Good Friday: The Costly Price of Justice and Mercy

GOOD FRIDAY 2019

YEAR OF THE YOUTH

April 19, 2019

JESUS, I trust in you!

Lent began with Jesus engaging in a fight with the devil as he fasted in the desert. The devil tried to dissuade him from fulfilling the Father’s will by seducing him with more convenient ways of acquiring glory and power. All Jesus had to do was to relinquish his divinity and kneel before the devil and the kingdoms of the earth will easily be given to him. But Jesus did not fall for this seduction because he knew himself and he knew who the devil was. He knows fully well that he is the Son of God sent by the Father to destroy the works of the devil his adversary.

He engaged in this spiritual battle and it was a very fierce one. In this battle, the Lord revealed to us the real ugly and deadly face of sin. Using the example of the Galileans executed by Pilate and the 18 people to perished at the collapse of the tower of Siloah, the Lord Jesus gave us a stern warning about the effects of sin: “If you do not repent, you will perish as they did.” Adam and Eve did not know better. They were easily deceived by the devil and so when they disobeyed, sin entered the world and together with sin entered death.

But in this battle, the Lord did not only warn us of the deadly effect of sin. In order to redeem us, he literally jumped into the devil’s lair. Today, the Lord allowed death to touch him. He, the sinless One, endured the wage of sin which is death. He did not sin. There was nothing in him to merit death. And yet, today, he died. He died for sins he did not commit. He died for sins which we committed. He died for the sins of the world.

It is easy to say that Jesus died in atonement for our sins. But it is only when we really meditate on his Passion…when we look at the sufferings he endured, it is only then that we will tremble at what we have done to him. That Negro spiritual song says it very well: “Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Oh, sometimes, it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” We look up to Jesus hanging on the Cross and we ask him: “Lord, who did this to you?” And when we look down, we see the hammer in our hands. And so, with hearts filled with remorse, we should rather say: “Were you there when I crucified my Lord?”

We rightly deserved to die in the very same way that the adulterous woman deserved to perish. We are guilty as charged. And yet, the Lord declares to us: “I do not judge you.” He does not point an accusing finger at us. Instead, willingly he opened his arms on the wood of the Cross to endure for us a death which is cruel and excruciatingly painful. Jesus bled to death. The medical term is “traumatic hemorrhagic shock.” We should have been on that Cross but he took it upon himself for us. He went to the very depth of death because what he did not assume, he did not redeem.

And so, after that long and difficult battle, Jesus declares his cry of victory: It is finished! Refusing the devil’s shortcut, Jesus fulfilled the Father’s will through that long and difficult suffering. He loved his own and now, he loved until the very end. It was a declaration of accomplishment. Jesus declares that he has completed the task. He did not leave any stone unturned. His humiliation undid the arrogance of Satan. His unconditional obedience atoned for the disobedience of Adam and Eve and all of us, their sons and daughters. Justice is satisfied. Now we can avail mercy and forgiveness.

And so, let us value the mercy that we receive. Never should we take for granted the forgiveness bestowed on us. Keep in mind that mercy is not cheap. Someone paid dearly for it to be given to us. After a few days of penance, many of us will surely be tempted to return to their former ways of life. Don’t! Resist the temptation! Do not treat forgiveness lightly. Remember the Lord’s suffering. Remember his sacrifice. Jesus paid dearly for it. “Remember that you were not bought at the measly sum of silver or gold, but at the price of the blood of Christ, the blood of a spotless and unblemished lamb.”

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Palm Sunday 2019: The Homage of Unconditional Obedience

PALM SUNDAY 2019

YEAR OF THE YOUTH

April 14, 2019

Jesus, I trust in you!

Our Lenten journey for this year began with the story of how the Spirit led Jesus to the desert to be tempted by the devil. There, the intention of the Incarnation was made clear: “That the Son of God appeared to destroy the works of the devil.” He engaged in a spiritual battle with Satan who sought to destroy man by seducing him to sin. Sin, which entered into the world through the disobedience of one man, must be destroyed through the obedience of the Son of God. Christ humbled himself by coming in human likeness and by his obedience until death, death on a Cross.

In the desert, the devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth which he would easily give Jesus if only he knelt to worship him. The Lord could have easily received power and glory from the devil but he refused to receive it from him. instead, in the garden, even though he was in so much agony that his sweat became like drops of blood, the Lord knelt and prayed to his Father: “Not my will but yours be done.” In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve refused God the homage of their unconditional obedience. They wanted to be like God by following their own will. They ate the forbidden fruit and through their disobedience, sin entered the world and together with sin entered death. Jesus offered to God what Adam and Eve refused to offer: the homage of unconditional obedience. He, who is God, emptied himself. He took upon himself the opposite direction which Adam and Eve aspired to take. Our parents aspired to be as great as God. Jesus went down to be a slave: “I am among you as one who serves.”

It is in the humiliation of the Cross that the Lord conquered the arrogance of Satan. By the depth of his suffering and humiliation, Jesus ended the reign of sin by invoking upon us the forgiveness of God: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” By enduring the agony of the Cross, Jesus satisfied the demands of justice He atoned for our sins. Thus, he is able to obtain the freedom of Barabbas. The Son of God liberated the criminal by dying in his stead. Rightfully did the thief say: “We have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” Because Jesus is without sin, he is able to atone for us. By atoning for our sins, he is able to give the repentant thief the promise: ‘Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

As Jesus was told by Satan to jump from the parapet of the temple, so now, he was dared: “If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.” But as he refused to jump from the top of the temple, so now he refused to come down from the Cross. He stayed on the Cross until he commended to the Father his spirit. He stayed on the Cross until he breathed his last. And so he glorified God. In doing so, he destroyed the work of the devil. The people who saw the spectacle returned home beating their breasts. By their repentance, they obtained mercy and forgiveness. Jesus brought back to God his prodigal children.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Raising children for God

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY C

YEAR OF THE YOUTH

DECEMBER 30, 2018

Jesus, I trust in you!

The issue of parental upbringing came to the fore with the bully video that went viral before Christmas. People began to ask: What happened to the kid that he grew up to be an arrogant bully? Public attention went to his parents. They began to ask: What kind of parenting did he receive? In fact, in a TV program, the bully’s father, apparently fed up by all these questions, texted the host: “Huwag mo akong turuan kung paano ko palalakihin ang aking anak.”

When Mary reproached (sumbat) Jesus for staying behind in Jerusalem without their knowledge, she gave Jesus the opportunity to teach about parenting. She said: “Son, why have you done this to us? Did you not know that your father and I searched for you with great sorrow?” Jesus said: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I have to be in my Father’s house?” Contrary to what many parents think that their children are theirs and that these are raised according to their own liking, Jesus, in these words, is telling Mary and Joseph: “I am yours but also not yours. I belong to you but also not to you. I belong to the Father and I must be found in my Father’s house. I must do what the Father sent me to do.”

Parents must always remember that their children are theirs but not totally theirs. They belong to the Father in heaven. “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called children of God.” God entrusted his children to them. Therefore, parents fulfill the role of stewards. They raise children not for themselves but for the Father. Dear parents, you are raising sons and daughters for God. Therefore, you do not raise your children to become like yourselves. You raise them to become like Jesus because Jesus is the Son of God and therefore, he is the model of all Christian children. Most parents want their children to grow up resembling themselves. No! Let your children grow up to resemble Jesus. Your ultimate goal is not to lead your children to a successful career. Your goal must be to help them become saints. If you really love your children, you want them to go to heaven for all eternity. Therefore, teach your children to do the Father’s business. Help them discern the Father’s will at all time. “We keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And his commandment us this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us.” In the end, when you bring up God-fearing children, you will have loving children.”

Bring your children to the temple as Hannah did to Samuel and offered him to God’s service. Bring them to the temple as Joseph and Mary did to Jesus. Teach them to worship God and they will be blessed: Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord. Teaching them to love God will eventually lead the way to real obedience to you. Jesus went down to Nazareth and was obedient to them because he understood that his obedience to his human parents expressed his obedience to his heavenly Father. When children are raised up to become like Jesus, they grow up like him: advanced in wisdom and age and in favor before God and men.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Christ's Glory is his Cross

PRAISED BE JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH!

The Sanctuary at Passiontide

The sanctuary looks gloomier today on account of the veiling of the crucifixes and sacred images. Once more we are reminded of the proximity of Holy Week. In the old calendar, we used to say that we have entered Passiontide. This means that we begin commemorating the sufferings of our Savior. Therefore, we mourn over his suffering and death. We also mourn for our sins which brought him to suffering.

But for our Lord, the approach of the days of his suffering is not an occasion for sadness. He said: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” What to the world seem to be days of pain and sorrow, to the Lord, these are days of glory. Again, the Lord upsets the thinking of the world. “Glory” means honor, public praise, and fame. Thus, to the world, it would mean popularity and public adulation. But to the Lord, it would mean humiliation and suffering. In other words, the glory of Christ is the Cross.

The Cross is the glory of Christ. It is the way by which he glorifies the Father. it is the way by which he is glorified by the Father. “Son though he was, he learned obedience by what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” The Son of God glorified his Father by obediently accepting even death, death on the Cross. Every living being values its survival.  But when the Lord obeyed his Father unto death, he gave greater importance to his Father than to his own life. He surrendered his will to the will of his Father. He offered his life because he loves the Father. In this way, his death becomes lifegiving. Losing his life, Jesus gave life to the world. He is the grain of wheat that falls to the earth and dies in order to bear much fruit. And he challenges us to imitate him: “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world preserves it for eternal life.” St. Teresa of Jesus takes the image of the worm which weaves a cocoon of silk around itself. In this cocoon, the worm dies in order to be transformed into a butterfly. So it is which anyone whose life is hidden in Christ. He dies to his own will and in doing so, he conforms himself to the will of God. He dies to his own self and in doing so, he is transformed into the likeness of Jesus. “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my Father be. The Fath

er will honor whoever serves me.”

The Father honored Jesus by declaring that he is well pleased with the Son whom he loves. Because Jesus humbled himself and obediently accepted death on the Cross, God highly exalted him and gave him a Name which is above all other names. He draws all people to his Son who was lifted up on the wood of the Cross.  If we are to follow Jesus, we are to follow him along the same way of the Cross. If we are to serve him, we will serve him by our self denial. “Therefore, take courage,” says St. Teresa, “Let us…weave this little cocoon by getting rid of our self-love and self-will, our attachment to any earthly thing, and by performing deeds of penance, prayer, mortification, obedience…Let it die; let this silkworm die…And you will see how we see God, as well as ourselves placed in his greatness, as is this little silkworm within its cocoon…When the soul is truly dead to the world, a little white butterfly comes forth.” Jesus was made perfect by what he suffered. In like manner shall we be transformed if we deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him.

Jesus, I trust in you. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

The Lowliness of God

PRAISED BE JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH!

The angel was sent to Mary and greeted her: Hail! Full of grace! The Lord is with you! He did not greet her with the usual Shalom – peace be with you – but with the Greek word “chaire” which literally means “rejoice!” Pope Benedict says: “This exclamation from the angel marks the true beginning of the New Testament.” The New Testament begins with this word: Rejoice!

Gabriel’s greeting to Mary reminds us of the prophecy of Zephaniah 3:14-17: “Rejoice, daughter of Zion; shout, Israel…the King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst.” In this prophecy, the reason for the rejoicing of the daughter of Zion is that “the Lord is in your midst.” Literally, it means “the Lord is in your womb” alluding to a passage in the Book of Exodus which speaks of God dwelling in the ark of the Covenant as dwelling “in Israel’s womb” (Ex 33:3 and 34:9)

Thus, Mary appears as the Daughter of Zion in person. The prophecies are fulfilled in her as she becomes the Ark of the Covenant in which the Lord takes up his dwelling. “The Holy Spirit will come down upon you, and the Power of the Most High will overshadow you.” The words of the angel reminds us of the Shekinah, the thick cloud which descended on the Temple in order to hide and point out the presence of the Lord at the same time. it is with such terms that the Incarnation is described. As the presence of the Lord descended upon the temple, so does the Spirit of God descends upon Mary. As the Lord takes up his dwelling in the Temple, so does the Son of God take up his dwelling in the womb of the Virgin. This is the reason why we must rejoice. Never has God been closer to man. He literally pitched his tent among us by assuming human flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mother. He chose to come down from heaven. He chose to become man. He chose to dwell in Mary’s womb. He chose to do all these “for us men and for our salvation.” The Incarnation is definitely the manifestation of God’s tender love for us. Now we definitely know that God loves us. He sent us his Son to save us. In the Incarnation, God says “yes” to man.

However, the Incarnation is definitely God’s gift which he offers and which Mary must accept. It was a tremendous gift that placed itself at the disposal of human freedom. He did not force himself. He had to knock at Mary’s door. He had to wait for Mary to open that door and welcome him in. His power is tied to the “yes” of a human being. Here God humbles himself before a humble Virgin. Mary becomes mother through her “yes.” She declares: “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word.” She said “yes” to the “yes” of God. She accepts the Word. She opens the door to him and welcomes him. Through her obedience, the Word entered into her and became fruitful in her. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. The all-powerful Word, through whom everything was created and by whom everything exists, makes himself so small in order to dwell in Mary’s womb. He emptied himself and took upon himself the form of a human slave, the form of a little child in Mary’s womb. The Creator dwells in his creature. Mary declared her lowliness. God made himself ever lowlier. And so began the work for our salvation.

Jesus, I trust in you. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Rantings on Liturgical Music

I offered a Requiem Mass (in the ordinary form) at a wake earlier. Before the Mass, the members of the choir approached me to ask if they may sing the responses at the Mass. "Old translation or new translation?" I quickly asked. "The old, father," the leader said, "we have not yet updated ourselves." I was disappointed with the answer as the implementation in the Philippines of the new English translation of the Roman Missal was a year behind the implementation in most English speaking countries.

I ask: Why is it that in spite of the formation given by the Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, choirs still insist on singing the responses in the old translation? If the priests are obliged to use the new translation, why should the noncompliance of the choir be toleration. I think that insisting on using the text of the old translation is really arrogance. If priests must follow rules, why shouldn't the choir? Also, in the Philippines, certain compositions paraphrased the official text. This is the bad case of lyrics adjusting to the melody. Why should the text suffer just so that the composition may fit into the melody? Is the liturgical text the servant of the music? I don't think so! The music is the servant of the liturgical text. Fine! "Mundo" and "sanlibutan" might be synonyms. But the official text of the Agnus Dei in Tagalog is "Kordero ng Diyos na nag-aalis ng mga kasalanan ng SANLIBUTAN" and not "Kordero ng Diyos na nag-aalis ng mga kasalanan ng MUNDO..." I think that composers of liturgical music must have the humility required to make their compositions submissive and faithful to the liturgical text.

In the extraordinary form, these things I speak of are not problems!

Also, I ask: Can't the choir prepare a repertoire appropriate for a Requiem Mass? If the bereaved family requires the services of a priest for a Requiem Mass, I think that it will be inappropriate for the priest to preach a wedding homily. He is expected to speak on the reality of the four last things. If this were the case, then would it be too much to expect from the choir to sing songs appropriate for the occasion? Why should the choir have a greater license than the priest? Everybody involved in the Sacred Liturgy ought to have the humility required to submit the self to liturgical laws. The liturgy is not ours. It belong to Christ. It belongs to the Church.

Self-denial according to St. Faustina

The Lord's way is one of self-denial. What does self-denial mean? I was browsing over the pages of St. Faustina's diary and I found something worth our consideration:

1. The denial of my reason. Subjecting it to the reason of those who represent God to me on earth.

2. The denial of my will. Doing the will of God, which is revealed in the will of those who represent God to me and which is contained in the rule of our order.

3. The denial of my judgment. Accepting immediately and without reflection, analysis or reasoning all orders given by those who represent God to me.

4. The denial of my tongue. I will not give it the least bit of freedom; but in one case only I will give it complete freedom; that is, in proclaiming the glory of God. Whenever I receive Holy Communion, I will ask Jesus to fortify and cleanse my tongue that I may not injure my neighbor with it. That is why I have the greatest respect for the rule which speaks about silence.

(St. Faustina, Diary, 375)

Bishop's Homily on Transfer of Assignments

When we first decided on this day, August 29, 2011, as the day for the public announcement of the new assignment, we were all amused when one of the priests said that this day is the memorial of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. The amusement seemed to be over the fact that a new assignment was sort of like an execution: “parang pupugutan ng ulo.” Despite the jokes, I think that this feast is a very appropriate time to talk about new assignments.

A few months ago, we had Bishop Ambo David, auxiliary bishop of San Fernando, as our guest in our monthly clergy formation. He gave a commentary on the story of the execution of St. John the Baptist. He said that this was not just the story of the Baptist’s martyrdom. It was not just about John the Baptist being decapitated. It was also about the Johannine community losing John the Baptist as the head of their community. “When (John’s) disciples heard about (the execution of John), they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.” Afterwards, they went to Jesus. Here the words of the Baptist came to be fulfilled: “He must increase; I must decrease.” By his martyrdom, St. John the Baptist delivers his community to Jesus. From this day forth, Jesus will be the head of the community. “He is the head of his body, the Church,” St. Paul would later on teach in his rich theology on the Mystical Body.

In this light we look at the new assignment of our parish priests in the diocese. For many of you, the past six years have been the occasion to forge friendships with your respective parish priests. You benefited from their preaching and guidance. You were blessed by the sacraments they celebrated. But now, your parish priests have to move on to new assignments. You yourselves will have to welcome new pastors. The attachment to the persons of our parish priests might hinder us from recognizing the fact that the Lord Jesus is the head of the Church. The parish is not the parish priest’s flock. Rather, it is part of the flock of Christ. We priests care for our respective parishes without owning them. “God’s flock is in your midst. Give it a shepherd’s care. Watch over it as God would have you do,” said St. Peter.

John the Baptist did not lose his head. He willingly gave it up for the Lord. I find it significant that this is what the promise of obedience really is. When you, my dear priests, were ordained, you made a promise of obedience to your ordinary. You willingly surrendered your individual plans, your dreams, your independence. You are submitting everything that should transform you into self-made men to the will of your bishop. You have so opted to find your self-fulfillment not in your own will but in the will of Christ as expressed in your bishop’s will. Like John the Baptist, you are not losing your head. You, in a sense, gave it up so that you might have the mind of Christ. The promise of obedience might sound good in theology but it is in moments like a transfer of assignments that the promise is put to the test. Understanding our human inclination to hold on to what we have been accustomed to, the exercise of obedience to your bishop is a real experience of self-denial. It is a true martyrdom, an authentic witness to Christ whose food is to do the will of the One who sent him.

And on this second transfer, I am humbled as your bishop by your heroic obedience, my dear priests. I was truly edified by the assurance of your obedience: “I want to glorify God,” so you said. A bishop could not ask for more. Thank you, dear priests. Thank you for your availability. Thank you so much. I am honored by the fact that I am bishop to priests who truly have the mind of Christ.

John the Baptist glorified Christ with his martyrdom. Let us glorify him with the witness of our obedience. In this way, we live out the true identity of the priest as alter Christus – the Christ who glorified the Father by saying: “Not my will but your will be done!”