LOVE IS EVERYTHING

31^st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mk 12:28-34)

As we end Mission Month, let us turn our gaze on St. Francis Xavier, one of the patron of the Mission. He was born on April 7, 1506 from a wealthy and noble family in Navarre, Spain. As a young man, he studied at the University of Parish in 1525. Sharing lodgings with Peter Faber and Ignatius of Loyola, they became best friends.

Francis was proud, ambitious and had a great desire to be rich. But Ignatius convinced him to become a priest; encouraging him to look at life differently not in terms of gains or glory: “What profit if you gain the whole world but lose your soul.”

He became one of the seven founding members of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Filled with the love of God, he accepted the challenge of being a missionary in the East. Mission is both passion for God and passion for the people. Some say he had baptized 30,000 people; some say 100,000. Driven by God’s love, he became the greatest missionary of the modern times.

In today’s gospel, Jesus teaches us the greatest command – to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. It is a beautiful lesson on centering and focusing. We are to ask ourselves: what is the center of our life? Is it our pride? Or riches, revenge, anger, addictions? The aim of our life is not to possess much, to be powerful or prestigious. But it is to love. Love will be our greatest achievement. As the song goes: kun di ako nagmamahal, sino ako?

All will be in vain; all will be empty if at the end of our life we have not loved. You might gain the whole world or accumulated much but failed in love – you have achieved nothing. All is worthless. All is useless. Life would have been a failure, without love.

I have an acronym that will elucidate what to love God means: L. O. V. E.

L: Loyal – to love means to be faithful. To have an unswerving devotion to Him. That our whole being is thoroughly committed to God like Joshua, who declared: “for me and my household, we shall serve the Lord.”

O: Obey – love means obedience; total, unconditional obedience. It means doing God’s bidding without reservation. To submit to His authority and surrender your will to Him. The beautiful result of obedience is peace.

V: Voice – voice out your love. Express it. Show it. Prove it through your relationship. In other words, take time to pray. Spend quality time with God. To pray means to adore; to worship because He is the Lord of your life. To pray means to acknowledge; to thank Him; grateful to Him. To pray means to ask and depend on Him.

E: Excited – love gives you excitement. Be excited to do everything for the Lord. Be excited to serve Him whole heartedly.

CHRIST-TELLER

Andrea Bocelli is a world-class tenor. He is also visually-impaired. His hits songs include “The Prayer” and “Con te partiro.” Before he was born on September 22, 1958 doctors advised his parents to abort him because they predicted that he will have a disability. But his mother overruled the doctors advise. He was born with congenital glaucoma.

As a child, he showed great passion for music. He started to play the piano at six. Soon he could play the flute, saxophone, trumpet, guitar and drums. At 12 years old, following a football accident that hit him in the eye, he became totally blind. Though blind, he studied at the University of Pisa and became a lawyer.

His break in music came in 1992. An Italian rock star requested him to record a demo of “Miserere” intended for renowned vocalist Luciano Pavarotti. On hearing the demo, Pavarotti was impressed by his voice. He rose to fame in 1994 after winning the preliminary round of the 44^th Sanremo Music Festival, the most popular Italian song contest getting the highest mark ever recorded for a newcomer.

Today, he is an international superstar in music. His disability did not hinder him to be successful either as a lawyer or as a singer. His secret? His positive mindset.

Today’s gospel narrates the story of the visually-impaired Bartimaeus. He is from Jericho. He is a beggar sitting at the side of the road. If we picture him – he is languishing. He is deteriorating and decaying. He feels so helpless, powerless and useless. But one day, Jesus gave him hope. Jesus gave him a new beginning!

Three Lessons from Bartimaeus: 3 C’s

Concern. He had a special and important concern: he can’t see. He is blind. His lack of sight is a big minus in his life. It brought him a lot of trouble, worries and disturbance. His disability brought great discomfort, hardships and many insecurities. He was no longer at the center of life; he was merely just at the roadside of life.

Courage. He had extraordinary courage. One day, he learnt about Jesus. The murmur and gossip of the crowd informed him he was someone special. He had power! He resolved not to miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance. Jesus was passing. He might not return to Jericho again. So he shouted. He pleaded. He raised his voice.

He was scolded by the crowd. He prayed all the more; even harder. Here is a beautiful lesson here: don not let people intimidate you! Do not allow your circumstances to discourage you. Pray harder. Never sulk or make the blame-God game. Bartimaeus pray louder until Jesus took notice of him.

Cured. Because of his unstoppable and courageous faith, he received what he asked for. His prayer was answered. His prayer connected him to Christ. Something inspiring happened to him after his cure. He became an intentional follower of Christ. He believed in Jesus. From then on, he became a Christ-bearer. He became a Christ-teller. He brought others to Jesus. He became a connector of others to Jesus. This is what Mission Sunday is all about – connecting others to Christ.

Today, our gospel invites us to be like Bartimaeus. Bring your concern to Jesus – whatever it is. Have a courageous faith. Do not be deterred or be discouraged by fear, insecurities or any obstacle. Pray harder. Pray stronger. Be a Christ-bearer; a Christ-teller. Be an intentional follower of Jesus.

 

SERVING WITH GLEE

29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mk 10:35-45)

Alberto Marvelli (1918-1946) was a heroic young Italian who risked everything to serve the poor. At a young age, he learned to serve the poor through his mother. When a poor person comes to their home during meal time, she would say: “Jesus has come and he is hungry.” He grew up at the Salesian Oratory in Rimini. He became the president of the Catholic Action of the Diocese. While enjoying sports especially cycling, he also has a spiritual program of life. He would do half an hour of meditation and attend mass daily.

He was a shining light during the darkness of World War II. He put his faith into action. During the devastating bombing raids of the Nazi he would risk his life helping the wounded and serving those in need. He also released, with the help of friends, Jews and captives being shipped off on the trains to Nazi concentration camps.

Unfortunately, he died at 28 years old accidentally struck by an army truck. But his generous life and heroic charity was a real inspiration to many.

In today’s gospel, James and John expressed their ambition to share Jesus’ power. The other ten got angry because they also wanted to rise and be great. But for Jesus, greatness means service. “Whoever would be great must serve.” He invited his disciples to a paradigm shift because “the Son of Man came to serve and not be served.”

In fact, at the Last Supper, one of the most unforgettable lessons Jesus taught them was to wash their feet as an example. He pointed out: “If I, your Lord and Teacher, washed your feet, you must also wash each other’s feet. In other words, they have to put their faith in action. They are to serve generously and humbly.

Here is a criterion for our service; from the acronym S.E.R.V.E

S: Sincerity – service with sincerity. We are to serve honestly with the right motive and good intention; not out of pretense or deceit.

E: Enthusiasm – it is a privilege to serve. Thus, we serve passionately and excitedly; not with mediocrity and lukewarmness.

R: Responsibly – to serve responsibly means doing our task dutifully because we will be held accountable for its result and consequence.

V: Vision –to serve well, we need a clear vision and mindset. We need to have the paradigm of Jesus: The Son of Man has come to serve and not be served. It’s a mindset of servant leadership.

E: Example – serving becomes an example. It is how one walks the talk. A leader leads by example. It is how he puts his faith in action.

Service need not be big or grand. It begins with small acts of kindness with a smile. Even our prayer time can be a service to others. Imagine our small acts multiplied by millions of kind-hearted people. I’m sure it can brighten up and transform our world.

 

JOY OF HAVING JESUS

Francis of Assisi was born rich but chose to be poor. In the first 25 years of his life he was a care-free young man. He was handsome, pampered, spoiled, ambitious and vain. But one day, God touched his heart. He was moved to change. His imprisonment and illness caused him to re-evaluate his life and his values.

Suddenly, he lost interest in the worldly life. From a lover of party and pleasure, he decided to give up his possessions. Literally he became a beggar. But there was something different about Francis. He was poor but he was also joyful. He celebrated life! He had nothing, yet he lived as if he had everything. He wanted to mirror the lifestyle of Jesus.

Unexpectedly, he changed the world by his example. He was just a lay person. He introduced a revolutionary way of thinking: anyone can follow the Gospel. One can live simply. Christ can be your joy and he can fill your life!

Today’s gospel (Mk 10:17-30) presents a rich, young man. He felt something was missing in his life. Wanting to do more, he asked Jesus’ advise. But he was sad and hurt by Jesus’ challenge. He was so attached to his riches. He had no courage to give up his wealth. He had little love for Jesus.

We can learn 3 lessons from this young man.

Hesitant. Like the rich, young man we can also be hesitant to follow Christ. We tend to calculate and measure our love. We can be overwhelmed by fear over the future. We lack courage. We make excuses and alibis. We can be reluctant like Moses when God called him to be a leader of his people and was told to go back to Egypt. His first reaction was to hesitate. Feeling he was not qualified enough, he asked God to look for someone else. He doubted his giftedness. But God wanted him to shift from fear to faith. God assured him: “I will be with you!” We need to pray to overcome our hesitation.

Hard. The rich, young man found it hard to follow Christ. He realized he had to give up the things he most loved and cherished. He was hurt by the challenge of the Lord to sell what he had and give the money to the poor. He was not yet ready. He had no guts to obey. Indeed, following Jesus can be hard and painful.

A story is told about Teresa of Avila. One day, travelling to one of her convents, she fell of a horse while crossing a stream. She lost her balance and was almost carried away by the strong current. It cost her a sprain on her foot. In prayer she complained to the Lord: “Lord, why do you make it so difficult for me. I’m doing your work. Why do you need to make me suffer?” Jesus answered: “Don’t complain my daughter, that is how I treat my friends.” Teresa replied: “Now I know why you have so few of them.”

Huge love. The secret in following Jesus is to have a huge love for him. We need to have a big, large, enormous heart for Jesus. His demands are difficult. He requires that we love him with all our heart, soul, strength and will. He wants nothing less – to dedicate our lives to him! To love him more than anything else. When our love is small, we calculate and hesitate. We will give up when the going gets rough. But if our love is big, we can stay even at the foot of the cross. Love makes us do even the impossible. With such a love, Jesus becomes our joy because we know he can fill up our lives.

COMMITMENT TO LOVE

Imagine an 85-year-old man insisting on taking his wife’s hand everywhere they go. When asked why his wife keeps looking away he responds: “because she has Alzheimer’s.” When asked if his wife will worry if he lets her go? The old man replies: “she doesn’t remember anything. She doesn’t know who I am anymore. She hasn’t recognized me for a year.”

Asked why he has continued to guide her every single day though she doesn’t recognize him? He simply smiles and says: “she may not know who I am; but I know who she is – she is the love of my life!”

In today’s gospel, Jesus teaches us about the essence of marriage. Prompted by a question on divorce, he clarifies that Moses permitted it as a concession for the “hardness of the human heart.” But if we were to go back to God’s original, wonderful purpose of marriage and the family, it is meant to reveal the visible face of an invisible God who is love (Pope Francis). The Sacrament of marriage is the icon of God’s unconditional love for us.

The challenge of marriage is to love one another. That is how God intended it to be. God’s ideal marriage is a union that is binding until death; a commitment for life. Thus marriage requires a unique kind of love that reflects God’s own committed love for each of us. Love is the root and firm foundation of marriage.

I have an acronym on L.O.V.E that entails 4 things on how to put love in action in the married state:

L: Listen sincerely. The 1^st Reading (Gen 2:18-24) reveals one of man’s deepest need – connection and intimacy. Loving entails listening. Listening is an act of love. It is the basic ingredient of acceptance, trust and respect. When you listen, you learn more about the other person creating deeper connection. Listening answers one of man’s deepest longing for connection and intimacy.

O: Openness. Be open to each other earnestly. Openness requires humility in accepting one’s vulnerability. Transparency is necessary in any worthwhile relationship. Being sincere and honest in sharing your dreams, plans, problems even your financial statements. In this culture of openness, there will be a communion of persons. Wise couples do not allow secrets to get in the way to build a loving and joyful marriage.

V: Visibility. Be visible to each other constantly. Be there for each other. Be present. Don’t be a ghost. Spend quality time. Make your presence felt by communicating, talking, chatting, make a phone call, doing chores and taking home care responsibilities. Your visible physical presence clearly means incarnating love in the home.

E: Endure patiently whatever happens. Love with intentionality. Creating a home and a family does not happen by chance. You have to make that commitment work for it to last. Relationship last not because they were destined to last. Relationship last long because two people made a choice to keep it; fight for it and work for it.

 

Being Magnanimous

Aron Ralston is an American Engineer. In 2003, he went on a solo canyoneering trip. While he was descending, he dislodged a suspended boulder 800 pounds pinning his right wrist to the side of the canyon wall. He had not informed anyone of his hiking plans and he had no way to call for help.

For five days, he repeatedly tried to extricate himself but his efforts were futile. He was almost dehydrated. So he decided to amputate his forearm using a dull pocketknife to break free. It took one hour. Then he climbed out of the canyon; rappelled down a 65-foot wall and hiked 11 kilometers until hikers found him. They gave him food, water and alerted the authorities about the accident.

Had he not amputated his right arm, he would have bled to death. He made a choice to sacrifice his arm to survive and save his life.

In today’s gospel (Mk 9:38-48), Jesus gives a strong warning against jealousy, intolerance and giving scandal to the young. He emphasized the need for sacrifice for a greater good. If your hand or leg cause you to sin, cut if off.

This expression is not to be taken literally. Jesus uses a hyperbolic expression to make a special point: the need for detachment and disconnection. St. Paul uses the term “circumcision of the heart.” It is not physical but interior, inward operation requiring cutting off, dissecting or amputating bad habits or sinful ways to be a better disciple.

Our readings can teach us 3 Lessons:

1.     Encouragement. We are invited to encourage others, not to get envious or jealous of them. We are to pull others up; not put them down. Our first reading and our gospel cautions us against this attitude of having crab mentality. Jesus is clear “whoever is not against us is for us.”

2.     Enthusiasm. We need to put joy and enthusiasm in whatever we do whether it is our job, our daily duties, prayer or service. Sometimes we become fault-finders, grumblers, complainers or killjoy. But we can choose to be enthusiastic and excited; passionate and afire in what we do. Our passion pushes us through difficulties and failures. It gives us the capability not to give up. Moreover, it gives us faith that the little we do matter even just giving a drink or giving a smile to someone.

3.     Example. We are to give good examples not scandalize the little ones. In Brazil, here is a 34-year-old young man, Guido Schaffer, whom they are considering to be a saint. He is a medical doctor, a surfer and a seminarian. He died surfing in 2009 in Rio de Janiero. Yet he is a man of faith, passionate for God’s Word and sensitive to the poor. One of his friends said of him: “you can be young, like the beach, surf, sing; at the same time have your heart set on God, being a witness to him in front of people, being an example of Christian life.

Today, Jesus invites us to be magnanimous; to be big and kind-hearted. He invites us to encourage others; be moral boosters; pull up people, not put them down. He wants us to be enthusiastic and passionate in whatever we do. Give good examples to others. Let us be like candles. We give light.

FAITH CHALLENGE Feast of St. Matthew – Apostle & Evangelist (Mt 9:9-13)

Thomas Edison is considered America’s greatest inventor. He has a world-record of 1,093 inventions like the light bulb, electric power, phonograph or motion picture camera. Yet as a boy he developed a hearing problem. His teachers thought he was dumb.

One day, his mother received a letter from the school’s Principal. She had tears in her eyes as she was reading it: “Your son is a genius. This school is too small for him. We don’t have good teachers to train him. Please teach him yourself.”

Years later his mom died; Thomas had become a world-famous inventor. As he was going through old family stuffs, he discovered the letter he brought home from the Principal. He was shocked to read the original content: Your son is a dumb student. We won’t let him come to school anymore.”

He cried for hours. In his diary that day he wrote.. “Thomas Alva Edison was a dumb child, but through a hero mother, became the genius of the century.”

His mother instilled in him a genius-mindset that propelled him to excel, to succeed and to rise above the rest. His mom had faith in him and his gifts. She saw the light within him and brought it out for the benefit of the world and humanity.

Today is the feast of St. Matthew. The gospel narrates the story of his calling. Let us learn 3 things from him: 3 C’s

1.     Christ. Matthew was an ordinary tax collector; hated because he was a sinner. One day, Jesus got interested in him. He invited him – follow me! Amazingly, he was touched by grace. Matthew had a great love for his job because he made a lot of money. That day, God gave him the grace to love Jesus more. From then on, he became a Christ-centered person. His faith in Christ gave him a new mindset; a new pair of eyes; a new vision capable to see more, to see beyond. Pope Francis said: “Put on faith. Life will have a new flavor.” It will make you see things differently; deeply. Like a compass, it will give your life direction. Faith will instill in us a mindset of greatness. We are meant for higher things; we are meant for heaven.

2.     Constancy. Matthew chose to make Christ a constant in his life. He made it a daily habit to follow him; to listen to him. Christ became part of his lifestyle. He learned to be patient like Jesus; to love and serve others like Jesus; to be generous like Jesus. In fact, it was because of Jesus that he gave his money to the poor. Christ transformed him day by day.

3.     Concern. After Jesus death and resurrection, he became a missionary. His greatest concern was for the children, the youth and the future generation. He felt that they will no longer have the opportunity to meet Jesus; it will make them poorer by missing out Christ. Thus he wrote a gospel for them to read and have a virtual encounter with Christ. Because Christ will enrich their lives bringing them joy and peace.

WAY OF CHRIST 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Mk 9:30 -37)

Braveheart is an epic historical battle film directed by Mel Gibson about William Wallace. Wallace is a 13^th century Scottish warrior. He led the Scots in their First War of Independence against King Edward of England. His rebellion begins when is childhood friend and later wife, Murron, is publicly executed. He keeps the memory of his wife alive by keeping her handkerchief she gave him on their marriage night.

Throughout the movie this handkerchief becomes a symbol. It reminds him of his love, his pain and what he is fighting for. In the end, his death makes him a great hero because he never lost his purpose.

Any journey, adventure or mission must have a reason that keeps you going. For Jesus, his journey to the cross, his passion was motivated by love. His obedience to His Father.

In today’s gospel (Mk 9:30-37), Jesus teaches his disciples by revealing to them his identity. Yes, he is the Messiah. But he is a messiah that must suffer and die! Regrettably, they did not understand. They were not on the same page with Jesus. They even argued and rivaled among each other who was the greatest. Each was trying to get to the top.

Jesus continues to invite us to follow Him on his way to the cross. There are 3 Discipleship Qualities he wants us to learn: 3 H’s

1.     Heart. We need a brave heart; a courageous heart. A heart that loves Jesus totally; ready for any suffering or sacrifice. On Sept 21 this week is the feast of St. Matthew. He had a great love for his job as a tax collector because he made a lot of money. But one day, he was touched by grace. Jesus called him – follow me! He left everything. God gave him the grace to love Jesus more. Let us also ask for this grace.

2.     Humility. Let us learn to be humble like Jesus. To teach his disciples the art of humility, he showed them a little child. When we welcome a child, it is not dependent on his title, his wealth or power. The child does not have these things. We welcome a child simply because he is loveable; his simplicity and goodness. Moreover, Jesus greatest lesson is his cross. Here is a God who humbles himself out of love. The cross is the icon of greatness; the icon of selfless love.

3.     Habit. Jesus invites us to be persistent. Following him ought to become a lifestyle. It requires daily acts of love and humility. Greatness is the result of a persevering habit of serving like Jesus; generosity like Christ. It becomes a gradual transformation of ourselves: our heart, our head and our hands to be more and more like Christ. We grow in him. Somebody said: it is not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives; its what we do consistently.

POWER OF THE CROSS 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Mk 8:27-35)

Alexander Solzhenitsyn was a Russian novelist, philosopher and political prisoner. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970. In his autobiographical book “Gulag Archipelago” where he spent eight years in incarceration, he described that one day he felt physically weak and totally discourage. The hard labor, the terrible condition insider this Siberian prison, lack of food and sleep made him give up. He just wanted to die.

With no reason to keep on living, he stopped working and put his shovel down. He sat down on a crude bench waiting for the guard to beat him to death as he had seen so many times to tired prisoners. Intense suffering reduced him to despair.

As he waited, head down, he felt the presence of an old prisoner who sat down with him. He said nothing. Using a stick, he traced down on the dirt the sign of the cross. Then he got up and returned to his work.

Alexander revealed that when he stared at the cross on the dirt, his perspective changed. He felt the power of the cross. He knew there was something greater than the evil he saw in the prison camp; greater than the Soviet Union. He knew that hope was represented by that simple cross. Through the power of the cross, anything was possible.

Slowly he rose to his feet. He picked up his shovel and went back to work. Outwardly, nothing has changed. Inside, he had received hope; the strength never to give up.

Today’s gospel (Mk 8:27-35) is an invitation to look up and feel the presence of the cross and experience its power. Those who experience despair and discouragement will always find in the cross the strength to rise. In Mark’s gospel, this is a turning point in the mystery of Jesus. It reveals him as the Messiah; not a political or powerful figure but a suffering servant. He will undergo his paschal mystery – he will suffer; he will be rejected; he will be put to death; but he will rise again.

There are three moments I would like to emphasize from the gospel: 3 C’s

Confrontation – the moment of confrontation the first seven chapters of Mark contains a mystery. The looming question is: who is Jesus? Why does he teach with authority? Where does his power of healing come from? How can he walk on water? Even the evil spirits know him but Jesus tells them to be quiet. Jesus is reluctant to reveal his secret. Now he confronts his disciples about his identity.

Confession – the moment of revelation. Peter acknowledges him as Messiah or the Christ. Jesus accepts this title which is not a personal opinion but his real mission. This is the true purpose of his life and the very reason why he was born. God has sent his son into the world to restore humanity to its original state as it was in the beginning.

Cost of Discipleship. Being Messiah is not easy. The prophecies have already declared it. It has an expensive price. Yet only in union with Christ can there be life and glory. Jesus teaches us a simple but difficult formula for discipleship:

S + C = R or Sacrifice + Cross = Resurrection

Sacrifice means something to give up – your will; your obedience; desire; pride; self-love; ego; addictions. Things you offer and surrender to the Lord.

Cross means bearing our pain with faith and love; then with Christ we shall rise and find life. This is the paradox of Christian life. We gain by losing; we receive by giving and we live by dying. That is the power of the cross; the secret of the paschal mystery. Somebody said: only in the cross will we receive power when we are powerless; we will find strength when we are weak; we will experience hope when our situation is hopeless. Only in the cross is there peace for troubled hearts.

TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK

The movie 42 tells the story of a baseball player, Jackie Robinson. He was the first black athlete to play in the Major League Baseball (MLB). Since 1880s, black athletes were barred from MLB. In 1940s, Robinson was recruited to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. But the owner advised him to withstand racial abuse he would surely encounter inside and outside his team. He was challenged not to fight or confront but use non-violence.

He should have the guts not to retaliate and be able to turn the other cheek. He should focus on winning baseball not on reacting or fighting. People should remember him as a gentleman and a great baseball player. Though difficult, this he did! During his ten seasons, the Dodgers played six World Series with his help. He is the first black athlete to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

In today’s gospel (Lk 6:27-38), Jesus proposes non-violence to his followers. He commanded: love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you and pay for those who maltreat you! This command is difficult; yet doable. To make it happen, we need tons of motivation to have the courage not to fight back and turn the other cheek.

The follower of Christ ought to have these three qualities:

1.  Peaceful. He is not violent nor aggressive. Not fighting back is not a sign of weakness. Instead, it shows a person in control of himself. Jesus wants us to act out of love and gentleness. Our action is not ruled by anger, pride or instinct. A peaceful person has self-mastery over his emotions. 

2.     Patience. Love is patient. Jesus wants his followers to be kind. A patient man is able to see the bigger picture. His revenge is to bless and to pray. He is willing to accept the other knowing that every person is still a work in progress.

3.     Pro-active. Jesus’ follower is not reactive but proactive. He is rational and self-controlled.

One might say these virtues can only be implemented in the ideal world. Yet it is possible because even Jackie Robinson was able to practice it. All the more we need to learn them from our Master, Jesus Christ.

MOTHER'S LOVE

 A story is told about a little boy who came to his mother one evening after dinner. With an innocent grin, he presented her with a small piece of paper.

For cleaning my room: Charge – P10

For washing the dishes: Charge – P10

For going to the store: Charge – P10

For taking out the garbage: Charge – P10

For baby-sitting my kid brother: Charge – P10

     Total Cost: P50

Reading it, his mother was amused. Then she picked up a pen and wrote at the back of the paper:

For nine months I carried you in my womb: No charge

For the sleepless nights I endured when you got sick while praying for you: No charge

For the tears and heartaches, you caused through the years: No charge

For the food, toys and clothes. Even wiping your nose: No charge

     Total cost of my love: No charge

A mother’s love is amazing. Its phenomenal and one of a kind. And its all for free; all for love with no service charge whatsoever.

Today we celebrate Mama Mary’s birthday (Sept 8). Why do we give it importance? Because, first of all, it was God who made her so special by choosing her above all other women. God designated her and prepared her to be the mother of Jesus. That makes her unique among other mortals! In today’s gospel (Mt 1: 1-23) she is part of Jesus’ genealogy. Jesus traces his bloodline from her. She made it possible for him to become human. God has become one of us.

We make this day one of thanks and praise. We thank God for the gift of her life; that she was born at all! We learn so much from her life. She has become the paragon of virtues. Her greatest contribution to the world is her motherhood. She’s the mother of Jesus. When she said: Yes.. she accepted God’s Plan. She donated to God not just her body; her plans, her future, her dreams. God’s dream became hers. She embraced it totally. Moreover, she became our mother too. She also embraced spiritual motherhood.

Her birth ushered the time of salvation. She brought the needed sunshine to the dark and hopeless world. At her birth, salvation is near. She is like a movie trailer: Jesus is coming soon. That makes it a milestone in the history of salvation. Expectation became intense. Excitement became earnest. She’s bringing the period of grace as she is full of grace.

At her birth, God gave us one of his most treasured being. She was well preserved; well protected; shielded from any poison of sin. She was pure, immaculate. Perfect.  If she is most precious to God, then she is someone really worth having. She is, in fact, our “tainted nature’s solitary boast” because she is literally God’s amazing masterpiece. God willed that she become the instrument and channel of grace: to Jesus through Mary. 

Ephpheta

Ludvig Van Beethoven was a German-born musician. He is regarded as one of the greatest classical composers like Mozart. By his 20s he was considered a brilliant virtuoso pianist in Europe. By his 30s, he composed piano concertos, 6 string quartet and his first symphony. Everything was moving towards a long, successful career ahead.

 But one day, began to hear buzzing and ringing sounds in his ears. His hearing was steadily growing weaker. During orchestra practices he had to stay close to the performers; he couldn’t hear when people spoke softly. He kept it secret for three years because it meant the ruin of his career in music. Sadly, at 44 years old, he was completely deaf. There were many theories why – some say lead poisoning, typhus or his habit of throwing his head into cold water to be awake.

Yet some of his most important works were composed during the last 10 years of his life despite being deaf. His most famous composition is the 5^th Symphony. Its opening motif is the door knocking. He describes it as ‘fate knocking at the door.’ The cruel hearing loss that he feared would afflict him for the rest of his life.

Being deaf or blind or any physical deficiency is really tough and difficult. In today’s gospel (Mk 7:31-37), it narrates the cure of a deaf and mute man. It shows the care and compassion of Jesus. When he touched his tongue and prayed: Ephpheta, meaning ‘be opened. ’ He was cured. He could hear and speak again. The crowd were so amazed. They declared: “he has done all things well!” They gave Jesus the highest grade: excellent.

Here Jesus repairs a broken person. He can also repair a broken humanity; can make things new. Jesus is a fixer; a trouble-shooter; a mender. Jesus can mend ears, eyes, hearts even broken pieces of our lives. Jesus can make us whole and make us well.

Today, our prayer is also: Ephpheta. Be opened. Be unlocked.

We pray that we too can open our ears, our eyes and our hearts. We ask the Lord: Lord, open our eyes. We can be blinded when we don’t see others or don’t see God working in our lives. We suffer from spiritual nearsightedness; you’re able to see the tiny details of your life but fail to look upward or outward and miss the big picture; what God wants to do with your life for others.

Lord, open our ears. We can be deaf. We struggle to hear because you just listen to yourself and your own opinions. We can be selective in listening; or listen to what we like or what we want to hear. We can learn from the boy Samuel’s prayer: Speak Lord, your servant is listening.

Lord, open our hearts. We can deliberately close our hearts. It means giving God permission to take control; have access to all the rooms of our hearts; hand him the keys of your life. We surrender. We are familiar with the story of Christ knocking at the door of each heart. But our heart is a strange. It has no door knob. It can’t be opened from outside; only form within.

Today, our prayer is ephpheta. Let us make a generous choice to allow God to open our eyes, our ears, our hearts, our very life. . Lord, take away my deafness, my blindness, my selfishness. Amen. 

Lourdes Fiesta Homily

 In our gospel (Mt 8:4-13), Jesus performs a powerful healing. A Roman Centurion requested him to cure his servant. This man has two special qualities. First, he has a deep concern for his slave. In the Roman Empire, slaves did not matter. They are mere human tool. No connection. No feeling whether they are sick or they suffer. Yet this man shows a human heart. Second, he has an extraordinary faith. He tells Jesus: Just say the word. He has faith in Jesus’ virtual power even without physical contact. This is a proof that prayer with great love, selflessness and faith is effective. 

As we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, Mary can be our effective and powerful intercessor. If this unknown soldier was granted his wish, how much more Jesus’ own mother! Today the greatest thing we can do for our sick brothers and sisters is to reach out to them through our prayers.

Let us pray to our Blessed Mother for 3 things: 3 H

Healing. This is what we need because health is wealth. Health is God’s gift. It’s a blessing. We thank God for it and pray for protection. If we lose it, we ask for healing. Today we suffer so much because of this pandemic. But according to Pope Francis, the greatest disease in the world isn’t medical. Its indifference. It is the feeling of being unwanted, unloved. Through the vaccine, we will soon find cure for covid. But the only cure for indifference that leads to depression is love. Love can heal. Forgiveness heals. Try using words like: I’m sorry. I care for you. I love you. maybe it can start the healing process in the heart.

Holiness. Health like wealth is a secondary good. Holiness is our vocation, the greatest good. We will not always be healthy. It’s a given. We will not always be young, beautiful or powerful. Holiness is friendship with Jesus. It’s a personal relationship with God. In following Jesus, we don’t say: Lord, I follow you when I feel good; I’m blest or successful. Following Jesus doesn’t depend on our feelings, our moods, condition or circumstances. Holiness is a commitment to love God with all our heart in joys and in pain; laughter and sorrow; in sickness or in health; in richer or poorer. Holiness is your self-offering to God without conditions.

Happiness. Not the short-term happiness but everlasting. Fullness of life. Joy only God can give. Peace. This happiness is possible in the midst of pain, sickness, ill-health, anxiety or fear. Mary told Bernadette: I promise you happiness but not in this world, but in the next. This is the happiness we should all strive and desire.

Today, we recall the 163^rd anniversary of the first apparition in Lourdes, France; and the 64^th Fiesta of our Parish in Punta Princesa. Let us turn to our Blessed Mother, our Model and our intercessor. Let us pray for 3 H’s. Health. Holiness and Happiness.

Prayer: Lord, I pray for healing, for myself and for those who are seek. Let me fulfill my calling to be holy and look beyond the happiness you promise. Amen.