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Category: AUTHORS

  • Parenting Jesus

    Parenting Jesus

    January 19, 2024 – Sunday, Feast of the Sto. Niño de Cebu

    Two brothers went for school enrollment. The school registrar found out that both of them are eight years old. However, one of them was born April 8 & the other was born April 21. When asked to explained about this, the boys just smiled & said: “We also asked our parents about it. And they just replied to us, “We don’t mind anymore who is natural & who is adopted among you. But rest assured, that we love & choose both of you.”

    This story reminds us that parenthood is a choice, and the very first people who acknowledge  us by choice as their own are our parents. Yes, to parent children is a Choice. Parenthood happens when parents choose our children &  they have chosen us as their children. We cannot be children of everybody or anybody, but we are particularly chosen by our parents to be their own. Whether by birth or adoption, our parents choose & have chosen, & is always choosing us to be their very own & not somebody else’s. Because our parents choose us as their own, we are their children because of them. And they cannot be our parents, if they would not choose us to be their own children.

    This is also the story of our salvation. God chooses us to be His own. By sending us His son Jesus into our lives, God chooses to adopt & parent us to be His own, for us to be part of His sacred & eternal family. And so also God’s blessings continues to be with us, because We also adopted Jesus to be our own & choose to parent Jesus into our lives as started by Mary, our mother. Much as salvation is God’s choice to adopt & parent us to be His own, Our salvation then is also our choice to parent & accept responsibility for Jesus as our own.

    Mary choosing to be mother & parent of our Lord Jesus in our lives paved the way for God’s holiness be upon us. And we accepting Jesus as part of our family faith-life perpetuates God’s graces to be with us always into our lives. Because of God’s choice, we are His children. Because of Mary & Joseph choice for Jesus, we are Christian. Because of our Christian faith, Jesus is our Lord & Brother.

    We also know that parenthood & parenting a child is all about persevering faithfulness. From womb to tomb, challenging & demanding it may have been – as our gospel today reminds us, Mary endures the birth, life, mission, suffering & death of our Lord Jesus Christ. From the manger to the cross & tomb, Mary did not abandoned her choice & responsibility for her son Jesus.

    In the same way, by choosing to parent Jesus to be our own, like Mary we are called & challenged to always persevere in our Christian faith for God’s salvation to continue on to happen & flourish into our lives, as we choose to parent our Lord Jesus in our day to day faith & life with our own growing chosen children.

    We take account now that we are now on the 504 years of Filipino Christianity this year. And our Filipino Christianity started when we adopted & took care of the Sto. Nino into our Filipino culture. Even without knowing much about Jesus, we Filipinos accepted to adopt & parent the Sto. Nino into our life as family & community. Because of our choice to parent Sto. Nino to be own very own, we since then, until now, & will always be God’s beloved children & Filipino Catholic Christians here & abroad.

    Daghang Salamat Maria. Thank you Mary, because by your parenting Jesus, God’s blessings thrives in our lives. And through your example & help, we also choose to parent our Sto. Nino into our Filipino life & culture that in effect, we become persevering faithfuls & believers of Jesus Christ now & forever.

    May God continue to bless us to be a blessing of Jesus to ourselves & to others.

    And above all, we invite Jesus again & anew into our lives this year as we ….SangPit Señor. HaPit Señor. Pit Senor.

    So may it be. Amen.

  • BELOVED

    BELOVED

    January 12, 2025 – Baptism of the Lord

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/011225.cfm)

    Not so long ago, I received an inquiry about Parish guidelines on child baptism in our parish office. They are particularly asking for a so-called “Special” Baptism. Doubtless the child must be very special to the family to request for a so-called “special” baptism. But later, I found out that what they wanted is an exclusive and private celebration of the Sacrament of Child Baptism since the child is born out of wedlock. I cannot help but question their motivation for a so-called special baptism. Is it because the child is very special to them despite the circumstances OR is it because they are ashamed of themselves to admit the child as unwanted by the parents and/or the whole family themselves?

    I think we need to clarify and direct some of these distorted and questionable but trending views about Baptism in the Church nowadays. First, there is no such thing as special, exclusive, or private celebration of sacrament of child baptism. The ordained and proper celebration of baptism is and should be in public church before the congregation of Catholic faithful. Except for emergency baptism where the child is at the risk or in danger of death, baptisms should be done in the church with a lot of children to be baptized and before many baptized Catholic faithful as witnesses.  Consider then, church liturgies and sacraments are communal public church prayer-worship, and never should be an exclusive, private family, organization, or office party-program or entertainment. Second, as the child is as well as we are all baptized, we become God’s children in Christ. In baptism, we are consecrated, identified, accepted, dignified and affirmed to be beloved Children of God, like Jesus. In baptism then, more than we become the child of the family, we become God’s child before God & His church.

    When he was baptized in the river Jordan by John the Baptist, Jesus needs to hear the words and confirmation from the Father Himself saying, “You are my beloved Son; with whom I am well pleased”. Such words emphasize his very spiritual identity before God and the vision of God’s kingdom. Here, he is reminded in a deep, deep way of who He is, of his very being before God and people – that among anything else, He is God’s beloved Son. This is the very affirmation and confirmation of his being before God, as He is baptized in the river Jordan publicly – not privately, as witnessed before God’s people.

    In the same way, when he carried out his mission and public ministry, Jesus wants us also to hear the same message from the Father that not only Him, but also “You (& I & us)  are my Beloved Children, with  whom I am well pleased”. Jesus wants us to be aware and hear of the very reality & message that before God and His people, it is not only Jesus but we, you and I who believe in Jesus are also essentially God’s beloved sons and daughters. In God’s heart and eyes, we are His beloved children. And by virtue of our baptism, we are consecrated to be God’s children. We are His beloved, not because we did anything, not because we proved ourselves because of what we did and have achieved or not in life. God still and always loves us whatever we do or whatever happens in our life, whether born out of wedlock, adopted, unwanted, raised by irresponsible parents. And in our baptism or in the day of our baptism, regardless of the circumstances of our birth, we first hear God’s words saying to us all throughout our lives: “You are loved, you are beloved”. He even loves us more when while still in this world we also respond and proclaim to Him and all that, “Yes, Lord, I love you, too”, and love Him and others in return.

    Today we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ. Today officially ends the Christmas season and we continue with the Ordinary Time of the Liturgical Year C. As we are now in this transition in liturgical moment, we are reminded of the Baptism of the Lord wherein Jesus publicly proclaims His identity and commitment with God’s affirmations of Him to be the Beloved Son of God. As baptized believers of Christ, we Christians today are also reminded of our identity and dignity as publicly proclaimed and acclaimed to be like Jesus, also sons and daughters – beloved Children of God ever since our baptism & always.

    As we continue on with our New Life-Year with the Lord this year, let us hear again and again, and never forget but instead be at rest always on God’s words to all of us baptized: “You are my Beloved Child with whom I am well pleased” as we claim for ourselves: “I am God’s Beloved, with whom He is well pleased.”

    So May It Be. Amen.

  • In HUMILITY

    In HUMILITY

    January 5, 2025 – Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010525.cfm)

    A man once asked a wise priest: “Father, how come unlike before God seems to be not talking or speaking to us anymore?” The priest replied: “It is not that God is not anymore talking or speaking to us. But rather it is that nowadays nobody are humble enough to stoop down to listen to Him. Nowadays…nobody… are humble enough… to stoop down … to listen to Him. Bihira nalang ngayong panahon ang mga tao na lumalapit sa Kanya na may pagpakumbaba upang marinig Siya at makinig sa Kanya. Niining panahon pipila nalang ang mapaubsanon nga nangaliyupo sa pagpaminaw Kaniya

    True enough that there are times in our lives that God seems to be silent and absent to us. But during those moments of our frustrations and hopelessness with God, perhaps it is better to consider not His seeming absence or silence, but rather perhaps that we have reach already too far and high in life that we don’t anymore get near and low enough to listen to Him. Siguro napakataas at napalayo na ng ating narating na hindi na tayo lumalapit at may pakumbabang makinig sa Kanya at marinig Siya.

    For the past Sundays, during Advent and these Christmas Seasons, we come to know a number of people who became involved in the birth story of Jesus and happened to encounter God and begun to know God’s will for them in life. Mary met God through angel Gabriel and became the mother of Jesus. Through a dream, Joseph became responsible foster-father of Jesus. Zecharias became the father of John, after meeting an angel in his old age. Elizabeth became pregnant with John also in her old age after his husband encounter with the angel. Shepherds saw and learned from an angel that God’s gift to all has been borne in Bethlehem and they became witnesses (godfathers’ or ninong) of baby Jesus. And now in our gospel, the three kings come to know where baby Jesus, God-promised they have been searching, through an omen of  bright-guiding star. All these people and their experiences are telling us that God had made Himself and His will know to them, and God will always continue to make manifest Himself and His will to us until now.

    Same way as before, we might experience once again God and His will for us now, if and when we honor our dreams, listen to God’s word and witness His works actions in us shown to us by his angels or messengers. God still continues to manifest or reveal to us in many ways through the faith and actions of our community and church as we share each other God’s word, good advice, kind and loving service with others, and responsible guidance and parenthood of our elders and leaders. Even in a special way for us Filipino Catholic, we sense God through our kalooban and pangdama. Kilala ko siya dahil dama ko Siya. Malapit ang loob ko sa kanyang salita at gawa.

    Today, in the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, marks the end of Christmas Season. Today is to remind us that more than about the three Kings, God is still making Himself and His will know to us. He is still reaching out and communicating to us in many many ways. He is still talking and speaking to us, like before. All we need to do is to be humble enough to stoop down to listen and be sensitive to Him and His ways of revealing Himself to us.

    Moreover, Epiphany also reminds us that once we become humble enough to sense, hear, and honor God and His will to us now, we must change our ways. After meeting the baby Jesus, the magi went back in their journey following different path. This would mean that once we listen and honor God’s will for us, life will never be the same again, for it has to change for the better. Simply, God’s revelations requires our humility to follow & obey His better plans for us.

    As we say goodbye to Christmas season, may we be more sensitive to God’s continuing revelations to us (His ways of making Himself and His will know to us) and be more humble & open enough to be changed and be responsible for the gift of life God is offering us now and always.

    So be it. Amen.

  • PARENTING 101

    PARENTING 101

    December 29, 2024 – Feast of the Holy Family

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122924.cfm)

    In every Wednesday novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, one intention we pray is that we may learn to adapt to our growing children. Parenthood, as we all know, is not only about raising children but also adjusting to our growing children. Thus to parent a child is more than just caring for the growth of the children; it is also adjusting and learning in the process, as children grow in maturity and age.

    As Redemptorist missionary involved in parish, retreat, mission and migrant ministry. For many years, though not a parent myself, I came to be aware of the difficulties of parenthood. In as much as adapting to life-changes is difficult, how much more adapting to growing children. In confessions and counseling sessions with faithful people, I become conscious of the hurts & pains suffered by both parents and children alike in their difficulties with parenthood.

    Parents hurt by their children’s disobedience, i.e. going against their will; children blaming their parents for their misfortunes in life. All because of our limitations in parenthood. Parenthood indeed is not an easy task rightly so that we pray to OMPH that we may learn from our experiences of adapting to the growth of our growing children.

    Today, we honor the Holy Family, the family who parented the child Jesus. Our gospel tells us that like any other family, the Holy Family also experienced the difficulties of parenthood. Joseph and Mary followed the proper traditions of raising the child Jesus. They did their best. But as we all know, they also experience how Jesus became disobedient to them, going against their will.

    Surely parents here could relate with Joseph & Mary, and know the hurts, pains and anxieties they experience when children start to grow up and be on their own. Like my mother would say, when we, her children became independent from her, “Kung puede palang ibalik sa tiyan.” (If I could only bring you back in my womb…) It is the same way with the experience of a chicken hen that raises ducks as her chicks. When the duck-chicks, which by nature a swimmer, start to swim and float on a pond, the mother hen would be extremely worried because she cannot swim and she gets anxious that her chicks will get drowned.

    This is also what and how Joseph and Mary experienced parenting Jesus. When the child Jesus began to grow up in age & maturity, his parents also experienced the difficulties of parenthood. However, the Holy Family’s experience could teach us more about parenting, in view of adapting to our growing children.

    First, parenthood is a family matter, not only of parents. To parent a family is not only about the husband and wife tandem in raising their children but it is more on the dynamic teamwork between parents and children. If it was difficult for Mary and Joseph to raise and adjust with Jesus, it was also difficult for Jesus to grow up in his own family. In as much as being parent is difficult, we also know that growing up maturely (to be on our own) is difficult. If Jesus only obey his parents’ will,  we wonder: would we be able to benefit from and share with the salvation God has given us through Jesus, who did not remain a child of Mary and Joseph but become our Christ, our Savior? Surely Jesus had been an obedient Child to His parent, but above all, Jesus became an obedient adult Christ to our God, the Father.

    Second, parenthood is also about trusting in God’s way of raising and forming all of us His children. Inasmuch as we are tasked to parent to our little ones, raising and adapting to their growth, we must never forget that ultimately God is our Father – our ultimate Parent, and we are all His children. If we want the best for our children, God also knows, wants and does what is best for each one of us. God knows what was best for us when we were children, surely, he knows what is best for us when we become mature adult parent to His little ones. So trust and have faith in God’s will, in God’s way of parenting us.

    Photo from YoungCatholic.com

    To parent a child is to work together then with one another as family of parents and children as well as to work with and in deep faith and trust of God’s way of parenting us. Perhaps these days we consider:  “What kind of parent we have been? What is your parenting styles? Have you been a CARPENTER parent who designs, measures, builds up & wills what is best for your children? Or are you a GARDENER parent who prepares, tends, & cares for God’s child in you growing to be a blooming, budding & fruitful blessing for all, God intended our children to be? What need to be improved then, as we learn to adapt to our growing God’s children with us?

    Christmas challenges us Christian to be responsible parents of Jesus in our lives today. Parenting our growing children is also our way of being responsible to Jesus, God’s Word made flesh in us. As we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family, we pray that the Holy Family will continue to inspire all Christian families and communities in parenting our growing children. Amen.

  • Filled with Grace and Power

    Filled with Grace and Power

    December 26, 2024 – Thursday, Feast of St Stephen, First Martyr

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122624.cfm)

    Christmas is a joyful season. The music, decorations, the variety of food and the many gatherings during this season give the festive and joyous atmosphere. Yet, the liturgy today, just a day after the birth of Jesus reminds us how faith and commitment to the Word-made-flesh will make us a contradiction to many.

    Indeed, yesterday we celebrated the joyful birthday of a child and today we celebrate the cruel death of an innocent man. In some ways, the birth of Jesus led to the death of Stephen, one of the first deacons of the church and the first Martyr. Stephen was put to death because of his faith in Jesus, declaring him to be the glorious Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.

    St. Luke describes Stephen dying with two prayers on his lips. First, a prayer of surrender, “Lord, Jesus, receive my spirit.” Second, a prayer of petition for his executioners, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

    When Jesus was dying on the cross, he had two similar prayers on his lips as well, a prayer of surrender, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” and a prayer of petition for his executioners, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” We can see that Jesus prays to the Father while Stephen prays to the risen Lord.

    Mary’s child is now the risen Lord and can be prayed to as we would pray to God. In the church, we often pray to the Father through Jesus, but we are also invited to pray directly to Jesus. Stephen died as Jesus died because he was “filled with the Holy Spirit.”

    We have been given the gift of the same Holy Spirit, and it is the Spirit who empowers us both to live like Jesus and to die like Jesus. On this feast of Saint Stephen, we pray for a fresh outpouring of that Spirit into our lives in this Season of Christmas that we may also be filled with grace and power like him. Hinaut pa.