In what areas of your life do you think you have become so secure that you need to reexamine them with a contractual mentality? - Daily Reflections October 31,2013

THE DANGER OF SECURITY

 

Ask any employer and they will tell you a curious observation. While definitely not a generalization, contractual employees tend to perform

better and are more conscientious of their work compared to their regular counterparts. I am not endorsing here the practice of contractual employment. That is inconsistent with the demands of social justice. Job security is a right any employee should be given and every employer should uphold.

       But just a remark on the employers’ observation. Why is it that contractual workers seem to take their work more seriously compared to their regular counterparts? I think it’s because they are conscious that they do not have a hold on their jobs, that anytime, it can be taken away from them. Familiarity breeds contempt indeed and job security can sometimes foster an attitude of familiarity. I believe that even as we should promote the right job security, we should always keep cultivating a “contractual mentality.”

       In the Gospel today, Jesus laments the “secure” attitude of Jerusalem and all Israel for that matter. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you slay the prophets and stone those who are sent to you” (v.34). They have been privileged. To them the Word of God has been revealed. Constantly, the prophets were sent to remind them of the patrimony given to them undeservedly. But they ignored it. They have become complacent and secure in their status as the chosen people. With a heavy heart, Jesus warned them: “Your temple will be abandoned. I say to you, you shall not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’” (v.35). Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: In what areas of your life do you think you have become so secure that you need to reexamine them with a contractual mentality?

 

Lord Jesus, I bless You for everything I am blessed with. Draw me out from my complacency and let me cherish them with gratitude and responsibility. Amen.

If your Christianity is put on trial, will there be enough evidence to validate it? - Daily Reflections October 30,2013

BE LIKE CHRIST

 

The angel of death appeared to a man and told him it was his time to die and leave the world. The man protested that he was not ready. The angel of death said, “Sorry, but your name is next on my list. And I always follow this list no matter what.” The man offered the angel of death food with sleeping pills. When the angel of death fell asleep, the man took the list, erased his name on the top and put it at the bottom of the list.

       When the angel of death woke up, he said, “I enjoyed that meal so much I fell asleep afterwards! Because you have been very nice to me, I will do my tasks, starting from the bottom of my list.”

       Salvation and damnation is not a matter of listings, or buying your way into or out of it.

       In the Gospel today, concerned people asked Jesus about salvation. “Are they few in number who are to be saved?” Jesus did not answer the question directly because it is the wrong question to ask. The right question is not “how many.” The right question to ask is “how.” Salvation is not a matter of belonging. Salvation is a matter of being.

       Catholic Christianity is still one of the biggest religions in the world with over a billion in members, and the number is still growing, despite the testy period it is currently undergoing. Being included in that list, however, is no assurance of salvation. In the parable, many were refused entry into the house by the Master despite their claims of being with Him: “We ate and drank in your company” (v.26).

       In response to the question, Jesus admonished, “Try to come in through the narrow door” (v.24). “Being” (and not belonging alone) is the real criterion for entrance into the Kingdom. “Being” is a state of mind — having the disposition of Christ and striving to live out Christ’s invitation for loving self-denial. “Being” is imitatio Christi (imitation of Christ), as the mystics call it. This is why the master of the house in the parable declared to the condemned: “I do not know you.” Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: If your Christianity is put on trial, will there be enough evidence to validate it?

 

As I continue to receive You, Lord, in the Eucharist, bless my resolve to become who I receive. Amen.

Fuel my thirst for knowledge, Lord, but help also my unbelief - Daily Reflections October 29,2013

THE KINGDOM IS FOR THE LITTLE ONES

 

A little boy was being introduced by his mother to Scriptures. Every day, the mother would read to him a portion from stories in the Bible. One day, eagerly anticipating his daily Bible story session, he opened the big and old family Bible with fascination. Then, something fell out from the Bible. It was an old leaf from a tree, pressed in between the pages as a bookmark. “Mom, look what I found!” “What have you got there, son?” his mother asked. With astonishment, the young boy answered, “It’s Adam’s undergarment!”

       Ah, the faith and simplicity of children. They are devoid of the critical sophistication and intellectual disbelief of educated adults that we pride ourselves to have.

       Jesus describes the Kingdom today with two simple imageries — mustard seed and yeast — that illustrate the dynamics of growth, from smallness to greatness. The growth of a mustard seed or that of yeast happens in a manner that we do not see nor understand. Nature has its own laws and rhythm before which we could only stand in awe and reverence.

       I teach a course on Genesis and the human beginnings. We study the creation of man so as to develop a biblical basis for Ethical Anthropology. My students would ask, “Why study Genesis when it cannot answer most of our scientific questions on creation and the origin of man?”

       The mystery of creation, or the Kingdom of God for that matter, cannot and should not be seen only from the vantage point of science—simply because it is beyond science. This is not to say that we refrain from critical understanding. This is only to say that faith seeking understanding should always leave room for the mysterious.

       This is why Jesus can only use parables to describe little aspects of the Kingdom. It is only through images and languages known to man that little facets of the Kingdom can be told. Let us ask the Lord for wisdom that leaves ample space for faith to operate. Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Even science knows very little about the vast entirety of reality. Do you have a tendency to dismiss the “unscientific” as non-truth?

 

Fuel my thirst for knowledge, Lord, but help also my unbelief. Amen.

Make an accounting of your gifts. Have they benefited people other than yourself? - Daily Reflections October 27,2013

THE PRAYER THAT PIERCES THE CLOUDS

 

The Gospel parable of this Sunday portrays two people who went to the temple to pray. God was pleased with the prayer of the tax collector. The prayer of the Pharisee was rejected as it did not reach God because it was not directed to God in the first place. Although the Pharisee began with, “O God, I thank you…”, the rest of his prayer was a litany of his perceived virtues. His prayer reached its destination: himself. The problem is, what he does is not consistent with who he is. All his actions were a façade. The tax collector, on the other hand, could not boast of even a single virtue. With head bowed, he could only mutter, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” And yet, the Gospel concluded by saying that he went home justified. God saw his prayer as sincere.

       We catch God’s attention when we do things in humility. The First Reading today affirms, “The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal, nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds….” Humility, though, is not self-deprecation or self-hate. We are not being humble when we ignore our gifts and talents. That is false humility at best. At worst, it is wallowing in low self-esteem.

       There is a thin line separating pride and humility. They actually share something in common. Both begin with an acknowledgment of one’s gifts and talents, but this becomes pride when it is done in a spirit of isolation. The Pharisee in the Gospel knew his gifts and virtues but he saw them in a spirit of isolation, “I thank you because I am not like the rest of humanity.” This engenders pride and arrogance. But when done in a spirit of communion, self-knowledge breeds humility and gratitude. It means placing one’s giftedness at the service of the common good. That way, one can never be proud as he now sees himself as a servant. And service is kindred to humility.

       Let Sirach’s admonition be our guide today. May our prayers and actions pierce the cloud and not rest till they reach their destination — the bosom of God. Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Make an accounting of your gifts. Have they benefited people other than yourself?

 

I thank You, Lord, for I am wonderfully made. Make my life a blessing to others. Amen.

 

God would have us relate to Him not in fear but in love. Have you made that transition? - Daily Reflections October 26,2013

TRAGEDY OF TRAGEDIES

 

Referring to two tragedies in Jerusalem, namely, the Galileans whose blood Pilate “mixed with their sacrifices” and the 18 people killed by a falling tower in Siloam, people insinuated to Jesus that it was their sinfulness that brought about such tragedies. Jesus refused to directly engage the question. We can surmise two reasons why.

       First, to say that the tragedy that befell those people is due to their sinfulness is not consistent with the biblical God. God is not a divine diva who gets into an angry tantrum at the slightest provocation. He is not some heavenly policeman looking over the shoulders of His subjects, ready to strike at their first brush with the law. Quite the contrary. Whenever we sin and wander away from God, the immediate Divine reaction is not one of death but an invitation to conversion and life. God Himself assures us of this through the prophet Ezekiel: “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ declares the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?’” (Ezekiel 33:11).

       Secondly, Jesus wanted to shift the attention of His audience to the more pernicious kind of death a sinner can experience — that of being separated from sharing the very life of God. This explains the enigmatic remark Jesus gave at the end of His response: “Do you think they were more guilty than anyone else who lived in Jerusalem? Certainly not. But I tell you, you will all come to the same end unless you reform.”

       Alienation from the life of God. That would be the tragedy of all tragedies! Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: God would have us relate to Him not in fear but in love. Have you made that transition?

 

How comforting, O Lord, that life is Your constant offer to us even when we are not mindful of it. Suffer us not to be separated from You. Amen.

  

Have you allowed discouragement to get the better of you in your road to spiritual growth? - Daily Reflections October 25,2013

STAY ON THE ROAD

 

A womanizer attended a retreat and claimed that he had had a conversion experience. One day, he noticed his wife was lonely and so he approached her and professed: “Hon, do you know that you hold the key to my heart?” The wife responded, “Is that so? Who is this Mary that I read on your phone, sending you sweet messages?” The man replied, “Oh her? She’s the duplicate key!”

       Overcoming our weaknesses due to concupiscence is a struggle. In today’s First Reading, Paul pours his heart out, “For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do” (vv 18-19).

       But Paul ends his soliloquy with a confident note of hope: “All praise to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Even when we struggle, all is not lost. Even in our “unloveliness,” Jesus is there to meet us. The saints know this. It is this knowledge that transformed the greatest of sinners to the noblest of saints. Paul himself assures us: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

       How then do we understand then Jesus’ call to perfection: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48)? The mystics say that the state of perfection cannot be achieved here on earth. That is the blessed lot of those already graced to be in heaven. The road to perfection is where we all are. It’s a long and arduous journey. The call to perfection is not so much the call to immediately reach the state as a summons to stay on the road to perfection. The good news is, Jesus meets us even while we are still on the road, struggling to be better. Wasn’t St. Paul himself met by the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus?

       This is why Paul can burst with confidence at the end of the letter: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (v25)! Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Have you allowed discouragement to get the better of you in your road to spiritual growth?

 

You loved us, Lord, even while we were still sinners. Let this love transform us into the best of who we are and who we are called to be. Amen.

What areas of your life are bound by the pleasure of slavery? Are you willing to expose them to the light of Jesus’ fire? - Daily Reflections October 24,2013

FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY

 

Imagine a man born blind gaining his sight one day through a cornea transplant operation. He would be ecstatic, for sure, seeing colors for the first time. Now, imagine the same man the next day deciding he would prefer to be blind again. Hard to imagine, right? But in truth, there have actually been reports of blind people going into depression, not being able to handle the “responsibilities” of newfound sight.

       Something like this happens all the time. I remember a movie I saw years ago entitled the Shawshank Redemption. It portrays prison life and how prisoners cope once they regain their freedom. One prisoner, released after serving a 50-year sentence, ended up killing himself in his hotel room. A life of freedom was too hard for him to bear. He was not used to it. He now had to work to pay for food, rent and shelter. In one scene, he was shown actually pining for prison life. In another scene, many of the inmates preferred prison life than a life of freedom. They may be isolated in prison, but at least life there is “secure.” It’s a tragedy, but people can actually prefer the security of slavery to the challenge of freedom.

       Similarly, didn’t the Israelites of Moses’ time pine to be back in Egypt, the place of their slavery, where they ate meat rather than the heavenly manna they were fed with on the road to their freedom?

       In his letter to the Romans, Paul reminds us to beware of this tendency. The slavery to sin may feel pleasurable and convenient. But then, he asks, “What benefits did you then enjoy? Things you are now ashamed of…” (v.21). Paul continues that the slavery to sin all tends towards death — the death of the soul. “Slavery” to God, on the contrary, tends to life (v.23).

       But this slavery to God has a price. It is threatening, painful and purifying. This is why Jesus in today’s Gospel speaks of bringing fire on the earth, of bringing not peace but division (Luke 12:49). These are the responsibilities of genuine freedom — sadly, responsibilities that a “cornea recipient” or a “released prisoner” may find intimidating. Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What areas of your life are bound by the pleasure of slavery? Are you willing to expose them to the light of Jesus’ fire?

 

Grant me true freedom, Lord, even if I have to go through the crucible of fire. Amen.

What areas of your life are you holding back and keeping from the dominion of God’s selfless love? - Daily Reflections October 23,2013

ARE YOU FREE YET?

 

One of the most important truths of the spiritual life is this: God does not need us. He is God. He is sufficient by Himself and therefore, He doesn’t need anything from us. Long before we came into being, He was already God. He will still be God long after we are gone. So, why did God create us? Because He is simply good — overwhelmingly good. The philosophers call God bonum diffusivum sui – good that simply overflows itself.

       The Bible tells us that human hands cannot serve Him for He has no needs (see Acts 17:25). At Mass, the priest acclaims aloud in the preface: “You have no need of our praise, yet our desire to thank You is itself Your gift. Our prayer of thanksgiving adds nothing to Your greatness but makes us grow in your grace...” Because He has no needs, it means that we were simply loved into being. We were created for no instrumental purpose on the part of God at all. Thomas Aquinas defines love as “loving the other as other.” It’s different with us — we love ourselves through the other because we can be very needy people. Because God has no needs, we can be assured that He will not manipulate us. This is such comfort. Before God, we can utterly relax. We do not have to fear or doubt — anything that God does and proposes is not for His sake but for ours.

       This is the reason why Paul, in today’s First Reading, speaks of a sweet kind of slavery — a slavery of justice, a slavery that leads to life: “Thanks be to God, though once you were slaves of sin, you sincerely obeyed that rule of teaching which was imparted to you; freed from sin, you became slaves of justice.” This is where the irony lies. We readily enslave ourselves to sin, which leads to nothing but death and destruction. We hesitate to surrender to God when such surrender leads to life and flourishing.

       Let us have confidence in this great paradox. The more we surrender ourselves to God, the more we discover ourselves. Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, life to the full” (John 10:10). The more we submit ourselves to His dominion, the freer we become! Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: What areas of your life are you holding back and keeping from the dominion of God’s selfless love?

 

Take and receive, O Lord, my liberty. Take all my will, my mind, my memory. Amen

What are you blessing your immediate community, family and the world with — the patrimony of Adam or of the New Adam? - Daily Reflections October 22,2013

WHO’S YOUR ANCESTOR?

 

A child asked her mother one morning, “When I asked dad where humans came from, he said we came from apes. When I asked you, you said we came from Adam and Eve. Who’s telling the truth?”

       The mother replied, “Dad was talking about his side of your ancestry. I was talking about my side of your ancestry.”

     In today’s First Reading, Paul contrasts the different fruits of the human race of Adam and the New Adam, Jesus Christ. As descendants of Adam,  we all share in the malice of original sin. Through Adam, sin entered the world. Through the New Adam, Jesus Christ, grace, justice and salvation came into the world.

       We are all biological descendants of Adam insofar as we share the same humanity. But we don’t necessarily have to endow the same patrimony to later generations. As adopted sons of the Father, made possible through Jesus Christ, the New Adam, we are called by vocation and participation to make grace, justice and salvation our little contribution to the world.

       Biologically we cannot break away from our identification with Adam. We are all his descendants. But with the New Adam’s grace, we can break the chain of sinfulness and infuse the world again and again with the blessings of goodness and holiness. Adam is our biological ancestor. The New Adam, Jesus, represents the proud side of our spiritual ancestry. Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What are you blessing your immediate community, family and the world with — the patrimony of Adam or of the New Adam?

 

Lord Jesus, in You we have become children of the Father. Bind us to You always and make Your patrimony to the world ours as well. Amen.

Are you a modern-day caveman? Go out of your cave walls and experience the beauty of people and the world - Daily Reflections October 21,2013

MODERN-DAY CAVEMEN

 

A rich man went to a desert monk to seek counsel regarding his unexplained loneliness. “Look, I have money and all these silver but I feel unhappy,” said the man. The monk took a mirror, placed it before the man and asked, “What do you see?” The man replied, “I can see only myself.”

       The monk then took the mirror and scraped out the silver coating behind it. Once more, he placed it before the man and asked, “Now what do you see?” Surprised, the man said, “Why, I see everything now: the plants, the river, the mountain, people fishing in the river.”

       The monk then continued, “This is what silver (riches) can do. It can block our vision and make us see only ourselves. Maybe you should try scraping off your silver and then you will see beyond yourself.”

       When we cannot see beyond ourselves, we are isolated, alone and therefore lonely deep within. In the Gospel parable, Jesus spoke of the danger of riches by speaking about a man who isolated himself from the rest by building a wall to protect himself and his riches. At the end of the parable, he was called a “fool” since he was about to die that same night and he could not bring all his riches with him.

       The Greek word used for the word fool in the Bible is idiotes — one who is alone. St. Augustine describes a sinner as curvatus in se, Latin for “caved in on himself.” An idiot is not only one who is alone in not understanding what everybody else understands. An idiot is also one who is alone because he is closed in on himself — unable to see others because he is blinded by fear, insecurity and greed.

       We can really be fools sometimes. We ennoble the trivial and trivialize the noble. Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Are you a modern-day caveman? Go out of your cave walls and experience the beauty of people and the world.

 

I thank You, Lord, for Your providence. Allow them not to stand in the way but rather be the way to You and others. Amen.

 

When you cry to God for help, do you focus only on what you do not have? Do you look at what you have and place them for God’s anointing? - Daily Reflections October 20,2013

CRY FOR HELP

 

I once saw a photo of a man holding aloft, with one hand, a grand piano, to the amusement of onlookers. Later, they discovered that the piano was tied to an invisible cord from above. It was a trick to amuse people in the park but there is a certain level of truth in that picture. We become strong when we attach ourselves to an invisible source from above. Today’s Responsorial Psalm summed it: “Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

       In today’s First Reading, Israel was in battle with Amalek and his soldiers. Moses asked for help from the Lord. Help came in the form of a staff that Moses had to hold in his hands and keep aloft during battle. When Moses’ hands grew tired, all he needed was another pair of hands (those of Aaron and Hur) to support his arms as Joshua engaged in battle.

       When David faced Goliath, he asked for help from the God of Israel. All he had were five stones and a slingshot. Placed in the service of God and anointed by Him, he downed the giant Goliath.

       Samson faced thousands of heavily armed Philistines. He asked for help from God and the help came in the form of a jawbone of a donkey he found lying on the ground. It was something very ordinary, but with God’s anointing, Samson defeated the enemy of thousands.

       What do all these tell us? First, when we ask help from the Lord, let us not expect something extraordinary. Most of the time, God uses the natural — a staff, a stone, a jawbone — to achieve something supernatural. Blessed Mother Teresa said, “Be ready to do the ordinary and God will do the extraordinary.” Second, God is God not to rocking-chair Christians who pray and then sit down on their rocking chair, waiting for the blessings to fall on their laps. God is God to blue-jeans Christians who are willing to roll up their sleeves, dirty their clothes and work with God’s anointing.

       So, the next time you are in trouble, ask God for help. But remember, too, that when you need a hand, there’s always one at the end of your own arms. Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: When you cry to God for help, do you focus only on what you do not have? Do you look at what you have and place them for God’s anointing?

 

Lord Jesus, I will pray as if everything depended on You and I will also work as if everything depended on me. Amen.

Have you turned away from situations where your faith can make certain things difficult and inconvenient? - Daily Reflections October 19,2013

ARE YOU A CATHOLIC BY CONVENTION?

 

Jesus encourages His followers today to stand strong and proud amidst persecutions that are sure to come: “I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will acknowledge him before the angels of God.” Jesus also warned of actual arrests and bodily intimidations: “When they bring you before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves.”

       In an impassioned speech in a general audience address last year, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of the possible repercussions of the Church scandals that have inflamed anger and discouragement among Catholics in Europe, North America and other parts of the world. He said that it is possible that the Church “may become a minority.”

       While there was, understandably, a tinge of sadness in the tone of the address, there was also a marked optimism. If that happens, Pope Benedict suggested, maybe the Church will once again become a minority — a creative minority, just like the creative minority of 12 men who evangelized the world with the Jesus event.

       There is wisdom in the suggestion. It is better to have a creative minority than an indifferent majority that hardly makes an impact in societal life. Persecution is not always bad. It can also be good. Persecution can be a way of weeding out the lukewarm from the committed. Persecution can also be a way of purifying the imperfections still present in the Church, inasmuch as She is still a human institution. Persecution can be a fire that purifies and surfaces the true beauty of gold and silver. In this case, persecution is welcome and even desirable.

       Admittedly we have many Catholics by convention — those who became Catholics by chance in a predominantly Catholic nation. Persecution can also be a way of transforming Catholics by convention to Catholics by conviction. Numbers alone is not an asset. It is conviction that makes any community creative and effective for real change. Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Have you turned away from situations where your faith can make certain things difficult and inconvenient?

 

Pardon, Lord, for the times we have given Your Church a bad name. We accept the purifying fires of persecution. Make us creative and effective agents of transformation for Your kingdom.

How updated are you with the rich tradition of our Catholic heritage? - Daily Reflections October 18,2013

FEEL WITH THE CHURCH

 

We celebrate today the feast of St. Luke the evangelist, writer of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. In the First Reading, we read Paul as imprisoned and abandoned by everybody except Luke.

       Companionship is essential in discipleship. A disciple literally means one who learns from another. Paul did not decide one day that he would write epistles and evangelize the world. He spent time with his mentors, people who had been directly with Jesus. Paul definitely learned from the Apostles themselves. In the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), we see Paul in discussion with the rest of the Apostles. Now in the First Reading, we see that Luke was a faithful companion of Paul. Aside from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it is reasonable to assume that Luke also learned from Paul in the Jesus event, and vice versa.

       We belong to a Church that can proudly claim a direct link to the line of the Apostles. Our present bishops can trace a direct and unbroken link to the Apostolic chain. Through the laying on of hands, the Apostolic succession continues, which is a grace only the Catholic faith can claim.

       In reading the Scriptures, therefore, it is important that we not only read them. We must also remember the more than two thousand years of tradition that has kept it and interpreted it. We call this disposition sentire cum ecclesia— that is, to feel with the Church, to think with the Church, and to understand with the Church. Intelligence and eloquence are not the only things we need to appreciate and unravel the riches of the Scriptures. Away from the spirit and the tradition that has preserved the gift of God’s revelation, it is very easy to fall into a misguided interpretation of His Word tailored to suit one’s preference, ideology and personal agenda.

       On the feast of Luke the Evangelist, let us rekindle a deep love and appreciation of God’s Word. Let us renew as well our bond with the Spirit, the tradition and the ecclesial wisdom that has preserved and nourished the precious gift of God’s revelation. Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How updated are you with the rich tradition of our Catholic heritage?

 

We honor You, O God, for the graciousness of Your revelation. Draw me out from the laziness of isolation and help me to sentire cum ecclesia. Amen.

When you are reminded and criticized of your faults, do you immediately label it as a hate speech? - Daily Reflections October 17,2013

CLEANSED FROM WITHIN

 

A mother and child were walking through the cemetery. As they did so, the child kept reading the words on the tombstones: in memory of a faithful husband, loving and diligent mother, obedient and faithful son, hardworking pastor, selfless public servant, and so on. The child suddenly turned to his mother and asked, “All the dead here are good people. Where are all the bad people buried?”

       The child’s question carries with it a loaded challenge. When people die, we presuppose that all of them are in heaven, enjoying the peace and serenity of union with God. This is the reason why tombs are always immaculately white and beautiful, and the words on the tombstones are always praises and tributes. While there are very good reasons to suppose so, it is also irresponsible to do so.  The most important claim of Christianity is that God is love. But it is also a Christian claim that God is justice. This is why the prayers we offer for the dead are not only prayers of thanksgiving but supplications for forgiveness, purification and mercy as well.

       In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues His “love speech” against the Pharisees — tombstones beautiful on the outside but full of filth within. Jesus reminds them of their guilt in ignoring the prophets and styling themselves as saved by the merits of their own good works. Telling people that they are OK when actually they are not is the real hate speech.

       There is a Pharisee in every one of us. We all naturally want an immaculate tomb and a tribute-paying tombstone. We need to hear and take to heart the same “love speech” from Jesus as well.

       Let us be careful. Justification is from within. Justification is a gift of God bestowed to a rightly ordered life and a life lived in friendship with God and man. Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: When you are reminded and criticized of your faults, do you immediately label it as a hate speech?

 

Have mercy on me, God, in Your kindness, and in Your compassion blot out my offense. Amen.

Do you choose from among the teachings of the Scriptures and ignore those that make you uncomfortable? - Daily Reflections October 15,2013

DIET JESUS

 

A young lawyer was very anxious to impress potential clients. When the first visitor to his office came through the door, he immediately picked up his phone and spoke into it loudly, “I’m sorry, but my caseload is so tremendous that I’m not going to be able to look into your problem for at least a month. I’ll have to get back to you then.” He then turned to the man who had just walked in, and said, “Now, what can I do for you?” “Nothing,” replied the man. “I’m the phone man and I’m here to connect your phone.”

       The man was trying to prop up his self-image and impress his visitors, only to be embarrassed by the very visitor he was trying to impress. Could something like this have happened in today’s Gospel? A Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him. To have the Wonder Worker from Nazareth in your home must have been a great honor. He must have invited all his friends to impress them with his VIP guest.

       To his surprise, what he anticipated to be an honor turned out to be the most embarrassing moment of his life. The words of Jesus were venomous to say the least. “You Pharisees! You cleanse the outside of cups and dishes, but within you are filled with rapaciousness. Fools…”

       Guests usually flatter the host. Not with Jesus. He can really be a disconcerting guest. Invite Him and He will come to you. But be ready. When He comes to you, He will say it as it is. St. Teresa of Avila, whose feast we celebrate today, often warned that if we are never disturbed by our encounters with Jesus in prayer, it might not be Him at all but simply an imagined one. We have created a “Diet Jesus,” i.e., without the burdensome teachings. Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). He came to cast fire on the earth (Luke 12:49). But we need not be afraid. Like gold purified in the furnace, the fire of Jesus’ truth will allow the gold in us to surface. What Jesus have you invited to your home? Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you choose from among the teachings of the Scriptures and ignore those that make you uncomfortable?

 

Lord Jesus, mold me and shape me. Purify me that I may become who You intended me to be. Amen.

Do you still pine for the era of miracles? Do you perceive the miracle happening before you at the Eucharist? - Daily Reflections October 14,2013

THE TIME FOR FAITH

 

I remember in my first year as a priest, I was assigned assistant in a parish in Pasay City. I vaguely remember a claim by one of the parishioners that the image of the Sacred Heart began shedding fragrant oil from the eyes. News spread like wildfire and before we knew it, people began flocking to the church. All our daily Masses were standing room only. There was an unusual demand for the sacrament of reconciliation, too.

       After some months, the phenomenon of the fragrant oil stopped and, along with it, the unusual stream of people. People still attend the parish Masses regularly, but the curiosity and unusually large number of people were no longer there.

       We are naturally attracted by unusual phenomena or signs. Some unscrupulous individuals have actually taken advantage of this by staging apparitions and divine manifestations.

       In the Gospel today, people asked Jesus for a sign. Jesus responded sternly and called such people as belonging to an “evil generation.” The effect of signs and phenomena is immediate and intense. But as immediate as the effect is, so is the disenchantment when the signs disappear. When we look for signs, we usually want to be awed and “forced” into belief because we behold something extraordinary.

       God already gave us the most earthshaking sign when the Word was made flesh. To ask for another is to already mock God. No other sign is necessary. It is now the time for faith. Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Do you still pine for the era of miracles? Do you perceive the miracle happening before you at the Eucharist?

 

Father, You have shown us Your favor throughout salvation history, culminating in the person of Jesus, Your Son. Please increase our faith. Amen.

Have you allowed yourself to be weak, by accepting a genuine word or act of gratitude from someone you have helped? - Daily Reflections October 13,2013

ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE WEAK

 

One late night, I was driving back to the seminary. During one traffic stop, a little girl approached me, trying to sell me her last strand of sampaguita. I signaled that I didn’t want it but I rolled down the car window and handed her several packs of biscuits (she looked hungry) which I always carry with me for situations like that. She accepted it, and gave me the sweetest smile and said, “Kunin n’yo na rin po itong sampaguita, thank you ko na lang po para sa biscuits.” I obliged and took the sampaguita and drove away, with my eyes a little moist.

       I felt good that I had done a good thing. But I think I felt better that I had allowed the little girl to make an act of gratitude in return for the biscuits I had given her. I saw it in her smile. She felt good being grateful. I received something from her and that made me feel good, too. At that moment, she was not only a recipient; she became a giver, too.

       When we do an act of charity, we are told even in the Bible not to expect something in return. Even so, I don’t think it subtracts from our charity when we accept a genuine act of gratitude. In the Gospel,  Jesus even loudly wonders why only one of the 10 healed lepers came back to give thanks. He asks why the other nine were nowhere to be found. This indicates that God does not need our gratitude, yes, but He sure appreciates it.

        Allowing others to thank us can also be a virtue. When we give, there is still a danger of feeling as being the “superior” one, the “stronger” one. To accept thanks can also be a form of humility, of vulnerability, and of gratitude. Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Have you allowed yourself to be weak, by accepting a genuine word or act of gratitude from someone you have helped?

 

God, You have no need of our praise and yet You still delight in the little acts of worship we can give You. Thank You for allowing us to say “thank You”! Amen.

Are you inhibited in your practice of the faith? Can people read the Gospel in your life? - Daily Reflections October 11,2013

BE THE SIGN

 

The Gospel for today speaks about the people’s demand for a sign. Signs are important and significant for us human beings. They give us direction and guide us towards our desired destinations. Traffic signs are used to promote order and to avoid confusion on the road. Bodily and physical signs, called symptoms, are indicators of a person’s health. We express our sign of love and affection to other people by offering them something significant (such as gifts). Our seven Sacraments in Church use visible signs in order to bring forth the invisible realities of grace, which effectively flow to anyone who receives it.

       In the Gospel, the Scribes and Pharisees question the exorcisms performed by Jesus. To further test Him, they demanded that Jesus give them a sign. Jesus never gave them any particular sign, simply because He is “the” sign that they were looking for, but they failed to recognize this. Jesus invites them to see that He is already in their midst; that He is already the message of the sign and the sign Himself, for He is both the revealer and the revealed of the Father.

       In our desire to look for a sign, sometimes we fail to see that we also have the ability to be a sign for others. Jesus challenges us to do so by becoming a sign of hope, a symbol of faith and an icon of love. Since we believe in Jesus Christ, who is ultimately the sign of God’s love, we, too, share in His mission. It only takes our desire, our “yes,” to be part of it.

       Let me end with a story. Every Sunday, two men would always come out of their house at the same time: one going to church, the other to play golf. The golfer would always invite the Mass goer to come play some golf with him and the other would politely decline. One Sunday, the golfer said, “I always invite you to play golf with me. How come you have never invited me to go to Mass with you?” Christians, be the sign the world is looking for! Fr. Joel O. Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Are you inhibited in your practice of the faith? Can people read the Gospel in your life?

 

Lord Jesus Christ, as we meet You in the Eucharist as a sign of Bread and Wine, bestow on us the grace to be true icons of Your love by leading others to Your presence. Amen.