Pisbuk

Hindi sukat akalaing makikita kong muli ang mukha niya. Mukhang kapiling sa mga sandaling hinahatak ng mabagal na panahon, mukhang kasama sa mga araw na walang nasisilipang liwanag, mukhang kagabay sa mga gabing umalingawngaw ang mga huni ng lamok na di napuksa ng kapirangot na Katol.

Facebook ang daliring nagturo sa akin. At sa tanglaw ng kanyang larawan, naalala ko ang mga panahong saksi sa kaligayahang dulot lamang niya. Suot ko noon ang itim na Chinese shoes na may punit sa dulo at pantalong napakaluwang na sa bawat hakbang ay hinahalukay at winawalisan ang mabatong kalsada.

Maraming nahuhumaling sa Facebook dahil maraming maaaring gawin dito. Maari mong ipaalam kung ano ang ginawa, ginagawa o gagawin mo. Dito pumapasok ang mga natutunan ko sa Balarilang Pilipino: ang banghayin ang Pangnagdaan, Pangkasalukuyan at Panghinaharap. Maari mo ring sulatan ang iyong kaibigan, o ipabatid sa buong mundo ang pinagusapan ninyo. At lalong lalo pa, alam ng mga kaibigan mo kung sino ang mga idinagdag mong kaibigan o kung sino ang mga malapit sa iyo.

Hindi lang iyan. Maari mo ring ipakita ang iyong mga larawan sa bahay, adhikain sa buhay, katanungan sa isipan at palaisipan sa katanungan. Maari mong ipaalam kung sino ang hinahangaan mo o kung sino ang humahanga sa iyo.

Maraming laruan din sa Facebook. Farmville ang pinakasikat sa ngayon. At tulad ng isang bukirin, may sari-saring tanim, hayop, at paraan ng pag-aani. Mayroon ding mga regalo kung minsan. Tupa, hayop, tanim at marami pang iba. Tao lang ang hindi maaring ipamigay. Parang katulad din nito ang Country Story. May mga bahay din, tanim at alagang hayop. Mayroon ding Café World. Maari kang magluto, maghanap ng panghalo, mag-alok ng kakain sa niluto at marami pang ibang gawin maliban sa tunay na pag-inom ng kape.

Mayroon ding Mafia War na nagpapakita ng iba’t ibang armas na mga pawing pamatay tao. Maari mong himukin ang kaibigan mo na maging kalaban, sapat na dahilan na alisin sa Facebook kung palagi kang talunan.

Maihahalintulad sa simbahan natin ang Facebook. Nagkakaibigan, may ugnayan, may iba’t ibang galaw. Nagpapabatid, nagpaparamdam, nakikiramdam. Nakikialam, nag-aalala, magkakakilala. At kung tutuusin, ang pinagkakaguluhan ng karamihan ngayon ay katulad din ng mga ginawa ng ating mga ninuno noon: ang magtanim, magkape, maghakot ng armas.

Sa lahat ng mga laruan at gawain sa Facebook, tulad din ng mga pangkaraniwang laruan at mga gawain natin, iisa lang ang puhunan--oras na mahalagang bigay, oras na dagliang lumilipas. Hindi naman masama kung mahumaling sa Facebook. Ang kailangan lang ay tamang pagitan at pagsasaayos ng nararapat.

Halimbawa, sa halip na taniman sa computer, maaaring taniman sa puso ng bawat isa. Sa halip na paglalagay ng update kung ano ang pangkasalukuyang gawa, maaaring update sa Diyos tungkol sa ating kawanggawa. Sa halip na nakatungaga sa harap ng computer, maaaring nakaharap sa Diyos, ang tunay na Facebook, dahil Siya ang dakilang Mukha. Ginawa niya tayo, ang kanyang mga dakilang aklat.

Dahil kung iisiping maige, ang buhay natin ay aklat Niya, ang mukha natin ay kawangis Niya.

Kung parehas lang nga ba ang panahong nailaan natin sa mga makabagong laruang ito at sa mga panahong laan natin sa Kanya, mababago ang mundo. Tulad din ng mga sandaling larawan niya ay nakita ko, naging kaibigan ko siyang muli at nabagong muli ang mundo ko.

Pisbuk. Mukha at Aklat. Tayo at Niya.

Wala ng ako.

25 November 2009

Giving

A businessman who needed millions of dollars to clinch an important deal went to the church to pray for the money. By chance, he sat next to a man who was praying for $100 to pay an urgent debt. The businessman took out his wallet and pressed $100 into the other man's hand. Overjoyed, the man got up and left the church. The businessman then closed his eyes and prayed: "And now, Lord, that I have your undivided attention . . ."

It may sound selfish for the businessman to pray that way, but this story illustrates two things: God answered the man’s prayer about his debt and he used a businessman for it.

This is similar to the story about the two boys who had a sleepover at their Grandma’s house. The older one prayed about everything he had done that day. And when it was the younger one’s turn, he prayed much louder than his elder brother did, he prayed for bikes and toys. When he finished the older brother asked him, "Why are you praying so loud? God is not deaf!" The younger son said, “I know but Grandma is."

In today’s Gospel, Jesus was watching the collections, which proves that He is a Catholic by the way, when He noticed a widow who gave two and he made her the example of total giving. The disciples were still hesitant to give them their all. They even dissuaded him from embracing his death on Calvary. And even with the story of this widow, they even abandoned Jesus in his hour of need that Good Friday.

But, they knew that they counted. As Jesus relied on the example of the widow, so did He trust in the faith and commitment of his disciples after His resurrection. We all know the rest of the story because down through the history of the Church and the world, we have known of men and women who had given their all. They lived and died for Jesus.

Giving everything, giving our all reminds me of the romantic notion of love. Love means promising the moon and the stars. It conveys promising the future. Things change when reality sets in. The stars and the moon remain out of reach. The future may look grim as the present.

This is when true and mature love is found and commitment is tested. Love is essentially letting go and letting be and that is how the widow felt. She gave everything for God because God gave her everything. Whenever we give something for God or for the Church, not only do we appreciate our blessings and thus we share, but we also tell him that he will provide and that we have full trust in his goodness and providence.

There is no measurement in God’s blessings. His Son is His greatest gift. Whatever we can offer may look insignificant, but Jesus notices anything that we give. When we ask ourselves, “How much we give?” we must also ask, “How much should I keep?” It is all right to keep some money for our needs. However, we cannot give God our leftovers.

Every Sunday is a challenge for us to give not just for the church, the parish and the school. Every Sunday is also an invitation to give a little bit more of our time for God, a little bit more of our involvement with the parish. A little bit of our time for God does not take much. Stay a little bit after Mass. Do not rush and leave after Communion. Judas did and he ended in despair. Or perhaps, an hour every week before the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus wants us to watch with him even for just an hour. He wants us to speak to Him and listen to Him because He knows us.

A little bit of your involvement also does not take much. There are so many persons here who do not want to be known, but I know the ordinary, but valuable things they do in caring for the sick, the hungry, the lost, the impatient, the elderly and the forgotten. Get involved in the different ministries we have. Do something productive.

It does not matter whether what we give is large or small. What matters is the gift of our selves. It is when we open ourselves to God that we mirror His providence. It is when we share ourselves to God that we truly become his children. It is when we give ourselves to God that we reflect His presence.

8 November 2009

Become

A lawyer named Strange died, and his friend asked the tombstone maker to inscribe on his tombstone, "Here lies Strange, an honest man, and a lawyer."

The inscriber insisted that such an inscription would be confusing, for passersby would tend to think that three men were buried under the stone. However he suggested an alternative:

He would inscribe, "Here lies a man who was both honest and a lawyer." That way, whenever anyone walked by the tombstone and read it, they would be certain to remark: "That's Strange!"

The fear of death can only be transcended by the strength of our faith. For a person who believes in a God who was raised from the dead, death has no meaning but life. St. Paul asked in his letter to the Corinthians where the sting of death lies and where the victory of the grave exists. No place answered that question than the empty tomb on Easter morning.

It is easier to believe, even in questions about death, when we feel that we belong, for it is when we belong that we learn how to trust. In an age where we find less privacy in our lives because of the cyberspace, it is ironical that we know nothing more about ourselves and something more about others.

The travels and trips we shall take this Thanksgiving, the journey to the place we call our home, the yearning in our hearts to nest and settle in places we find consolation and comfort are manifestations of our sense of belonging. It is in these places that we first learned how to trust, that our parents taught us to believe, that we will enduringly belong.

If all of us believe in life after death, if all of us believe that we belong to God, who is living and alive even we are dying and dead, then we need to become. Becoming is the ultimate point of believing and belonging. Something else should happen when we believe. Something else should come about whenever we belong.

The Sacraments are realities of our becoming. We become a new creation through the Sacrament of Baptism. We become new missionaries through Confirmation. We become anew through the Sacrament of Penance. We become what we eat, one body and one blood, through the Sacrament of the Eucharist. We become one person through Matrimony, and those in Holy Orders become new agents for Christ upon their ordination. And we become one with the healing and forgiving ministry of Jesus in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.

This is also the time to be reminded about the Beatitudes, our ideal and guide. When we embrace the counter cultural call of the beatitudes, then we become.

In our world where happiness for the lowly, the pure of heart, the meek, the sorrowful, the merciful, the peacemakers and those who work for justice is seldom found, in the next world where there is no escape, blessedness inhabits, dwells and resides.

That is what the saints tell us. They also found it difficult to become the Beatitudes. They also found it hard to be merciful and peacemakers, to be poor in spirit and clean of heart. But, in their ordinary, perhaps humdrum life, they believed in God and in God they felt that they belonged.

All of us are called to be saints not only because we believe or because we belong. We are all called to be saints because we need to become who we are, as Jesus said, “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

How can we be perfect then? How can we be saints? Mother Teresa said it best when she shared that we are not expected to perform great deeds, only small things but with great love.

Love established who we are. It defined our belief. It led us to belong. And love, through ordinary actions, will help us become saints where we began as sinners, saints struggling like you and me, saints in the company of God forever.

That will never be strange.

1 November 2009

Angie and Bart

What happened in 1959? Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the Union. Pope John XXIII announced that Elizabeth Ann Seton would be the first American born saint. Paul Anka popularized two songs that became hits: Just a Lonely Boy and Put your Head on my Shoulder. The Barbie Doll, pantyhose and Spandex were introduced. And on the same day that Bart and Angie were married, riots break out in the Belgian Congo. No relation.

Back in the Philippines, the Araneta Coliseum was opened that year. President Jose Laurel died. Carlos Garcia was the President. The Catholic Bishops proclaimed that year as Mission Year in the Philippines. Pitong Gatang and Kundiman ng Lahi were the big movies. And, ten days after Bart and Angie were married, local and senatorial elections were held. No relation.

What happened in 2009? Barack Obama was inaugurated as President. Michael Jackson died. The top three songs are Fireflies, Watchasay and Down. The top three movies are Transformers 3, Half Blood Prince and Up. And, as we speak, Luzon is being battered by Tropical Storm Santi. Again, no relation to Bart and Angie.

What is most interesting to note, however, is that Bart and Angie are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary during this Year for Priests. As a priest united them before God, so today, as their priest-friends, we will once again witness their renewal of vows.

The Sacrament of Holy Orders and the Sacrament of Marriage have many things in common. In both sacraments, we have excitement and anticipation, fun and engagement, problems and worries, procreation and glories, consecration and consummation, union and communion. Two words can make or unmake a priest or a married couple: sacrifice and surrender.

There is sacrifice in giving one’s life for the sake of the Gospel and there is sacrifice in giving one’s future for the sake of the beloved. There is also surrender in sharing one’s past, present and future for the interests of the one beloved. There is also surrender in sharing one’s yesterday, today and tomorrow for the interests of the one loved.

Angie and Bart, I know why you are here before God thanking Him for all the blessings you had for the past decades, glorifying Him for the happiness brought by the children you partnered with God: Jennifer, Dennis, Cathy, praising Him for the gift of life, health and love you are continually enjoying.

These are some of the reasons. You have surrendered. You have sacrificed. Because you have loved. You have trusted each other. You remained committed to one another. Because you have remained in love. You were patient with each other. You encourage one another. Because you have been and are in love.

Knowing you both is an inspiration for me. Your love and commitment to each other is a great reminder for me in my priestly life. Unlike single people like me who will spend a lot of time in purgatory, I know that many of our married couples will shoot up to heaven when they die. And we all know why. Because they have already spent their purgatory, well for some their hell, on earth.

Some of us knew what happened in 1959. All of us are still living the rest of 2009. What is it going to be in 2059? We never know. But right now, all our prayers, wishes, greetings and blessings are with Angie and Bart.

Robert Frost wrote a poem titled “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” And I would like to share it with you as you journey with commitment to love and cherish until we all see God face to face.

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

31 October 2009

Endangered Species

In many ways, we are like Bartimaeus, the blind beggar. In our complacency, a few of us are sitting by the roadside and waiting for Jesus to pass by. In our repentance, some of us are begging Jesus to have pity upon us. And in our blindness, most of us are asking Jesus to help us that we may see things as they really are.

To see and face ourselves as we are and to embrace the realities of life are difficult things to do. Although we are not physically and spiritually blind, there are times when we cloud our vision and distract our senses in our effort to mask reality and make it conform to our needs and wants.

Like the blind beggar, we seek to correct our vision. Some of us could be either farsighted, that is having difficulty in seeing objects up close or nearsighted, where close objects are seen clearly, but objects farther away appear blurred. It is this nearsightedness, this myopic vision that I would like to alert you. We need the voice of Bartimaeus that we may find our way to the future of our faith.

It is probably not coincidental that we also celebrate today World Priesthood Day. Last June, Pope Benedict proclaimed this year to be a Year for Priests. Moms get one day in May. Dads get one day in June. What do priests get? A year. Before I got carried away with this thought though, I suddenly remembered that this year in the Chinese calendar is also the Year for the Ox, the Year for the Bull. There is no correlation, however.

Only a handful would consider being a priest. A year before I was ordained a priest, our seminary class had T-shirts made with the imprint: Expectant Fathers. Twenty years away from that, I am thinking of having another T-shirt made with this printed: Endangered Specie.

If I may presume, there is only a handful among us here, if ever, who probably have asked our son or our grandson in thinking about the priesthood. If I may assume, there is only a handful among us here, who are doing something about the shortage of vocations to the religious life and to the priesthood.

I can relate with your hesitance. At first, my father was also against my decision about the priesthood. And, I can relate with your reluctance to address vocations because there are several arguments about living the life of a priest. If you are a priest, you cannot marry. My answer to that is I am a priest and I am married. I am married to the Church. And I am blessed to have the Bishop as my good father-in-law.

If you are a priest, you will not be wealthy. My answer to that is I am already wealthy, because I do not need much. Poverty is not how much you have, but how much you need. A rich man may still be poor if his needs are many. And the best thing for me as a priest is that my retirement pay is out of this world.

If you are a priest, you cannot have children. My answer to that is I have children, lots and lots of them. That is why you call me Father, although some of you are older than me. Acting in the person of Christ, I am your spiritual father. And if you had been a father, you would know how a father feels when he talks about his children.

Had I not been a priest, I would not have the joy of seeing newlyweds promising to love forever in the Sacrament of Marriage, the happiness of baptizing your children, the humility of granting you absolution in the Sacrament of Penance, the unique privilege of celebrating Mass for your needs and the hope of healing the sickness of your loved ones and uniting their souls to God in the Sacrament of the Anointing. And had I not been a priest, I would not have the blessing of being assigned here at St. Charles Borromeo.

We need to duplicate our prayers with our actions. Pray not just for more priests, but pray for better priests. We can help vocations by supporting our Catholic school, our Religious Education programs and our parish. From good Catholic students come good parishioners. From good parishioners come good priests. The Serra Club has also started the Chalice Program in our parish this weekend. Be that family who will host the chalice blessed by Bishop Smith. Be that family who will pray for vocations. Be that family who will pray for the future of our Church.

So that when Jesus heals our vision and clears the clouds in our eyes, he will also tell us like he told Bartimaeus to go our way because our faith has saved us. And once we receive our sight, just like the blind beggar did, be able to follow Jesus on the way.

25 October 2009

Pag-ibig

Nangatog ang aking mga tuhod at parang namalat ang aking lalamunan, hindi ko malaman kung ako ay namutla o namula, natulala o natawa, basta naalala ko na nakatuon ako sa kagandahan niya. Napahinto ata noon ang lahat ng mga orasan. Tumigil sa pag-ikot ang mundo. At habang tinitigan ko ang kanyang mga mata, sa aking mga labi lumabas ang mga katagang ito, “Noong una kitang masilayan, natakot akong ika’y hawakan. Noong una kitang hawakan, natakot akong ika’y halikan. Noong una kitang halikan, natakot akong ika’y mahalin. At ngayong kita’y minahal, natatakot akong ika’y mawala at di na masilayan. “

Mga katagang napulot ko sa isang aklat. Mga katagang ilang ulit na sinaulo sa mga gabing mukha niya lang ang laman ng aking mga panaginip. Mga katagang nagpahiwatig ng kumakalabog kong puso at humihiyaw na damdamin.

Sabi nila, nakakatuwa daw ang pag-ibig. Nakakatuwa nga lalo na kung iniibig ka rin ng iyong napupusuan. Ngunit kung walang bahid ng kasagutan sa iyong mga karaniwang tanong, kung walang pagmalasakit sa iyong kaunting pagmakaawa, kung walang kibo sa iyong di mabilang na panaghoy, walang katuwaan sa pag-ibig. Hindi ito pag-ibig, kundi pagpakamatay.

Mahirap ang umibig. Mahirap ang magmahal. Ngunit mas mahirap magkunwaring walang minamahal. Mas mahirap ikubli ang pintig ng puso kapag kaharap na ang minamahal. At karaniwan ganito ang nangyayari. Maraming nagkukubli. Maraming nagkukunwari. Maraming nagbabalatkayo.

Kaya siguro malungkot tingnan ang mundo kahit na nagkalat ang di mabilang na kagandahan nito. Kaya siguro maraming naghihirap sa mundo kahit na di mabilang ang kayamanan nito. Kaya siguro maraming nawawalan ng pag-asa sa mundo kahit na di mawari ang liwanag ng kabutihan nito.

Kung talagang mahal mo ang isang tao, ipakita mo. Iyan ang dahilan kung bakit mabenta ang mga tsokolate, bulaklak, singsing at kung anu-ano pang nagpapahiwatig na mahalaga sa iyo ang isang tao.

Hindi lang bagay kundi oras din ang maaring ibigay. Oras na nakalaan para lang sa kanya. Oras na napapabilis ang takbo sa mga sandaling kapiling mo siya. Oras na mas mahalaga pa sa isang dakot na tsokolate, isang basket ng bulaklak, isang dosenang singsing.

Ipinakita ng Panginoong Hesus ang kanyang pagmamahal sa iba’t ibang pamamaraan, sa iba’t ibang bagay, sa iba’t ibang tao, at sa iba’t ibang gawain. Mahal niya ang tao, mahal niya tayo. Ipinakita niya ang kanyang pagmamahal at pag-ibig ng labis pa sa libu-libong tsokolate, tone-toneladang bulaklak at milyon-milyong singsing.

Minarapat niyang manaog sa lupang gawa upang mabigyang saksi niya ang pagkawanggawa. Nanirahan siya sa bahay bata ng Kanyang Inang si Maria upang mabigyang panahon niya ang pagbibigay buhay ng bawat ina at amang likha niya. At sa kanyang kamatayan ay nadama ang kaganapan ng pag-ibig na kanyang inialay.

Mangatog man ang ating mga tuhod, mamalat man ang ating mga lalamunan, mamula man tayo o mamutla, matulala man o matawa, pilit pa rin ang panaghoy ng Panginoon sa kagandahang likha niya—ang taong binigyan niyan ng buhay, ang taong matagal at palagian niyang iniibig.

Nagkaroon ng tao dahil sa pag-ibig ng Diyos. Buhay ang supling ng pag-ibig. At sa bawat pag-iisang dibdib at pagtatalik, sa bawat pagsasama at pag-ugnay, sa bawat pagsiping at pagkakaisang katawan at katauhan, may nabubuong panibagong buhay.

Sa paglipas ng panahon at pagdami ng lahi, isang tawag lang ang namumutawi sa labi ng Dakilang Pag-ibig—na kinakailangan tayong magmahal at umibig.

Nakakatuwa man o hindi.

2 October 2009

Q and A

A drunk that smelled like a brewery got on a bus one day. He sat down next to a priest. The drunk's shirt was stained, his face was full of bright red lipstick and he had a half-empty bottle of wine sticking out of his pocket. He opened his newspaper and started reading. A couple minutes later, he asked the priest, "Father, what causes arthritis?" "Mister, it's caused by loose living, being with cheap, wicked women, too much alcohol, and contempt for your fellow man," the priest replied.

"Imagine that," the drunk muttered. He returned to reading his paper. The priest, thinking about what he had said, turned to the man and apologized: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come on so strong. How long have you had arthritis?" "I don't have arthritis, Father," the drunk said, "but I just read in the paper that the Pope does."

It always pays to find out why the question is being asked. The disciples were eyewitnesses to all the miracles that Jesus did. They listened to him with such awe and admiration that their lives were dramatically changed. They followed him because they knew Jesus was unique and special.

Jesus wanted to know whether in their heart they really knew him. If their eyes prevented them from seeing what was beyond ordinary, at least their hearts would feel something. Jesus assumed that their minds may forget, but their hearts will always remember.

“Who do you say that I am?” he asked them. It is like asking the question, “How well do you really know me?” Or “Who am I to you?” Most of them gave different answers. Except for Peter who told Jesus, “You are the Christ.” The name Christ means Anointed, the Savior, the Messiah.

Peter believed in his heart that the Savior they had been waiting for centuries was Jesus. When Jesus told them about rejection, suffering and death, Peter began to rebuke our good Lord. With his good intentions, the Messiah Peter had in his mind was not the Messiah that Jesus was in his totality.

Turning around and looking at his disciples, He said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

Get behind because Peter was trying to get ahead of him. Get behind because Peter had forgotten that God should be first and him next. Get behind because he was getting ahead of God. And sadly, that is what many of us do. For some of us, God is secondary in our plans. Some of us live not according to God’s will, but according to what we want.
When we tend to get ahead of God, when we tell God what to do with our lives, when we complain and bicker at the sufferings we endure, the rejections we face, the death we fear, be reminded of what Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind me.”

Then Jesus told them about what it meant to be a disciple: denying oneself, taking up his cross and following him. It takes a process to follow him. There is a need first of all to let go of one’s ego. Those who are selfish and self-centered, Ego stands for Edging God Out. But to a follower of Jesus, Ego has a different meaning. It means Embracing God Only.

Then we have to take up our own cross, which is a voluntary choice. This is where the element of sacrifice comes in. Crosses are hard to bear and we need God to help us, weak human beings. The load is lightened in carrying our own crosses when we allow God’s grace to enter our lives. And His grace easily gets through whenever we love. Love can bear all things, even rejection, suffering, death.

Who is Jesus for us? The question was asked. What could be our answer? There was an old gentleman who was asked by his grandson, “How old are you, Grandpa?” He replied teasingly, "I am not sure." "Look in your underwear," he advised, "mine says I'm 4 to 6."

It is good to find out why the question is being asked. But, it is better to give the right answer when the question comes, “Who do you say Jesus is?”

13 September 2009