Be Ready

Typhoon Yoland was a monster storm. The promise of “zero casualty” is an irony in many areas especially in Tacloban where thousands have died and many still missing.

But in a small island in Camotes known as “Tulang Diyot Island” all residents survived even if about 500 houses were destroyed by powerful winds and big waves. The absence of casualties was attributed to the evacuation of around 1,000 people from the island under San Francisco Town Mayor Alfredo Arquillano. His commanding voice challenged and compelled all the residents to move out.

Everybody heeded and it saved everyone’s life. The residents soon found out after the storm that not one house was left standing on the island; everything was wiped out!

This mayor, who won a UN Disaster Risk Reduction Award in 2011, did not allow his constituents to be complacent. He pushed them to be prepared. From this experience he would conclude that “preparedness pays.” It led to “zero casualty.”

As we enter the 2^nd Sunday of Advent, we are invited to be prepared, to be ready. A commanding voice challenges us: “Prepare the Way of the Lord” (Mt 3:3). John appears as a prophet with a message. His passion purpose was to awaken in people’s heart a great desire for God – for the Messiah. His whole life was a message. He saw himself as God’s messenger. He wanted people to discover that the biggest thing in their life was Jesus.

When Pope Francis passed through Rio de Janiero during the World Youth Day (on July 26), a nine year old boy wearing a Brazilian National Football Team Jersey ran up to him eluding security. Even the Pope was surprised by the enthusiasm of this lad. He broke past barriers just to tell him he wanted to be a priest! He was so excited to offer his life for Jesus.

John the Baptist, by his message and presence, made people excited and enthusiastic to welcome Jesus in their lives. Today, he continues to be a voice that reminds us of 3 things:

1.     We need to Accept God’s Kingdom

When Jesus starts his public ministry, he will be using this same theme. He will proclaim “The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news” (Mk 1:15). For John and for Jesus “the Kingdom of God” is not a thing; not a geographical place. It is a person – it is Jesus himself! Accepting the kingdom is accepting Jesus. It is believing in Jesus; surrendering to Him. John wants us to realize that with Jesus, God himself is present among us. Since He is God’s presence we accept Him with faith.

2.     We need to Bear Fruit

Accepting Jesus means we need to be productive. One of the fascinating saint I have read is St. Martin de Porres. His dad was a Spanish nobleman while his mom was a black African from Panama. His father left them when he was a child; her mother work as a laundry woman to support herself. Martin wanted to become a priest but because he was an illegitimate and colored, he was not allowed. He was accepted only as a lay brother.

But he lived such a prayerful and humble life that God granted many miracles and healing through him. Humility is an amazing virtue. For the humble: “God is everything. I am nothing!” Thus God simply loves the humble and gives His graces to them – like Mary. She is so special to God because she is so humble. Her humility makes her bear so much fruit.

3.     We need to Change

Last Thursday (December 5), Nelson Mandela died. All his life he was a controversial figure. He was accused as a communist in his young years. All he wanted to do was to change a divided South Africa. He lived during the days of the apartheid – division between the blacks and white. His whole life was a struggle to bring harmony and unity to his country even to the point of being imprisoned.

What I learned from this man is his capacity to change. He changed from a militant freedom fighter, to a prisoner, president, moral compass, to an elder selfless statesman. His life can teach us that we can always change. And changing ourselves, we can change others.

John the Baptism guides us to accept God’s kingdom, to bear fruit and be committed to change ourselves. To do this we need to be convinced that Jesus is the biggest thing in our life.

Hope and Preparation

Happy New Year! 

Welcome to the New Liturgical Year of the Church. It’s a new beginning; a new start. Last night, before our Salesian Community prayed the vespers, we did a traditional opening by having the rite of blessing of the advent wreath. We inaugurated a new season for the Church. The rite ended with the lighting of the 1^st Candle of the Advent Wreath.

It’s a symbol of hope – in the midst of darkness and evil; in the midst of heartbreaking human experiences of tragedy and loss, God is there. God continues to shine!

We just concluded the Year of Faith. But for us in the Philippines, we continue the challenges of the New Evangelization. We continue to deepen and strengthen our faith. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) directs us to have a bigger and wider perspective – we are to set our eyes towards our 500 years of Christianity in 2021.

The Era of New Evangelization that the CBCP wants us to prepare gives us the theme for 2014 as “The Year of the Laity.” The Lay Faithful are encourage to have a greater appreciation of their baptism being sons and daughters of God. It exhorts them to a greater realization that they are co-responsible agents of evangelization.

The Advent Season does not only indicate a new start. It is also an invitation for a renewed commitment in the faith. It is a call to an awakening of a new Christian spirit. We should not hide our Catholic identity but come out as witnesses of faith.

Our Gospel (Mt. 24: 37-44) challenges us to have a more “vigilant disposition.” It commands us to “stay awake!” There are two reasons for such a demand:

One: Life is short. Time is temporary. “For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” On this thought, two experiences this week struck me: One, the brother of my former student – Bimbo Caparas died in a very sudden manner. Basketball has always been part of Bimbo’s life. He has both the build and the stature (he stands 6’2). However, three Sundays ago while preparing for a game, he did not know it would be his last. As he was tying his shoelace, he suddenly fell unconscious on the ground. His friends brought him to the nearest hospital. But they were so shock when the doctor pronounced him “dead on arrival.”

The other experience is about the cousin of our Salesian Cooperator who was shot dead. I celebrated a funeral mass for Renante Bacus, a businessman who owns a hardware store in Naga. The other Tuesday, an unidentified man just went inside his hardware at past 8 AM then shot him at the face. He died on the spot with three bullets in his head. His death was so shocking for his wife and family members who looked up to him as a model “kuya.” Neighbors describe him as “daling maduolan, hilumon ug smiling” (approachable, silent and smiling).

Two: Our life demands that we make a contribution to society. We feel we want to leave a legacy for the future. This impels us to be vigilant and awake so as to share our contribution making this world a better place.

Advent is a time of preparation. The spirit of this season is summarized in the prayer “Maranatha” – Come, Lord Jesus!” Our spiritual preparation can be made practical in two ways:

1.     Conversion.

St. Paul’s exhortation strikes at the core (Rom 13:11-14): “It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct  ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy.

During the Recollection of the 4^th Year High School students of Lawaan National High School, I sat for confession. Most of the students lined up. As I was listening to them, I felt their sincerity and their desire to turn back from their sinful ways and return to God. I see it as a sign of hope.

2.     Prayer

This season invites us to spend time with God. It’s a beautiful opportunity to focus on reviewing our relationship with Jesus by being committed in this 4 weeks of Advent preparation. Few days from now, we shall start the 9-day novena-prayers through the Misa de Gallo. Our interior preparation makes the memory of Christ’s birth more meaningful.