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Category: AUTHORS

  • CONSCIENCE OVER REPUTATIONS

    CONSCIENCE OVER REPUTATIONS

    August 29, 2021 – 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082921.cfm)

    What is more important: Conscience OR Reputations?

    The famous comic actor Charlie Chaplin once said: “Worry more about your conscience than your reputation, because your conscience is what you are, your reputation is what others think of you. And what others think of you is their problem.”

    These words of wisdom are lesson Charlie Chaplin must have learned in life, and not out of joke or humor.  Somehow this is his way of telling and teaching us that whatever happens in life, we must take care of our own conscience rather than our reputation. Thus, we must give importance to what and who we are, rather than what others think and say about us.

    If you really come to think of us, in our world today we may say much is given value to our reputations than our conscience nowadays. Much has been promoted in life about building our reputation rather than forming our own consciences. Many, if not most of us, define ourselves by what others think and say about us, rather than what and who we really are; and we do tend to judge others by what others think and say about them than what and who they really are. People have been and can fall victims of thinking more about what will people say about them, rather than what they think is right and just for themselves. In other words, people do tend to be more pre-occupied with building and protecting their reputations, rather than forming and honoring their consciences. And rightly so, as Charlie Chaplin suggest, this mentality should not be the right thinking and approach in life. It should rather be conscience first, instead of reputation over conscience.

    Our gospel today is also all about reputation and conscience. As Jesus warms his disciples then about hypocrisy and hypocrites, Jesus teaches also us now that the tendency to over-emphasize reputations over our conscience is Hypocrisy. For Jesus, hypocrites are people who do things for the show – that is for what others will say and think of them. They are more concern in cleaning their hands and cups but not their hearts; more sensitive with what comes from the outside but not what come out from within. (Icing than the cake, make-up than the face, clothing than the body, packaging than the content, wrappings than the gift). Not honoring then your conscience and what and who you are, but being more concern with your reputation and what will people say and think of you is Hypocrisy. And Jesus is warning us never to fall into hypocrisy and not to be hypocrites.

    Here Jesus is also teaching us to detect hypocrisy and hypocrites in us and in others by our over-concern for reputation over and above our conscience. Whenever we give importance and become conscious more of what will people think and say about us, we fall into hypocrisy and becoming hypocrites. Whenever we find ourselves more concern about building and protecting our reputation, we fall into hypocrisy and becoming hypocrites ourselves. And whenever we find ourselves compromising our conscience for the sake of public approval and recognition, we fall into hypocrisy and becoming hypocrites ourselves.

    Although we might be easily fall into this mentality, we do have the capacity to detect and discern hypocrisy in us. At times we do come up to conclusions about ourselves and others like: Magpakatoo ka Brother, (Be True, my brother). Maganda nga pero pangit ang ugali (Pretty but bad personality). Mabuti ang kalagayan pero masama naman ang kalooban. (Well-off but bad person). Mayaman pero walang hiya at modo (Intelligent but disrespectful and shameless). We do have the instinct to read people who are hypocrites, and hypocrisy in us. So, beware of hypocrisy and of hypocrites in us and in others.

    To avoid hypocrisy in us, we must learn how to grow in righteousness. Righteousness is having right relations with God, others & oneself. It is all about forming, following, and honoring our conscience – what and who we really are. We should thus be more concern about cleaning our hearts and what is coming within us, and be true to who and what we really are. For what is conscience? As Thomas Merton says: “Conscience is the light by which we interpret God’s will for us in life.” Meaning, our conscience is the very working OS (operation system) for us to access, know, and communicate with God’s will for us – thus our access or signal to God. Our concern then should be strengthening and growing our consciences.

    Again as Charlie Chaplin would say: “Worry more about your conscience than your reputation, because your conscience is what you are, your reputation is what others think of you. And what others think of you is their problem.” In other words, Make your conscience as your primary concern in life… the rest is other’s problem.  Remember then that God loves us not by our reputations but by our conscience.

    Especially during these trying times of pandemic, Help us O Lord to pay much attention to God’s still and small voice speaking in our hearts, and thus we can righteously live life in a way that will keep our consciences free and clear before God, now and forever. Amen.

  • CHOOSING JESUS EVERYDAY

    CHOOSING JESUS EVERYDAY

    August 22, 2021 – 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082221.cfm)

    When you want buy something, how do you choose that thing (cloths, accessories, or gadgets) that you want to buy? Some wise buyers would go through into a selection process before buying. They would consider the quality, its practicality, the price, the evaluation of other buyers, and the specifications of the item. However, there are also some of us who actually don’t mind all these steps but would only consider if it is trending or popular, used and promoted by famous personalities or just used by others, neighbors and friends. Even though they may not be so practical for us or useful but because it’s the trend, we go into that.

    This is not just limited to buying things. During elections, people tend to vote people in office because of popularity not really because of the competency of the candidate. This is evident on how every candidate will make their name and faces be recognized by the people. Posters and billboards are displayed in every corner, a catchy jingle is composed, radio and TV commercials are prepared in order to introduce into the minds of the voters that they are popular and thus, shall be remembered during the election day. Though not all, but people are elected in office primarily because they are famous and popular.

    This is not far from what we believe and sometimes spread. I am talking with the fake news that surround us. People tend to believe, spread and adhere to fake news because they have become popular and because many have come to believe in them. We should be very careful then because a popular opinion or belief does not always hold the truth. Thus, be very careful when you entertain people who tend to talk a lot about other people. It is actually very easy to identify people who bring fake news and “chismis,” they are usually loud and tend to dominate the conversation. People who bring fake news and chismis do not have to be invited also. They voluntarily talk and spread it.

    And when a story is being told and retold then, it becomes popular and many will believe that it is true. And we who hear a story would not even care to investigate if the story is true. Indeed, these situations tell us of our tendency to favor and choose things, people, beliefs and principles according to their popularity. The number of people who tend to favor such thing is very influential for us. This kind of tendency in us is not far from those we have heard in the scriptures.

    In the first reading, Joshua asked the people if they would choose and commit themselves to Yahweh. At that time, there were many gods that confused people and divide them. There was the temptation to choose those foreign gods than choosing the true God, Yahweh. Joshua confronted the people and to choose right there, at that moment. The people, with their clear conscience, chose God to be served and to be loved.

    However, this is not the case that happened in the Gospel. Jesus who became popular to many people because of his miracles by healing the sick and multiplying the bread was becoming unpopular.

    Jesus taught the people that He is the Bread of Life that came down from heaven. Through him, by eating his body and drinking his blood, eternal life will be attained. Yet, the people around him found this teaching difficult to accept and offensive. The teaching of Jesus implied that they were to follow Jesus in his ways and let go of their old ways. This teaching was understood to be taken with commitment to Jesus. Jesus’ teaching asked them to let go of their old beliefs and renew themselves in God. Yet, they could not let go and accept Jesus fully in their life. They could not believe that God became man and He is with us. They could not believe that God desires mercy and forgiveness of all. Thus, they left Jesus and “returned to their former way of life” because his teachings were unpopular for them.

    Jesus confronted his disciples, “do you also want to leave?” In a similar way, Jesus also asks each of us, “Will you also leave? Will you choose me or the false gods? Will you also leave me because of your sins and guilt, because of your comforts and wants?”

    There are many false gods around us. These false gods may tempt us to worship them rather than God, to believe in them rather than in the Word of God, to hold on them rather than trusting in Jesus. These false gods could be our desire to be famous, to gain power and control, to manipulate and use others. They could also be in the form of persons whom we idolize where we refuse any criticism on them and following them blindly. These could also be our own unhealthy behaviors or addictions that we continually keep. These could be our pretensions and insecurities that we continue to hone. These could also be our comforts and possessions that we are so attached. These could be our false belief and principles in life that only advances our personal agenda.

    We are challenged and called today to choose and commit ourselves in serving and loving the Lord. Choosing Jesus and committing our work, studies, dreams, hopes and our whole life to Jesus is surely not the popular thing to do today. Yes, it may not be the popular to be always true and to be always loving, but to be true to ourselves, true to others and true to God will make us free. Indeed, choosing Jesus and following faithfully his teachings is truly difficult as the people complained. Thus, this Eucharist is our way now to renew once again our commitment. This is our opportunity to choose Jesus!

    As we choose Jesus everyday, this means that we choose life not death, choose hope not despair, chose mercy and love not anger and hatred, choose humility not aggression and to choose warmth and concern not indifference. Hinaut pa.

  • To whom shall we Go?

    To whom shall we Go?

    August 22, 2021 – 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082221.cfm)

    During the revolution in Nicaragua, it is said that a group of Catholics seeks refuge inside a big cathedral. While praying inside the cathedral as the war between rebels and army progressed, a gun-toting rebel came inside and barked at them, “Those who believed in Jesus Christ, stay and stand up for your faith. Those who don’t believe in Jesus Christ, you may now go free.” Hearing this, more than two-third of the refugees immediate went out and left the church, while the rest stayed behind trembling. The rebel then, closed the cathedral’s door and said, “Brothers and sisters, please continue to pray. We all need your prayers. But I rather pray with true believers than with hypocrites.”

    In his book Conversations with God, Neale Donald Walsch said: “Your decision today is a statement of who you are & a testament of who you choose to be.” True indeed, whatever decisions we make in life reflect our very own identity as well as life-choices. Whatever circumstances we are in – whether free or limited, we do have a choice in life. What makes it difficult for us nowadays is not the lack, but rather because of the many choices & options we have. And even not to choose may also been a good choice. However, not making a choice in life now & in our life-hereafter makes our life miserable & meaningless. Thus, whatever your choice & what you decide mirrors your own identity & attitude towards life.

    In today’s reading, we hear Joshua, the successor of Moses challenging the Israelites once and for all, to make a choice. Although the Israelites were the chosen people and had experienced the mighty works of Yahweh, still some of them had worshipped idols and other gods. They were very influenced by the religious practices of their ancestors and of the natives who worshipped idols. Before the people, Joshua proclaimed his faith in Yahweh that he and his house decide that they would serve only the Lord. Seeing this, the people also accepted Yahweh as their Lord and God.

    In the gospel, we also hear Jesus challenging his disciples to make a choice. Many followed Jesus, some out of curiosity, some for healing and for other favors, and some out of conviction that he was the Messiah. But when Jesus began to teach them about participating in his very life and mission, by accepting his word and partaking in his body and blood as food and drink, many could not accept it. Many disciples withdrew and no longer followed him. They deserted him and stopped following him. That is the time Jesus asked his twelve apostles, “Will you also go away?” He asked them whether they too would leave him. He did not want to force anyone to accept him.

    He has shown the way. Now they had to make a decision, a choice. And Peter proclaimed his and their choice: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life. We now believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

    Joshua, Peter & the apostles made their choice. Dear friends in Christ: “what about us?” “How about you?”

    In today’s readings, we are also challenged to make a decision. We are asked to make a choice, whether do you believe in Jesus, as the words of eternal life or not. “Are you for Jesus or against Jesus?” We know that although most of Filipinos are Catholics, some have left the Church. Some become cold or lukewarm with their faith in God and His Church. We know some of our relatives or friends have stopped going to mass, leave the church and/or joined this group or that sect.

    If Jesus now asks you: “How about you? Do you want to go away too?” What will your answer be? Will it be a definite, convincing “Yes or No”.  Or will it be a hesitant “Yes or No”?

    During Eucharist, as we recite the Apostle’s creed, we say: “I believe. I believe in God the Father Almighty. I believe in Jesus Christ, the only son of our Lord.” But do we really believe in God? Especially during these trying pandemic times, do we really believe and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior? Or in other words, do we say what we mean & mean what we say?

    Our faith then is not a matter of saying words or formula out of convention, convenience, or obligation, but a matter of professing, proclaiming our own free and voluntary decision or choice to follow Christ.

    Remember: Your decision today is a statement of who you are and a testament of who you choose to be.

    Like the Apostle, Lord, we do say: “Asa pa man diay: to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” May we never be separated from you. Amen.

    Please stand, let us now proclaim our choice, our decision…

  • Life is pregnant with Life eternal.

    Life is pregnant with Life eternal.

    August 15, 2021 – Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081521-Day.cfm)

    How fascinating it is to see two or more pregnant women meet. Familiar or stranger they might be to one another, whenever pregnant women cross path with each other, we could readily sense their excitement & anticipation of their coming child birthing. Regardless of the circumstances of their pregnancy, whether of teenage, out of wedlock, menopausal or planned pregnancy, pregnant women by instinct know not only the difficulties & challenges but also the great promise pregnancy can bring into their very lives. Deep inside, pregnant women know how blessed they are to bear & rear a child, and sense their joys & blessing are not only for them to keep, but is to be shared to everybody and all. That is why how infecting and life-giving it is for us to see meetings of pregnant women.

    This is what happened to Mary & Elizabeth in our gospel today. Under questionable situation, Mary on teenage pregnancy & out of wedlock, & her cousin Elizabeth, barren for many years, now pregnant on her old age met & shared their joys & gratitude as they found themselves on the way pregnant. They both cannot contain themselves to be happy for each other & to praise God in thanksgiving for the blessing of the promise of a new & better life ahead, not only for themselves, but for all humanity. Whatever their circumstance they are in, pregnant as they are, they believe that through their pregnancy, great grace & blessings are in store ahead for all of us.    

    Be as it may. While we are dealing nowadays with increasing numbers of casualties due to death & sickness during these pandemic times, we cannot help but wonder about our life now & hereafter. While we are still in our survival mode, coping with large amounts of uncertainties & insecurities, somehow we ponder not only on the sense & meaning of what is happening in our lives now, but also on what our future will be. We have already loss and still losing number of lives in these pandemic times, and we do find ourselves asking these hard questions: What’s next? To those who have gone before us, what happen to them next? And what’s next for us who are still here? Is there Life after Death? If death is upon us, what’s the point of life then? Is there a life here-after?

    https://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalshrine.org%2Fevent%2Fsolemnity-of-the-assumption-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary%2F&psig=AOvVaw2Bxg0qzYAB6TamkxbfZRqq&ust=1629009199930000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCICWra_yr_ICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAP

    In God’s plan of salvation – our history of salvation, we Christian faithful followers believe in the resurrection of the body & life everlasting. By His death & resurrection, our Lord Jesus Christ has offered us the promise & given us the hope for eternal life with our Father. For us who believes Jesus as our resurrection & life, our life in faith with God is not ended but transformed, improved, upgraded, & above all eternal. Thus we believe that there is more to life for us Christian, than what we are going through now & even more than our inevitable death. In other words, we believe that our faith in Jesus Christ has given us meaning & purpose in life here & now &  life here-after.

    For us believers, there is life after death for our faith life in Christ now is pregnant with life eternal. By faith, we believe that our life now can be better & sacred at present & hereafter. And whenever God & us cooperate and collaborate, salvation is assured and heaven-life eternal is possible for us now & always.

    Today we celebrate the solemnity of the Assumption of our Blessed Virgin Mary. Today the whole church gives importance to the entry of the BVM into heaven at the end of her life on earth. We recognize that through her assumption, Mary is the forerunner and archetype of our faith journey in life. Salvation begun when Mary took responsibility for God’s word into our lives. Human life is now pregnant with God’s salvation, as Mary collaborated and journey with God’s will for humanity. As Mary’s faith in God assured her of eternal life, we now also assured that at the end of our life-journey, with God there is the promise of life hereafter & eternal.

    The assumption of our Blessed Virgin Mary simply reminds us that there is life after death & there is life before death as well, whenever like Mary, we consent & participate in God’s will of salvation for us. Our life now & hereafter is pregnant with God’s salvation…And that is how Blessed are we, and how joyful & grateful we should be.

    With Mary, in this Eucharist, we praise the Almighty God for He has done great things for us. Holy is His Name. May we always be blessed in Life same way as Mary has been blessed now and forever. Amen.

  • FILIPINO CHRISTIAN FOODIE

    FILIPINO CHRISTIAN FOODIE

    August 8, 2021 – 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080821.cfm)

    We Filipinos love to eat. Western people could not understand that why we Filipinos (usually with such small stature/build) love to eat. It is said that we eat at least seven times a day. With the usual breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we also have snacks, merienda, timo-timo before dinner, and midnight snacks. This is because eating for us is not only about food but also about sharing. Meaning, we eat not only for the sake of the food-intake but also for the companionship, togetherness, fellowship, relationship, and community it brings.

    We gain a lot of wisdom about life from our eating activities. For instance, we hear people saying: “You are what you eat”. This does not mean literally – that if you eat pork, you are a pig; or if you eat vegetables, you are vegetable. No, it simply means that our food-intakes influence and affect not only our blood chemistry and physical health, but also our lifestyle. Meaning, what we eat mirrors our lifestyle and our lifestyle is revealed in our diet. So, healthy people most likely eat healthy food; sick people are most likely lived with poor diet. In the same way, diabetic, arthritic, or hypertensive must follow low-sugar, low-salt, or low cholesterol diet and eat healthy food; otherwise, they remain diabetic, arthritic or hypertensive with consequent complications. So, there is some wisdom in the saying: “Be careful of what you eat, because you are what you eat.”

    In our gospel today, Jesus says: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever. Here Jesus clearly proclaims and reveals Himself as the Bread of Life – thus, he is the very bread or manna from heaven that nourished and sustained the Israelites during their exodus in the desert, as well as the very angel that took care and restored the physical and moral strength of Elijah in the time of his persecution.

    For the Jews, the word: Bread of Life is very important to their Jewish faith because it signifies the manna from heaven – the very food that maintains, sustains, and nourishes them during exodus and times of persecution. It also represents Yahweh’s direct interventions and mediations in their lives. Meaning, the Bread of Life is the whole dynamic between the food, the giver of the food, and the giving of the food.

    Photo from https://www.atlantaeats.com/blog/fantastic-filipino-food-around-atlanta/

    Based from their faith in the Bread of life, Jesus before them claims himself and proclaims that HE is the bread of life. This means that He, Jesus is now the whole dynamic of God’s salvation for humanity. Thus, He is our food – the manna from heaven; also our giver of the food; and God’s giving of the food. He is the Way – savior; Truth – salvation; Life – dynamic sharing of God’s salvation. He is our Gift, Giver, and the Giving-sharing of Salvation.

    Moreover, as he proclaims that He is the Bread of Life, he also offers Himself to them and to us now: Take this bread and eat “for whoever eats this bread will live forever.” As bread of life, Jesus wants us to take Him, i.e. to receive, accept and believe in Him for in Him we inherit eternal life. At the same time, he wants us to eat Him, i.e. to assimilate and integrate Him in communion into our lives. If in eating, we are what we eat, in salvation, we become in and with Jesus Christ when we integrate and commune with Him. In others words, we are Christian because we together at the Lord’s Eucharist, receive & eat (take on) Jesus always, as our bread of Life into our very lives now.

    By believing in Jesus as the Giver of the salvation, as well as by integrating Him as the Gift of salvation, and by us taking part in the Giving of the salvation – by the agape, (taking, sharing, and eating) of the Bread of Life, Jesus brings and grants us eternal life, now & always.

    Lord, pandemic times have rendered us hungry and deprived of our Eucharistic food. Lockdowns, isolations & quarantine limit our movements and participation in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Not only for our daily food nourishment, we are also hungry nowadays for our spiritual food & nourishments. May our hunger now for You, as our bread of life, inspire us to value, long and hope for your ever-present offer of eternal life for us.

    So Help us, God. So May it be. Amen.