Daily Reflections - September 30, 2012

Banish Your Suspicions

 

Jesus gave the Apostles the authority to perform wonders in His name. Someone who was not of their member was expelling demons in the name of Jesus. They reported the man to Jesus with the claim, “We saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him because he is not of our company.” Bluntly, Jesus ordered them not to stop him and essentially told them that they do not have an exclusive copyright over His name.

In the First Reading, Moses, after an intimate encounter with God, came down the mountain and shared the spirit with the 70 elders to prophesy. A certain Eldad and Medad were not there in the gathering yet the spirit descended upon them as well. When they began to prophesy, Aaron wondered and reported them to Moses. In reply, Moses countered, “Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets! Would that the Lord might bestow his spirit on them all!”

Aaron and the disciples wanted to exclude people outside of their circle with what they thought to be righteous indignation. But deep inside it was insecurity and an elitist mentality that motivated them.

 Apostles were against the Pharisees but unwittingly they were Pharisaical in their attitude as well. Pharisee literally means one who is separated, different from the others. That is not the way of Jesus and the Kingdom. Jesus brought about change not as one who was isolated and separated but as Emmanuel, the God who is with us. Jesus did not see an outsider as a potential enemy but as a potential friend and ally. Would that all of us see others with the eyes of Jesus! Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: When you see someone who is not of your class, color, race, religion or ideology, do you automatically shut them off?

 

Jesus, You welcomed the stranger. Help me overcome my fears that I may experience the wealth that also lies beyond the confines of my inner circle. Amen.

Daily Reflections - September 28, 2012

San Lorenzo, PRAY FOR US

 

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, the first, and so far, only Filipino saint. He is our model, intercessor and our very own mediator. What does it mean to have an intercessor? Let me share with you what it does not mean.

One time after a 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass, a lady approached me for customary blessings. I recognized her and I was sure she also attended the 9 a.m. Mass which I also presided over that day. “Is this the second Mass you attended today?” I inquired. She said, “My husband didn’t want to go. He said he didn’t want to miss the Pacquiao fight so I thought I’ll attend a second Mass for him.”

I’m sure God blessed the heart of that woman. I’m not sure about the man.

While the Catholic faith recognizes the legitimacy and even the necessity of intercession, our faith does not recognize the practice of faith by substitution, except when the other is genuinely incapacitated or does not have the physical or psychological capacity to practice his faith. Unless I’m genuinely incompetent, somebody else cannot practice my religion for me.

To have someone intercede for me does not mean I give up my own religious obligation to do what I need to do. To have someone intercede for me means to have someone share, augment and strengthen my own resolve. On the other end, to intercede for another does not mean “doing all the work,” in the process depriving the others of the opportunity to grow in the practice of their own faith. I know of a mother who prays the 15 decades of the Rosary daily while telling her children they are now excused from reciting the Rosary.

As we honor and imitate St. Lorenzo for his virtues, we tirelessly work for our growth in our own.

St. Lorenzo Ruiz, pray for us.Fr. Joel Jason

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you pass off to others (the saints, family members or friends) your religious obligations?

 

St. Lorenzo, intercede for us to God. Inspire us to cultivate the grace of our own baptism that together, we may all grow in virtue and faith. Amen.

 

 

Daily Reflections - September 27, 2012

Seek Him and You Shall Find Him

 

“Herod the tetrarch heard about all that Jesus was doing, and he was greatly perplexed… And he kept trying to see Him.”

Herod the tetrarch in today’s Gospel is an interesting figure for our study. He beheaded John the Baptist because he did not like what John said. Now Jesus was preaching and He was beginning to gather a large following. The Gospel said that Herod heard Jesus speak. He was not readily converted but the curious thing was, the Gospel said, “He kept trying to see Him.” Herod

may not have liked everything that he heard from Jesus but something in him stirred every time he heard Jesus. He wanted more. He was interested. He kept trying to see Him.

I remember now a parable.

A man approached a monk meditating near the river bank for some advise on the spiritual life. “Brother monk, how can I find God?” he inquired. Without a word, the monk grabbed the man and, with his strong arm, submerged him in the river face down. He fought off the monk and when he surfaced he angrily said while grasping for air, “Are you trying to kill me? I almost ran out of air there!” The monk calmly replied, “If your desire to find God is as strong as your desire to get some air, you will surely find Him.”

This is the key. Like Herod, we must keep trying to see Him.

You want to hear His Word? It is there in the Scriptures. You only have to open your Bible. Do you even have a Bible to begin with? You say you want to be with Him? He is there in the Eucharist. He is there forever waiting for you in the tabernacle. When was the last time you disposed yourself well at Mass or visited the adoration chapel? You say you want to feel His friendship? When was the last time you humbled yourself and celebrated the sacrament of reconciliation?

Friends, are you looking for God? He is not hiding. He is not playing hard to get. The real issue is, “How hard are you looking for Him?”Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: How much time and space have you consecrated for your spiritual growth?

 

Lord Jesus, I own today the words of the Psalmist: “As morning breaks, I think of You, O Lord.” Amen.

 

Daily Reflections - September 26, 2012

Embrace the Word in Its Entirety

 

“Every Word of God is tested; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Add nothing to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be exposed as a deceiver” (Proverbs 30:5).

One time, I was celebrating Mass. The Gospel then was Matthew 18 where Peter asked Jesus whether one should forgive as many as seven times. In response Jesus said, “No, not seven times, but seventy times seven!” I was hurting that time from an offense a trusted friend inflicted on me. I must confess, I didn’t feel like reading Jesus’ response. I even felt like changing Jesus’ response to “forgiving once is enough, Peter.”

There are days like that when God’s Word makes real demands on you and you feel like adding or subtracting or changing altogether God’s Word. But the Word of God is the Word of God. As today’s First Reading emphasizes, “Every Word of God is tested... add nothing to his words....” A temptation to all believers is to domesticate God’s message — to make it convenient, less demanding, non-exacting. The Israelites of Moses’ times complained about the “demands” Yahweh was expecting from them. What did they do? They carved their own god, a molten calf — a god that they can manipulate, a “mute” god who will not make demands from them.

We still have that mentality in our day and age. Instead of conforming ourselves to God’s image, we want to conform God into our image. Be it in the area of religion, work, public life, or sex life, we manipulate God’s Word to our own convenience. Yes, God became man. But it did not stop there. God became man so that man might become like God. Let us not invert the process. God is to be trusted. He is Father and everything He proposes is all to our best interest. Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: As a hearer of God’s Words, do you sometimes add or subtract something from the words of Scripture? In what area of your life do you usually “edit” the efficacy of God’s Word? Pray for healing in that area.

 

“Every Word of God is tested; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Amen.”

Daily Reflections - September 25, 2012

To Love with the Will

 

“My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act upon it.”

On April 19, 2011, Holy Tuesday, a big fire gutted more than half of the houses of informal settlers at the Laperal Compound just beside our San Carlos Seminary in Guadalupe, Makati. Instantly, the seminary grounds became a relocation area for the victims.

It was the middle of Holy Week. The priests felt we couldn’t just allow them to stay in our compound without ministering to them. Hastily, we made a decision to conduct Holy Week services for our guests. It was summer vacation and the seminarians were in their homes. The priests were left alone with no one to plan and execute the complicated, intricate, long and very demanding rites of the Holy Week.

It was very difficult for us physically, logistically and, not to mention, emotionally. There were times I felt the people were not really interested. We had to go to them and personally invite them to go to the chapel for the services. There were times I caught myself asking silently, “Do we really have to do this? Do they even appreciate what we are doing? Do the informal settlers even understand the rites we are performing?”

We conducted the Mass of the Lord’s Supper where we did the washing of the feet. It was a very simple rite and yet I felt they were really looking for the Lord. It was then that I felt convicted. I should not see them as squatters or “informal settlers.” I should not see them as unexpected guests of the seminary. They are the “mothers and brothers and sisters” that the Gospel speaks of. After we celebrated the Easter vigil, I felt the Lord gave me a truly meaningful Holy Week celebration.

To see the other as brother or sister goes beyond incidental blood relations. To treat someone as a brother or a sister is an intentional decision of the will. Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you see yourself sometimes labeling people who can be difficult to live with?

 

Expand my heart, O Lord. Help me to love beyond convenience. Amen.

 

Daily Reflections - September 24, 2012

Blessings or No Blessings

 

“Envy not the lawless man and choose none of his ways; to the Lord the perverse man is an abomination but with the upright is his friendship.”

Sometimes we wish these words from the book of Proverbs were that simple. The Holy Book says the lawless is an abomination to the Lord but sometimes it’s difficult not to envy the lawless especially when the lawless seems to prosper even if the Bible says he is an abomination. This is difficult to see when our criteria of abomination and prosperity is only on the surface level — the material and the physical.

While it is true that prosperity and blessings come with living according to the ways of God, the prosperity promised to the just is a prosperity that exists at the deepest level. It is a friendship and prosperity that can also exist amidst, alongside of, and despite the greatest suffering. In a similar vein, the abomination promised to the perverse is an abomination at the deepest level. An abomination that can co-exist alongside of and despite the greatest temporal success. That is frightening. Temporal success can blind one to the internal abomination that is really going on in  one’s soul, in one’s inner life. That is why God tells us not to envy the lawless.

There’s a famous American actor who is good-looking, with a beautiful wife and children. He’s a star of a TV sitcom which reportedly pays him a million dollars per episode. Last year, he checked into a rehab for drug and sex addictions. His home studio cancelled his contract and his wife left him with the children. He would pay sexual partners as many as five a night to accompany him during his lonely nights. He looked blessed on the outside, but inside he was cursed. When you have to pay for companionship, that’s as lonely as one can get.

While we claim the blessings promised to the just, we keep to heart the admonition of today’s psalm: “He who does justice shall live on the Lord’s holy mountain.”Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Are you given to envy to the point that you actually envy the lawless? How much do you persevere in pursuing the good?

 

Lord Jesus, in the midst or absence of material blessings, I journey on the path of Your righteousness. Bless my resolve, Lord. Amen.

 

Daily Reflections - September 23, 2012

Greatness in Service

John F. Kennedy, the first and only Catholic president of the United States, made headlines with this line from his inaugural speech: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask rather what you can do for your country.” In a way, he was saying, “Ask not how your country can serve you. Ask rather how you can serve your country.” That was something new. Prior to that speech of his, everyone was of the mentality that the country is there to serve the people and not the other way around. His remark was a complete paradigm shift.

But JFK was not an original. Two thousand years ago Jesus proclaimed, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” This statement, too, was for the Jews, a complete turnaround. Up until that time, the Jews believed that man was the one to serve God, not the other way around. And yet here before them, Jesus is asking, “What can I do for you?” Instead of allowing Himself to be served, He asked, “How can I serve you?”

All through His life Jesus did serve the people. He fed them, gave them drink, healed their sick, taught them, died for them. How was He able to do this? He was open (bukas-palad as we say it in Filipino). When you are open, you are sensitive to the needs of other people. Their world is your world. You allow them to affect you. That’s why Jesus was able to serve.

As Christians, Jesus calls us to service. But before we ask for the grace to be servants, let us first ask for the grace to be open, for openness is a prerequisite of service. One can never serve unless he is open. Look at different business establishments. How do they declare their readiness to be of service? They say, “We’re open to serve you.” We will never see a sign which says, “Closed to serve you,” because openness is a requirement for service.

Today, let us declare our readiness to serve. But first, let us declare before the Lord our readiness to be open. Fr. Joel Jason

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you dream of a greatness that flows from service?

Purify my dreams, O Lord. Make me partake of that greatness that embraces humble service.

Daily Reflections - September 22, 2012

IT’S ALL ABOUT CHOICES

 

We live in a world that does not really recognize the true significance of the choices we make in life. The old classical understanding of virtue ethics being related to character building has become lost in the “me” centered generations. Everything is all about me and my perceived needs, and anyone else’s needs are secondary. Western democracies are discovering that this attitude is not very easy to work with when it comes to getting things done.

How do we overcome the selfishness and narcissism that thrive so much in our world today? The only answer I can see is a return to character-based ethics. We need to form our children in the understanding that everything they do and say contributes to the building of their character. Morality is not just about avoiding breaking the law or doing something wrong; it is really about discovering the opportunities to build our character according to the fact that we were created in the image and likeness of God. If God is anything, He is a God of character and not a God of the rules.

Jesus tells a parable today that speaks to this truth. It is up to us to decide what sort of a disciple of Jesus we both want to be and will become by the choices we make. Instead of seeing morality as the avoidance of evil, let us start looking at it as choosing of the “goods” of human flourishing. That is, let us make morality a positive rather than a negative reality in our lives. Ican assure you that it will make an enormous difference if we do this. Learning to make choices for the good of human living will give us an entirely different perspective on life to the point that we will begin to become different people. We will become empowered to create our own destiny in the positive sense of choosing it rather than simply avoiding something bad. I know which system I prefer.  Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How do you look at morality in you life? Are you simply following a whole lot of rules that are given to you by others?

 

Lord Jesus, teach me how to believe and pursue the fullness of life by becoming proactive in my own character formation.

Daily Reflections - September 21, 2012

ARE THERE ANY PREREQUISITES ?

 

It is a question worth an answer. Are there any prerequisites necessary for being a disciple of Jesus? The answer I want to give is both yes and no. Why do I say that?

It is evident from today’s Gospel that there are no prerequisites — what a person has done in his past life does not count. He calls each and every one of us to be His disciples. However, I would like to suggest that there is a prerequisite as regards the attitude we must have in responding to this calling.

After a good number of years of being a disciple of Jesus (as best I can) and helping form disciples of Jesus, I realize that a fundamental requirement would be the desire to become one in the first place. If a person is not willing to do his work at following Jesus, then he will never be successful at it. A disciple’s true colors are seen when they come up against adversity. When the going gets difficult, the true disciple will make a decision to persevere no matter what the cost may be. The “fair-weather disciple” will avoid all discomfort and run away as quickly as possible from any difficulty. I like the story of some Irish boys who came face to face with a large wall, threw their belongings over it, and then had to find a way to get over it or they would not be able to regain their things. This is the spirit necessary to follow Christ. The person looks forward to the next challenge knowing that the grace will be there to overcome it. This is the difference between the person who gets negative at the smallest sign of difficulty and the other who thrives at the sight of a challenge.

The Gospel presents to us an unending list of challenges. As soon as we overcome one, there will be another in its place. If we are living only for ourselves, this will be enough to make us give up. But if we are living for God, it will energize us to the point that we will discover daily the many ways that God “makes a way possible” for those who follow Him. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Are you the sort of person who cringes at the sight of a challenge? Or are you energized by it?

 

Jesus, make me the type of person who thrives in the face of a challenge. Let me see them as opportunities for Your grace to abound in my life.

Daily Reflections- September 19, 2012

NO GENERATION IS PERFECT

 

The lament of Jesus that we hear today is one that has been echoed many thousands of times over in the history of evangelization. I alone have made it many times when I look at today’s materialism and secularism and see how difficult it is to penetrate it with the Gospel. However, it is good to remember that Jesus never said preaching the Gospel was going to be an easy task. Every generation will provide its own challenge to the Word of God. The truth is that no matter how difficult it is to reach a particular generation, there is always a way with the Word of God. The truth of God’s unconditional love can overcome all obstacles that the world throws against it.

The challenge you and I face today is how to present the Gospel in such a way that will make the present generation sit up and pay attention. Ultimately, there is no substitute for the lived example of the Gospel as a means of evangelization. As such, we must all commit to be faithful to the call to grow in holiness. We also need to be aware that this will often mean that we are, so to speak, “swimming against the tide.” Standing up for Gospel values in a secular world is rarely a popular position to take. Yet, as disciples of Jesus this is precisely what we must do if we are going to be faithful to our calling.

In the midst of all this, we also need to take into account the fact that every generation has its strengths and weaknesses. We need to learn how to work with the strengths while correcting the weakness. This can often be a rather delicate task where it becomes important to bring correction without condemnation, or else any possible opportunity could be lost through insensitivity and lack of respect. It is interesting to note that Jesus always respects those whom He meets in His ministry even if He disagrees with them. Cultivating an attitude of openness is an essential part of evangelization today. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What is your experience of trying to evangelize in today’s culture? Where can you improve? What are the areas where you are most successful?

 

Jesus, help me to have a heart for all whom I meet so that I use every opportunity available to me to share the Gospel with others.

Daily Reflections- September 18, 2012

THREE GIANTS OF THE SPIRIT

 

When we read the miracle story of the healing at Nain, we should be aware that it is the third in a series that began with Elijah, was imitated by Elisha, and is now followed by Jesus. What the author of the Gospel is trying to tell us is that the same Spirit that was alive in the ministries of these two great men, Elijah and Elisha (see Kings 1 and 2), is the same Spirit that is at work in the ministry of Jesus.

To try and understand what this means, we need to remember that many of the Orthodox Jews set a seat at the Passover dinner for Elijah in case he returns that night. The Jews believe that Elijah will return before the Messiah arrives. Perhaps they hope setting a seat at the most important meal of the year will encourage him to return.

Elijah and Elisha are both men of the Spirit par excellence. Their ministries are full of miracles and signs and wonders. Luke wants us to see Jesus in this light, as a man of the Spirit who works wonders at least as great as these two pillars of the Old Testament. Luke is setting the scene not just for Jesus to be seen as a man of the Spirit but also positioning the Holy Spirit for its role in the life of the Early Church. Jesus, the man of the Spirit, leaves the disciples and us the same Spirit to carry on the ministry of the Gospel. This is an important link — that of the ministry of Jesus with that of the Early Church, and what better way to cement it than with the power of the Holy Spirit?

Luke’s agenda here is one that we should examine closely as it is something the Church of today needs to rediscover to a large extent. Where is the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the life of the Church today? How can we tap into it in our own lives?Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What is your experience of the power and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in your life? How can you surrender more to the Holy Spirit?

 

Jesus, open my heart to the grace and gifts of the Holy Spirit in a deeper way today so that my life will come more and more under His power and guidance.

Daily Reflections- September 16, 2012

THE MESSIAH HAS TO SUFFEr

 

One of the great mysteries of love is the willingness of people to endure suffering for and because of it. The Jews had an image of what they hoped or thought the Messiah would be, and suffering was not part of it. So when Jesus started to talk to His disciples about having to suffer, they could not comprehend it. This is why Peter is repelled by the suggestion of Jesus having to suffer. Yet Jesus is aware that this is all a part of what He has come to do.

Suffering has always been one of the great mysteries in life. The reality is that it is only in relation to the suffering of Jesus that we can make sense of human suffering. Jesus’ suffering on the cross gives God the right to be able to affirm to us that everything will be all right in the end. God, in the person of Jesus, has endured human suffering to show us the way through it up to His resurrection. It is the resurrection of Jesus and His return to His Father in heaven that is the final word on human suffering. This reminds me of the words in the opening chapter of John’s Gospel where he tells us that the darkness or sin in the world is unable to overcome the light or goodness that finds its origin in God. The goodness of God has overcome the evil of sin in the definitive statement of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. What looked like a victory for sin, namely the death of Jesus on the cross, becomes the means of sin’s ultimate defeat!

Thus we can see why Jesus had to suffer. Through the resurrection, which is God the Father’s answer to the suffering and death of His Son, we are given the hope and grace to endure suffering ourselves. And it is a matter of simply enduring — our suffering can have meaning and purpose if we choose to unite it with the suffering of Jesus through faith. In this way our suffering becomes both powerful intercession and redemptive. All of the great men and women of faith had to endure suffering of one kind or another. Suffering is a part of human existence — we may as well make the best of it! Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What is your attitude to human suffering? Do you see any redemptive value in it?

 

Holy Spirit, help me to understand the Way of the Cross in my life more fully so I can live it more faithfully.

Daily Reflections- September 14, 2012

THE DEATH OF DEATH

 

On Good Fridays, we venerate the cross as we remember the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. The cross is at the center of the liturgy. Thepriest raises it at least three times while the people kneel in prayer. The people, at the proper time, line up to have a chance of adoring the cross by kissing it. We, Christians, honor the cross. It is the symbol of our faith. Once a source of shame, punishment, absurdity and death, it is now a sign of wisdom, love, obedience and faith for all Christians.

Why exalt the cross? Why give dignity to a thing of pain and death? Why honor the very place of death for our Savior? The honor is really in the Lord who died on the cross. Jesus redeemed man through the cross and even the cross itself from its bad meaning. By itself, it is nothing. But whenever we regard it in faith, we always see the Lord on it and what He did with it. Through it, Jesus showed the love of God to us. Through it, Jesus obeyed His Father. Through it, death met its death.

The way many people patronize it should be a source of joy and happiness to us Christians. You see it painted on doors, tattooed in different parts of the body, as pendants, churches, tombs, etc. But we ask how are they used? For what reason and for what purpose are they being displayed? Hopefully they are used not as mere decorations. It will be a great disrespect to the Lord. It should be displayed as an  expression of faith. The sick during the time of Moses obtained healing by looking at it. Many times, in the history of the Church, sick people received healing through the cross.

It follows then that the cross should help us realize how much God loves us (John. 3:16). He was willing to offer even His only begotten Son to become one like us and die the worst death. To exalt the cross is to recognize what God has done for us — and the commitment to share that love and render obedience to Him! Fr. Benny Tuazom

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Look around your house, your room, your belongings, your body. How do you use the cross? What reverence do you give it?

 

Thank You for dying on the cross, dear Jesus, out of love for us and obedience to the Father. May I realize this truth every time I see a cross.

Daily Reflections- September 12, 2012

HAPPY, FOR REAL!

 

I am glad to have worked for, and with, migrants both in the new and old worlds. They remain giants of silent heroism as far as I am concerned. I cannot forget one who worked for a former senator of a Western European country. Back in the Philippines, she was a qualified teacher, a well appreciated colleague, and a very responsible woman. One day, she thought she had had enough with her foreign employer. She was going to call it quits. She could not stand it anymore. She was poised to say goodbye to her employer and go right back home.

The two children of the very busy socialite couple learned to pray and go to church on Sundays on account of her. But they were  becoming too unruly for her in many ways, and she got the full brunt of the stress-induced ire of her masters. She was distraught. The two kids got wind of her impending plans. And that was when she found the light. The two children came running and crying to her. In between sobs, they begged her, “Please do not go away. If you go away, we will die.”

Just recently, one of the teachers in my school approached me. She was in a dilemma. Her husband wanted her to go back to her engineering work in a private firm that would pay much more. He pitied her because, almost every day, she brought home papers to check and grades to complete. She asked me advice as to what to do, tears running down her cheeks.

Both decided to do what gave them happiness in the long run. Life is difficult everywhere. Life is complex here and there. There is no perfect place on earth. But it is never the place that matters, but what one really feels deep inside. Both women found what really made them truly happy. And it had nothing to do with riches, with being full and being satisfied always. It had nothing to do with mere shallow laughter or with surface adulation from people around.

The Lord defines being happy for real in His words that we now call the “beatitudes.” Remain blessed and stay happy — for real! Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What truly brings you happiness? Can you honestly say that you’re happy now — for real?

 

Let me seek You always, Lord, the source of all real happiness in life.

 

Daily Reflections- September 11, 2012

SEEKING TO TOUCH AND BE TOUCHED

 

All over the country, there has been an unprecedented growth in the number of therapeutic massage parlors over the recent past. They go by different names and types: Shiatsu, Swedish, Thai, Korean, Pinoy, and so on. In this age characterized by stress induced on all fronts, therapeutic massage provides instant relief and temporary stress alleviation. But as we all know, they bring not just relief but healing, and the said healing is ultimately based on touch – gentle, soothing, tender and healing. One comes out refreshed, renewed and ready to face up to the same round of challenges and obstacles that the daily grind poses to everyone. But the healing that it provides is literally only skin deep, pun intended. It soothes the body but not necessarily the soul. It may provide relief but not total healing.

Nevertheless, people continue to flock to such healing centers. This, in itself, is a sign that there is a sore and a felt need for physical healing. But even greater multitudes flock to healing priests and healing encounters, especially the increasingly popular so called “healing Masses.” This is an even greater sign of a deeper form of healing that goes beyond mere stress relief and deliverance from physical ailments.

Today’s Gospel passage offers us a clear example of the total healing that all of us are looking for. But more than that, it shows us the ultimate source of the total healing we all pine for — no less than the Divine Healer Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, it does come from touch, healing touch. But the same Gospel passage shows us more. That touch does not devolve upon the Lord alone. Healing happens when we go out in search for Him, who, at the same time, reaches out to us, in love and compassion.

Like the multitudes that followed the Lord, we need to “seek to touch Him.” We need to do our part. It is not simply lying down there

and allowing oneself to be oiled, kneaded and pampered. Healing takes place when we actively engage the Lord in a dialogue of faith, hope and love. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: What part of your life needs healing? Where do you go for healing? Why not seek the Ultimate Healer for total healing now?

 

Lord Jesus, touch my life and heal me — inside and out.

 

Daily Reflections- September 10, 2012

NEW HEART, NEW LI FE

 

In biblical times, leaven stands for something left over from old dough that is used to make new dough rise. As such, it stands for something old, something carried over from the past, something that makes an old reality continue on. It also stands for the corruption that is passed on to humanity from one generation to the next.

As a therapist, I am familiar with what family therapists call the “family intergenerational transmission system,” which, roughly understood, is equivalent to old leaven being passed on to new dough, old habits and frames of mind and even old patterns of behavior that are passed on from one generation to the next.

Anxiety is one such “old leaven” that is passed on in family systems, but by no means the only one. So is sinful behavior. Children learn what they live through role modeling.

No one, however, is condemned to repeat and relive old patterns. Two thousand years of experience have  taught the Church and humanity that one can rise above such old patterns and come out fresh, renewed and totally  different from what ordinarily is expected by society.

One can begin on a clean slate. No one is condemned to repeat the past. One can just put a stop to that “old leaven” and come out renewed, refreshed — and yes, repentant. Even longtime smokers can manage to quit “cold turkey,” as they say. And for this to happen, all it takes is the will to get rid of the “old yeast” of habits that enslave. “Clear out the old yeast, so that you will become a fresh batch of dough,” writes St. Paul.

Hundreds of saints in the Church’s roster proved it is possible. St. Augustine, for one, showed us this is doable. In my life, I have known of individuals who, owing to some life-changing experience, do away with the old, to pave the way for the new. This is called a change of heart, a conversion experience, or a metanoia, an about face, a total turn around. Difficult, but not impossible. New heart, new life!  Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What negative old family patterns of behavior are evident in your own life? What new habits can you do to replace them?

 

Heal me and my family, Lord, of the wounds from past generations. Make us confident to renew our lives with new patterns of behavior.

Daily Reflections- September 9, 2012

SPITTING ALLOWED HERE

 

I have a sister who has been in Germany since 1980. She was a breech baby. There is this traditional belief in the Philippines that a breech baby could loosen a fishbone stuck in someone’s throat by gently massaging it.

The Gospel presents Jesus putting His finger on the deaf man’s ears, spitting with His saliva, and touching his mouth. Immediately the man was able to speak upon hearing Jesus said, “Ephaphta,” which means “Be opened.” This mirrors the message of the First Reading from Isaiah: “The ears of the deaf be cleared... then the tongue of the mute will sing....”

Jesus took the deaf away from the crowd. A one-on-one encounter would assure the deaf that he need not worry. This echoes Isaiah’s pleading, “Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!” By the time Jesus was about to perform the healing, the deaf must have been fully confident: strong and fearless.

A part of Jesus was infused on the man. It may very well mean “breathing” or putting a divine substance on the afflicted man. Jesus chose to reveal His love and healing power to a lowly deaf who surely was poor materially, emotionally and psychologically.

The healing touch of Jesus brought marvel to the eyes of the spectators. While they were warned not to tell anyone of the miracle, they could not contain themselves. It proved to be too much for them. They were compelled to tell about their Jesus encounter — the Jesus touch, the healing explosions.

Many of us suffer from deafness. We find it difficult to hear and listen to the cries of the poor and needy. Many of us are mute. We see so many deplorable things. We wake up witnessing the face of poverty and sufferings of countless people. Yet, we choose to keep quiet and remain indifferent to their plight.

In the Eucharist, let us seize the moment when we would have a one-on-one encounter with the divine Jesus — and in so doing, the much needed healing be received. Fr. Erick Y. Santos, SFO

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Are you deaf and mute to the calling of those in need?

 

Spit on me, Lord, that I may be healed. Touch my ears and my eyes to listen to and see the suffering around me.

Daily Reflections- September 8, 2012

ROOTS

 

I have an unfinished project in life: to draw and write my family tree. My father comes from the Santoses of Orani, Bataan. But my grandfather died early during my father’s childhood, so I don’t know a single soul from that side of my father. My mother is an illegitimate child from the Yumping Family of Tipas, Taguig City. More than half of the clan belongs to the Iglesia ni Kristo. But they all come in droves whenever I say Mass for a dead relative in the parish church of Tipas, even occupying the first pews.

The Bible tells of Jesus’ genealogy. It traces His roots as a direct descendant of Abraham and David. Jesus’ incarnation makes His humanity even more meaningful at the realization that He came from the human stock. He has ancestors to speak of. Immanuel, which means “God is with us,” now finds a fitting explanation in the Gospel. Jesus’ humanity is physically and genetically rooted in His ancestors. God chose them to carry out His magnificent plan of salvation. And Mary is one of them.

We celebrate today the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We thank God for giving Mary to us as our mother. She played the crucial role of carrying in her womb the Word made flesh. Through her humble offering of herself and submission to the Father’s will, the grand plan for us was carried out. It was not an easy decision for Mary to give in to the Father’s will that she would be the mother of the Messiah. But she offered everything in faith and trusted God. Never mind if she had to face the people in shame. To Mary, it’s only God and His will that matter.

It is most touching that Mary, in spite of her role in the plan of salvation, regarded herself as a lowly handmaid (in modern parlance: maid, slave). She believed that she was nothing, and had nothing to offer. Yet, in her nothingness, she offered the best gift of all to the Father — the gift of herself, her obedience to His will, her best self. And it was more than enough.

The lowly root produced the most marvelous fruit — Jesus! Happy Birthday, Inay! Fr. Erick Y. Santos, SFO

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Who is Mary to you and how important is her birth?

 

Lord, like Mary, may I be able to give the gift of my best self. May I be obedient to Your will just as she was.

 

Daily Reflections- September 7, 2012

TOTAL PACKAGE  

 

Our apostolic work as a congregation of priests and brothers engaged in spreading the Good News through various modern ways of communication challenges us to be shrewd and business-like in some of our dealings. Well, on second thought, Jesus Himself taught that His disciples should be clever as snakes, while at the same time be as innocent as doves.

We have to live with the fruits of our work, and so we have to see to it that our publications and our bookstores are earning. The apostolate should be able to support itself. Along this line, we must also “read” our market, and meet the needs of the people. We found out that one peculiar buying behavior of Filipinos is that we love retails — small “economical” packs that can be bought at less cost. Things can be more saleable, too, when they can be procured by installment.

Today’s Gospel gives an opposite lesson: Jesus is a radical and very demanding “customer.” He wants everything new, no matter what the cost. He wants a total package for Himself: new wine, new wineskins, new clothes, and not simply repaired ones with patches.

To follow Jesus is to be ready for a total remake — inside and out: heart, mind, will, thoughts, words and actions. He does not settle for a phase by phase, calculated change. His call is for a “metanoia”— a change of mentality and outlook. Therefore, His call may demand from us a readiness to break away from a life we have been most comfortable with.

No wonder, the Gospel gives us stories of people who came to ask Jesus how they could be disciples. But they stopped at that — by being “would be” disciples. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Are you ready for total and swift changes and surprises? Or do you prefer slow, little-by-little changes?

 

Grant me the grace to be ready for whatever You may ask of me, Lord.

Daily Reflections- September 6, 2012

THE UNMAKING WAYS OF JESUS

 

Peter, who grew up in Capernaum by the Lake of Galilee, could have known the ways of the fishermen since his younger years. But our Gospel story tells us that this time, Peter failed, and a carpenter from Galilee had to guide him on how to cast his net so he could have a good catch. The point of our reading, though, is not about who was more superior in fishing. The narrative wants to teach us something deeper: the manner of divine calling. We are made to see that God, through Jesus, unmakes us and unsettles us before He reveals to us His great plan.

In the Old Testament, God unmade all of Abram’s plans to just remain in Ur where he and his family seemed to have made a fortune that could comfortably support them through old age. God called Abram to leave everything behind and begin anew in a strange land.

In the New Testament, we are familiar with the calling of the man called Saul, a Pharisee from the tribe of Benjamin. While he was travelling to Damascus, armed with letters from his Jewish leaders, and confident about his religious belief in the Mosaic traditions, Saul was shocked by God with “greater light” so he could be converted into the Christian way.

God breaks us not because He loves to but because there are good things that come from unsettling and breaking experiences. Among these are:

We are humbled. Out of our comfort zones, we see our littleness and we are corrected of our wrong and often bloated view of ourselves.

We come to know our blind spots. We tend to overestimate ourselves and emphasize our strengths too much. We often ignore our weaknesses or gloss over them. Breaking and unsettling experiences help us experience and realize the truth of our defects. Corollary to this, we appreciate what others can do to complement and supplement us.

We feel our need for God. Our being broken and humbled allow us not only to find a room for others, but for the Great Other who is God. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What personal experiences broke you and unsettled your plans for your life? How did they help you find the life direction that you now have?

 

Lord Jesus, You know all things. You know Your plans for my life. Thank You for redirecting my plans because Yours are the best for me.