing power of God. He has to realize that the only way to be “complete” is to return to His Maker to find this “other pair.” Otherwise he continues to be searching and seeking in emptiness. Yet even here God is infinitely patient and waiting. He is continually at work in the world even in you and me.

God with us

It was my first time to see the original “Hapag ng Pag-asa” displayed in an exhibit at the Arts Center in SM-Cebu. Joey Velasco, the artist behind this now famous painting, allowed it to be brought here along with several of his other obras for public viewing. Since he created it in 2005, Joey has drawn national attention with this art work depicting Jesus breaking bread with impoverished street children in a makeshift table in place of his apostles. The concept itself is unique. He says he did it for his children to remind them to count their blessings. Noticing that his children were wasting food and they were choosy in their meals, he wanted to give them a visual reminder that other children have little or nothing to eat at all. Such a visual imagery in a 48x96-inch oil in canvas has become a real masterpiece in religious art. What started at a personal project has now received national acclaim and more.

Listening to some of his conferences, he shared that he has not received formal art schooling but has picked up his craft from many mentors as well as observing great painters like Amorsolo, Rembrandt or Juan Luna. It all started when he was stricken with a kidney ailment that led him to experience depression and darkness. He even prayed that God would throw him a rope; instead the Lord reached out through a paintbrush. Painting brought about his catharsis leading him back to himself to see the light. Now he claims to have found new life and with it a new mission of putting his faith in canvas. He doesn’t call himself an artist but a “heartist” --- an artist with a heart for the poor. In fact, he considers himself just a paintbrush being used by the Divine Artist to share in the power to create and bring about changes in society for the better. Many more painting came thereafter even a book to explain the children of the “Hapag” entitled “They have Jesus.”

There are two things I learned from Joey’s paintings. First, I realize each person can make a difference. Every man or woman has the capacity to affect change whether one is a priest, a lay man, a sister, a housewife, an artist or an artisan. What is important is that one has the heart to do it. I watched with deep admiration in television the burial of former president Corazon C. Aquino last week. It was a historical funeral that merits the record as one of the longest and most attended in recent memory. Many compared it with that of her husband Ninoy but with a poignant difference. While Ninoy’s internment was characterized by rage; Cory’s was an expression of love and gratitude. Listening to the praises and accolades heaped on her by those who knew her in life, I could only sigh and say that indeed honors simply fade away. Only the good that one did in one’s lifetime will ever remain. People stood under the rain to bid goodbye to Cory for making a difference in their lives.

In his own way, Joey’s painting have touched people’s lives. He makes use of the gift that God has given him to depict a haunting reality happening in our society. He is like a prophet conscienticizing us to become a Jesus for others. One of his recent paintings I saw is a Jesus seated on a bench while a poor boy washes his feet. And as one looks at the boy closer, his other leg is missing. The point is clear: even those who have less can serve and make a difference. Those who open themselves to help others always end up getting more than what they shared. They serve Jesus.

The second lesson I learned is to have hope always. The reason for this hope is because God is with us. In almost all of Joey’s painting Jesus is always present. He is with street children, with farmers, with old men or with those afflicted with down syndrome. Joey finds God in ordinary life experiences and sees God in people. These become for him a sacred encounter with the divine which he captures in his palette. One touching story he narrated was about a 2nd year college student who said she was an atheist. She was visiting his exhibit at the UST Fine Art Department and pointing to the “Hapag” she revealed “if that is what God is all about, then it has awakened a part of me.” Several months later, Joey got a note from her disclosing that she has already been baptized.

I am inspired by Joey’s art which he uses as a medium to teach and to challenge. As it teaches me to look at my life from the point of view of the Divine Artist to appreciate all the bright colors of my life, it also challenges me not to despair of my shadows. Everyone can find God in the most unexpected places in their lives and find hope. We know we are never truly alone. God is with us.

The Priest Today

I was horrified when the news came out that a fellow priest was shot dead. It’s tragic. Nowadays anyone can die for a cheap mobile phone or just for two thousand pesos. And it actually happened to Fr. Jovencio Rabusa who was robbed and shot in a “dimly lit portion of the Cebu South Coastal Road.” His death is a sacrifice for the so many victims of unnecessary crime because of government’s inability to deliver the basic services for our people. What a flimsy reason to die. “Way dungog nga kamatayon!” was the comment I heard from some people I talked to.

Other priests were also slain in the past. Fr. Rudy Romano was abducted on July 11, 1985 with student activist Levi Ybañez in Labangon. Since then they were never heard of – “salvaged” perhaps. Last year on February 4, 2008 Norberto Manero Jr. knelt before a tomb in Kidapawan City and placed a lit candle beside it. He prayed for some minutes then pressed his forehead against the marble gravestone. Before leaving he kissed the ceramic photograph of Fr. Tulio Favali, the Italian priest, who, two decades earlier he had viciously murdered in a highway in North Cotabato. These cases, however, were intentional. There was the plan to kill and destroy. But for Fr. Rabusa we are appalled by the sheer senselessness because of its lack of intentionality. It was just total disrespect for the dignity of life!

Yet on hindsight, I asked myself: could this be a sign of the times? I heard commentators point out had he worn his “soutana” he would have preserved his health. This is not the real issue. Surely the cloth does not make a man nor a habit does not make a religious. Yet often times the priest is referred to as the “man of the cloth.” The term originally applied to any clothes that distinguished a profession. The author, Jonathan Swift, popularized this usage in the 17th century such that the meaning had been restricted to a clergyman. Today members of the clergy could no longer be called “man of the cloth” literally. They dress like anybody else if there are no religious functions. There’s nothing wrong with that. Many times somebody comes to me and says: “Father, kung di ka mag-sotana mura jud kag sacristan” (Father, if you don’t wear the cassock, you’re just one of the servers). But the danger is that we could no longer make an impact in the world because we hide our identity. The image of the priest has been tarnished. Failings and sins of the priests are more readily noticeable even sensationalized. So we simply blend with the masses?

The pope is right in dedicating this year to the priesthood. It is, then, unfortunate that Fr. Rabusa died on the year of the priest. Pope Benedict XVI in opening this celebration said: “priests must be present, identifiable and recognizable – for their judgment of faith, their personal virtues and their attire.” He then presents St. John Vianney as example. This less than gifted diocesan priest was assigned in the rural and spiritually dying town of Ars in central France. Through his personal holiness and apostolic fervor he was able to transform his parish just in 10 years. Our call is not just limited to liturgical functions. Our “soutanas” are not mere vestments in offering the Eucharistic sacrifice. We are the sign that points to Christ. We are the sacrament of God, a leaven for the world. The latin adage “agree sequitur esse” (action follows being) applies to us. The greater challenge for the priests of our times is to be more visible. I admire the religious sisters for their witness as “women of the cloth.”

Fr. David Toups, associate director of the Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocation of the U.S. Episcopal Conference authored a book “Reclaiming our Priestly Character.” He outlines 6 Principles of Priestly Renewal. He suggests these ideas for the regeneration of the clergy.
1. Permanence of the Priesthood – a reminder that the priest has entered into a permanent relationship with Jesus and the Church by virtue of his ordination.
2. Priest acts in “persona Christi” (in the person of Christ) – he is to be a Christ in the world.
3. The Priest is not his own, but rather he belongs to and represents the Church – he is called to courageously be a sign and symbol pointing beyond himself to Christ; he is proud to be visibly recognized as a priest.
4. Priestly presence – everything the priest does is priestly and has immense value as Christ desires to work through him at all times. Prayer and personal relationship with God is of utmost importance.
5. Caution for priest to avoid the trap of functionalism and activism – he is not to forget who he is and for whom he is doing the work.
6. Ongoing formation – the priest must not stop learning and growing to be an effective instrument of Christ.

In the end, the priest of today becomes faithful to his vocation and his mission only if he is faithful to Christ. He can only be a good shepherd if he learns to have the “heart” of the Good Shepherd (Jn 10:10). Otherwise, he will always be a hireling; he will have no concern for the sheep and works only for pay.