Peace! Kalilintad! Shalom!

Author: A Dose of God Today

  • CONSCIENCE

    CONSCIENCE

    December 18, 2023 – Monday of the Third Week of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121823.cfm)

    Surely most of us are familiar now with the statue of Sleeping Joseph. Nowadays we hear & see of an unusual statue of St. Joseph sleeping & resting. Not the usual Joseph holding the child Jesus, he is depicted here as a simple ordinary man resting in his sleep. Many meanings we can attribute to this image – like Joseph as a tired worker & family man resting from life-challenges. But such image of sleeping Joseph may gives a glimpse of the spirituality & prayer life of St. Joseph. Scripture tells us how

    significant rest, sleep & dreams in the life of Joseph as to his contribution to God’s work salvation for us. Not only in dreams he was warned about the slaughter of children after the birth Jesus that forced them to exile to Egypt, we also hear in our gospel today how in slumber & dreams Joseph is able to experience God’s plan & will for Him & us for the better. We remember in our gospel today after weighing & discernment for the right thing to do in challenging situations (being betrothed to virgin Mary who is now found with a child not His & initially resolve to divorce her quietly), Joseph went to sleep for rest & in dream, encounters the angel of the Lord saying to him, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.”

    With Joseph, here we come to know how God may work in us & accompany us through in our faith & life. Yes, in many ways & means, God makes himself known & reveals himself to us. God intervenes into our life now in so many ways, be it through His words, via Jesus story, our Church witnessing, our faith & life experiences, through our sacraments, prayers, devotions, images & statues. Moreover, God guides us personally in our Christian faith & life through our consciences, discernment, decision-making, & even in our dreams & sleeping, like St. Joseph.

    Somehow the sleeping Joseph is teaching us now to listen & honor our conscience in life, because through our conscience we come to get to know consciously & unconsciously God’s better plans & will for us. We are also to trust our conscience, because with our conscience that disturbs & directs us, we become aware of the Emmanuel “God is with us” & hear God’s assurances for us, not to be afraid to take responsibility for Jesus & Mary into our own home.

    As we are nearing Christmas, the birth of Christ, like Joseph, may we have a discerning heart & mind to know deeply God’s plans & will for us this coming years – open to once again & anew take on the responsibility of parenting Jesus & adopting the Holy Family into our lives now & always. So May It Be. Amen.

  • SOCIAL MEDIA

    SOCIAL MEDIA

    December 17, 2023 – Gaudete Sunday, Third Sunday of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121723.cfm)

    As the priest was once about to greet the people with the usual “the Lord be with you” (Ang Ginoo Maanaa kaninyo) to which the people were to respond: “And also with you,” (Maanaa usab kanimo) on a Sunday mass, the people were not able to hear such dialogue because the microphone wire was defective. The priest then tapped the microphone which fortunately made contact. But to his regret, while the mic regain contact, he accidentally shouted and broadcasted loudly: “there is something wrong with the microphone”. (Naay daut ang microphone) And worse, the people involuntarily replied: “And also with you.” (Maanaa usab Kanimo).

    During Eucharist, we usually hear the normal greeting of the priest: “The Lord be with you” (Ang Ginoo maanaa Kanimo). And then we usually reply, “and also with you” (Maanaa usab kanimo). But what does it mean? What does “the Lord be with you” mean?

    According to the scripture, the words, “the Lord be with you” is the first good news ever proclaimed to us. Since the annunciation of Maria, the birth of Jesus until His ministry, death and resurrection, these words and message have always been proclaimed and preached to us, and has been a recurring theme of the Good News of Jesus Christ. And even until now, the Spirit of God and the Church, has preached these to us again and anew – that the Lord is WITH you and all of us now.

    If “the Lord is with us”, how should we feel then?

    Our readings today call us to be Joyful and Thankful to God for He has blessed us with His presence and salvation in our lives. Isaiah rejoices over God’s grace bestowed not only on himself but on Us all, proclaiming: “My soul rejoices in my God”. St Paul exhorts that we should always rejoice and give thanks for such great blessing upon us.  John in our gospel today knows himself. He is not the Messiah himself. John is not the message or the Good New, but He is just the microphone- loudspeaker: the SOCIAL MEDIA of the message. He is only the voice and just the precursor to prepare the way of the Lord. But he also aspires to be a worthy friend of the bridegroom. He is not the Groom but the joyful Best man or person for the Groom. This is also what John wishes for us – that We become the Best (worthy, righteous, and joyful) Person before God and others for the Christ, the Messiah, and become a Microphone- Loudspeaker-social media of the message: “the Lord is with us”.

    We are now in the third Sunday of Advent. The whole Church calls this particular Sunday as “Gaudete Sunday”, the Sunday of Joy and Praise. We are encouraged to be always grateful of the Good News that the Lord is with and upon us.

    But are we really now joyful because of the Good News that the Lord is with us? Or are we, like what happened with the priest who said that mass, become accustomed and got used with the message that we are not anymore happy and excited about it? And because we get used to it and have heard it before, we just automatically or mechanically respond without really meaning it: And also with you?” What then, is the difference if when we hear the Message, and we just respond, “OK, fine whatever.”? Or without interest responding “Amen”, whenever presented with “Body of Christ” during communion? Or just saying “So what?” when a special guest arrives in your home for a visit?

    If we have heard the good news that the Lord is with us, what should we do then? If we really recognize that the Lord is with us, it is but right and fitting that we should rejoice and be happy because a great grace has come upon us. And in our joy and gladness, we also need to preach and share this good news to all – that is we should actively witness, preach and proclaim this with all our words and actions. Like St. John the Baptist in our gospel, we who have heard and glad of the good news of salvation must also become the best man – like good microphone or social media blogger that proclaims, “the Lord is with us”. And in this season of advent, we must renew, prepare, and strengthen our faith, so that we may become worthy of His message.

    If the microphone is defective, we must also check if the speaker and receiver are also defective, for we might send a wrong message and get a wrong response. Advent then is Time for Sound Check & Mic Test – for us to review our Social Media account, to ensure we are at our BEST condition to host our beloved Guest Jesus Christ.

    Christmastime proclaims to us the simple message: the Lord is with us. How about us? Are we with Him?

    May we Be with the Lord, as He has always been with Us. Amen.

  • SHARING THE AMAZING MYSTERIOUS LOVE OF FR. NOEL GARTLAN, C.S.s.R.

    SHARING THE AMAZING MYSTERIOUS LOVE OF FR. NOEL GARTLAN, C.S.s.R.

    BY REMY S. RABOR

    I believe letter-writing is an effective means of communication to get to know a person … This I learned from my 10 years of letter-writing with Fr. Noel Gartlan, C.S.s.R.

    Fr. Noel does not like writing a”personal” letter but he likes receiving them. Since I’m fond of writing, so he gives his response whenever he has time.

    Fr. Noel was a person full of love. He was called to incarnate God’s unconditional love in whatever circumstances he was placed. He expressed God’s love in his work in Tacloban and also in Davao with the seminarians, and in Iligan, and in the people he met.

    In all his letters to me he always begins with; “My dear dear Remy“… In almost every letter, he always says “one friendship progress“, because we can say what we feel, without any fear of being judged or fear that the other would be taken aback by what we say. Our relationship, me being his “little sister” and him my “big brother” is what we liked very much and one we both like to remain. If he has been able to enter into my sufferings and sorrows, trials & challenges in my life a bit, it is because he comes for me somewhat more than ordinary pastoral care.

    Whenever he writes about his love and concern for me, he always emphasizes that he hoped his words could never be misconstrued by Rey as anything but showing the highest concern for me as a married person and for my marriage, for it is great concern for him that my marriage be a success and that Rey and I grow in the deepest possible love together & anything he can do to help that along, is what he feels he should do for a “little sister”.

    “Happiness is the result of trying to do something else besides trying to be happy. Maybe, the worst way to attain happiness is to work with set purpose to be happy. The harder one tries, the more elusive is the fruit desired. The butterfly does not come to the one who tries to catch it. Joy comes from being in tune with life around. The butterfly enjoys being fully a butterfly in full freedom, than captured in our hands. We must try to be at peace with the cosmos, to be in tune, in harmony.”

    It makes him happy when I tell him what I have been doing especially in my marriage because he grows too in this mystery of love as the year goes on.

    Fr. Noel always expressed his gratitude whenever he received my letters, or birthday gifts or phone calls. He expressed his thanks by telling me: “Silly little sister!” and added, “Thank you”, for showing him something of my love for him, and helped him too to know more clearly of his love for me.

    I cannot forget what Fr. Noel said,” Touch the good earth every day. It’s Friendly. It’s from where we came and to where we return.”

    Fr. Noel always said he has so much to thank me for. I too felt the same and happy too, whenever he shares anything that comes to his mind. It is because we are special friends we can say anything to one another.

    Fr. Noel always emphasized on God’s love. Jesus is the human expression of God’s love. We are called to a relationship of love with God, in the person of Christ. Once the relationship is right, all else is right. What I do is very secondary to whom I AM in relationship with Christ.

    In one of his letters, Fr. Noel shared that he was an instrument of God’s love. A woman he met along the small chapel asked if she could take some of his time. There was somehow an understanding between them and they sat in the chapel for about 30 minutes. She poured out her heart to him. Because the nature of the problem she presented they had to share on love. Giving her some of his love, he could feel she was responding. He knew they were both the better for the encounter. With a misty eye of gratitude, she asked his name. It was only 30 minutes, but in that short time, he felt he knows her heart and she, his. He knew he met Christ. Isn’t it a great mystery? This is his little reflection for me in his letter.

    In every ending of Fr. Noel’s letter, he always says that in his prayer each morning, he speaks my name to God and prays that I will know His love for me and that his own way be a little of the same sort.

    Fr. Noel is one person whom I consider a part of my life. In his own unique way, he has shown me the human love of Jesus for me.

    Fr. Noel’s and my letter-writing relationship will always be printed in my heart and mind all years till I depart. I praise God for the gift of Fr. Noel in my life and those whom he also encountered.

    May God have mercy on Fr. Noel Gartlan, CSsR. May the Lod grant him eternal rest. AMEN.

  • MISSING BAMBINO

    MISSING BAMBINO

    December 10, 2023 – Second Sunday of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121023.cfm)

    Have you heard the story about the missing Bambino?

    A story once told that day after Christmas, after all the parties and celebrations, words came out that the Bambino – “the Child Jesus” in a parish church’s Christmas grotto went missing. Parishioners became quite concerned then for nobody can account for the whereabouts of their beloved and now missing Bambino. Perhaps it has been stolen and worse – desecrated by some unbelievers. Days after the incident, resigned with the sad fate of their missing Bambino, a father with his crying boy came to the parish church and brought back with them the missing Bambino. Rejoiced for the return of their missing Bambino, they asked the boy what really happened. The boy said, “My friend and I visited the baby here last Christmas night. The Bambino was sad and all alone. Nobody was with Him except us. So we decided to invite and bring Him home, and brought Him in our chapel where together we could happily play and be with Him”…

    We may at times become so engrossed with & worried about the season of the celebration that we miss the Reason of the celebration itself. We at times concern ourselves more with the “how” that we fail the “why” we celebrate.

    We are now into Advent Season, at the 2nd Sunday of Advent. Advent is all about preparation, preparation for the coming event – the once again visit and arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ into our lives. Advent is then not the homecoming event itself but the preparation of the coming event.

    Our gospel today introduced us John the Baptist as the herald and messenger who prepares the way of the Lord. He was predicted to be the one who announces the coming of the Lord into our lives. He prepared his whole life and other people’s lives to welcome the Messiah into our lives. John the Baptist then is not the Gospel but only the precursor – the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God. In other words, He is not the Groom but Best Man of the Groom who paves the way for the celebration of Wedding.

    Like John the Baptist, we Christians, followers and believers of Christ today are called to be heralds, messengers and announcers of the gospel of the Lord’s coming into our lives. We are to prepare ourselves and the world for the once again & anew homecoming visit and arrival of our Lord into our day to day lives. As last Sunday reminds us, we are to “Be alert, awake and aware” for the coming Event. This is the “How” we are to be for the Lord’s coming. And on this 2nd Sunday of Advent, we are reminded of the very “Why” – the reason and gospel of Christmas is Incarnation. God is wanting to be with Us always. God choose to be like us so that He can come & visit us, stay with us and be with us in our lives forever.  How He wishes then that when He comes and arrives, we come prepared with our whole hearts and being to lovingly welcome Him to COME IN and allow Him to Be with us anew in our lives.

    However, like the story of the missing Bambino, we may become so engrossed with the preparation that we miss the event itself – bogged down with the season that we miss the reason of celebration. It is like leaving the expected guest all alone on his own in the living room while we just go back to our own affairs after joyfully welcoming him, – or the best man who is so engaged with his formal attire that he missed to bring the wedding ring for the weeding. Or like Martha, we become so concerned with what to do for the Lord as He visits that we fail to be with Him. Or worse, we might just left Him behind on His own, neglected – allowed only when needed.

    Christmas is not all about us welcoming the Lord but moreso about “Immanuel” God-being with Us – the Lord coming and staying home into our lives. We may have been planning to joyfully welcome and celebrate His coming visit but do we allow Him to come in stay and be with us? Pinatuloy mo na, papatirahin mo ba Siya sa Inyo? Or will he just remain a guest and temporary settler/squatter of our home?

    2nd Sunday of Advent proclaims the message of God’s Love. This is to remind us that as active and passive verb, Love means both to love & be loved. God loves us & we are beloved by God. We should love God in return & God should beloved by us as well. Again like at the arrival area in the airport, We wait for God but God also waits & longs for us to recognize & let Him into our lives now. 

    During this Advent season, may our hearts be more willing and open to welcome the Lord once again & anew into our lives, not just a visiting guest but a welcome member of our home & family, community & church to partner & accompany us to the coming challenges of life ahead amidst possible threats of war, violence, turmoils, unrest, natural & human disasters. 

    Dayon, Tuloy po kayo. Come in, Lord Jesus & Stay with us now and always. Amen.

  • Advent-COMING

    Advent-COMING

    December 3, 2023 – First Sunday of Advent

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120323.cfm)

    Once in a far-flung village, words came that someone from the diocese would come to visit them on a particular day. So, in excited anticipation for the said visit, the whole village decided to renovate their chapel and prepare a rather lavish banquet to welcome their special guest. However on the very day of the visit, no guest arrived, but instead a big writings message is posted on their chapel wall stating “BEWARE for HE is here. Babala. Nandito siya. Pagbantay, Ania sya.” Dismayed for the non-appearance of their expected guest, the villagers began to blame and distrust one another for the said fiasco and humiliation. Worse is the insulting words written on their chapel walls warning them to be aware of someone present with them but in fact, absent, no show, not there. Nandito daw pero wala naman. Naa daw, pero wala lagi.

    Weeks after the fiasco, they started to take seriously the message on the wall: BEWARE of the supposed-guest’s presence in their midst, and they began to consider that perhaps that the guest is already with them but they might have missed & fail to recognize him. So they become alert and aware first of the presence of newcomers and migrants in their midst (mga dili ingon nato, pero naa nato), then they become sensitive of each other’s presence & needs, & thus they grow in their concern & respect for one another within their community as they become conscious of someone with them, other than themselves. BEWARE. Babala. Pagbantay then becomes more than just a word of warning but a Wake-up Call for them to be aware, be awake, and be alert of the Presence of one another and of other than beyond themselves. Hindi lamang Babala, kundi Magmasid, magising at magkamalay. And thus, they become WELCOMING community.

    We Christians believe that there are three comings of the Lord in our lives: His second coming at the end of time to reign & rule the world, His coming in the end of one’s life to fetch & bring us to our Father, & His coming as He & we live in our lives this day. Any one of these comings can take place at any moment in our life. And what is expected of us is to be WELCOMING HOSTS of the Lord. Our salvation then is all about the Lord coming to us & we welcoming Him into our lives.

    In our gospel today Jesus said: “Beware. Keep alert for you do not know when the time will come. Therefore keep watch for you did not know when the Lord is coming or else he may find you asleep when He comes suddenly. What I say to you, I say to all: Keep awake.” Jesus here is giving us a Wake-up Call to be aware, awake and be alert for coming of the Salvation and Good News that is happening and about to happen in our lives. God has something Better to offer us more in life now and from now on. And behind this promise of salvation in our lives, our Hospitality – welcoming and hosting the Lord as our guest is required. Salvation thus happens when God comes & we willingly welcome Him into our lives. So also, salvation is wasted because of unrecognized & unwelcomed Lord as our guest, & due to how clueless insolent unwelcoming people we are as hosts. To be a good worthy host to our guest, all we have to do and to be then is to be alert, awake and aware – magmasid, magising at magkamalay, so that God’s miracles and blessings are to be revealed & enjoyed in us always anew. Jesus does not want us to sleepwalk through our lives. He wants us to whole-heartedly welcome His comings into our lives by being alert, awake and aware – as we are hosting His work of God’s promise of salvation for all.

    Image from https://www.bible.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fyvplans%2F41081%2F1280x720.jpg&w=3840&q=75

    The first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of a new liturgical year. Another year of the Lord and with the Lord is upon and ahead of us. Another promise and chance for us to grow in our faith and love of God through Jesus Christ. As we begin and live through our new liturgical year: to be alert, awake, aware: Magmasid, magising, at magkamalay are the very welcoming attitudes Jesus wants us to be and do for another chance to be and grow with Him in God’s grace.

    Advent season usually proclaims & reminds us that change has come & is coming into our very lives – that God’s graces thru Jesus Christ is ever present & always active in the daily happenings of our life. We do also know that His offer of life-changes for us is far greater & much better than we anticipated – and usually comes unexpectedly through simple ordinary miracles we experience in life. As Jesus warns us, usually God’s blessings and graces come into our lives as a surprise for we never know when the time will come – when the Lord is coming. Blessed are we then whom the Lord finds not Asleep but Alert, Awake and aware when He comes and arrives into our lives.

    Like people waiting at the pre-departure area and people waiting at the arrival area in the airport, as we live life these days on New Normal after pandemic long, and as we look forward our 503rd years of Filipino Catholicism, may we brace ourselves to welcome Him for His another coming ride, anew chance into our lives – conscious, alert, sensitive, & aware not to miss His presence in our midst & thus, be forever blessed by the grace of His love & mercy.

    Amen.