Daily Reflections - December 31, 2011

Year Ender

Today is the last day of the year 2011. In less than 24 hours, we will bid goodbye to 2011 and welcome 2012. If you are reading this reflection, then you are probably one of the many who do not want 2011 to pass by unnoticed and unreflected.
They say there are two ways of seeing the year end. There are those who stay up to make sure the old year leaves. There are those who stay up until midnight to see the New Year come in. They say the first group are the pessimists, the second optimists. The first group ends and begins the year with regret and bitterness. The second group ends and begins the year with hope and positive attitude.
To which do you belong?
Choose to be an optimist. Your 2011 may not be perfect. Many things may have happened in 2011 that you would rather forget. An optimist does not try to forget 2011; he tries to transform it. An optimist cannot change the past, but he can change the way the past affects him. An optimist chooses to be a victor, not a victim. He chooses to see his mess as a message. He chooses to see his setbacks as opportunities to make a grand comeback.
So what will it be for you for 2012?
You have the power to choose. Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
I’ve shared this with you before: “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” What are you doing now to create your future?

Lord Jesus, for all that has been, thanks! For all that will be, amen!

St. Melania, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 30, 2011

The Family of God

The following are stuff for Believe It or Not.
In the year 2007, I read of a woman in England named Sharon who married a dolphin named Cindy. They applied for a marriage license and were given one. In 2009, a man in Japan married the lady character of his favorite computer game. The same year, a couple in Japan was married by a robot minister. In 2010, in the US, I read the story of two dogs married in civil rites.
To say that the character of marriage and the family nowadays is undergoing radical attack is an understatement.
Today’s feast is the Feast of the Holy Family. The liturgy continues to invite us to savor the mystery of the Incarnation, the Word becoming flesh. But more than that, our feast invites us to a reverential awe over the fact that in becoming flesh, Jesus deigned to be born within a family. Let not this fact skip our attention.
Without intending to be disrespectful, Jesus actually had no need of Mary, or of Joseph, or of being in a family. He could have just appeared without being born into a family. And yet, this is precisely one of the richness of the mystery of the Incarnation — Jesus chose to be born and to grow up in a family. Jesus is telling us something here. He became like us so that He may teach us how to live out our humanity. God Himself respects the structure of the family because He Himself created the notion of it.
The family is not just any group or mixture of people. It is a communion of life and love between man and woman, committed to each other for life, for their and their offsprings’ well-being. Society has no right to change the meaning of the family because the family is over and above society. It is not without reason that we call the family the basic unit of society. It is the family that creates society, not the other way around. Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
If God Himself “respected” the reality of the family by being born into one, who gives us the right to disrespect it?

Lord Jesus, take away the “hardness of our hearts.” The wounds of our disrespect for the family have gone deep and stare us in the face. Grant us the healing that can only come from acceptance of Your will. Mary, our mother and Joseph, guardian of the family, pray for us! Amen.

St. Sabinus, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 29, 2011

Embracing the New

Today in the Gospel, we see a meeting of the old and the new. For many years, Simeon has been waiting in the temple for the Anointed of the Lord. Mary brought the newborn Jesus to the old man Simeon for the customary ritual of the law. The old man Simeon welcomed the newborn Jesus in his arms and blessed God saying, “Now, Master, you can dismiss Your servant in peace; You have fulfilled Your Word. For my eyes have witnessed Your saving deed…”
This is a beautiful imagery for all of us — the past embracing the present, the old welcoming the new.
I remember this story. There was a man who had a drinking problem. One day, he made a resolution for the better. “I will kick this drinking habit.” After some days, he returned to the bottle. To help him, his wife set an appointment for him with a doctor. To demonstrate the power of alcohol and to convince him to stop, the doctor took a chicken liver and placed it inside a bottle of gin that he was fond of drinking. The liver, after some time, slowly melted in the powerful liquid.
Shocked at what he saw, the man said, “From now on, I will no longer eat liver!”
While change can augur progress and growth, it can also be threatening. Change can be intimidating. It’s not always easy to welcome the new especially when it means supplanting the old that we have grown accustomed to and comfortable with. The man in our story wanted to change from his old ways, but he was not willing to embrace the new challenges it would entail.
Today, let us make a life inventory. Are you stuck in some old bad habits? Are there new ones that you have been avoiding to make? Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
In a few days, we will welcome a new year. What areas of the old are you needlessly holding on to? What new ones are you afraid to embrace because of its challenges?

Lord Jesus, Emmanuel, I place my past in Your mercy, my present in Your kindness and my future in Your providence. Amen.

St. Trophimus of Arles, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 23, 2011

Have a CHRIST mas Holy Day

Two days before the whole Christendom celebrates the birth of Christ, our Gospel narrates to us the birth of John the Baptist. The story of His birth is not superfluous to the story of the birth of Jesus. The role of John the Baptist is clear: to prepare the way of the Lord, to point out the coming Messiah.
Just in case you don’t notice, there is in the world right now a subtle yet manifest attempt to conceal the person of Jesus; perhaps not only during Christmas but for all times.
Watch CNN and you will hear the anchors greet you, “Happy Holidays” and not “ Merry Christmas.” They do this out of political correctness. The presence of Christ in the word Christmas might offend the sensibilities of non- Christians watching their program. At the same time last year, the State of Denver prevented their students in a choral contest from singing “ White Christmas” and asked them to sing “White Holiday” instead. And when the students were sent off for vacation, they were told to enjoy not the Christmas holidays but the “winter” holidays.
Make no mistake about it, the subtle eradication of Christ from Christmas has become a blatant political hostility against anything and everything Christian.
Of John the Baptist, the people asked in today’s Gospel, “What will this child be?” He is to be the courageous forerunner, the bold proclaimer of Jesus and His Gospel, to the point of losing his head in martyrdom.
Today let us ask for a little of John the Baptist’s courage. Make a conscious effort to show the world that you are a Christian. Do not abbreviate “Christmas” to “Xmas” even if it means a little more ink and effort in your typing and texting. Better yet, write Christ in bold letters in your Christmas greetings so that your wishes may become not only greetings but an act of faith and proclamation as well. Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
Are you looking at these days of Christmas simply as holidays or as holy days?

Pray repeatedly this ancient Christmas hymn: Gaudete! Gaudete! Christus est natus ex Maria Virgine Gaudete! (Rejoice, rejoice! Christ is born of Mary the Virgin, Rejoice!)

St. Dagobert II, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 22, 2011

A Memo to Parents

When I was a little boy, I was intrigued by a large cucumber I saw in school. It was just an ordinary cucumber but it was in the strangest place. The cucumber was kept inside a bottle on a shelf. This cucumber was many times too large to go through the neck of the bottle and I wondered how it was able to pass through it.
It was a constant puzzle to my young mind and my teacher would always tease the class that it was a magic trick of hers. Until one day, in one of her lectures, my teacher finally explained that when the cucumber was very tiny, it had been passed through the narrow neck and then was allowed to grow while still attached to the vine. It was little but it grew inside the bottle while attached to the vine.
In our readings today, we see two women with their sons. In the first reading, Hannah brings the young Samuel to the temple. In the Gospel, Mary speaks of the Child in her womb. What is common in both mothers is that they kept their “little cucumbers” (read: sons) attached to the Vine of God. Both mothers realized that their sons were not their own. They are bound for great things and thus need to be attached to the Vine of God. Hannah consecrates Samuel in the temple, Mary prophesies the marvels that Jesus will accomplish as Messiah.
My mother practiced a similar principle with me and my siblings. From my earliest recollection, she surrounded me with prayer and instruction and the Gospel. She taught me my night prayers. She showed me how to fold my hands and bend my knees in prayer. She guided me in praying the rosary. Thus, like a little cucumber, I grew up safe inside the bottle of the Church.
A confident parent once wrote, “Give me a child until he is seven and I don’t care who gets him after that.” So self-assured! But I guess if your child is strongly attached to the vine, you will have the same confidence. I pray that this confidence be the Advent grace for all parents reading this. Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
Parents, where are your “little cucumbers” at home attached to?

Lord Jesus, You are the Vine, we are the branches. Draw us and keep us close to you. Amen.

St. Hunger, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 21, 2011

Hail Mary!

A Catholic priest was invited by a Christian group to speak in their Church about the Catholic devotion to Mary. Before he began his talk, the pastor reminded him firmly that they were a Bible-based community and they do not say prayers to Mary as they were not “Mary worshippers.”
As the priest began, he invited the congregation to stand and pray. “For our opening prayer, please open your Bibles to Luke 1:28 and let us read it aloud together.” They read, “Hail, O highly favored daughter, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.” Then the priest invited the congregation to turn their Bibles to Luke 1:42 and asked them again to read it aloud. They read, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Then he said, “My dear friends, you have just prayed the Catholic prayer, Hail Mary.”
The Hail Mary is not a Catholic invention. It is a Scriptural prayer taken directly from Luke’s account of the Visitation which is the Gospel for today. The first part of the Hail Mary is taken from Luke 1:28, uttered by the Angel Gabriel no less. The second part is from Luke 1:42, a tribute spoken by the lips of Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist. The angel Gabriel honored Mary and so did Elizabeth. There’s no reason why we should not do the same. A Christian who claims to be Bible based should not feel uneasy with the Hail Mary. Ignoring the Hail Mary is not biblical.
The Hail Mary, or any prayer or doctrine attributed to Mary, is not intended for her alone. Every Catholic doctrine regarding Mary is Scriptural, i.e., from the Bible, as well as Christological, i.e., pointing to Christ. We give loving attention to Mary only insofar as she points our attention to Christ. She reminds every Christian, “Do whatever He tells you.”
In a few days, we shall celebrate the birth of our Lord. Mary is inescapably a part of the Christmas mystery and ultimately, of the Christian mystery. We look to Mary as the highest honor of the human race. We worship the fruit of her womb, Jesus the Emmanuel. Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
How well are you acquainted with the Catholic doctrines related to Mary?

In mantra fashion, pray this prayer slowly and with devotion: “Hail Mary, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.”

Blessed Andrew Dung Lac, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 20, 2011

Generation “Me”

While driving one time, I noticed the bumper sticker of the car in front of me. It said, “Everyone is entitled to MY own opinion.” It is a satire of the well-known original, “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.” But more than a funny satire, I believe it is an illustration of how our world has become what sociologists call the “Generation Me.”
In May 2010, a study came out about the level of empathy among young people. It studied generations of students in the US and revealed a significant drop in the capacity to empathize with others beginning the year 2000. From that year on, the respondents were less attracted and responsive to statements like, “I sometimes try to understand my friends better by imagining how things look from their perspective,” and “I often have tender, concerned feelings for people less fortunate than me.”
The study opined that technology that brings the world into the palm of one’s hand may have contributed, among many others, to a generation that has the tendency to be competitive, isolated and comfortable at being alone. Genuine compassion didn’t seem to be an attractive value as the findings express.
Pity is different from compassion. When one sees a street child, one can feel pity and write a check to an orphanage. Compassion is more than pity. It comes from the Latin cum (with) and pati (to suffer). Therefore compassion is to suffer with. It is a desire to be an equal to the one who has less or is lesser. It moves one to maybe spend a day with the orphans, feeding and taking care of them or volunteering in the soup kitchen project of one’s parish.
Today’s Gospel is the Annunciation. At the greeting of the Angel Gabriel and after Mary’s fiat (i.e., “Let it be done unto me…), God, who in Himself is complete and self-sufficient, deigned to be made flesh — to be with humanity, to be among humanity. Christmas is not about a God who felt pity for humanity. It is about a God who is compassion — the God who deigned to be with the people He loves, to suffer with the people He loves. That is what we celebrate at Christmas. Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
What characterizes your feeling towards the less fortunate, — pity or compassion?

Lord Jesus, slowly, draw me and help me to grow in compassion. Amen.

St. Julius, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 19, 2011

Pleasure and Purpose

Both readings for today allude to the Jewish spiritual practice called the Nazirite vow. A Nazirite vow is a practice of self-discipline that Jewish males undergo as a form of consecration to God or to a higher and noble purpose. It includes, among others, refraining from eating anything unclean, avoiding taking strong wine or drink, and keeping the hair untouched by the razor until the fulfillment of the vow. Samson in the first reading and John the Baptist in our Gospel were both consecrated to the Nazirite vow. Later on, in the New Testament, we also read of Paul committing himself to the same vow. The vow is not a statement against food, drink or good grooming. It is a commitment to a divine consecration. The object is to train one’s willpower in order to fulfill a higher goal or purpose in life.
We need this kind of a vow in everyday life. Such a vow helps train the individual recognize a hierarchy of values in his life, to sift through the difference between pleasure and purpose.
Every good thing has two elements of goodness in them: pleasure and purpose. Pleasure brings delight and enjoyment in our pursuit of purposeful things. Purpose gives direction and ethical value in our enjoyment of pleasure. Since pleasure is in the realm of the senses, it’s easy to pursue it independent of purpose. Eating is pleasurable but it has a purpose. Pursue the pleasure alone and you fall into eating disorders. Sleep is pleasurable but has a purpose. Pursue its pleasure alone and you’ll find yourself sleeping through the Mass, in classes or at work. Sex is pleasurable but also has a purpose. Every sexual sin is the result of pursuing the pleasure of sex apart from its natural and God-ordained purpose.
We no longer hear the Nazirite vow nowadays, but we need it more than ever. We no longer call it Nazirite vow. We can call it asceticism and self-discipline. These values have always been the character of great men and women. It defined Samson, John the Baptist and Paul. It should define us as well. Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
Make a self-evaluation and ask yourself: Are you pleasure-driven or purpose-driven?

Lord Jesus, grant me the prudence and willpower to live a purpose-driven life. Amen.

St. Bernard Valeara, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 18, 2011

GOD IS WITH US

Last October, a friend invited me to preside over the blessing of his new house, a beautiful and modest one that took almost two years to build as the construction was not planned and the fund was scarce and intermittent. They were among the victims of Ondoy, the powerful typhoon that adversely affected a great number of Filipino families in September 2009.
After the blessing, he showed me photos of their old house and his family that he managed to take with a cell phone as Ondoy ravaged their community. One photo caught my attention. They were on the second floor, and the whole family was on top of a table (there were four of them), half submerged in flood water, hoping and praying it would not rise any higher. With a half smile and moist eyes he told me, “Father, I lost everything in that typhoon, but thank God, I still have my treasure.”
I remember now an old parable. A man lost everything he had in a terrible typhoon. Distraught, he approached a monk and told him, “I lost everything!” “I’m sorry to hear you lost your faith,” the monk responded. “I did not say I lost my faith,” the man corrected. “Oh, I’m sorry then that you lost your hope,” the monk continued. “I did not lose my hope either,” the man volunteered. The monk then said, “You still have your faith. You still have your hope. Then you did not lose everything. You still have something upon which everything can be built.”
My friend’s treasure was his family. I would like to add more. His treasure is his faith and his hope in God. In the midst of a storm, his faith was strong. God was with him.
Today, we read from Luke the story of the Annunciation where the angel Gabriel announced to Mary the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that the “the virgin shall be with child and give birth to a son, and they shall call Him ‘Emmanuel,’ a name which means ‘God is with us.’” Let us hold on to this truth. There will be times this will be challenged or will not be evident. But like Joseph and Mary, let us act on this assurance — He is Emmanuel, God with us.Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
My friend’s treasure is his family and his faith. What are yours?

Pray this in mantra fashion: “The virgin shall be with child and give birth to a son, and they shall call Him Emmanuel.”

St. Moses, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 17, 2011

FORTUNE TELLING, FORTUNE DOING

Even now, when I meet old friends and classmates at get-togethers and reunions, I always receive comments like, “I really can’t believe you’re a priest today.” And until now, I still don’t know what to make of it. Do I take as a compliment or an insult?
Seriously, I don’t really blame them. No one in the family tree has been a priest or a religious. And if you knew me back then, you’d be a good fortune teller if you predicted I’ll be a regular churchgoer.
Today we read of the Genealogy, the family tree of Jesus: Generations and generations of people comprising the lineage from where the promised Messiah would come. If a fortune teller looks at that family tree, he would have no second thoughts dismissing the idea that the Messiah would spring up from that stock of people. I don’t really know everyone in that list, but Scripture scholars tell us that men and women of ill repute are included in that list. Included are some adulterers, prostitutes and even scheming murderers. And yet, that is the undeniable truth. The Messiah, the Son of God, did originate from that line of people.
The Genealogy of Jesus can teach us something about how to look at the past and the future.
First, the past does not necessarily determine the future. Freedom to correct and learn from the past is always the gift of the present moment. We are not creatures of chance. We are creatures of choice. It is not by chance that I found myself in the priesthood. It is my choice, despite a past that doesn’t seem to point to it.
Second, one does not “tell” the future. We make our future. It will do us well to remember what the sage says, “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” I was not born a priest; I underwent formation to become one. Ten years of formation to be exact. And my formation continues until now. Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
What is your attitude towards your past? Are you resigned and passive about what the future holds for you?

Jesus, in Your Name, I declare freedom from whatever enslaves me in the past and courage towards what frightens me in the future. Amen.

St. John of Matha, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 16, 2011

How Great Thou Art!

When the Pope goes around Rome or visits neighboring cities in Italy, a Swiss guard drives him in a papal car with a special plate and a Vatican state flag.
Here’s a fictional story about Pope Benedict XIV. One day, he decided to sneak into the papal car and drive it himself. Excited, he stepped on the gas pedal and cruised at a very high speed. An Italian police flagged him down and when the Pope rolled down the window, the police immediately called his superior. “Give him a ticket. I don’t care who it is. The law is the law,” the superior said. “Sir, we have a situation here. I caught someone over-speeding, but I think he’s more than a VIP.” “Why, is it the President of Italy?” the officer dared. “No, I think it’s God,” the officer countered, “because his driver is the Pope.”
If you are human, there will be someone higher than you. Yesterday, Jesus gave John the greatest tribute ever given to man. But even with the highest of compliment, John is still a man and someone is higher than him — Jesus.
Today, Jesus puts things in perspective. Still speaking of the witness of John, Jesus paints him as the light that illumines the people who are in darkness. But John is described by Jesus in the Gospel only as a lamp. A lamp by itself is useless. It needs a flame to set it burning. By saying that “I have a testimony greater than John,” Jesus sets Himself as the flame that sets the lamp burning. Jesus is greater than John, and John knows this. Of Jesus, John can only say, “Someone greater than me is coming. I am not even worthy to untie the strap of his sandals.”
Every Christian is called to be a lamp that lights. Just like John the Baptist, we are called to be light — not a spotlight but a flashlight. Spotlights call attention to the individual. Flashlights are always pointed away, illuminating the way for others.
Yes, God wants us to flourish and to shine, and we are to shine not like spotlights but flashlights. Let us call attention, not to ourselves but to Christ and His message of love. Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
In what areas of your life is self-glorification a very strong temptation? Do you have what they call “diva” moments?

“Lord what is man that you care for him? Mortal man that you keep him in mind? Man who is merely a breath, whose life fades like a passing shadow?”

Blessed Raynald de Bar, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 15, 2011

The Greatness of Humility

There was an accident and a man lay unconscious by the road. As the crowd gathered around, a gentleman approached, trying to see what he could do to help the man. Then from behind, a woman’s voice was heard, “Step back, everyone. I know CPR. I’m the one he needs right now.” The gentleman gave way and said, “I’m glad there’s someone who could administer CPR here. By the way, I’m a doctor. If you need my help, I’ll be right behind you.”
It’s a paradox that those who have little knowledge are the ones who think they know everything. And those who know so much are the ones who understand that they still know too little. Just think back when you were still a teenager. Oh, I remember the arrogance of my youth. Just at the threshold of discovering new things, I thought I knew everything. I remember reading someone defining adolescence as “that time of our life when you wonder why everyone is wrong and only you get it right.” I resented that definition so much that I still remember it today. But now, far beyond my adolescent days, I can only nod in embarrassed agreement.
When I was ordained in 1996, I felt I was ready to conquer the world and offer it the fresh wisdom of a newly ordained. Fifteen years into the ministry, I realize I have offered so little and there is still much to learn.
Today, Jesus pays tribute to John the Baptist. Reading the Scriptures, it seems like he knew so little. Unlike Paul and the other Evangelist who wrote extensively about Jesus, John didn’t have much going for him. And yet we can see from Scriptures that he knew enough — he knew that which matters. He was the first one to recognize and point out to Jesus as the Lamb of God. No wonder Jesus reserved for him the greatest tribute ever said of man by God, “No man born of woman is greater than John.” Like the doctor in our story, let us strive to be knowledgeable. Like him and John in the Gospel, let us be humble, for only the humble recognizes that which is worth knowing, and that there is always much to learn in this life and beyond. Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
Rice grains, when empty, stand straight and tall. Those which have something inside are the ones that are bowed down to the ground.

Lord Jesus, Emmanuel, born poor and yet a King, inspire me to aspire for the greatness of humility. Amen.

St. Nino, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 14, 2011

I’m so Excited!

For centuries it has been prophesied that a Messiah will come to bring liberation to Israel. What kind of Messiah and what kind of liberation He will bring was not easily apparent in the prophecies. In our Gospel reading today, we see a sense of curiosity among the people regarding the person of Jesus. News about this newcomer from Nazareth have been brewing in the Galilean countryside and we feel among the people a sense of excitement regarding Jesus and His connection with the prophecy of old.
John the Baptist sent two disciples of his to Jesus to ask Him, “Are you the one who is to come or do we look for another?”
“Do we look for another?” At this time of the year, I usually take a two- or three-day self-imposed retreat before the start of the Christmas season and the Simbang Gabi(dawn Masses). I do not necessarily go off to a secluded place and be by myself, but I do put off and put out anything that I feel clamors for my attention unnecessarily. These self-imposed Sabbath days include no TV (except the news, EWTN and TV Maria), no Internet and only periodic use of the cell phone. In their place, more time for silence and reflection.
The Christmas season is a very exciting and busy season and I can easily be distracted. In this season, the question of the disciples is actually my question, too: “Are you ‘He who is to come’ or do we look for another?” I know Jesus is the One but it’s easy for me to get excited and
look for another. A sage once said, “When someone points at the moon, only a fool looks at the finger.”
As we plunge into these exciting days of Christmas, I invite you to make your own Sabbath day for “He who is to come.” Let us avoid the foolish temptation of looking for another and at our finger. Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
What Sabbath preparation are you willing to do to dispose yourself for “He who is to come?”

Pray this in mantra fashion, “O come Emmanuel, come. Maranatha! Lord Jesus.”

Sts. Justus and Abundius, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 12, 2011

Life is Beautiful

Today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, secondary patron of the Philippines and Patroness of the Pro-life Movement.
Abortion continues to be the modern-day scourge of the Pro-life advocacy. Many countries have long legalized abortion. With the passage of the Health Care Reform in America, the scope of abortion is expanded and even given increased Federal funding in the U.S. and beyond. The worldwide effort to pass the Reproductive Health Bill (which is nothing but a universal password for the right to abortion), especially in countries where abortion is still illegal, remains atop the agenda of many lawmakers.
In line with this, I remember an experience I had several years ago. I was in the U.S. and a friend of mine brought me to the beach. I noticed a secluded area with a warning sign, “No Trespassing: Restricted Area, protected by Federal Law.” I learned from my friend that the area was where turtles lay their eggs. It is punishable by law if you step on them even inadvertently.
Something was not right. Federal law protects turtle eggs while human infants are legally aborted. Proponents of abortion even lobby for partial birth abortion, arguing that an infant not yet fully delivered is technically not yet a person and thus is still outside the scope of the protection of the law on the basic right to life. They even go to the extent of challenging pro-lifers to prove that the infant has a soul. But how do you prove the existence of a human soul which is a spiritual reality? Philosophically and theologically it can be proven but not in the empirical sense that abortion proponents want. And if we pretend that the infant aborted does not have a soul yet, how come a turtle egg, which obviously will never have a soul, gets federal protection?
GK Chesterton prophesied about this contemporary malady so accurately. He said, “Whenever there is animal worship, there will surely be human sacrifice.” That trees, dogs, cats and other mammals nowadays get more federal protection to live than the human infant, is a perfect confirmation that this prophesy has come to pass. Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
In what way can I support and promote the culture of life?

May Mary, pro-life patroness, continue to inspire us and the pro-life movement in promoting the consistent ethic and Gospel of Life.

St. Corentin, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 11, 2011

SHOUT FOR JOY — NOW!

The third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is Latin for rejoice. As Christmas draws near, the Church encourages us to rejoice not only because Christmas is near but because joy is an attitude of life. St. Paul in the second reading today commands us, “Rejoice always… render constant thanks.” How could joy be commanded? How can someone tell another how to feel?
Friend, you’re right. We cannot be commanded how to feel. But I think Scriptures “command” us to be joyful because joy is not only a feeling. Joy is a state of mind and being, a product of the will, and a decision to focus on what is right and not only on what is wrong in our lives. Let me illustrate.
One of the most amazing and inspiring persons I know (actually, read about) is Tony Melendez. Tony has sold millions of inspirational albums. He plays the guitar with gusto and passion, with his feet. Yes, you read right, with his feet. Tony was born with no arms. When he was born, his parents thought he was an alien of sorts. But growing up, Tony refused to focus on what he does not have. He focused on what he has and made good use of it. In one poignant interview he said, “Growing up, I’ve often asked God to give me a miracle. Until I realized that I am a miracle.” Truly, as a guitar player myself, I consider it a miracle how one can play chords with one foot and pluck, not just strum, the guitar with the other the way Tony does.
How many among us, with complete hands and feet, fret at the slightest inconvenience? How many among us curse the alarm clock instead of thanking God for the gift of hearing? How many among us curse the sunlight that interrupts our sleep instead of thanking God for the gift of sight? How many of us curse, sitting in our car through traffic and not appreciate the fact that we own a car? The list could go on and on.
L e t Gaudete Sunday fill you today with the gift of joy. Or maybe better, the will to be joyful. Have a joy-filled Sunday! Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
Ponder on this: I lament the fact that I have only a pair of worn-out shoes until I saw a man with no feet.

Lord Jesus, remind me of the blessings that I take for granted. Cleanse my heart of the inconveniences I give too much focus on. Amen.

Pope Saint Damsus I, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 10, 2011

AN ODE TO THE AGED

Let me share with you some lines from a forwarded email entitled “You Know You’re Getting Old When…”
· Your friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes and you’re barefoot.
· You’re suffering from Mallzheimer’s disease. You go to the mall and forget where you parked your car.
· When you find yourself in the middle of the stairs and you can’t remember whether you’re going up or down.
· Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them either.
In today’s first reading, Sirach remembers the old figures of the former covenant, particularly Elijah. Elijah is considered to be one of the greatest prophets of old. It was said that every pious Jewish family still reserves a seat in the dinner table in case Elijah suddenly comes back. This sentiment is echoed in today’s Gospel when the disciples question Jesus as to why the people seem to equate Him with the coming of Elijah. But what I find heart-warming is the deep affection and reverence with which Sirach remembers his ancestor Elijah. The whole reading is virtually an ode of tribute to the place Elijah occupies in the hearts and collective consciousness of the Jewish people.
Do we look at the senior members of our family, community or Church with the same reverence? Admit it, most of the times, we relate to them simply with a respectful silence that is actually a masked indifference. The late Archbishop Fulton Sheen calls it “the chronological arrogance of the present times.” This is an attitude which considers everything and everyone that is old as old-fashioned, useless and irrelevant, and conversely, everything new, modern and chic as significant. But think of the wealth of knowledge that the old has and still can contribute. An old Chinese proverb reminds us aptly, “If you want to know what lies ahead up the road, ask those who are already on their way back.” Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
In what ways do I manifest in my attitude the “chronological arrogance” of the young?

Lord Jesus, it was the old man Simeon with Anna that recognized You even as a baby in the temple. Help me see the treasures in the Simeons and Annas in our midst. Amen.

Blessed Julia Merida, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 9, 2011

DYING FOR, NOT DYING OF

An honest and decent man died suddenly and was met by an angel guarding the check-in counter of the pearly gates of heaven. The angel was a substitute for the day so he was quite unfamiliar with the ins and outs of entrance into heaven.
After getting the man’s name, he asked when he died. “Just this morning,” the man quipped. The angel took out a black book called Liber Defunctorum (Latin for “Book of the Dead”) and searched for the man’s name. Not finding it, he asked again, “Did you say you died today? Your name is not in this book. Neither is it on the dates before today.”
Noticing the commotion, Jesus approached the angel and volunteered, “You will not find his name there. That is the book of the dead. Those bound for heaven are in the Book of the Living. They are forever alive in my presence.” With that, the man was ushered into heaven.
Today’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah encourages the righteous man and woman who walk in the way of the Lord. Those who live godly lives are to savor the presence of the Lord. The reading ends with the blessed assurance, “their name (will) never (be) cut off or blotted out from my presence.”
Christian theology recognizes two kinds of death. There is what we call terminal death. As the term terminal implies, it is the end of everything — the end of a life wasted and spent for less than significant things. It is a kind of death where the only thing people attending the wake talk about is, “What did he die of?” Not only is it the end of one’s earthly life, it could also be the end of a possibility of life lived with God’s beatifying presence. It is an eternity of separation from God’s beatitude.
But there is a paschal kind of death. Paschal suggests dying to self which is Jesus’ invitation to carry one’s cross. It suggests a life lived in self-donation and self-giving. It is that kind of death where people attending the wake do not ask, “What did he die of?” Instead they ask, “What did he die for?” It is a life of purpose, meaning and significance. That’s why for God, they are “never cut off or blotted from My presence.” Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
There are two kinds of people. Some bring happiness wherever they go. Others, whenever they go. To which do you belong?

Lord, make my today, and always, a day lived in self-donation. Amen.

St. Balda, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 8, 2011

MISSING THE MARK

The Catholic Church teaches dogmatically that Mary was conceived without sin. The Catechism (paragraph 491) teaches:
“Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, ‘full of grace’ through God (Luke 1:28), was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854: The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.”
Through the singular merit of Jesus Christ, Mary was preserved from sin in anticipation of her role as the Mother of God. The Immaculate Conception is not really about Mary but about Jesus. It is about the incompatibility of sin with the holiness of God.
As we honor what God has done in Mary, we put our attention on the nature and reality of sin. The Greek word for sin is hamartia, i.e., to miss the mark. It originates from the practice of archers targetting the bull’s eye. Hitting the bull’s eye is a mark of excellence. To miss the mark is to be less than excellent. We often look at sin as a transgression of a law, a norm or precept. Consequently, Christian holiness becomes a burdensome keeping of a set of rules and laws. Christian holiness is much more than that. It is about reaching the best of our potentials and realizing the beautiful plan of God for our lives. The first line of the morality section of the Catechism says it so beautifully and positively, “Christians, recognize your dignity.”
When we sin, we do not just break a cold set of laws. When we sin, we miss the mark — the mark of excellence, the mark of our dignity as persons and as God’s children. How positive and joyful the Christian life will be from this perspective. I refuse to sin because I want to be who I am created to be. I refuse to sin because I want to see the fullness of my beauty as a child of God in this life, and more so, in the next. Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
In everything, try to reach for the stars. If you fail, at least you’d still be at the moon.

O Mary Immaculate, help us to be as beautiful as You are!

St. Romaric, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 7, 2011

Try A Little Tenderness

Our Gospel for today is a call to gentleness, meekness and humility. Jesus invites us to learn from Him, who is “gentle and humble of heart.” This is alien in the mentality of this world. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, a rat race, a dog fight. Aggressiveness is the attitude, drawing first blood is the norm. This story best illustrates it.
Two boys were brought to the principal’s office for engaging in a brawl at the school campus. The principal inquired, “Who started this fight?” One of the boys quickly responded, “He did. It all started when he hit me back.”
We want peace. But the peace that we achieve is usually the product of power-wielding attitude. This is far from the Gospel idea of peace. Jesus said somewhere else in the Gospel, “My peace I give you, my peace I leave you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.” Evangelical peace is genuine peace. The peace of this world is a shallow kind of peace. Jesus’ peace is a consequence of hospitality. The world’s peace is the product of hostility. We feel we have won when we have silenced the other. We feel we have conquered when the other has been defeated. But this is a fragile and shallow kind of peace. The silenced and defeated is only waiting for another day to strike back once he has gathered enough strength.
Jesus wants genuine peace for us: a peace that does not destroy the enemy but the enmity, because the enemy has been won over. This is lasting, this is genuine. And this is achieved only by gentleness and humility. A wise sage once proposed, “If you want to win a debate, don’t just raise your voice. Improve your arguments.”
Was it Michael Buble who crooned, “You won’t regret it, young girls they don’t forget it, love is their only happiness. It’s so, so easy, try a little tenderness.” Fr. Joel O.Jason

Reflection Question:
Gentle water dents even the hardest of rocks. What area of your life is ruled by the philosophy of power, aggression and rashness? In its place, try a little tenderness.

“Grant me serenity within. For the confusion around are mere reflections of what’s within.”

St. Maria Giuseppe Rossello, pray for us.

Daily Reflections - December 6, 2011

A Lasting Inheritance

My father passed on to eternal life during my first year in the seminary. I was 17 years old then. Our family is not rich; neither are we very poor. We had enough to get by and to share with other people. When my father passed on, he did not leave anything behind as an inheritance — anything passing and transitory, that is.
Until now, I have his Bible. He gave it to me when I entered the seminary after high school. I use it until now. Even though I have bought new and bigger ones, I still find myself gravitating to that old, ragged book, leafing through the now brittle pages of my dad’s Bible.
I could really say it was his Bible because I can still see the marks and the highlights he made on some of the pages of the Holy Book. That was his inheritance to me and it shaped the person that I am now. Or more precisely, the priest that I am now.
The first reading today affirms that “the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah considers everything else as “grass that withers” or a “flower that wilts” compared to the enduring Word of God. And so if there is anything worth pursuing, if there is anything worth passing on as an inheritance, it is the Word of God, before whom everything else is secondary and transitory.
I remember going to a book fair one time, looking for books for our library in the seminary when I noticed a commotion at the other end of the hall. Throngs of men were lining up excitedly. When I took a furtive look, it was a bargain sale of a sex-oriented magazine masqueraded as a classy reading material. I went home that day thinking, “I saved some of their money for books about the faith and God’s Word that their children can also read.”
Today, I still feel warm in the heart and moist in the eyes whenever I say, “That is my dad’s Bible, that is my dad’s inheritance!” I wonder what other children feel inside when all they can say is, “That is my dad’s FHM collection!” Or will they even have the pride to declare it? Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:
“All mankind is grass, and all their glory like the flower of the field… though the grass withers and the flower wilts, the Word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

Lord Jesus, help us to see and live our life always with the perspective of eternity. Amen.

St. Asella, pray for us.