EASTER SUNDAY

THE LORD IS RISEN

By Br. Sandy Alerta, OP

The Lord is risen!

This is our proclamation. This is what we hold dear. This is our faith. Christ has died and He has risen from the dead.

But what does “rising” mean? The dictionary gives three definitions for it. Rising is to rise is to move upward, to go higher, or to slope or extend upward.

To rise is to move upward. As Jesus rises from the cold tomb that Joseph of Arimathea prepared for Him, we, too, are called to move upward from the sinfulness that breaks our relationships with our families, friends, neighbors, workmates and God. This season of Easter is a reminder for us to re-evaluate our lives and live it with a new enthusiasm brought forth by the risen Lord.

To rise is to go higher. Please don't take the negative notion of the definition. To go higher, in this sense, should be to be higher than our old self. If we were once insensitive, may we become sensitive to the needs of others. We should strive to become better day after day. As one bishop said: Tomorrow, be better than yourself today.

To rise is to slope or extend upward. It is always better to see progress than to stagnate or worse, to regress. We are happy when we see ourselves progress, don't we?

Indeed, Easter invites us to grow in the love of Jesus every day. This season teaches us to move upward, to go higher, and to extend upward, that is, to rise from our old sinful ways and to proclaim that Jesus has risen to give us hope, so that we, too, will rise in the last days. The Lord is risen, let us rejoice!

2nd SUNDAY OF LENT

Journey to the Ultimate 

By Br. Rocky Niño Manire, OP 

Options are always present when making choices. It is as if options and choices are in a serious commitment that they cannot go without the presence of the other. We can say that we cannot make a choice if there are no options. The dilemma of making a choice lies on the presence of options. To know whether your choice is the right option lies on how you would deal with it through the rest of your life. 

There are people who became successful because they made the right choice through the help of their faith in God, but before they could say it, they suffer failures several times. Despite these failures they continue to live; they mustered courage and endured pains and sufferings until they mastered everything. These failures transformed them into great men and women who showed the ultimate example of what real courage is all about. Those who have this kind of thinking view life as something which has to be consumed until the very last drop, to its maximum. For them, life is a journey with a goal, a journey which will ultimately lead a person to that one ribbon to claim the prize of victory. 

Faith leads us to that ultimate choice, to that one ribbon which is God himself. But we can never be there if we ourselves lack the necessary things needed to be a faithful servant. To make a choice among the many options in life is not an easy task; but with faith, we will surely be guided by the Holy Spirit to make the right choice.

3rd SUNDAY OF LENT

From Ashes, We are Reborn 

By Br. Beaujorne Sirad Ramirez, OP

Buildings in the metro are common sight for any person living in the city. These structures took many months or years to be completed. For every skyscraper envisioned, a deep foundation should be realized. However, will you deal with a mega structure that can be rebuilt after three days? Today’s gospel projects the same dilemma. The Jews cannot imagine how Jesus can rebuild a temple in three days when the actual structure took decades to finish. However, it was explained later in the gospel of John that the rebuilding that Jesus was so passionate about pertains to his body

In this passage, Jesus is reminding us of the importance of change. It is through rebuilding ourselves that we find peace and solace. In this world where everything is unimaginable, constant change is the only sure thing. It is through the rebuilding of the body of Christ that we find hope. In this 3rd Sunday of Lent, as we prepare ourselves to join Christ in His passion, let us remind ourselves of the importance of our bodies that

originated from the dust. From our remembrance of the dust, let us remember the power of Christ in renewing us through the immolation of His body.

4th SUMDAY OF LENT

In Search of Light 

By Br. Jose Nico Apa, OP 

“Well, you only need the light when it’s burning low, only miss the sun when it starts to snow, only know you love her when you let her go. Only know you’ve been high when you’re feeling low, only hate the road when you’re missing home, only know you love her when you let her go...”

These lyrics came from the song entitled “Let her Go” by Passengers. We only see the importance of things once we don’t have them anymore. When we have them, we take them for granted; we don’t pay them much attention--just like the gospel in this Sunday. The reading talks about the Light which symbolizes Christ. The Light has come to the world but people love the darkness rather than the Light. Most of us right now do not pay much attention to this Light but once when it is no longer with us we will find ourselves looking for it. We may be enjoying darkness right now, but a life without light has no direction. We need the Light to lead our way

The gospel in this Sunday reminds us that we should give our full attention to this Light, rather than just keep on ignoring It. Because once we give It our attention, I’m sure that Light will be with us forever, we will never be run out of light

5th SUNDAY OF LENT

Si Hesus na Aking Bayani 

By Br. John Andrew Bautista, OP 

Kinikilala at tinitingala natin ang ating mga bayani – sila ang mga taong nag-alay at nagbigay ng karangalan para sa bansa. Marami tayong mga narinig at nalaman tungkol sa ating mga sariling bayani na walang pag-aalinlangang inihandog ang kanilang sariling buhay dulot ng kanilang walang sawang pagmamahal sa ating Inang Bayan. Sino ba naman ang hindi makakakilala kina Gat. Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Gregorio Del Pilar at Sen. Ninoy Aquino na naging bahagi ng makulay na kasaysayan ng ating bansa. Ilan lamang sila sa ating mga pinagpipitagang bayani na ating nakikilala o napaguusapan sa paaralan, nababasa sa mga aklat, sa mga magasin o sa Internet.

Kung kinikilala natin sila bilang ating mga idolo o bayani sa sekular na mundo, sa ganito ring antas ng pagkilala dapat nating kilalanin, mahalin at papurihan ang ating Panginoong Hesukristo. Bilang kanyang mga tagasunod at kanyang mga tapat na mananampalataya, higit pa sa isang tunay na bayani ang Panginoong Hesus dahil sa kanyang naipamalas at naipadamang pagmamahal sa ating lahat. 

Sa ating ebanghelyo, ipinapahayag na palapit na ng palapit ang itinakdang oras ng Diyos kung saan buong maipapamalas ni Hesus ang kanyang dakilang kaluwalhatian. Ngunit sa kabila nito, naging kalakip at maituturing na kapalit ng misyon na ito ang pag-aalay ng sariling buhay ng ating Panginoon. Gayunpaman, alam mismo ni Hesus na bagamat Siya’y papanaw at lilisan dito sa lupa, hindi Siya kailanman mawawala sa puso at isipan ng mga tao.

Sa pamamagitan nitong mala-bayaning pagsasakripisyong ipinamalas sa atin ng Panginoong Hesukristo, nawa’y huwag natin itong kalimutan. Patuloy nating alalahanin ang mapagmahal na Diyos na nag-alay ng kanyang sariling buhay para sa kaligtasan ng sanlibutan.