SALT & LIGHT

Bawat mananampalataya sa nga­lan ng Diyos ay nagsisilbing liwanag sa bawat isa. Ito ay ang liwanag na gumaga­bay sa buhay natin at ng ating mga kapatid, upang makita, masaksihan at madama ang Diyos. Sa gitna ng mga pagsubok at mga balakid sa ating buhay, marahil naisip na natin na ang liwanag na ating tangan ay natabunan na ng kadiliman, na ang kabuti­han ay nahigitan na ng kasamaan sa mundo. 

Bilang mga Kristiyano, dala na­tin ang ilaw na magkukubli sa kadiliman sa pamamagitan ng atin ng pananalig at pananampalataya sa Diyos. Kung sady­ang magpapakabulag tayo sa kasamaan at tatalikdan ang Panginoon sa ating buhay, sadyang mawawalan na ng saysay ang ilaw na ating dinadala. Ating alalahanin na ang Diyos ay ang pinagkukunan natin ng liwanag. Siya ang ilaw na inaasahan nating magbibigay linaw at sagot sa mga katanun­gan natin sa buhay. Sa ating pagpupunyagi na itaguyod ang ating pananampalataya sa Dakilang Diyos, ay mapagwawagian natin ang anumang hadlang o pasakit na dala ng realidad at agos ng buhay. 

Sa ating ebanghelyo, inaanyaya­han tayo ng Panginoon bilang maging ilaw sa mundo- ilaw na magningning at mangin­gibabaw sa mata ng sangkatauhan. Walang sinuman sa atin ang mababalot sa kasa­maan at kadiliman kung sisikapin nating matagpuan ang liwanag buhat ng Diyos. Sa panahon kung saan ang ating simbahan ay patuloy na nagsisikap na ipalaganap ang mabuting balita at ipakilala ang Diyos, bawat isa sa atin ay kasama rin dito bi­lang saksi sa pagtitiwala at pagmamahal ni Kristo na siyang nagkaloob sa atin ng bu­hay. Kailanman ay huwag nating kalimutan na tayo’y bumubuo sa ilaw na magsilbing apoy at liwanag ng iba sa pakikipagtipan at pakikipagtagpo kay Kristo. Ito ay dahil sa ating buhay at gawa makikita ng iba si Kris­to, sapagkat ang kanyang presenya at alaala ay mananahan sa atin magpakailanman.

BREAKING FREE OUT OF “ME” GENERATION

Our society today has a perilous attitude toward its past. We are made to think that we are better than people who lived hundreds of years ago. We are made to believe that everything about the past is irrelevant to us. The beliefs of our grandparents, their values and their cherished rituals and traditions can be easily dismissed because we are being fed with the idea (together with genetically modified foods and sugar spiked drinks) that we can totally cut our ties from the past, and still say “Look at us, we are generally OK.” Nah, it’s actually “Look at me! Me, me, me. I can do whatever I want so long as I am happy and not hurting anyone.” In Filipino “Basta wala akong natatapakan.” Most of the time this frame of mind is said out of convenience, for, how broad are our considerations in deciding to really see the consequences of our acts for which we can truly say “Wala akong nasasaktan or natatapakan”? By removing the past we end up with ME.

By removing the past we forget that the world has a story: the world neither begins nor ends with us, nor with ME. When Jesus called Simon, Andrew, James and John and told them that they will become fishers of men, Jesus did not say it arbitrarily. Jesus first of all did not come out of nowhere. He has a reason for being in Galilee. He has reasons for calling disciples. Never in the lives of the apostles do we see the attitude that everything starts with them, nor did they bear the attitude that they are the center of the world. When Christ called them they saw that their lives are involved in a much greater reality, that their lives are part of a much bigger and exciting story. When Christ called them He was like saying “Come be part of my life. Be part of My story.” And that story is God’s story, a story of love. Today we must bow humbly to the people who lived before us. We have to regain the humility to learn from them and to cherish too their values and faith; most especially, to see their lives as very much part of our lives. Because when we answer the call of Christ we too become part of God’s story. Let us include others as well.

HEAVENLY QUALITIES

There are two famous devotions to Jesus Christ in the Philippines: The devotion to Sto Nino (the Child Jesus) in Cebu on January 19 and the devotion to Black Nazareno (Passion of Christ) in Quiapo Manila on January 9. 

Every year millions of devotees joined long procession during their feast days and they experienced a lot of miracles like; healed from many kinds of sickness, passed board exams, LET exams, got jobs and successful in their business, etc. I believed that millions of devotees have devotion to the Sto Nino or the Black Nazareno because they surely want to experience the greatest favor of God.

In the gospel, the apostles want to know who the greatest favor of Jesus Christ among them is. All of them want to sit the right side of Jesus Christ in heaven so Jesus reminds them by placing a child next to himself to show his disciples who really is the greatest in the kingdom of God. The simple fact of this question reveals that apostles had understood very little the message of Jesus. Therefore He answers their question that the greatest in God’s kingdom is the one who is humble and lowly of heart like a little child. And I think it is intended for us to notice the necessity of conversion is illustrated by childlike humility! Babies are dependent, teachable and innocent, very open about their needs. They like to listen and learn. These are kingdom qualities!

We may think that Jesus and His kingdom is like the ranking of men from greatest to least but actually not like the governments and political administrations of men where power, money and numbers enjoy more influence than character and virtue. The Kingdom of God is about changing our life and serving the Lord, unless we are converted and become as little children, we will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

In order to be in the Lord’s kingdom I have to change! I must give up that competitive drive to be better than others; I must come face to face with my dependence, be open about my spiritual needs, and be willing to listen and learn and be governed by Jesus Christ!

I must be converted: From pride to humility, from worldly ambition to spiritual ambition and from godlessness to godliness.

IT'S MORE THAN A PUPPY LOVE

All teenagers experience this so-called puppy love, an experience that adds color to their lives. It makes them inspired. It also brings positive changes in their behavior. Usually, inspired teenagers go beyond what is expected to them. They transcend themselves, able to perform remarkable things.

Similarly in the Gospel, Jesus is inspired with the power of the Spirit and the love of the Father. He goes beyond what was expected to him, as a son of a carpenter.  He begins teaching in the synagogue. He reads the words of prophet Isaiah and afterwards says to them, “Today these prophetic words come true even as you listen.’’ His words amaze the Jews and they ask, “Who is this but Joseph’s son?’’

Jesus was aware of the possible consequences of his action. But the Spirit of the Father was upon him, giving him courage to bring changes in the world in spite being labeled a son of a mere carpenter. He was persecuted and died on the cross to save us from the slavery of sin. In his paschal mystery, he brought changes in our relationship with God by making us God’s adopted children.

As Christians, we also experience in our daily lives this love, the love of God. With the Spirit of the Lord resting upon us and with the inspiration of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are encouraged to transcend our faith, to go beyond our capacity as ordinary men and women, and make positive changes in our Christian life.

Today, becoming a follower of Christ is not easy. The Christian faith is being attacked by secularism. True Christians are persecuted by society. We are labeled as medieval people, unable to cope with the demands of modern world. Maybe, the time will come when Christianity will be labeled in the same way that Jesus was labeled—the faith of a mere “son of a carpenter”. However, we are encouraged to stand for our faith, to commit ourselves to Christ even to the point of experiencing persecution. This is what Christian love really means. It is more than the puppy love being experienced by most teenagers. Christian love entails maturity of faith, the willingness to undergo persecution as what Christ had experienced. A true Christian has this motto: “Hahamakin ang lahat, masunod ka lamang”. And this could make all the difference in the world.  

God our loving Father, we ask you to send forth your Holy Spirit upon us. Inspire us O Father, with your love, for us to be faithful to your word. Give us the courage,  to endure every persecution that we experience in following you. And make us as an instrument of change in this world. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.  

APPLE OF THE EYE

When I was young, just like any other kid, I was the apple of the eye not only of my family but also of my relatives. I was told by my mother that my uncles and aunts would drop by our house just to see me. They would even bring my favourite food, [well, donuts] and entice me to play with them. My older cousins would always make me smile. They would even lend me their toys for us to share.  In a sense, at some point in my life, I became the centre of my family and relatives.

In the Gospel, Jesus asks His parents why they worry a lot. “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” The child Jesus is actually telling His parents that they should not worry a lot. Although it is a natural tendency for parents to look for their children, the child Jesus calms them by saying that He is safe in His Father’s house. This is an instance where we can find the child Jesus teaching His parents of how things should be.

Kids are fun to be with and oftentimes, we learn things from them. Aside from being angelic, they give and show us a lot of things which we sometimes fail to see and understand.  Though we do not usually learn verbally from them, their actions teach us a lot. Their simplicity and docility teach us that life should be lived not in worries and complexity. They make us realize that good things are not always material and complicated.  Living this life is like the child Jesus being in the temple, in his Father’s house, that is, safe and worry-free. It is like putting in mind that we are always in the Father’s house.

Lord, you are the God of simplicity; teach us to live a simple and worry-free life. Never allow us to be disturbed by the worries and complexity of the world. Just like the child Jesus, may we always remember that we are always in the Father’s house. Amen.