Led by the Children

(Some of the children who received their first Reconciliation [L-R]: Chiara, Megan, Reyna, and Mia)

A few weeks back, I was in church along with Chiara to join in their school's celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Chiara and other students/children parishioners will be receiving their first Holy Communion in May and so the parish and school organised this event where the children would make their first confession.  

During the meeting in preparation for this activity, the parish priest told us that we could accompany our children while they make their confession. Of course this was something new, not only for me but for other parents. In a way, it felt awkward.  On the day, the children were given the option of just being alone with the priest or being with their parents in front of the priest (Confession was face-to-face!).  If I am not mistaken, all children went to the priest on their own. When all kids were finished, the headteacher encouraged parents to avail of the sacrament.

Watching my child confidently approach the priest and make her first confession, I felt called to make my own confession. I approached Fr Anthony, the same priest who heard Chiara's confession.  As I sat next to him, he chuckled "I guess this is not your first confession." We both laughed briefly. After confessing to him, he asked me what is my favourite Bible verses. I told him "The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want". He  told me to take time to read and reflect on that. He also reminded me how God doesn't get tired of forgiving us.

Most of the time, we parents take the driver's seat. And yet, there are moments when we give that seat to someone else for them to take the lead. It happened on that memorable day in church when the children made me realize that God is our merciful Father who eagerly awaits our return. Sometimes, we adults tend to make excuses when it comes to going to confession. Excuses such as "The priest is only a human being like us. I can confess directly to God, can't I?"or "I am not prepared." come to mind.  For me, let's have an open mind about this sacrament. Christ instituted this for us, so why not accept it? Think of that thief dying on the cross. Surely he wasn't prepared for that encounter with Jesus. Touched by Christ's presence, he begged for forgiveness.  And forgiveness was granted him! Wouldn't Christ, through his priests, forgive us too when we receive this sacrament?

I hope and pray that these children will value their relationship with God and that they remain simple and humble so that they would continuously avail of this often forgotten sacrament; so that they would lead others to do the same.

I felt blessed to be in Chiara's first Reconciliation. I didn't only witness my daughter receiving God's forgiveness. She inspired me to receive it as well - a perfect opportunity this Lent! 

New Hands

Think of a challenging time in your life. You felt both helpless and hopeless, right? Suddenly your mother sees you and offers her hands for you to hold on to. How did it feel to hold on to your mother’s hands? It felt good, isn’t it? You feel consoled. You feel ready to face your challenge because you know that your mom is there for you.

Now look at the beautiful picture of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Look at how she offers her hands for the Child Jesus to hold on to. Strong was Mary's influence on Jesus that during His 3-year public ministry, His hands brought healing and forgiveness to all. 

It's been said that the hands are the most active and restless parts of our body. From the time we wake up till we go to bed, our pair of hands have been busy with a lot of things. We use our hands to work, to nurture our family, to tend to the needy, to communicate, and so on and so forth.

Unfortunately, there have been moments when these same hands have inflicted pain on others. We have used our hands to unjustly accuse others, to spread lies against them, to disrespect them, to point people away from the truth. 

This Lenten season, let's thank God for the gift of our mothers in whose hands we have found peace, strength, and hope. Let's thank God for the gift of our hands and ask Him to forgive us for those times when our hands caused suffering instead of blessing to others. Finally, let's ask for the grace to be the new hands of Jesus for a world in dire need of His love.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help, pray for us.

Thy Will Be Done

"Hanapin mo ang kalooban ng Diyos. Sabihin mo lagi 'Panginoon, ituro mo sa akin ang kalooban Mo'". (Search for the will of God. Always say, 'Lord teach me Your will') These were the words I would often hear from Lola Piling during my teenage years.  For some time, I would just let the words pass from one ear to another. Like any teenagers, I wanted to gain that independence, to seek my will and not someone else's. Such was my stubbornness that I didn't even bother to ask her what God's will is.  

One time, Ms. Melba Silvela, our Religion teacher in 4th year high school, asked us to write an essay. I can't remember now what the topic was all about, but I wrote something like it was God's will that something bad has happened (An earthquake perhaps? Mind you, there was an earthquake that hit Luzon that year).  Nanay Bang, as I now call this beloved teacher, read my paper aloud and corrected me. She said it wasn't God's will that calamities happen. Rather God permitted them to happen. So from then on, I learned that God's will isn't the same as God's permission; particularly that God won't will for His creation to be destroyed.

I continued to ask my peers (rather than my superiors). One classmate Fernando Lopez (not the former Vice President!) who once was a seminarian told me that God's will is in His 10 commandments. Later in college, when I was studying Ethics, I learned that to know God's will is to read the Scriptures. Finally, another ex-seminarian, told me that God's will can be discovered when you are at peace with your decisions.

We've often prayed "Thy will be done" without fully understanding nor sincerely seeking for it.  However, as a parent now myself, I realize the huge responsibility of raising my child as a good Christian. I dread the day Chiara might ask me what it is and I'll find myself dribbling my answer like a basketball. Worse, I might set a bad example to her (and to others). 

During Lola's final phone call to me and my siblings in Manila about 15 years ago, her last words to me were "Always communicate with God." What a perfect way to know the Lord's will than to communicate with Him!  

Lent gives us all that opportunity to have a hard look at our stubborn selves.  Is our will working? If not, then it's definitely time to try someone else's; someone who is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9). We may not find it straightaway and be perplexed like St Joseph when he discovered his future wife to be with child. But if we are humble and open like this son of David, we will soon discover what God really wants.

God's will may seem to be undrinkable like the cup of suffering that Jesus referred to in His agony in the garden (Matthew 26:39), but let us trust the Father the way Jesus did. Didn't Christ say that "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work." (John 4:34)?

Going back to Lola, she was a devotee of St Joseph. Her favorite color is green which is one of St Joe's symbolic color (the other being yellow). But beyond the green attire she wore, I found in her persona the true essence of being a devotee of this great saint: obedience to God's will.

Happy 100th birthday, Lola Piling! Thank you for your unfailing love and motherly guidance. Thank you for putting up with such a hard-headed grandson. Thank you for always reminding me with what matters most in being a Christian, in being a person.  Keep on inspiring us, keep on praying for us that our hearts too may always say "Thy will be done"!  Rest in God's abiding peace. I love you!

Finding our Image in the Darkness

We went shopping one Friday of Lent, two years ago.  We collected 2 portraits - our family's and Chiara's -  and then proceeded to buy some food. As it was Friday, we thought of eating some fish so we we put one on our trolley. (I can't remember now if it's salmon or trout or another specie.) We took some vegetables, fruits, and other provisions for the home.

The big shop was teeming with people - I even saw some colleagues from work or the parish.  People were stuffing their household for the weekend.

As we made our queue to pay for what we shopped, the lights went off.  In a few minutes, we were advised to leave the building, including what we were supposed to buy. Staff members guided shoppers as we made our way out.  Some even entertained questions. Some customers were lucky to go home with their purchased items. Others, like us, waited in the hope that power would return.  

As it was getting cold, we decided to stay in the car. Chiara was getting uneasy. "Are you hungry, baby?," I asked. She gave the affirmative. We went out and made our way to a small canteen located just next to this big shop. Strangely, the canteen has power!  While eating, we noticed some more shoppers making their way to the canteen too.  I was also keeping an eye should lights and all be back in the shop.  There was none. We decided to head home. 

Lent is a moment when we think of those times when we are in darkness.  Being in the dark can be scary. You thought you're already at the end of the tunnel, only to find out you have to keep going. You thought your prayers are already answered, only to discover that they weren't. You kept on hoping against hope.  

When we drove home from the shop, we thought we're leaving empty-handed. We realized we brought home our portraits, our images.  (Luckily, we have paid for these separately before we looked for other items.)  Our shopping wasn't in vain after all!

If we are tempted to give up, hang on for just a second!  We may seem to be empty-handed like the Prodigal Son.  But, we carry in us that portrait, that image of God (Genesis 1:27). This Lent, let's rediscover it. Let's appreciate it. Let's make it come alive so we can reach out to others who may also be in the dark like us and together move from darkness into the Lord's wonderful light (cf. 1 Peter 2:9)!

A blessed Lenten season to all!

***

For the record, I am not supporting moves calling for President Noynoy Aquino to step down from office.  I'm surprised that some men of the cloth have made this appeal. (Strangely, they didn't make a similar move when Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was in power.) While I agree with the view from some quarters that the country is in the dark brought about by the mis-encounter between the SAF and the MILF/BIFF in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last month, I believe that demanding P-Noy to step down will thrust our country more into the dark pit! 

Can we just slow down this Lent so we can listen more carefully to the signs of the times instead of calling for someone to resign? Can we just pause and let the darkness of Mamasapano strengthen us Filipinos - from the President to the youngest citizen - towards renewal and transformation (not the transformation these P-Noy bashers are campaigning for)?

Borne out of Poverty, Sustained by Prayer

In his Lenten message, Pope Francis urged the faithful to give up indifference so as to be more attentive to the needs of others. According to the Holy Father, it is when we live comfortably that "we forget about others." And when we do so, the pope continued,"our hearts grow cold."

Individualism has been the norm especially here in the West. To which, the Pope tells us " (Jesus) is interested in each of us; his love does not allow him to be indifferent to what happens to us." 

How interested are we in others? Interested not in the sense of being nosy, but in the sense that we are concerned about others' conditions. 

Just a day after Ash Wednesday, we'll be commemorating the 127th birth anniversary of the late Aurora Aragon-Quezon.  Mrs. Quezon was known for her humanitarian acts, particularly through her active participation in the Philippine Red Cross till her untimely death in 1949.  What motivated her to reach out to people? Was it power or prestige?  Surely, she was once the country's First Lady and was a prominent figure in society, but there is something deeper in her persona.

Born from a middle-class family in Baler, Aurora and her brood suffered poverty when her father was imprisoned and their properties were confiscated by the Spanish conquistadores. In his book "Aurora A. Quezon: Her Life and Deeds", Sol Gwekoh, the Quezons' biographer, wrote that the young Aurora and her siblings have to do menial jobs such as pounding rice, fetching water, etc. Her elders saw in her "an exceptional industry in the home and kindness towards her playmates and neighbors...she was...the personification of hope and faith!"

True, that hope and faith came alive when she formed the Baler Reading Circle and Library.  She wanted to train as a teacher, however she was forced to discontinue her studies due to her poor health. Nevertheless, she developed the habit of reading good books in various languages and shared her meager collection of books with her kababayans in Baler. Thus, the Baler Reading Circle and Library was born. It has been said that because of her generosity, her town mates were able to learn the rudiments of English.

Gwekoh also told a story about how Mrs. Quezon made an appeal to Governor General Frank Murphy on behalf of a Bilibid inmate on the verge of dying (She was not yet First Lady at that time). She was informed about the prisoner's condition - he was afflicted with tuberculosis and was not getting proper treatment. The prisoner was moved to a sanatorium; his treatment expenses were shouldered by Mrs. Quezon. 

When her husband became President in 1935, they opened the Palace to the less fortunate of Manila at Christmas to share a meal with them and give them packages of toys, clothes, etc. 

In another part of her biography, I note that it was Mrs. Quezon's practice to visit the poor districts of Manila especially Tondo and San Nicolas. Her biographer mentioned that she "...devoted her time to orphans and children...giving them food, clothing, and not infrequently money. She even sent these young boys and girls to school and defrayed their expenses." Gwekoh also mentioned how this great woman would arrange quietly the wedding ceremony of poor couples who could not afford to pay their marriage fees.

These are just a few of the many works of love, acts of care, endeavors of concern by Mrs. Quezon.  For me, they were borne not from power nor prestige, but from first hand experience of how it was to be poor.  If we are/have been poor, let that poverty inspire us to rise up and help others to do the same. If we are better off, we can be one with the poor by embracing a simple lifestyle. Living simply allows us to share so that, as the Canadian bishops once said, "other may simply live."

Doña Aurora's experience has been sustained by prayer, especially the Holy Mass.  Going back to Papa Francesco's message, he said "we become what we receive: the Body of Christ. In this body there is no room for the indifference which so often seems to possess our hearts." 

In our journey this Lent, let's be a new Aurora to others. Let's be that personification of hope and faith for the less fortunate.  

Doña Aurora, pray for us!

Me Time

It's just a day before Holy Week as I write this piece. Amidst the snow that has been pouring unabatedly from the skies since the wee hours of the morning,  I read with interest today's Gospel reading wherein Jesus hid Himself in a place called Ephraim before proceeding to Jersulem to be hailed as King on Palm Sunday and condemned as a criminal on Good Friday. As He hid in the desert before His public ministry, so He hid in Ephraim (which so happened to be near the desert) before the start of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

 

In spite of being a busy, itinerant preacher cum healer, Jesus made sure He had that 'me time'. Jesus was always in communion with His Father.  His disciples would attest how they found Him in a deserted place praying or how He Himself encouraged them to go to a deserted place to rest. For Jesus, rest is important even if it's a brief one. 

 

During my first retreat ages ago, the retreat master explained to us that  just as soldiers in war retreat to assess themselves and make a better plan of action, so must we examine ourselves and make better our conduct in life. By going 'on retreat' to Ephraim, Jesus wanted to give a closer and harder look at what He has already done and how He could have made it better so as to fulfill the Father's will. 

 

For a couple of Thursdays, I have been visiting the Blessed Sacrament at the St Barnabas Cathedral, a few minutes' walk from where I work.  The Blessed Sacrament is exposed for a few hours and then towards the end of the vigil, a basket full of pieces of paper with names of sick and dying persons is placed near the altar.  Once this is done, the Rosary is recited. 

 

On the first Thursday that I made the visit, I was a bit hesitant to stay on. I was thinking that I need to have my lunch. I was thinking of the long list I have to do in the office. My mind was trying to go somewhere else.  Yet, for some reason, the lovely countenance of the exposed Blessed Sacrament held me to stay put.  When the sacred host was put back in the tabernacle, I left the cathedral refreshed.

 

I'm very grateful to the Lord for giving me the chance to visit Him. I felt that this is one of the devotions that I have neglected for a number of years already.  I wish to carry it on, with God's grace and blessing. It was indeed a 'Me Time' for me. A chance to present my poor, humble self to the Lord and allow Him to clothe me in His love.  Though we are sinners, it is still His love that conquers all. It's His love that matters!

 

God keeps on calling us no matter what or when.  He's there in the quiet of our hearts. As we usher in Holy Week, let's be more attentive to the Lord's invitation. One with Jesus, our Saviour and King, let's return to the Father's embrace and be empowered so that we may lovingly welcome the Judas, Barabas, Hestas (if I may borrow Dona Delila's common expression) in our midst, fearlessly face the mob that is eager to devour us, and patiently carry our crosses.

 

***

 

Today marks the 44th death anniversary of a grandmother that I have never known, save for some accounts told and retold by my elders: Laureana "Lola Osay" Samaniego, my mother's mother.  I was told that Lola Osay used to chant the Pasyong Mahal in the village chapel in Wakas, Kawit, Cavite.  That was a devotion she passed on to Mommy Rosie (Mama's older sister). Mommy Rosie would later pass it on to me.  In a way, her faith continues to thrive in her heirs.  May God bless your kind soul, Lola Osay! We love you.

 

 

 

Jesus' Alter Ego

When Chiara looks at the statue or image of the Holy Family, she would identify its three members as “Baby Jesus, Mary, and Jesus”. Calling Joseph as ‘Jesus’ by a 4 year old kid is understandable - she might have been confused with other statues of Jesus depicted as a man rather than an infant.  Apart from that, during Jesus' time men wore long hairs and don't shave - Joseph and Jesus would then look identical. I am pretty much sure that St Joseph won’t mind being mistaken as Jesus (without claiming to be Jesus).

Reading on the scarce information we have in Sacred Scriptures on this lovely man, we see him as someone who worked behind the scenes. Someone who would defer his place for others.

In the Gospel reading during Ash Wednesday, Jesus cautioned his followers not to imitate the Pharisees who love to hog the limelight. I think the Lord was thinking of how his foster father conducted his life when He criticised the Pharisees.

We’re nearing Holy Week and during these past few weeks of Lent we have prayed, fasted, abstained, gave alms, and performed other spiritual exercises. Ideally, through these exercises there is a 'dying to one's self' that should happen. Most of the time though, it’s easier to fall into the trap of being showy than dying to one's self because it’s human nature to crave for popularity and recognition, to choose one's 'survival' over 'death'.

As we celebrate St Joseph’s feast day on the 19th, let’s ask that he would continuously inspire and intercede for us so that:

1.) in prayer, we may truly experience God and by doing so, we would reveal more His loving gaze and sweet smile to all;

2.) in our sacrifices, we may depend more on God's providence than our own and therefore become more humble and trusting in Him;

3.) in our acts of charity, we may see the Lord in others and identify ourselves as mere stewards of His blessings.

In a nutshell, may our lives be eclipsed by that of Jesus so we may be truly known as His alter ego, His other selves!

***

 

Habemus Papam! I was about to have my dinner that fateful night of March 13 when I checked my Facebook account and saw a picture of the Sistine Chapel’s chimney emitting white smoke. I rushed to the living room and asked Chiara if I could switch to the news channel. The girl obliged (after some lambing) and I waited patiently for the announcement from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.

Everyone seemed to have held their breath while Cardinal Tauran announced who the new pope is. Chiara was getting impatient and wanted me to switch back to Cartoonito. Her mom told her that this was a once in a lifetime moment. She complied.

As I heard the word ‘Bergoglio’ I applauded! A few days after Benedict XVI resigned, I had a chat with an Italian work colleague about who are the Italian papabili (papal contenders). He told me that we need someone from Latin America. I floated the name of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (then Archbishop of Buenos Aires). He agreed with me. Though aged 76, he comes across as a strong and able leader. Yet what touched me about this man was his humility and openness to people. His first words were: "Buonasera" (Good evening) which elicited an applause from his audience and even a similar greeting from my daughter. The pope, surprisingly didn't introduced himself as 'pope' but as 'bishop' - indeed the Pope is Bishop of Rome and as such  is primus inter pares (first among equals) in the college of bishops. I'm glad he introduced himself as such and I have that impression that he values the collegiality of bishops which has been 'bypassed' by the previous administration. Also, in his first Urbi et Orbi message, he is telling the people - ordained and lay alike - that we're all in the Church and should work together.

What touched me was when he asked people to pray, first for his predecessor, and then for himself, before he gave his first blessing as Supreme Pontiff.  Won't it be a good idea if priests ask their congregation to pray for them before he gives the Blessing in the Mass?

By choosing the name Francis (after that of St Francis of Assisi), he seems to be telling us that his papacy would embrace the values of this great and revolutionary saint: poverty, peace, and ecology.

I note that he will be inaugurated on the Solemnity of St Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church. Let's all pray for Pope Francis that like St Joseph, he will be open to the Holy Spirit's guidance as he leads, nurtures, and revitalise the Church.

Viva il Papa Francesco!

Lost Mittens

These past few days I have seen misplaced winter gloves - in the lift at work, in the pavement, etc.  At this time when it's still cold in this part of the globe, I couldn't help but pity their owners, kids especially who could easily feel cold. I once lost my scarf; luckily it happened at work and was quickly located, thanks to our Security Team.

Losing an important gear this winter can be likened to losing grace at an unfriendly, chaotic, and crucial moment in our lives. Rembrandt's celebrated painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son" depicted the lost son as having a worn out pair of shoes. Having worn out shoes (as well as a shaved head), Rembrandt tells us how this son lost his dignity (as the son of the rich father) after squandering his part of the estate.

Looking carefully at the painting, we see the father as a blind man - someone whose love is greater than his son's sins put together - and whose hands are that of a man and a woman - someone whose justice (as symbolized  by the man's left hand) is tempered by his gentleness (as symbolized by the woman's right hand).

We are that prodigal child who left God, our Father, and went on our own "merry way", following the dictates of our own whims. In the long run, we have lost His grace; we have lost our dignity as His children.

Lent offers us the hope and opportunity to regain what we lost. If you haven't been to confession for ages, perhaps this is the best time to avail of this often neglected and avoided sacrament. If you haven't spoken to those who hurt you (or those you have hurt), this could be the right time to do so. By being reconciled, we regain our spiritual gloves, shoes, etc. We regain grace!

Otherwise, we are no different to the older brother on the far righthand side of the painting - so full of himself, so distant, so self-righteous.  Better to be the 'lost and found' son than to be the 'missed out' son!

***

Last week, my family and I visited Ms Eliza "Ate Liza" Manzano in Dublin, Ireland.  An old-time friend and parish colleague in Manila, Ate Liza has been working in a children's hospital in Dublin for a decade or so.  We also met Paul, her Irish boyfriend, who drove us to a number of places in the city. It was a wonderful reunion and a memorable one for Nidz who celebrated her 40th birthday there. We look forward to see her again soon.

Ate Liza has been ill these past few months and just had her first chemotherapy last week. In spite of that, she appeared to be in high spirits and have shown a strong faith in God.  I felt I was the one blessed in that visit.  Let's include her in our prayers.

***

This coming Sunday, it will be Mother's Day in the UK.  I'm taking this opportunity to thank my mother and all mothers out there for the love and care they have showered us through the years.  I'm grateful especially to Nidz for faithfully and lovingly taking good care of our family. We love you, Mommy!

Hate to be Nice

Chiara likes to draw figures, Disney Princesses especially.  But this weekend as I was preparing her meal, I heard her saying "Where's the feet?" So I had a look at what she was drawing and saw a figure of Christ on the cross. She struggled to draw the Lord's feet so I showed her a crucifix to give her an idea.  She continued drawing and included people watching as Jesus hung on the cross. While drawing she uttered "They hate Jesus." I asked her why and she replied "Because he taught them to be nice." I asked "Do the people not like to be nice?" She gave me the affirmative.

Nice. Considerate. Sympathetic. Cordial. Courteous. Good.  Being nice has been a lesson taught to us since time immemorial, but one lesson we have often failed to learn.  When someone disagrees with us, we are annoyed. When another driver is taking time to cross the road from a junction, we become impatient.  When angered we become ballistic and get even with others. When we encounter a foreigner, we label them nastily. When we know someone who is a 'threat' to our popularity or position, we backstab them.

Lent recalls that moment when all of hated Jesus and His teaching to be good, to love one another as He has loved us.  So much was that hatred that we all connived to have Him killed on Good Friday. Yet, Lent also prods us to make peace with Him by turning away from sin (i.e. from being not nice) and believing in the Good News.

There is a famous prayer that we should strive to say this Lent. In our diocese, the bishop encouraged us to pray slowly and meditatively the Lord's Prayer during this season.  St Francis of Assisi (one of two namesakes of Chiara) paraphrased this prayer:

OUR FATHER MOST HOLY,

our creator and redeemer,

our Savior and Consoler.

WHO ARE IN HEAVEN,

in the angels and saints

enlightening them that they

may know you, for you, Lord,

are love, dwelling in them and filling

them with your divinity, that bliss

may be theirs, for you, Lord, are the

highest Good, the eternal Good,

from whom all goodness flows,

without whom nothing is good.

YOUR NAME BE HELD HOLY:

may our knowledge of you

shine ever more clearly within us,

that we may perceive the breadth

of your blessings, the extent of your

promises, the height of your majesty,

the depth of your judgements.

YOUR KINGDOM COME:

rule us now, through grace,

and bring us at last to your

kingdom of light where we

shall see you as you are,

and our love for you

will be made perfect,

our union blissful,

our joy unending, in you.

YOUR WILL BE DONE

ON EARTH AS IN HEAVEN

may we love you

with all our heart,

ever thinking of you;

with all our soul,

ever longing for you;

with all our mind,

directing all our aims to you

and seeking nothing but your glory;

with all our strength,

spending all our energies

and all our senses of soul and body

to serve only your love and nothing else.

May we love our neighbors as ourselves;

drawing them all to your love

in so far as we can,

sharing their good fortune

as if it were our own,

helping them to bear their trials

and doing them no wrong.

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD:

your beloved Son

our Lord Jesus Christ,

that we may remember,

understand and revere

the love he showed for us,

and all he said and did

and suffered for our sake.

FORGIVE US OUR SINS

through your mercy beyond words,

through the power of the passion

of your beloved Son,

through the merits and intercession

of the Virgin Mary

and of all your chosen ones.

AS WE FORGIVE THOSE

WHO SIN AGAINST US

and that we ourselves

cannot fully forgive,

make us fully forgive;

make us love our enemies,

truly, for your sake;

teach us how to pray sincerely

to you on their behalf;

and not to render harm for harm

to anyone, but rather try

to do good to all, in you!

AND LEAD US NOT

INTO TEMPTATION

whether veiled or visible,

sudden or searing and prolonged.

BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL

past, present and to come. Amen.

 

St Francis, in his former lfe, wasn't nice. He was a happy-go-lucky kind of guy. But everything changed when he encountered the Lord. May we also encounter Jesus this holy season. When we do, let us humble ourselves and be reconciled with Him. If we do, let's turn our hatred on those situations and attitudes that are not nice: injustice, bigotry, corruption, immorality, etc.  Warning: like Jesus, let us hate the sin, but NOT the sinner!



Live Life Beautifully

(The first item below is the reflection I shared during the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help organised by the Filipino Rosary Crusade-Nottingham North at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Parish Church on 23 February 2013.)

I was walking past Super Drug(a drug store in the UK) a few days ago when my attention was caught by its poster which says: “Live Life Beautifully”. Of course, that store was enticing buyers to purchase a host of their products that could ‘beautify’ their customers. As to what extent in their lives, that is another story.

Lent offers a similar message, but presented in a rather negative slogan: “Remember man that you are dust and unto dust you shall return.” Being dust all along and being dust in the future isn’t beautiful at all. This is Lent’s wake-up call for us. And with this call, Lent offers us 3 important gifts: Prayer, Penance, and Charity. Here in our parish, they are given a more practical context: Live simply, sustainably, in solidarity with others.

Most if not all of us have been availing of these gifts every Lent and even beyond. Perhaps it’s good to ask ourselves:

Prayer


Do we pray like Samuel who once said “Speak, Lord your servant is listening” or do we just want God to listen to what we have to say to Him?

Are we like the Pharisee, in Jesus’ parable, who prayed as though God would be impressed with all his good deeds or are we like the tax collector who couldn’t even raise his head to heaven, but could only strike his breast while saying “Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am a sinner”?

Are we like Jesus who always prayed that His Father’s will be done?

Penance

Do we fast and abstain just to lose weight or do we do it to alleviate the sufferings of others?

Do we make sacrifices grudgingly or with a smile?

Do we face our crosses with a moan or with trust?

Charity

Do we serve the community just to win people’s praise?

Are we just after the number of likes in whatever religious posts we make in Facebook?

Do we feel bad when someone else has outdone us in our service in the parish/community?

Are we annoyed when people don’t see eye-to-eye with us?

Do we love because we are compelled to do so or do we just love to love?

Are we choosy when being nice to others?
Fr Richard Veras, a parish priest in New York, commented that “There is a temptation to see Lent as a time of self-improvement, during which my focus is on myself. However my sin shows me that my hope can never be in myself. My only hope is that someone save me…Let our focus be not on ourselves, but on Jesus…He is the one who saves me from my miserable condition; it is his merciful gaze which awakens and transforms me.”

If we focus our prayer, penance, and charity on Jesus, Lent can be a wonderful experience for us. Not something that we avoid or something that we commemorate for the wrong reasons. Rather than a sad occasion in the life of the Church, Lent can be a moment of rejoicing because of the salvation that the Lord has won for us. Such is the beauty of Lent! Yes, we are dust, but if we follow Jesus faithfully and lovingly, our destiny is far better than dust. Our destiny is to be with Him forever.

Let’s therefore ask Mama Mary’s help that like her, our attention and our actions will be only in and for Jesus. And let's encourage and nurture others - our kids, our colleagues, our neighbours - to do the same.

United with our Lord in this holy season, let us live life beautifully!

***

Pope Benedict XVI's resignation on February 11 came as a shock. It was just a day ago when the Gospel was about Simon Peter being chosen by the Lord to be a 'fisher of men'. We acknowledge the Pope as St Peter's successor (As I write this, it's the Feast of the Chair of St Peter, a celebration commemorating the primacy of Peter in the community of believers; an unbroken role filled in by Peter's successors, a.k.a.the popes).  The resignation is new to almost everyone since the last pope to step down lived 5 centuries ago.  Some quarters cried foul saying the Pope can't do that because it's like saying 'No' to God.  I learned that the Pope can do that in his own volition as contained in Canon Law.  I was shocked and yet I admired him for doing such a courageous act.  It has been said that John Paul II once contemplated of resigning,  but in the end left everything as is.  I could understand Benedict's decision for he would have definitely witnessed how his predecessor ebbed away.

Benedict XVI has been described more as a teacher than an administrator of the Church. Compare his writings against the various controversies that bedevilled the Church in his term: Vatileaks, Vatican Bank controversies, sexual scandals involving priests, etc. Some commentators consider him as a weak pope for not being able to effect the needed change in the Roman Curia (the departments and agencies in Vatican).  The process involved in the new English translation of the Mass is an example of how the Roman Curia imposed changes to the English-speaking churches rather than leaving things in the hands of the bishops conferences. To be fair, Benedict did what he could to reach out (read: meet up) with victims of sexual abuse. By doing so, he has acknowledged that such evil existed. Unlike Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals, who dismissed the issue as mere gossip. The Pope has also sanctioned Fr Marcial Maciel, founder of the Legionaries of Christ, when it was discovered that he  was involved in sexual abuse and sired children. During John Paul II's time, this priest was untouchable as his congregation gave huge donations to the Vatican.

There is a buzz that cardinals who will be electing Benedict's successor next month are looking for a pope who will bring order to the Curia. Indeed, there are curialists who have behaven badly which put the present pope in bad light.  If a revamp can be done, then the collegiality of bishops (with the pope as primus inter pares) as envisioned by Vatican II will become a reality. And I also hope that they would look for someone who' will reexamine  the current English translation of the liturgy.

This Lent. let's offer our prayers, penance, and charity for Benedict XVI thanking God for his leadership, service, and example.  Let's also offer these Lenten gifts to the College of Cardinals that they may be inspired by the Holy Spirit to elect a pope who will be a true shepherd of the flock and fisher of people.

My Reservations on the Pasyon

This Lenten Season, and most especially when it’s Holy Week, chanting of the Pasyon (“a verse narrative about the life and suffering of Jesus Christ”, according to WikiPilipinas) will pervade the air in most areas in the Philippines.


I have had many cherished memories of the Pasyon in Kawit, Cavite. When I was 7 or 8 years old, my late aunt used to tag me along to the kubol (chapel) in Barangay Wakas. Having been exposed to that pious practice, I began chanting by myself at the age of 9. Years went by that I was chanting side-by-side with my aunt. I continued to do so in Manila until I left for the UK.

Some cousins used to make fun of me because of being makamatanda (old fashioned), but I took to heart what my aunt said “Bokasyon mo iyan!” (That’s your vocation.) Sadly, there is no opportunity to hold a pabasa here in the UK.

I love the pabasa because it calls to mind the story of Jesus and other people who form part of Salvation History – Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Mary, the apostles, Mary Magdalene, and even the Empress Helena (Sta Elena Emperatris). It’s good to remember what the Lord did for us from Creation to Crucifixion, from Resurrection to Pentecost, from the Founding of the Cross to the Parousia.

I am however uneasy with some stories in the Pasyon. Take for example these lines from the story of the Birth of Mary (“Ang pangananak ni Sta Ana kay Ginoong Sta Maria):

May isa ngang matanda na

Hosep ang pangalan niya,

anak sa tribu ni Huda,

kadugo't kadesendensia

ni David, bunying Propeta.

Ang ama niya't magulang

ay si Eli ang pangalan

matanda't mabuting asal,

loob ay lubhang timtiman

malinis sa kalinisan.

Dili iba at si Hosep

siyang tinangi ng langit

na maging esposong ibig,

ng Birheng Inang marikit

timtima't lubhang mabait.

Siya ngani ang hihirang

pinili sa karamihan

na doroon sa simbahan

bilang kaapu-apuhan

na Patriarka Abraham.

I always believe that St Joseph was a young man when he was married to the Virgin Mary. The depiction of him being an old man in a number of paintings and statues as well as in the Pasyon has been based on the notion that, being an old man, he would not have the sexual urge to touch his wife, that he would be more of a protector of her virginity. No pun intended, but with news of dirty old men being involved in rape and other related crimes, that notion has proved to be invalid. Besides, if Joseph were an old man he won’t be that effective in protecting and providing for his family. He won’t be able to withstand the journey to Bethlehem and to Egypt. He might turn out to be the one being looked after instead!

Pierre-Marie Dumont, Publisher of Magnificat, commented that under the inspiration of St Teresa of Avila ( a staunch devotee of St Joseph in Spain), “…the Spanish school portrays a young and active Joseph, while the other schools most frequently picture him as an insignificant old man. Affirming full faith in the virginity of the Mother of God, the Joseph of El Greco, of Velasquez, and of Zurbaran is a true husband, given by God to his spouse. He is also, to a certain degree, a true father …”

Luckily, the Philippines was a colony of Spain! That’s perhaps why most if not all statues of St Joseph portray him as a young man. Even the plays we have such as the Panunuluyan depict him the same way. It’s unfortunate that this wasn’t carried over in the Pasyon.

Another deplorable story in the Pasyon was on St Joseph’s death (“Ang Pagkamatay ni San Hosep):

Ng malapit nang mangaral

si Hesus sa katauhan

ibig ngang ipatanghal,

ang kaniyang kadiyosan

sa taong makasalanan.

Nguni't ang kasing esposo,

ama sa haka ng tao,

si San Hosep bagang Santo,

natanto rin nga totoo

ang sasapitin ng Berbo.

Kaya nga't nang di makita

ni Hosep ang madlang dusa

ni Hesus na iwi niya,

hiningi nang buong sinta

siya'y mamatay na una.

At hindi nga matitiis

niyong banal na si Hosep

na makita at masilip,

ang madlang hirap at sakit

ni Hesus na kasi't ibig.

Dito sa nasang magaling

ni San Hosep na butihin

agad namang sinunod din,

ng Diyos na maawain

ang kaniyang pita't hiling.

Yaon ang siyang mula na

ng pagkakasakit niya

kinalinga tuwi na,

ni Hesus at ni Maria

si Hosep na mapaninta.

These lines would simply undo the real St Joseph as presented in Sacred Scriptures: courageous, obedient, strong. Furthermore, they present a God who would just grant someone’s plea to bail out. This isn’t God! This is an ATM or a jukebox!

There are still some stories I’d like to tell you, but that’s all from me for now.

In closing, here’s some words of wisdom from St Josemaria Escriva, Founder of Opus Dei and another great devotee of St Joseph:

Joseph loved Jesus as a father loves his son and showed his love by giving him the best he had. Joseph, caring for the child as he had been commanded, made Jesus a craftsman, transmitting his own professional skill to him. So the neighbors of Nazareth will call Jesus both faber and fabri filius: the craftsman and the son of the craftsman. Jesus worked in Joseph’s workshop and by Joseph’s side. What must Joseph have been, how grace must have worked through him, that he should be able to fulfill this task of the human upbringing of the Son of God!

For Jesus must have resembled Joseph: in his way of working, in the features of his character, in his way of speaking. Jesus’ realism, his eye for detail, the way he sat at table and broke bread, his preference for using everyday situations to give doctrine – all this reflects his childhood and the influence of Joseph. (Christ is Passing By, 55)

Have a nice weekend!

Happy Mothers’ Day to all moms this Sunday! (We’re celebrating Mothers’ Day in the UK every 4th Sunday of Lent.)

A Blessed feast day of St Joseph this coming Monday!