Inspirations at your Fingertips!

In the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the old Eve is replaced by the new Eve, the Blessed Virgin Mary. There are three attributes that separate the new Eve from the old Eve aside from the title "Blessed Virgin" which is the mark of the Immaculate Conception as well as the perfect holiness of God. First, learn us learn for her obedience and not from the disobedience of Eve. Second, learn from the responsibility of Mary vis-a-vis the irresponsibility of Eve.  Eve blamed the serpent while she was the one who was responsible for the choice she made.   Thirdly, Mary's fruit is Jesus while Eve became the mother of humankind.  What kind of fruits will we produce on this earth - weak or strong youth? Be strong to follow Jesus.

Homily for the bereaved I would like to see this world as pure gift and therefore, I am always thankful. If I have a thankful disposition, I have no time to complain or to worry, because I know, everything has been provided for by God who loves us. A thankful heart seeks to thank the many persons in one life.  He will always thank God for the gift of people. And for this one particular person, thankfulness comes in because of the innate goodness of someone who has been a gift to us.  I thank you for your presence in my life. Second, I thank the person for what he has made me become.  I'm sure I can be anyone else.  But with the loved one, my heart is transformed into something beautiful. Third, a real thankful heart is when the person passes away, but his memory will last a whole lifetime.  I will keep the loved one in my heart as long as I live because I am thankful. Eventually, a thankful heart opens oneself to God who is the author of all these...

The way of the Lord Luke 11:15-26 The basic defect of one relying on the law is he thinks that salvation is possible by just following the law and now the person or God who is the real spirit of the law. When can we say that we are under the influence of the devil?  When we are heading for division and not unity, the second is when we belittle the true and absolute power of God over our lives; third, when the Holy Spirit is not moving in us but laws. Let us strengthen our resolve to cause the unity of people in God, believe in Jesus Christ Christ, and walk in the way of the Spirit.

Ask the right questions about God Luke 11:5-13 St. Paul in today's reading reprimanded the Galatians about the Jews imposing the law upon the Christians.  He posed the question, "Are we justified by the law or by faith?" This was the prevalent issue of that time.  But what is the prevalent issue in our time? Is the faith still relevant?  Is the faith relevant now or in the time of our death? For us going to Church, with faith, no explanation is necessary.  But for those who do not believe, no explanation is possible. But sometimes, people do not need explanations because they are not asking. Let us imagine a world without faith: first, life would have no meaning - love, respect, justice ... all these will not have any meaning; good or evil, things would not have any sense at all (morality) second, people would have no meaning - there will be no sense of community, (relationships, commitment to serve); or what a community of goodwill can do; third, sa...

Rosary and the Church Lk. 1: 36 - 48 From the first reading alone, one can have a glimpse of the deeper meaning of the rosary, when mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles: "they devoted themselves to one accord to prayer, together with Mary and the women." The seems to be a picture of a community of praying people bonded together by love.  This seems to be the image of the Church.  To reflect on the rosary is to reflect the living Church praying and bonded together by ties of God's pure love. In the Gospel, we hear the story of the Annunciation.  But so is the Opening prayer when we hear the prayer of the Angelus, "... that we to whom the incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His passion and cross, be brought to the glory of the resurrection.."  The rosary orients us to the life of Christ. Third, our being Catholics is a journey through life with an invitation to proclaim the Good News to everyone; the Good Ne...

Maria, halimbawa ng katapatan ng isang lingkod Luke 10:25-37  The true lay leader is a generous lay leader who offers time, talent and treasure to love the other whom God loves. a loyal leader is a neighbor in three forms: 1.  kapibahay - based on territory, a leader will exert effort to take care of his community.  He will involve himself to be an asset to his community; 2.  kapwa - a person in need of one's kindness; a leader will have the heart for his neighbor (Mary and Elizabeth); he will gear himself so that his community will be a living church in the midst; 3.  kapwa kalooban - intersubjectivity, when our hearts connect with one another and with God's heart.  Because of Mary's love for God, her only desire was to completely offer her life so we can love Jesus.  The leader is like Mary and Jesus in the manner by which we can offer our very own lives because of love for God and our neighbor. For its practical application, offering ...

A resurrected life Luke 7:36-50 How do we reflect the resurrected Lord in our lives? 1. learn his stories 2. teach his stories 3. form communities of the resurrection 4. Let our every action give life to others at all costs

Encountering Jesus Mark 6:17-29 Pope Francis in almost all of his messages would stress on the importance of encountering Jesus. Jesus is not in the ready prayers that we memorize; or simply in the 10 commandments that we learned when we were children, or even in the religious practices we are accustomed to doing. Jesus is present in flesh and blood, in the emotions caused by what we see and hear that are brought about by an authentic encounter, and in committing ourselves to experience the crucified and risen Lord in day-to-day life. The grace to ask is the wisdom to determine where Jesus is and to encounter him concretely. The first place of encounter is the Church, the living body of Christ.  Remember Pope Francis when he urged parishioners not to engage in useless gossips or in any action that defiles the very body of Jesus. The Church is composed of people in direct contact with Jesus through Catechesis and instructions.  But we need to devote time, talent,...

A community of saints Matthew 24:42-51 When we launched the Basic Ecclesial Communities in the Parish of Sto. Rosario de Pasig some 4 years ago, I don't know if they they actually knew they are being prepared to be communities of living saints here on earth as stated in St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians? What does it mean to be a community of saints here on earth?  It is to actually realize that all the things the community are doing are in accord with God's plan.  The signs of a healthy community of saints are as follows: 1. They are filled with the Holy Spirit - they are aware that they are touched, purified and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. 2.  They are bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit - as preachers, teachers, etc. 3.  They are faithful to the Holy Spirit through and through - even when the "Master" is away, they remain faithful to their tasks, knowing that one day they shall meet Him. May these things move us to strengthen our resolve...

Docility Matthew 18:1-5,10,12-14  The readings are about docility, i.e., the capacity to be taught. Don't be hard-headed.  One thing I realized in my years of faith is that God cannot be put in a box.  He is not a set of beliefs.  One thing is sure - He always leads us to a better understanding about life and about Himself. Let me point out the pattern.  Once we are taught the 10 commandments. But even the Jewish people who followed the 10 commandments to the letter were reprimanded by Jesus for giving more emphasis to it rather than on the spirit of the law. Second instance - we were taught that if we pray hard and resolve hard, the Lord will grant us our prayers.  But again, things are not that simple.  If ever prayers are not granted, we come to realize that God is still hearing our prayers. Third instance - we were taught to pray the usual prayers, but sometime in the future, no matter how hard we pray, it seems that we are not reaching...

The Kingdom of God Matthew 13:31-35 Three components of the kingdom of God are relayed in the gospel: the beginning, the middle, and the end. The beginning is the planting of the seed; the end is the fruitfulness of the plant, while the middle contains the entire process of growth. Our lives are reflections of the kingdom of God and not just in the end when we are about to meet our Creator. The kingdom of God unfolds in our very own lives.  Let us make sure that every seed of the Good News planted in our heart would bear fruit in due time. Secondly, success in the Kingdom of God is not gauged by money, big structures, and accomplishments.  Rather, the ultimate test of fruitfulness lies inside our hearts brought about by our humility and unwavering obedience to God.  The more we accomplish things, the more we should become humble and self-giving.

To follow Jesus John 21:15-19 Jesus said to Peter, " when you grow old,  you will stretch out your hands,  and somebody else will put a belt round you  and take you where you would rather not go.’  Afterwards, Jesus said, "Follow me." We followed the Lord ever since we were baptised.  Our responsibility is to explore God's world. We followed Jesus when we were confirmed.  During that time we resolve to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ. We followed Jesus we were ordained, got married, or took a solemn oath of chastity, poverty, and obedience.  From then on, our lives  become a series of incidents of following Jesus. We are to follow Jesus, even to situations or places we don't want to go.  But He leads us by the hand and gives us life and for others, life through us. Unless we follow Jesus, our lives are useless.

comunio John 17:20-26 "That they may be one as you and I are one..."  These words of Jesus point to "comunio", or total unity with God and with one another. Comunio is the theme of heaven itself, our dream of being with the Lord for all eternity. Comunio is our total unity with one another; if we possess the very heart and mind of God through Jesus, he will lead us to unite with others in love. Comunio is our mission to unite heaven and earth.  That is why even after the Lord ascended to heaven, the mission of evangelization continues.

The bible and I John 15:12-17 I believe that quite analogically, my life should be the living bible of the Lord. Whatever happens to the bible happens to my life. If there are things that don't have any connection with God's word, it is not coming from the Holy Spirit. I am the embodiment of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit works in me.  I should be an instrument of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel message is so beautiful.  "Love one another as I have loved you."  Whatever love is in our hearts, it should mirror Jesus' love for us. "I call you friends, not servants..." marks our relationship with one another. "I chose you..." simply means that it is Jesus who leads us.  Every task we do in this world should arise from being chosen to do Jesus' task.

witnessing for Jesus John 6:30-35 St. Stephen mirrored Jesus in the gospel for today as he faced the Pharisees.   What is a witness?  Someone with a deep faith, even though he has not seen Jesus is a true witness as he is also giving witness to the very testimony of Jesus himself.  What are the signs to this testimony? First, Stephen gave witness to the truth as he tried to reprimand the Jews.  Jesus is faithful to the truth. Second, Stephen gave witness to the glory of Jesus.  Jesus invites the people to have faith in him as the bread of life. Third, Stephen prayed for his enemies.  Jesus' as the humble Messiah is the way to the forgiveness of sins. Let us mirror Jesus through and through!

Recognizing Jesus John 21:1-14 "The apostles did not ask, for they knew it was Jesus." At this point, who is Jesus to us? First, at this point in our lives, we should be able to see the gospel placed side by side with out lives.  The miraculous catch of fish in Jesus' time, till the apostles' after the resurrection of Jesus should manifest in the miracles of food we are receiving, enough for us to declare, "God always provides and we don't have to worry." Second, these manifestations should help us conclude that Jesus is close to us each day and he wishes us to know him more deeply and intimately. Third, these events should deepen our resolve to live, breathe, and depend on Jesus as our Lord and Messiah, giving witness to goodness of the Lord each day.

To shine like flint Matthew 26:14-25  In this last day before the Passover, we continue to know more about the Messiah - his vindicator is God himself.  God will glorify his actions.  He will let his face shine like flint. This is our destiny as Christians.  Staying close to God, He will guide us every step of the way.  He will defend us against every evil. The betrayer, on the other hand is the exact opposite. To say "Better for that man if he had never been born!" is perhaps the greatest curse considering that even before we were born, God already knows us. Let us not belittle the effects of sin.  Let us guard ourselves against doing things that do not have any connection with God.  Our faithfulness will payoff.  We shall shine like flint with light coming from the Divine Master.

Faithfulness and betrayal John 13:21-33,36-38  Everything in the Old Testament is revealed in Jesus.  Jesus is the picture of the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament.  In the book of Isaiah, the Messiah is a servant so pleasing to the Father that He himself is Israel.  His words are like sharp swords, and God alone is his strength.  The Messiah is a faithful, obedient Servant. In the Gospel, Jesus prophesied who will betray him.  But he will be glorified by the Father.  Those who are not like the Messiah are traitors; they betray the Master.  In the case of Peter, those who are opposite the Messiah live in fear.  they are not free. The marks of the Messiah become our own marks as well.  We are formed by God even before we were born.  We are given gifts so we can change the world.  And our courage is the Lord; He alone is our strength.

Memories of love John 5:31-47 What is it really in the the people of Israel that is worth loving?  According to the scriptures, "These are stiff-necked people." But Moses reminded God of his covenant.  It is God's love itself that is worth saving.  Remember the words: people are worth dying for; or in Olaf's case in "Frozen", people are worth melting for.  God relented and did not punish Israel. In the Gospel, Jesus becomes the living reminder of the Father's love for us.  He bears witness because he loves the Father and the Father loves him.  Through this "human action", Jesus is in fact saving us and sparing us from the eternal wrath of God. Apparently, study of religion is simply not enough; nor are religious practices.  As Jesus loved, do we have a concrete memory of the Father's love and we love him back?  What memories on earth are we collecting? Let us increase our encounters with Jesus.  Let us remember to the detail all...

God's love rules our lives Mark 12:28-34 It is undeniable that God's love for us is extreme, unconditional.  He waits for our coming back despite our sinfulness.  That is how God loves us.. In the gospel, Jesus affirms the the highest command: love God with all our hearts, minds, being, etc. Then love our neighbor as ourselves. God's love rules above all things.  Consequently, our love cannot be lesser than God's love for us.  Otherwise, love would be imperfect and selfish.

At the very heart of priesthood March 27, 2014 In my 21 years as a priest, experiencing both lights and shadows surely gives my priestly life that 3D image which I find very alive, colorful, and meaningful. Each year, I've been asked to share on what it means to be a priest.  My answer would probably be the same, "I haven't started yet and I'm not done yet!" There are 2 guideposts that mark my priesthood and until now, I am in the that constant process of trying to attain them.  The first mark is being configured according to Christ as head and shepherd of his flock.  Pastores Dabo Vobis is just that - "shepherds after my own heart." (Jer. 3, 15) A bishop remarks, "A priest is like a walking billboard. He never fails to advertise Christ."  At this point in time, I might not yet  be configured 'in persona Christi'; yet this image aptly describes me; the billboard big enough to remind me and others that Jesus is alive and wants us to...

On prayer and life Matthew 7:7-12 Esther's prayer is a prayer of oblation or total offering of self to God. Her life is a prayer. I would like to focus on prayer as an act of love of God for us. Prayer is God's gift - we pray because it is grace planted into our hearts prayer is a covenant - God's promise that he will stay always with us. Prayer is communion - a picture of heaven in our love for God and one another.

Where our love for God will take us Matthew 6:7-15 We would like to explore the love of God which goes deeper and deeper until we can see its destination - the perfection of love in God. God says, all of what he says will be fulfilled.  Let the words be proofs that indeed, they can be reach their completion. The prayer of the Our Father is a prayer of completion. It gives the entire essence of a follower and a disciple of the Lord. It speaks of one acknowledging the awesome presence and power of the Lord and his existence. It speaks of ones dependence on the Lord, even for the food. It speaks of the contents of the heart - love. It implores mercy at the last moment of life to lead us to heaven in God. May Lent be a fulfillment of all these - our destination in God.

What motivates us? Matthew 6:1-6,16-18 We formally enter the Lenten Season in a spirit of repentance, "Turn away from sin and believe in the Good News." However, we are filled with remorse because of offending Him who loves us.  Imagine how God has loved us and we have given so little back to him. Our lives are led by various motivations.  Eventually, three actions of Lent translate into three motivations of lives.  How we opt to search for God marks the very core of our motivation. First, our motivation is to survive; but we are asked to fast on the things we crave the most.  On fasting, we open our hearts to the Divine Master; He becomes our real food. Second, our motivation is to love.  But Jesus pushes the way we do almsgiving; He wants us to see him in the the poor and the abandoned.  He himself is the poor man. Third, our motivation is to transcend.  But in the world of prayer, it is not for show; God becomes the true reward for pr...

Preparing for Lent Mark 10:28-31 As we approach Ash Wednesday, let us remember that this is not a story of our sins; this is not even our asking for forgiveness.  A real preparation for Lent would be this: First, that we overwhelm ourselves with the love of Jesus.  Lent and Holy Week are simply about the never-ending love of Jesus, reflecting the Father's love to us and saving us in the process. Second, it is the story of the life that Jesus offers.  Those who leave home for him will receive a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land... oblation is a story of life and fruitfulness. Third, it is a story of Jesus' reflection of the Father - holiness, obedience - qualities that the old Adam destroyed.  And now, they are offered to us. Pray to embrace these things tomorrow and the entire Lenten season.

Solemn oath Mark 10:1-12 Among Filipinos, we are not fond of relying on our oaths.  We sometimes say, "I'm coming" but we don't.  We say, "I'll give a solemn promise" but that promised gets nailed down. But there is one Tagalog word that somehow encapsulates the real meaning of oath.  The word is "Bahala".  It is a shorter word for "Bathala"  which means "God".  When we say, "Bahala na", we're actually saying that we are letting God take over our lives because His word will be fulfilled.  But when we say "akong bahala", we're actually going back to the corrupted notion of an oath.  For an oath, to be binding, needs a divine witness; and only God is our witness. So stop giving solemn oath unless we mean it.  Let us leave it entirely to God to bless our solemn promise.

Fruitfulness Mark 8:14-21 We have seen fruits in the letter of St. James, by our actions pleasing to God, we are like first fruits of God's creation. Jesus in the gospel reminds the apostles of the fruits of the Pharisees in contrast with his fruits as reflected in the multiplication of the loaves. You will know a tree by its fruits.  There are two fruits, the fruits of life and the fruits of sin.  Let us focus on the fruitfulness of being servants of God.  These are: 1. Holy actions - God's son's and daughters reflect God's holiness in thought, word, and deed; this is in contrast with the open admittance of man's fallenness that he doesn't have any intention of rising from the state of fallenness. 2. many are saved - define salvation wholistically and integrally; not just spiritual salvation; and 3. the glory of God is revealed - every action, thought, or word gives testimony to the glorified Lord.

From little things... Mark 7:24-30 St. Therese of the Child Jesus was speaking of the Little Way.  If she could just offer even the smallest part of her life to God, she would experience heaven. "From little things, big things grow" so we came to know.  Each day is a little thing.  Whatever we do each day, even the little thing, accounts for so many when the time is ripe. "Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do it to me" points to the relational aspect of the faith. Finally, the smallest crumb of Eucharist contains the fullness of Jesus himself.  If in the Eucharist we cannot give ourselves, how can this whole world be sanctified.

Wisdom Mark 7:14-23 Is wisdom today a scarce commodity?  All people can have the gift of wisdom as Solomon has. Let's start with the the conventional definitions of wisdom.  It is knowledge gained by experience.  Life itself is a school where we learn the lessons of life.  We need the grace of the Lord to show us the way. Wisdom is also the natural ability to understand. In order to gain wisdom we need the following: knowledge, the heart to discern, and the right judgement untainted by evil intentions. In St. Ignatius' spirituality, he recommends that our decisions should be for the common good, for the salvation of others and for greater glory of God.  All these tie up harmoniously to produce good works on earth, the fruits of wisdom of God.

God's healing hands Mark 7:1-13 The main point of Solomon's prayer to God in the blessing of the temple is being humble to admit that even the structure he built is not worthy to be the dwelling place of the Lord; nevertheless, he asks humbly that the Lord hears the prayers of the people and forgive. Humility, mercy, and forgiveness are the keys to the very heart of God.  They are also the key to healing.  Humility is for us to accept that we have sinned before the Lord and tried to act as gods. To plea for God's mercy is to allow him to work in us because of deep compassion. To forgive is finally to heal us. In this feast of the Our Lady of Fatima, we commend all who are sick for healing.  Grant that we may have deep compassion and cause their healing also, only through the mercy of God.

Where does God dwell? Mark 6:53-56 The first reading mentions a thick cloud covering the Ark of the Covenant.  God sanctifies Solomon's gestures. Where things are made holy, God dwells. From the Churches to the byways and every place made holy, God dwells everywhere.  In God's creation, He dwells. He dwells in us.  by virtue of baptism, we are made holy.  We are the temples of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "Who are my mother and brothers and sisters?  He who does the will of my Father." Does God dwell in you?

Be catalysts Mark 6:1-6 The effects of sin are disastrous.  From one person's sins, the consequences are found in the whole community and in the young people.  This is social sin. But there is also social transformation. One has to start being a catalyst and question every ethics and morals.  The catalysts can also lead another to the light of truth.  catalysts can form a new social conscience.  Catalysts can use all creativity and use all resources to transform peoples. Yes, there is a culture of death.  But the culture of life is much more tremendous. Choose life.

Choose Life Mark 5:21-43 We may not know it, but the effects of sin are death and destruction but the way of the Lord leads to life. In order to have life and give life, let us learn from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The Father creates and sustains life; the Son brings us from death to life; and the Holy Spirit constantly brings life till we reach heaven. Choose life; choose God.

What lies in men's hearts? Mark 2:23-28 In the two readings, it is not through external manifestations that we are judged but by what is inside, for God looks into the heart. What lies in men's hearts? We somehow learned in theology that the root cause of man's sinfulness lies in that pure desire symbolized by the serpent.  Mankind's history is a history of God taming that desire after man disobeyed Him. But desires are neither good nor evil.  It is how man uses them that account for the good or evil in the world. We can use our desires to aim for the true, the good, and the beautiful.  For a saint who desires only what is good has the energy and life to do it. We can use our desires to see God and be created in his image and likeness. Third, we use our desires to lead people to heaven. Use that desire for good, God, and others.

The discerning heart Mt. 4, 12-17, 23-25 As we prepare to shift from Christmas to ordinary time, we prepare for the renewal of our baptism.  The Christmas decors may be kept but real Christmas is flowing in our hearts. The best way for Christmas to remain in our hearts is orient it to the discerning heart of Mary, "pondering all these things in her heart." What makes a discerning heart?  First orient that heart to Christ. Second, you will know in the heart which ones belong to Christ and which ones do not.  Test the Spirit; learn its fruits like the fruits harvested by Jesus - goodness and healing everywhere. Third, orient that heart to follow Christ and offer everything to him.

Experiencing Christmas everyday John 1:19-28 Like Mary, let us continue pondering on the wonders of Christmas. John in the first reading seems to be talking directly to a generation that has not seen Christ and yet have faith him. It may not be eye account of the Jesus but that which was taught to them is enough proof for the faith in Jesus to flourish. There are two sacraments that confirm this fact: baptism and confirmation.  In baptism, we are planted the seed of faith.  In confirmation, we are anointed to give witness to Jesus. Let us start anticipating what would happen to us after Christmas.  Let the graces of these sacraments plus the Holy Eucharist enliven our resolve to see Jesus in the sacraments and in us.  And everyday we shall experience the true meaning of Christmas!