THE VOICE OF SILENCE

*This homily is dedicated to the 44 Brave Heroes who lost their lives so that we will live.

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 1, 2015

Dt.18:15-20; Ps.95; 1 Cor.7:32-35; Mk. 1:21-28

We have heard a lot of voices during the 5 day apostolic visit of Pope Francis to our country. For sure, each of one of us has a “favorite voice” that until now continues to play in our minds. Probably, for those who do not like the Church, they will always remember the voice of the President during his speech in front of the Pope in Malacañang. For netizens, they would probably like to hear again and again via Youtube the voice of Sem. Kenneth Rey Parsad, the “cute responsorial psalm guy” at the Manila Cathedral. But I am sure, most of us cannot forget and will forever remember the voice of Papa Francisco.

In our Gospel today, we also heard a lot of voices. We heard the voice of the people who were astonished with the words of Jesus and amazed by his actions, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” We also heard the voice of the unclean spirit who was knowledgeable about Jesus, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” And of course, we heard the authoritative voice of Jesus, “Quiet! Come out of him!”  After hearing a lot of voices since the day of our birth until now, we ask ourselves, “To whose voice should I listen?”

Our first reading taken from the Book of Deuteronomy has given us the answer. We should listen to the voice of the Prophet! For Moses has said that through the Prophet who shall come from our race, God will put his words into the prophet’s mouth and through him, he shall tell us all of God’s commands. Yes, we have indeed heard the prophet’s voice – Jesus Christ, our Lord. Through the Scriptures that we read, we are able to listen to the voice of Jesus. However, let us not forget that even in silence, God continues to speak to us. In silence, we can and even more listen to the voice of God. Pope Francis himself has said that “sometimes we have to forgo of answers and to remember that silence is often the best response of the wise.” And so, let us remember that when at times in our lives the evil spirit possesses us through problems and difficulties, let us listen to the voice of God in the silence of our hearts.

That is why for us to be able to truly listen to the voice of God especially in moments of difficulty, the Apostle Paul in our second reading today reminds us that we must be free from anxieties so that we will not be distracted in our relationship with the Lord.

And only when we are free from anxieties can we truly respond to our responsorial psalm today which challenges us that if “today, you hear his voice, harden not your hearts!”

Until today, the nation mourns for the brutal killing of 44 members of the police’s elite Special Action Force (SAF) in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. We have heard a lot of voices asking for justice, peace, and solution to the crisis. Wives, children, and relatives are crying to the top of their voices because they cannot simply accept such a painful reality. We have heard a lot of voices either criticizing the President or pinpointing whose fault it was.

No single voice can fully explain the “whys” of this tragedy. However, Pope Francis, in his homily in Tacloban, before the victims of supertyphoon Yolanda, has taught us a very important lesson – “I come to tell you that Jesus is Lord and He never lets us down. Father, you might say to me, I was let down because I have lost so many things, my house, my livelihood. It’s true, if you would say that, and I respect those sentiments, but JESUS THERE NAILED TO THE CROSS, AND FROM THERE, HE DOES NOT LET US DOWN. JESUS IS LORD AND THE LORD FROM THE CROSS IS THERE FOR YOU.”

No single voice can console a grieving wife of a SAF policeman. No single voice can restore the life of a father who lost his family during typhoon Yolanda. No single voice can comfort the pain of the parents of Kristel, who died during the Papal Visit in Tacloban. But our Pope has reminded us of one silent voice who never lets us down – Jesus Christ. And only by sharing in his cross, can we truly listen to his voice, for up on the cross, there was the voice of silence – LOVE.

Eternal rest, grant unto all 44 SAF police and all victims of war, O Lord, and welcome them into your kingdom, may they rest in peace, Amen!

CONTEXT, TEXT, TEST

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

National Bible Sunday

Jon.3:1-5.10/ Ps.25:4-5.6-7.8-9/ 1 Cor.7:29-31/ Mk. 1:14-20

Pope Francis has been dubbed by the press as the “cold-calling Pope.” It has been reported that since assuming the papacy, he has been making numerous calls from simple concerns like cancelling a news subscription in Argentina to serious matters like comforting a mother whose daughter has been murdered.” It always feels good if someone most especially the Pope himself calls us amidst a very busy or boring life. But what if it is the Lord himself who calls us? What will we feel?

Our readings today bring us to a reflection on the call of the Lord. And when we speak about his call, we have to consider three important realities: CONTEXT, TEXT, and TEST.

CONTEXT is all about where, what, and who we are today. In our first reading, Jonah’s context is his mission to proclaim repentance to the people of Nineveh after experiencing a very dramatic conversion story from being a coward Israelite to becoming the voice of the Lord. In our gospel, we heard the disciples simply doing their job as fishermen. You and me, at this very moment, have our own contexts. Let us then remember that our context is God’s entry point for us to be called by Him. To be called by God, we do not need to make a religious pilgrimage or to touch the hands of the pope. God calls us to where, what, and who we are right now. Even amidst our sinfulness, God calls us! What is your CONTEXT today?

TEXT. God’s call is not a mere lofty idea. He uses words! The Word of God is not flat and empty. In Scriptures, the Word of God is dynamic – “it pierces through the heart like a double edged sword.” When Jonah spoke the Word of God to the Ninevites, the people turned away from their evil lives and repented. When Jesus called Simon, Andrew, James, and John, they left everything and followed him. Until today, the Word of God remains perfect and true, whole and entire. It continues to transform hardened hearts and sinful lives. This Sunday, the Philippine Church observes National Bible Sunday. What has happened to God’s TEXT? Do we still read them? Do we still meditate on Scriptures? Do we still allow the Word to touch our heads, hearts, and hands?

TEST. Of course, we only want to receive calls which give us “good vibes.” However, TEST is an important feature of God’s call. When the Lord calls us he does not only promise heaven but reminds us of the world. He calls us to establish heaven here on earth. And such mission is a TEST because it is not an easy task but involves pain and suffering. In the next chapter of our first reading, we can hear Jonah complaining to God about his mission. “It is better for me to die than to live longer!” We are also aware of the many tests which the disciples underwent in their preaching of the Gospel. These tests involves pain and suffering. How about us? When the Lord puts us to the test, how would we react? In front of life’s tests, do we face them on our own? Or do we simply fade away?

It always feels good if someone most especially the Pope himself calls us amidst a very busy or boring life. But what if it is the Lord himself who calls us? The Lord calls us to where, what, and who we are now – CONTEXT. He calls us with his life-changing Word – TEXT. And in order to purify our response to his call, he puts us to the TEST no to destroy us but for us to always remain in his love.

Let our Responsorial Psalm be our prayer every time the Lord calls us to go on a mission – “Teach me, your ways, O Lord!” Amen!

Photo taken from http://brandonvogt.com/wp-content/uploads/Pope-Francis9.jpg

A WORLD OF WORDS

SATURDAY BEFORE THE FEAST OF THE STO.NIÑO

Heb.4:12-16; Ps.19; Mk.2:13-17

We cannot live without words! This is probably the reason why there is a growing number of Facebook users in the world today. Facebook, like any other social media networks, has given us the venue to express through words what is happening deep inside our minds and hearts. We cannot live without words!

Our readings today speak about two kinds of words: the Word of God and the Word of Man. The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that this Word of God is “effective, sharper than any two edged sword, penetrates even between the soul and spirit, and able to discern the thoughts of the heart.”Our Responsorial Psalms adds, “Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.”And the effectiveness of what the letter and psalm proclaim is seen in our Gospel reading today.

Levi, more popularly known as St. Matthew, was sitting at his customs post as he normally did. We can just imagine the grumbling of the people as they paid their taxes and perhaps an occasional slur toward Levi, a traitor, a Jew conniving with the Romans. Levi may have become too accustomed to these; he might have grown numb already. Then all of a sudden, the Word of God tears into his world, “Akoloutheimoi! Follow me!” Two simple words: follow me  - akoloutheimoi, yet they were so sharp and penetrating. The Word of God cut through Levi’s hardened heart and revived his numbed spirit, giving him a new zest for life that the Gospel says he got up and followed Jesus.

Pope Francis is a living example of the power of these words. Pope Francis traces his vocation story to this Gospel episode of the call of Levi, to this encounter between a miserable and despised tax collector and the God of mercy and compassion. God speaks his Word to us not because we are worthy but purely out of his tremendous mercy and compassion.

And this experience of Matthew and of Pope Francis is what he means in his homily yesterday at the Manila Cathedral that we, priests and religious, need to experience daily the “conversion to the newness of the Gospel,” of the Word of God.

The word of man is represented by the words of the scribes and Pharisees in our Gospel, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinner?” Such words express envy, anger, insecurity, and close-mindedness. Sometimes these words can come from us: why him and not me? Or why me, Lord? You know my deepest and darkest sin, yet why have you called me? Yet these moments also become the occasion for Jesus to state very clearly why, why he does eat with tax collectors and sinners: “The healthy do not need a doctor but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.” Our first reading also adds, “For it is not as if we had a High Priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are.”

This is our challenge then. First, to “stay at our customs posts,” that is, wherever God has placed us today. Second, let us allow God to speak his Word to us, to address us in our present realities. Third, let us listen to the Word of God, allowing it to “cut us, to slip through where the soul is divided from spirit or joints from marrow, to our most secret of emotions and thoughts.” In the words of Pope Francis yesterday, “Allow the word of God to shake our complacency, our fear of change, our petty compromises with the ways of this world, our ‘spiritual worldliness.” Let us allow the Word of God to pierce through our hardened hearts so that in the end, like Matthew, who shared his encounter with Jesus through the writing of the Gospel, we too can share our own joyful encounters with the Lord as celibate lovers to everyone. Thus, our presence in the world becomes a present to the world.

For sure tomorrow, Filipinos will be very busy with their Facebook accounts posting words and pictures of either the Sinulog celebration in Cebu, the Youth meeting here in UST, or the Papal Mass at Luneta. However, may we use these momentous events in our country tomorrow as an opportune time to begin anew our commitment to make our human words reflect the Word of God. Amen!

N.B. Photo taken from http://thedeconstruction.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/words1.jpg

THE SANTO NIŇO: THE OBEDIENCE OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE EYES OF A CEBUANO

Christmas celebrated in the Philippines is the longest compared to other nations. However, I would like to add that particularly in Cebu, Christmas extends even up to the whole month of January. In December, the Cebuanos fill the churches for the misa de gallo. In January, they fill the Basilica Minore del Santo Nińo de Cebu for the novena and panata. Thus, in the eyes of the Cebuanos, Jesus Christ is the Holy Child, the Santo Nińo.

          The truth behind the image of the Santo Nińo is that Jesus Christ did not come into this world in an instant like a fully grown superhero who descends from the heavens with a full blast entourage. He underwent the stages of human development. He first became a child, the Santo Nińo. And if we go deeper into this child, we recognize the wonder of the mystery of the Incarnation, that moment in human history when God became human like us.

          Thus, this paper wishes to present how Cebuanos recognize God in Jesus Christ, the Santo Nińo. Then, it ventures into the Mystery of his Incarnation, public ministry, and his Paschal Mystery. Since this paper is limited, the writer presents his thesis statement: Jesus’ whole life from birth to death is a ministry of obedience.

“LET IT BE DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD” (Luke 1:38)

Jesus’ Obedience in His Incarnation

          Though the writer is not an exegete, reflecting on the words of Mary at the Annunciation, he dares on to say that those words of Mary are the very words of Jesus. Mary was able to utter those words because of Jesus. The obedience of Jesus in his Incarnation happened when he emptied himself and took the form not only of a man, but of a slave to the abusive Romans, to the corrupt powers that be―all manifestations of sin in the world. Despite his divinity, he assumed humanity by staying first in the womb of Mary for nine months. He was obedient to her mother, Mary and foster father, Joseph. As he grew up, he remained obedient as reflected in Luke 2:52, “And Jesus increased in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and with people.” The effect of Jesus’s obedience in his Incarnation is a homecoming between God and man. God and man became one in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. The very wide gap has been bridged by Jesus. Salvation has finally entered human history in time and space.

“I DO NOT SEEK MY OWN WILL BUT THE WILL OF THE ONE WHO SENT ME” (John 5:30)

Jesus’ Obedience in His Public Ministry

          When Jesus grew up and matured, he assumed even the daily routine of humanity: an experience of joy and sorrow, health and sickness, triumph and defeat. He was obedient to the Father, who willed that “everyone be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4) through him. As presented by Bishop Bacani in his book Jesus Goes Public, Jesus went about doing good by liberating people from the sinful condition, lifting them up to a new dignity, uniting them with one another and with God, and giving them hope for “something more.” The effect of Jesus’ obedience in his public ministry is that man’s daily endeavors have been given meaning and his battle against evil has been given victory.

“NEVERTHELESS, LET YOUR WILL BE DONE, NOT MINE” (Luke 22:42)

Jesus’ Obedience in His Paschal Mystery

          Jesus assumed our full humanity except sin. His assumption was so great even to the point of assuming our greatest fears in life: suffering and death. Philippians 2:7-8 goes on to say that “He took on the form of a slave being born in the likeness of men, obediently accepting even death, death on the cross.” It was not the killing that saved us since murder is a sin. It was Jesus’ obedience and love that pleased the Father that made his death acceptable. It was in his obedience that the voice in his baptism and transfiguration, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” was made concrete and living. The effect of Jesus’ obedience in His Paschal Mystery is that though death is inescapable, the death of Jesus gives us hope and lifts us up from despair. This is because Jesus did not die forever. His love for the Father and for those whom his Father has given him and the Father's love for him proved itself more powerful than death. Death could not quench such love. After three days in the darkness of the tomb, he resurrected. We can only resurrect with Jesus if we are made right and just before the Father by union with Jesus. The redemption of Jesus on the cross was an act of justification. What we need to do now is to cooperate with the grace of being justified by the blood of Christ.

THE WHY OF JESUS'S TOTAL OBEDIENCE

          Why then was Jesus obedient to the Father from his Incarnation up to his return in glory? Allow me to begin my reflection on this with a semantic analysis of the Cebuano word for obedience, which I believe gives us an insight into the mystery of Jesus's obedience. The Cebuano word for obedience is pagkamatinumanon. It comes from the root word, tuman. Its root word is a contraction of tuo man or mituo man, which when translated into English means “he/she believes.”  Jesus was obedient because he believed in the will of the Father. He believed that doing the Father’s will is that which is good for Him and is pleasing to his Father. What prompted the Son to believe and obey the Father even to the point of death was love. As a human person, Jesus experienced God as a loving father (through Joseph) and was keenly aware of God's fatherhood to humanity in general (as its source and Creator). His understanding of God and thus his worldview ran contrary to how the world worked. Yet he could not keep to himself his experience of God as a loving Father; he preached it and criticized the religious and political structures that make it difficult for man to experience God as a loving Father. For this, he was threatened with death by the powers that be. Yet he did not relent. He allowed himself to be killed as a final testimony to all he taught and lived for. Theological reflection on this historical event, allows us to see Jesus as truly the Son of God. He was truly one with the Father in love. His will was totally united to the will of the Father. As the Son in a loving relationship with the Father, he could not have done otherwise, although it was humanly possible. Jesus of Nazareth taught us that God is a loving Father who is concerned about the troubles of his people, a God who shares the joys, sorrows, and aspirations of every human person. He showed humanity that it is very much possible to be so totally united to God in love that not even death could quench that love. The evangelist even recalls this words of Jesus: “When I am lifted up, I shall draw all men to myself” (John 12:32). It is love that draws us to himself. His great love for the Father and the Father's great love for humanity. 

Allow me to share another source of insight into this love of God made manifest in Jesus of Nazareth that draws us unto itself. In Cebu, we always sing a gozos in honor of the Sto. Nińo. In it, we address the Holy Child as the batobalani sa gugma (the magnet of love). The Sto. Nińo, Jesus of Nazareth, draws all people to himself, rich and poor alike. Jesus became man, lived in Nazareth, went about doing good in Galilee and Judea, suffered and died under Pontius Pilate, and rose from the dead because he wants us to be drawn to the love of the Father, who has loved us first.

And so, as we venerate the image of the Sto.Nińo at the basilica or in our altars at home, our eyes see not only an innocent child but the man Jesus who shared with us his experience of the Father’s love by becoming man  and remaining obedient even until death, death on the cross. Thus we pray in the collect of the Mass in honor of the Santo Nińo: Father in heaven, may we recognize your only Son as God in the lowliness of his human nature and worship the Holy Child as the all-powerful Lord in the frailty of his childhood. Make us accept his kingship among us with the eagerness of a child and attain the reward promised to the humble. Amen!


NB. Photo courtesy of http://philippineculture.ph/filer/Video-Sinulog%20ug%20ang%20Sto%20Nino.jpg

"BECAUSE GOD HAS DANCED WITH US"

FEAST OF THE STO. NINO

Proper Feast in the Philippines

Is.9:1-6/ Ps.97/ Eph.1:3-6.15-18/ Mk.10: 13-16

As a Cebuano, I grew up with the Santo Niño. I could still vividly remember those days when my parents would bring me and my sister to the Basilica every Friday to line up for the hawok (kissing of the image). And such visit to the basilica would not be complete without me holding either a balloon or an ice cream on our way back home. Later on as a seminarian, I began to hear comments from theologians criticizing the Santo Niño devotion. For them, devotees of the little Child are taught with a wrong understanding about Christ. Jesus grew up and became a mature man. Hence, devotees must allow the Santo Niño to grow up. Thus, their faith must also mature. Yes, there is a grain of truth regarding their comments. However, I would still insist on the important role of this devotion not only in the lives of Cebuanos but also to all Filipinos. Every time we venerate the image of the Holy Child whether at the basilica, in churches, and in our small altars at home, we are reminded of two important qualities which most of us adults have forgotten along the way.

In our world today, we always wake up in fear. With the recent terrorist attacks in Australia, France, and Germany, people start to doubt one another’s presence. We are afraid that even our trusted friend can anytime become our worst enemy. Thus, every time we venerate the image of the Santo Niño, we are reminded of an important virtue named, childhood trust. Like a little child who simply trusts his mother’s hand, despite the crowd in the marketplace, the child Jesus also asks us to trust him. We have to completely trust our Lord because he is not just an ordinary human being but as Isaiah puts it in our first reading today, he is the “Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” Jesus is the “Great Light” who extinguishes our darkest fears in life so that we can have life in abundance.

It is difficult to be joyful these days. The world has set the standard for happiness: a stable and high paying job, multiple bank accounts, travels around the world, a network of elite friends, and many more. Yet, the joyful face of the Santo Niño reminds us that everyone no matter how “nothing” we may be, we all have the reasons to be joyful. And St. Paul in our second reading today gives us the reasons on why we must be joyful despite the challenges in life. “He chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love, he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will.” We may be staying at the margins according to worldly criteria, but, God our Father has chosen us. In love, He has made us His adopted children through His Son, the Santo Niño. We are therefore never alone. We have been chosen. We have been loved by God who is love Himself.

The president of the CBCP, Archbishop Villegas, has asked every Filipino who will be attending the Papal Mass at Luneta on January 18, to bring with him/her an image of the Santo Niño. And together with the Pope we dance the Sinulog as our act of thanksgiving for gift of faith which we have received almost 500 years ago. And so, as we move our steps forward and backward with our hands holding the image of the Santo Niño, may we renew our trust in Him and experience real joy because God “has danced with us.” Amen!


NB. Photo courtesy of http://www.achilez.com/sinulog-2013/

WATER IS LIFE

BAPTISM OF THE LORD

Alt. Reading Is.55:1-11; Is.12:2-3.4.5-6; 1Jn 5:1-9; Mk.1:7-11

Water is life! 60% of an adult human body is water. About 71% of the Earth surface is water-covered. We cannot live without water! We use it in all our human activities. Even in expressing our feelings, we use water – in tears of joy or sadness. Water is life!

Even in our alternative readings on this solemnity of the Lord’s baptism, there is an abundance of water! Such word, “water,” is repeated ten times in the three readings and psalm for today. And one can imagine how “watery” our Gospel scene. John amidst a large number of crowd was preaching and baptizing using the waters of the River Jordan. He was reminding the people that just as water is needed for them to live, his baptism by water is also necessary as they prepare for the coming of the Lord.

Water is life! However, things take a different meaning when Jesus entered into the scene. Humbly, he submitted himself to John for baptism not for the remission of his sins but to commence his ministry of immersing himself into the lives of the people especially the poor and the marginalized. St. Maximus of Turin in his sermon beautifully proclaims, “Christ is baptized, not to be made holy by the water, but to make the water holy, and by his cleansing to purify the waters which he touched.” At his baptism, Jesus offers us a new life-giving water that quenches not only our temporal thirst but our thirst for meaning and existence.  Jesus gives us his very own life as our source of living water.

How can we avail of such living water? In our first reading from the prophet Isaiah, God is inviting us to “come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life.” Not through a litany of words or noisy preaching can we avail of the Living Water but through listening. We listen not only with our minds but also with our hearts. Simply said, we allow God to speak to us; to reveal his message of salvation in our lives.

In our second reading from the first letter of John, the Beloved reminds us that “for the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments.” And we all know that God has only one commandment – to love. The Living Water can only satisfy our thirst if we ourselves love that is if we become “living water” to those who are suffering and in pain.

The entire nation is very busy these days as we finally welcome the arrival of Pope Francis on January 15, 2015. Everyone is busy with the details in order to have a safe and successful apostolic visit. Everyone is excited to see and probably to touch “even the tassel of his tunic.” However, may his visit remind us not of the papacy but Jesus the Living Water. May we see in the face of Pope Francis not the “down to earth” Cardinal Bergoglio but Jesus, the Living Water, who gives our lives a different meaning and direction. May the awe-inspiring gestures of Pope Francis remind us of our identity that we are born to love. Let us remind ourselves, that the Pope comes not in his own name but in the name of Jesus, the name above every other name.

Water is life. According to H.H. Mitchell, in the Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, “the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%.” Indeed, our human body needs a lot of water in order to survive. Yet our soul needs 100% Living Water in order to survive, to live, and to love. Amen!

N.B. Picture is taken from https://www.google.com.ph/search?kangensui.us%252Fwater%252F%3B1920%3B1200

BEGINNING IN LOVE

THURSDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

1 John 4:19–5:4; Psalm 72; Luke 4:14–22

We are still in the season of beginnings! We are still in the beginning month of the new year 2015. Only four days have passed since we began our second semester. And probably all of us today are beginning to feel excited because exactly a week from now, Pope Francis will finally walk on Philippine soil. And on a more personal note, today, January 8, also marks the beginning of the novena to Sr. Santo Nino.

Our Gospel today also marks the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus according to the version of Luke. Jesus, on a Sabbath day, entered into a synagogue, took the scroll, and borrowing the words of the prophet Isaiah, laid out his mission on earth. After returning the scroll to the attendant, he claimed that “today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And everyone was amazed at what they have heard.

First impressions last. What impression then can we get from this beginning narrative of Jesus’s public ministry? Our first reading gives us the answer when John said, “This is the commandment we have from him: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” Thus, Jesus proclaims liberty to captives, sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed, all because he loves God. Thus, he must also love his brother.

Indeed, such impression lasted because the last episode in the Lukan version of the public ministry of Jesus is all about Zacchaeus who experienced such love from Jesus when he came down from the tree and welcomed him at home.

This is then our challenge—that we begin our year, our semester, and every day of our lives right by always falling and staying in love with God and neighbors. It is not an ideal or verbose kind of love. But a love, according to Pope Benedict, “that is a light, the only light—that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working.” However, we must persevere in our loving because sometimes when God’s love seems vague and dry, we easily turn ourselves to other “loves” that are fancy and fleeting.

We are still in the season of beginnings. We are now beginning to meet our new set of either lax or demanding professors. We are now beginning to experience once again the “joys and sorrows” of seminary formation. Yet over and above these things, we are now called to persevere in love until the end so that in the beginning of our lives, God will tell us, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in his life,” and at its end, he too will tell us, “Today, salvation has entered into this person for he has loved me more dearly, more sincerely, and more intimately.” Amen.

THE STAR OF THE POOR

EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

Is.60:1-6; Ps.72; Eph.3:2-3a,5-6; Mt.2:1-12

It’s only less than three weeks before Pope Francis will visit for the first time the Pearl of the Orient Seas, the Philippines. However, since it was first announced, preparations have been made in order to better dispose the people during his visit. Different activities were done in order to make known the life and ministry of the Holy Father. Recollections and lectures were all geared towards the coming of the Pope.  In order to really reach out to the masses, Pope standees were displayed in churches and other public spaces. All these were done in order to “reveal” to everyone the man behind the name, Pope Francis.

Today, we are celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this feast, Jesus is made known this time to all peoples. The glory of Jesus is revealed to people outside Israel. The visit of the shepherds marked the revelation of Jesus to Israel. In today’s Gospel, in the visit of the magi, Jesus is revealed to the whole world. In Jesus’ birth in the manger, we came to know of his humanity. In the magi’s adoration before the child inside the house, we came to know of his divinity.

We heard in our Gospel, that it was through the guidance of a star that the wise men from the East were able to locate the “newborn king of the Jews.” “And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star.”

In our lives, we are also like the magi – we search for Jesus. No matter how many times we deny Him, in the end, there is still that desire to look for Him, who gives us life in abundance. Of course, it is not the reading of the stars (horoscope) that leads us to Jesus. The star represents the people who have been sent by God in our lives in order to bring us closer to Jesus. Immediately, we think those who are easy to love and deal with. However, the Lord sometimes allows the unlovable and the difficult people to become “stars” in our lives. And if we seriously deal with these people, then time will come when we will be overjoyed because we have seen the Lord.

The Philippine Church has marked this year as the “Year of the Poor.” The poor forms the majority of Filipinos. We can see the poor anywhere along the streets, under bridges, and even making the dirty and dusty sidewalks as their place to spend the cold night. This is therefore our challenge today – that we too consider the poor as the “stars” who will lead us to Jesus. Jesus was born in a poor family. He remained a poor and died a poor man’s death on the cross. Thus, the face of Jesus remains imprinted on the poor. Let us then try to look and serve the poor because they can surely lead us to Jesus.

After the star brought the magi to Jesus, they went home to their country by another route. When the Pope comes to visit us, may we see him as a “star” who can lead us to Jesus so that we will return to ourselves refreshed and renewed. However, even after his visit, may we too consider the poor as the “star” who can bring us too Jesus so that we will also return home by another and better way. Amen!