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Category: Fr. Manoling Thomas, CSsR

  • The Power and Authority to Enlighten and Free People

    The Power and Authority to Enlighten and Free People

    January 31, 2021 – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Fr. Manoling Thomas, CSsR

    Click here for the readings (https://adoseofgodtoday.com/sunday-liturgy/)

    In the world of showbiz, some aspiring movie actors and actresses, just starting in their showbiz career, resort to time-tested gimmicks! Publicly, they give out controversial statements. Others are even more daring: by behaving or actually engaging in scandalous affairs! All these are done for publicity, just to get the attention of the public; and become the “talk of the town”! They want to promote their popularity! With the availability of the social media, some even enjoy recording their statements or compromising behaviour, and feed these to the social media, hoping that these will go “viral” and they become the famous and “talk of the town”!

    In today’s Gospel, Jesus, did not have to resort to any of these gimmicks to catch the attention of his audience and to become “the talk of the town”! Jesus’ intent was to tell the people that the kingdom of God is already present! In the synagogue, one Sabbath, Jesus did two things that spontaneously caught the people’s attention!

    1. He taught “with authority” so different from the way of the authorized teachers, the scribes!
    2. He commanded the evil spirit to get out of a man who happened to be also there in the synagogue.

    The people in the synagogue, according to Mark (1:27), “were amazed, and they kept on asking one another, ‘What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’”

    In Jesus’ culture and time, people who went beyond their designated area of expertise were practically unheard of. If there were, they could easily get into a big trouble! Jesus was born into a family of carpenters and artisans. He neither had a formal training in teaching nor was he ever affiliated with the group of the scribes! Some who were there were indeed shocked, yet to them, Jesus came across as one teaching with authority! They had never witnessed such kind of a teacher before!

    And as if that was not enough, Jesus also exhibited a power that was stronger than that of the evil spirit whom he commanded to get out from a man it possessed. In Jesus’ time people, like many of us Asians, had a strong belief in spirits, good and bad! They believed that these spirits had a stronger power over human beings. But their power was less than that of God’s! These spirits were capable of interfering in human lives either for good or for bad. They had power to control human behaviour and to “possess” humans, as in the case of that man!

    To break and counter the spell of these spirits, one must know and call out the name and true identity of the spirit! In today’s Gospel, it was the spirit which first called out and revealed the true identity of Jesus, as “the holy one of God”! [v.24]. But instead of conquering Jesus, the other way round happened! Jesus conquered the evil spirit and drove it out of the man.  Where did Jesus get this power? Who is this Jesus? His power is stronger than that of any human person! Is Jesus’ power from God or from some lesser gods or spirits?

    Whereas movie personalities use gimmicks to draw attention to them and gain popularity, Jesus wanted to draw and focus the attention of the people to the reality that indeed, the Kingdom of God “has come near”. Jesus simply wanted to connect the people to this God, who loves and cares for them!

    Jesus used his God-given authority and power to enlighten and to free people, from anything that would hinder them from living as dignified and honorable sons and daughters of God! Jesus freed the possessed man, restored his dignity and honor, and released him from the power of the unclean spirit. Now this man can reclaim his rightful place in the community!

    How do you use your God-given authority, talent, and power? For what purpose do you use these? Do you truly believe in the power of Jesus, so much so that you do not allow evil to deceive, intimidate, scare, or bully you?

    Mark wrote [1:28] that the people were the ones who spread the fame of Jesus! Are you among those who do your part to continue in spreading the fame of Jesus and his Gospel?

  • FOR WHOM AND FOR WHAT ARE YOU WORKING?

    FOR WHOM AND FOR WHAT ARE YOU WORKING?

    January 24, 2021 – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time; National Bible Sunday

    Fr. Manoling Thomas, CSsR

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012421.cfm)

    A holy rabbi used to live in a small but prosperous town. In one section of that town were the houses of the rich. Practically every house in that section had a security guard employed to watch over the house and the property especially at night or when the owner was out-of-town. This holy rabbi had to pass through that area daily.

    One day he approached and asked one of the guards: “For whom are you working?” Satisfied with the guard’s answer, the guard in turn, also asked the rabbi: “I notice that every day you pass by this area, for whom are you, working?” The surprised rabbi was taken aback. After regaining his composure, the rabbi replied: “Well to be honest with you, I am not working for any particular person!” But after pausing to reflect for a while, the rabbi said to the guard: “May I ask you a favor? Time and again, when you see me pass by, ask me this question: ‘For whom are you working, Rabbi?’”  The guard agreed.

    On many occasions, I have asked people about their work and whether they enjoy their work. Sometimes I get the following answer: “It is not a question of whether I like or enjoy my work. Whether I like my job or not is beside the point. I have to work because I have a family to support. My loved ones depend on me!”  Some see their job as a way of financially supporting themselves and realizing their dream in life! Many OFWs would still choose to work in their home country, if only the job opportunity is as good as what is offered them abroad! Others see work as an opportunity for self-advancement, or as a way of getting a better promotion and earning a bigger salary! So generally many think they know “why and for whom” they are working?

    But today’s Gospel draws our attention to a deeper understanding as to the “why” and the “for whom” we are working? Today’s Gospel shows us that although there is a difference between a “career” and a “vocation” yet these two need not be in conflict with each other! Before Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John, their work and source of livelihood was fishing! They had already their job, a career in life!

    When the four fishermen were called by Christ “to fish people” Jesus did not ask them to give up altogether their career, and to stop supporting their loves ones. Rather, Jesus gave them a deeper understanding and awareness as for whom and for what they have to work from now on! To their career, Jesus added a vocation! They are now disciples working for Christ; and like Jesus, their work are primarily for the service of others.

    A career opens the door for one to advance and to improve one’s own status in life. Educators by continuing their own education and earning more degrees hope to either keep their teaching post or even get a higher promotion!

    A vocation however is deeper than a career. Vocation is a personal calling from Christ. Vocation involves having a particular way of looking at life, a correct motivation and being totally committed to one’s specific calling in life. At the start of his pontificate, Pope Francis reminded priests, religious, and the members of the Roman Curia, not to turn their priestly and religious vocation into a “career”. They should not use their positions in the church for their own personal ambition and advancement because theirs is a “vocation” and not a “career”! Vocation to the priesthood and/or the religious life is not a “career” but a special calling!

    Except for priests and religious who have a special calling, when Christians are called to be Christ’s disciples, their respective careers or jobs are not taken away from them. But these are now to be clearly aligned to Jesus’ teaching, and values! Their career or job must not promote or support what is evil, unjust, exploitative of others, but honest, with integrity, and service-oriented! For an example, a Christian in a teaching or health or business profession should now practice his/her profession not primarily to earn more money but in order to give a better service to others. It should be clear now that he/she is primarily working for Christ! The purpose of his/her work must be in accordance with the values, and example of Jesus Christ! The rabbi requested the security guard to ask him time and again the questions:

    “For whom are you working?” and “What are you working for?” Have you also asked someone to remind you as “for whom” and “for what” are you working?

  • HOW THE ORIGINAL STATUE OF THE STO. NINO DE CEBU SURVIVED THE WORLD WAR II

    HOW THE ORIGINAL STATUE OF THE STO. NINO DE CEBU SURVIVED THE WORLD WAR II

    Edited by Fr. Manoling Thomas, CSsR

    Kept in a bomb-proof vault; the historic icon of the Sto. Niño de Cebu, spent seven months in the safekeeping of the Redemptorists at the close of World War II. This is a little-known page of history which took place when an emergency arose at the close of 1944.   The Augustinian friars had to find a safe place for the icon because the basilica located at the Cebu City’s pier area had been heavily bombed. According to an account of the emergency transfer written by Fr. Antonio Dizon, OSA, the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was kept in an underground chamber by the Redemptorists, who were mostly Australian and Irish missionaries.

    The icon of the Holy Child was hidden in a vault in the Redemptorist monastery. The vault was placed under the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  [The metal vault still exists today. It is on display at the left side of the main entrance to the church.]

    For Catholics, the symbolism is clear: the child Jesus took shelter in the home of his mother. The Augustinian friars’ account appears in a devotional booklet of the Redemptorists printed in 1984:

    “Among gidala kining dyutay’ng Bata sa balay sa Iyang Inahan, siya karun nagabantay kaniya.” (We brought this little Child Jesus to the house of His Mother who now takes charge of Him.)

    Why the Redemptorist Monastery?

    Its location at the time was in a countryside setting. The Redemptorist Monastery was standing there alone; amid mango trees and cornfields. It made the place far enough from trouble.

    Heavy bombardment had badly damaged other Cebu City churches, including the Sto. Niño or San Agustin Church and convent near the harbor. At one time, a bomb dropped inside the Sto. Niño Church near the main altar, Dizon wrote.  The sacred image, which was at the center with no protective glass case, shook but did not fall directly on the ground.

    Instead, it was found tilting and hanging with the cape snagged on the electric candles of the altar. The original icon of the Sto. Niño de Cebu, fell from its niche and acquired a “chipped eye and scratched cheek”.

    The incident left a visible “scar” on the right upper cheek, which remains one of the signature marks of the Sto. Niño de Cebu for devotees who wonder if this is the original 16th century icon given as a gift by Ferdinand Magellan to Rajah Humabon as a baptismal gift in 1521.

    The archive photo shows the end of the seven-month sanctuary on April 20, 1945; with Fr. Thomas McHugh, CSsR, the Irish rector at the time, turning over the image of the Sto. Niño, with its crown, cape, and pedestal intact to Fr. Leandro Moran, OSA.  The photo is kept in the McArthur memorial Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

    After that, the Augustinian friars took the image from the debris of the church and hastily carried it to the Redemptorist Monastery. This was the first time that the Sto. Nino icon had left its base since its enthronement in 1740. First-hand accounts are sketchy, so a photo of the return of the statue is a precious evidence of the cooperation between the Augustinians and the Redemptorists during this war-time emergency. The archive photo shows the end of the seven-month sanctuary on April 20, 1945; with Fr. Thomas McHugh, CSsR, the Irish rector at the time, turning over the image of the Sto. Niño, with its crown, cape, and pedestal intact to Fr. Leandro Moran, OSA.  The photo is kept in the McArthur memorial Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

  • WOW! ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES!

    WOW! ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES!

    January 17, 2021 – Feast of the Sto. Niño de Cebu

    Fr. Manoling Thomas, CSsR

    Click here for the readings (https://adoseofgodtoday.com/sunday-liturgy/)

    In the Philippine Daily Inquirer of January 16, 2009, Mr. Ambeth R. Ocampo in his column “Looking Back”, mentioned about the image of the Sto. Niño of Cebu.  He wrote: “This image reminds us of the conversion of Cebu in 1521, shortly before Magellan set off to be killed in the Battle of Mactan. It is believed that the image enshrined in Cebu is the same one given by Magellan to Humabon’s wife when she was baptized and renamed Juana.”

    In the Philippines, the 3rd Sunday of January, is celebrated as the Feast of the Sto. Niño. It is a feast particular to the Philippines, and very much related to the history of Christianity in this country.

    Today’s gospel is taken from Mark 10:13-16. In this section, Mark tells his readers and listeners, what the requirements or conditions are to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus entered the Kingdom of God by way of suffering and death. This too is the way for every disciple of Jesus. To enter the Kingdom of God, one must be willing to strip oneself of ones ego and false self.

    Who are the beneficiaries of the Kingdom of God? Mark mentions four [4] groups of people: a) the children [10:14]; b) the insignificant, marginalized, and “rejects” of society [10:13-16]; c) the poor [10:17-27]; and d) those who have learned detachment [10:28-31].

    In today’s gospel, Mark describes Jesus in a very humane and personal way. Jesus got irritated and offended by the way his disciples treated the children that people were bringing to him. Jesus was just so delighted to see these children, that he “took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them and blessed them.” And he said: “Truly I tell you; whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” [10:15].

    What does Jesus mean by that statement? Jesus is neither encouraging nor advocating infantilism. Infantilism is the attitude and behaviour of a person who is already grown up but continues to behave and to act in a childish and immature way. What Jesus advocates is that we adopt the attitude of humbly acknowledging and recognizing our own human limitations and ultimate dependence on God! It is also the attitude of recognizing our interdependence with each other. Jesus tells us not only to live in the realm of our thinking, reasoning, mental analysis, arguing, and excessive worrying. Jesus advocates a balanced life of reason, commonsense, feelings, and faith.  Integrating all these essential human characteristics makes us a total human person.

    What in a typical child, that Jesus wants us to possess, in order to be admitted into the Kingdom of God? A typical child acts as a total person: open, trusting, sincere, honest and spontaneous! A typical child is aware of his/her need for others and dependence on them.  To aspire for the Kingdom of God is to recognize and to accept our dependence on God and our interdependence with one another.

    But how is this message of Jesus related to the feast we are celebrating today here in the Philippines? Mr. Ambeth R. Ocampo, says that the image of the Sto. Niño “reminds” us of the conversion of the Filipinos into the Christian faith. But what sort of conversion did we Filipinos have? What kind of faith do we have at present? Is it a dynamic and growth-promoting faith, transforming us into mature Christian-Catholics? Are we a people and nation, worthy to be called, the “only Catholic nation in Asia”?  Our devotion to the Sto. Niño is more than 400 years old!  Over these years, what are the visible signs indicating that our Christian-Catholic faith is indeed healthily growing and maturing?

    Let us take a look at our practices over the centuries which we associate with our devotion to the Sto. Niño.

    Which of these we can consider as healthy and growth-promoting to our Christian faith? And which ones are keeping us stunted or retarded, and infantile in our faith? Are our practices expressing our devotion to the Sto. Nino in accordance with Jesus’ teachings; or are some of them infected with superstitions, fanaticism, sentimentalism; and even bordering on paganism and idolatry?

    Let us celebrate with deep gratitude to God and to the missionaries, the 500th Jubilee of receiving the gift of the Christian faith! At the same time let us honestly and sincerely ask ourselves: what kind of Christianity, are going to bring and share with our Asian brothers and sisters who have not yet heard about Jesus Christ and his Gospel?

  • Christians are made, not born

    Christians are made, not born

    January 10, 2021 – Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

    by Fr. Manoling Thomas, CSsR

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/011021.cfm)

    The Christmas Season began with the 1st “epiphany”, the announcement by the angel to the shepherds about the birth of the Saviour [Lk. 2:8-20]. He is the Messiah and the Lord whom Israel had been waiting for. This we celebrated on Christmas Day. The 2nd “epiphany” we celebrated was last Sunday, when the Magi who travelled from the East found the “king of the Jews” through the guidance of “the star” [Mt. 2: 1-12]. This was the revelation by God to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi.

    And today, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord is the 3rd and last of the three “epiphanies” or “revelations” within the Christmas Season. Today, at Jesus’ baptism, God the Father revealed Jesus to us as the Messiah, the one anointed “with the Holy Spirit and with power” [Acts 10:38]. Jesus was sent by the Father to baptize us “with the Holy Spirit” [Mk. 1:8].

    At his baptism, Jesus made a deliberate decision to reach out to humankind. The 1st Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is applied to Jesus to emphasize this point. According to the Prophet Isaiah, this “servant of God” being empowered by the Spirit of God, will faithfully implement God’s plan. Because of the very close relationship between God and this “servant”, he becomes the “bridge” between God and the people. He becomes the “light” to God’s people and inspires hope in them.

    The four Gospels show us how Jesus exactly fulfilled all these! Empowered by the Holy Spirit after his baptism, Jesus went about to do his mission here on earth. Jesus brought the people and God closer to each other. By his teaching and deeds, Jesus became the source of inspiration, courage, and hope especially among the poor and those abandoned and ignored by society!

    At baptism Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit, to enable him to accomplish his specific mission on earth. The same thing happened at our own baptism. The power of the Holy Spirit is there to help us fulfill our specific mission on this world!

    At Jesus’ baptism, the Father confirmed that Jesus is God’s beloved Son, in whom God is well pleased! The same confirmation has been made by God on the day of our baptism! This is how important and significant our baptism is!

    But our baptism, we did not make of us “an instant and a finished product Christian”! St. Jerome, the one who translated the Bible into Latin, once said: “Christians are made, not born.” From the day of our baptism, we have to continue to grow, to develop, and to mature as a Christian! This growth and development in us, must be seen in the way we live, act, and think; and in our attitudes in life! This ongoing process of growth and development is the process of our Christian maturity! “Christians are made, not born.”

    On the day of his baptism, Jesus made a free and deliberate decision to be God’s “faithful servant” who was to implement God’s plan for humankind and the rest of creation! Becoming and growing as a Christian then is a free decision each one of us must make!

    Most of us, if not all, were baptized when we were still infants. We were not in the position to make that free choice, so our own parents and godparents, made that decision on our behalf. They were supposed to tell us, and to explain to us about the meaning and significance of that decision! As we grow older and mature, at a certain point in our life, we have to freely decide whether we will accept or reject that decision made for us! That is one of the reasons, why during the Easter Vigil Mass and at the Masses on Easter Sunday; we are invited to renew our baptismal vows and promises. This gives us the opportunity to freely choose whether we want to continue on being the “beloved adopted sons and daughters of God” and disciples of Jesus Christ!

    Although this gift is freely offered by God to all, yet it is never forced on anyone! Jesus never forces anyone to continue their discipleship! Our free choice and decision will be respected and honored by God and by Jesus Christ!

    As you continue to mature as a Christian, is your mission here on earth becoming clearer? Do you experience the power of the Holy Spirit helping you accomplish your mission? Are you continuing to grow and mature as a disciple of Jesus? If your baptism is that significant and important, do you know the date of your baptism as you well know your own birthday?