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Category: AUTHORS

  • A Continual Conversion of the Heart

    A Continual Conversion of the Heart

    January 25, 2021 – Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012521.cfm)

    Have you ever experienced in your life where you thought that everything is well and perfectly in order? Or an experience where we have decided alone to take this path or that direction because we have completely believed in our own capacity and principles? Yet, at the end we found ourselves broken into pieces because all along we were not doing the right thing. 

    Saul or Paul had this kind of experience. Saul really thought that he was a righteous man and that he was a very good man, that he did things well and that he was successful in everything. He thought he was holy and righteous enough for God. He was full of zeal and very convinced of the direction he was taking in life.

    Being a righteous Jew, he wanted to defend the Jewish religion against all its enemies. This made Saul to persecute the followers of the Way (the old name of the Christians) whom he believed to be threats to their established religion.

    Yet, he did not know that he was very misguided, that he was not seeing the right things. In fact, Saul was not aware that he was being blinded by his own self-righteousness and rigidity to the Jewish law by persecuting the early Christians. He was not aware of that but not until he was able to encounter the Lord on the ROAD TO DAMASCUS.

    Remember, the Lord is the Light of the World, it was very symbolic that Saul had become aware of his own blindness when he encountered the True Light, Jesus. When light shone upon him then he became aware that he was in darkness, his spiritual blindness manifested through his physical blindness. That awareness of his own blindness prompted him to seek healing. A servant of the Lord, Ananias was instrumental to Saul’s healing and recovery of sight, thus, he was able to see clearly.

    This encounter with the light, with Jesus is the very experience of conversion of Saul who later on was known as Paul, a symbol of a new beginning and a new mission to fulfill. Paul through that encounter with the Risen Lord transformed his life and re-evaluated everything in his life as a Pharisee and as a person. As a result, he became an apostle to the Gentiles and a very important figure in the history of early Christianity by founding Churches and writing letters in the New Testament.

    This brings us then to the invitation of this feast. We are called to a continual conversion of our hearts – because we have also our own blindness, especially when we think that we are righteous enough before God, thinking that that gives us the power to persecute others and eliminate those who are against us. We can be blinded by our own complacency thinking that going to church even on a regular basis and just by saying our memorized prayers everyday are enough before God. We can be blinded by our arrogance that we can do things perfectly even without the help of God. We can be blinded by our own opinions by insisting that what we believe is true but without minding the facts. We can be blinded also by our own weaknesses when we think that we are already trapped in that weakness and thus, couldn’t move anymore and couldn’t do anything.

    There is always something more and this is what the Lord is telling us today by making us remember that story of conversion of Paul – that being a Christian, our faith in Jesus is not only about the observance of laws and doctrines but also showing mercy to others as what Paul experienced in his encounter with the Risen Lord. And that experience will move us to preach the Gospel – this is basically what our gospel reading is telling us now. Preach the Gospel – your God experiences – to all by our words and example.

    Thus, we are reminded today to COME TO THE LIGHT AND NOT TO BE AFRAID OF HIM – to come nearer to Jesus. We come to him in the hope that we too will become aware of our own blindness – of that self-righteousness, of those arrogant opinions of ours, of that complacency and self-pity in us – so that we will be able to seek healing. When this happens, God will certainly inspire us to become preachers of the good news to all by our words and deeds. Hinaut pa.

  • VIA Repentance & Faith

    VIA Repentance & Faith

    January 24, 2020 – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

    Our gospel today reminds us that the first message Jesus ever preached to us is “The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and Believe the Good News.” God’s grace is now upon us & before calling us to “Come after Him” in discipleship, we are invited first to repentance & faith. His missionary preaching begins then by calling us all to repent and embrace His Good News. With our repentance & faith in Jesus, God’s kingdom starts, happens & is upon us. 

    Easy for us to understand this call to repentance and faith as primarily directed toward sinners. But we should never forget God’s offer of grace is intended for everyone, and not only to sinners. Even Jesus himself had lots of difficulties communicating this message to good people than with sinners. Why? Because the hardest people of all to change their ways & believe are the so-called good and righteous people. They simply don’t see any need of conversion. They think that as sick people need healing; only sinners need repentance and faith. But, the call to repentance and faith is in reality a constant call for everyone – an invitation for all, good or bad we may be, that we have to struggle with in life.

    For what does repentance & faith mean?

    It means to feel dissatisfied with oneself, and thus longing for something better in one’s life. There must be a sense of something is wrong, or at least something is lacking or missing in one’s life – A feeling of discontent with what is happening with the usual status quo – with what is going on with one’s life.  To repent is not only to be sorry for what we have done but also what we have failed to do. Usually repentance begins in the realization that we are not what we could or should be; or we are not what we choose to be. A realization that – “Hindi ako naging karapat-dapat”, Dili ako nahimong angayan, dili ko nangin takus.

    It also means being true & honest with oneself – to put an end to self-deception, and to confront painful self-realities. Surely, it takes a lot of honesty & courage for a person to line up for confession, admitting one’s guilt, asking forgiveness, and resolving to change. And sometimes, it is more difficult to admit one’s mistake than to be sorry for one’s sins & to ask forgiveness. Easy for us to make excuses & quick to blame others than to admit our shortcomings. Repentance & faith meant to be true to say to oneself: “I am wrong. I am sorry. Period” (no more excuses/blame). Magpakatotoo ka, brother.

    Moreover, the call for us to repent & believe requires us to make a decision to change oneself. And this is difficult, for it entails a lot of responsibilities. Human as we are, as much as possible, we tend to escape from making a stance or commitment in life. However, whatever your decision today, whether to choose life or death, to help or exploit oneself or others, to do good or evil deeds, to accept responsibility or blame others, mirrors your very own identity, your conviction and commitment as human persons. As the saying goes, “Kon gusto mo ng pagbabago sa buhay, umpisahan mo sa sarili mo.” God’s grace of change & renewal of life begins by being responsible for oneself.

    Tough road it might be to tread, repentance & faith can be & should be a very positive experience. True, to admit that all is unwell, time now to change & be true and more responsible for oneself can be difficult. But it also means to discover something new and better about oneself. It means not being tied up with biases and prejudices, challenging one’s values, opening up to others options and possibilities, and seeing life anew with the eyes of faith. In other words, it offers us an alternative & much better meaning & attitude in life. Repentance & faith then could be an exciting and joyful adventure.

    This is what happened to the apostles when they responded to Jesus’ call for repentance and faith. Inasmuch as it staggered them from their old convictions, confronted themselves, left their nets and followed him, it offered them also a new & better Way, Truth & Life – from being fishermen to be now Fishers of men.

    Same way as the apostle, the people of Nineveh & even God repented and believed, (by means of, by way of) Via our repentance & faith, God’s kingdom, grace & miracles are here upon & with us always.

    Even now amidst pandemic times, the call of Jesus  to us remains the same: Repent & Believe the Gospel for the Kingdom of God is at hand. May we continually allow God’s grace & miracle work in us via our repentance & faith in the Gospel of Salvation Jesus is offering us now & always. Amen. 

  • To Repent and To Believe

    To Repent and To Believe

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

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

    What if that something which you are so attached to is needed to be let go in order for you to grow? I remember when I was still a young boy, I was so attached with my baby bottle. I used that bottle until I was about 5 or 6 years old. However, I was asked to let it go and stop using it since I was already big enough and was about to start schooling. I wanted to start school with my friends but I found it very difficult to let go of my baby bottle. I was told that I could not bring it with me and the only way of going to school with my friends was to let go of that baby bottle.

    When we develop forms of attachments, whatever that may be, we could become rigid and stubborn. Our attachment will become the focus of our world that we may refuse to see what is beyond it. Thus, we would tend to limit ourselves from discovering more about ourselves and about others because we are already fixated to one or two. Nevertheless, there is certainly a need for us to look at our attachments and fixations and see if they are helpful or not in deepening our friendship with God and others.

    Our attachments or fixations in life may not just be about material things that we possess but they can also be our beliefs, our opinions and ideas, biases, prejudices and perspectives and even our way of life. Because they have become central in the way we think, in the way we relate with others and in the way we live our life, we also find comfort and familiarity in them. When these happen, they become difficult to let go because those attachments or fixations have gripped us already.

    As a result, we experience tensions and conflicts when we are also asked to detach ourselves from our attachments. We may feel being threatened because of the desire to remain in that state, to remain in that comfort and familiarity.

    This is the scenario behind the story of Prophet Jonah. Jonah, as a Jew, hated the Ninevites. Nineveh was the capital of city of their enemy, the Assyrians. The Jews were assaulted and attacked many times by the Assyrians. However, at this time, God asked Jonah to go there and proclaim God’s message to them. Jonah tried to escape from this because he did not want this. He hated them so much. Yet, because he could not escape from God, he went to Nineveh against his will and called the people to repentance. Jonah must have wished that the people would not repent and be punished by God because he wanted them, dead. However, the people repented and turned away from their sins and God showed mercy.

    This was something that Jonah found it difficult to understand. He thought and believed that God was only for the Jews. Yet, he realized too that God is beyond his limited understanding of God’s mercy. God is for everybody. God’s mercy is borderless. Jonah understood this later on because he was also able to let go of his biases against his enemies. Jonah let go of his prejudices against them and began to see life in God’s perspective.

    Indeed, the experience of Jonah teaches us how God shows His infinite and borderless mercy. In fact, it was not just the Ninevites who repented from their sins, Jonah also repented from his biases and hatred towards the people. This was how Jonah showed his growth as a person and as a prophet of God.

    In the same way, Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians brought this challenge not to be gripped and to be too attached to the things in this world. Though Paul did not say that everything we have in this life are unimportant, but, Paul brought out the essential aspect of what is to come. That is why, he said

    let those having wives act as not having them,

    those weeping as not weeping,

    those rejoicing as not rejoicing,

    those buying as not owning, 

    those using the world as not using it fully.

    For the world in its present form is passing away.

    Paul reminds us really of the danger to be too attached of what the world offers us. Our possessions and even our life itself is not ours. Again, making ourselves too absorbed with our attachments and fixations, deprives us to experience the fullness of life with others and with God. Thus, it is when we learn to give more emphasis on God that we also discover the boundless generosity and mercy of the Lord to us.

    This is the very story that we have also heard in today’s Gospel. The call of Simon, Andrew, James and John was a radical call to follow Jesus and to give more importance to God in their lives. As Jonah repented from his hatred and changed his perspective in God’s perspective, the disciples also turned away from their comforts in order to follow the Lord. By following Jesus, they too embraced a life that completely changed the course of their way of living from being fishermen into being missionaries.

    This is basically what Paul told us in the second reading – and that is in giving more importance to God’s offer to us. Remember, we can only do this and respond like the disciples when we also repent and change our way of life. Jesus, at the beginning of this Gospel, proclaimed, “Repent and believe in the gospel.”

    Indeed, these are the invitations for us this Sunday – TO REPENT AND TO BELIEVE in the gospel, in the Word of God made flesh.

    To repent is to turn away from our sins, as well us turning away from those attachments and fixations in us that are preventing us from growing to become mature in our relationships with one another and with God, and those that are preventing us to see life in the way God sees it to be.

    To believe in the Gospel is to respond with generosity and availability to God and to those who are in need of mercy. To believe in Jesus is also becoming dependent on God and in His providence that will allow us to embrace new perspective and fresh beginnings in life and to embrace change in our way of life according to God’s desire for us.

    May these invitations to repent and to believe, inspire growth  in us and bring us into the fullness of life with Jesus and with the Church. Hinaut pa.

  • HE IS OUT OF HIS MIND

    HE IS OUT OF HIS MIND

    January 23, 2021 – Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012321.cfm)

    Jesus is out of his mind. Surely, he must be. It will be very difficult to understand him, the way he thinks and the way he does things for others. Only a man like him, who never thinks like us, can only do those scandalous actions by forgiving the sinners, touching the lepers, eating and drinking with sinners and unlovable, and siding with the poor, with women and children, healing the sick and giving freedom to those slaved by the devil.

    This was what the relatives of Jesus believed that he has gone crazy. Jesus’ schedule became very hectic because people were drawn towards him. They even found it difficult to eat because of the people’s demand of him. Jesus would always welcome them and accommodate them. That is why, his relatives even thought of locking him up because “he was out of his mind.”

    At that time, they never understood Jesus’ actions and his ministry to the sick and in preaching the Kingdom of God. What they saw in Jesus was that he was merely a son, a nephew, a cousin to them. They failed to see and recognize at that time that there was more in Jesus, that his actions and his words were signs of God’s presence in them.

    However, the generosity of the person of Jesus, expressed through concrete actions of loving was madness in the minds of others. True enough, God has gone mad to love us. St. Alphonsus even said, “God is crazy for love.” God has come in the form of a baby, became human like us, suffered like us and died with us to show concretely to us the divine love that frees and gives life.

    May this madness in God to love us remind us always of that power of loving to heal, to forgive and to give life. Let that madness in God to love us make us in return madly in love with God too, to be madly in love with our commitments in life, to be madly in love with our passion to help others, to inspire and motivate others, to teach and nurture others. Hinaut pa.

  • 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?