Angel Of God, My Guardian Dear...

Homily for The Feast Of The Guardian Angels

October 2, 2010

Today is the feast of the Guardian Angels. From early times liturgical honor had been given to all angels to recognize their presence and their roles in God's plan of salvation. According to our faith, angels are pure spirits, persons but bodiless, created by God with more acute intelligence and greater power than have human beings. Their office is to praise God, to be His messengers, and to watch over man. We believe that God had assigned a particular angel, a guardian, to watch over us and communicate God's message to us. Tradition had developed a belief that Guardian Angels are particularly present to children. Stories had already been told about how children had been aided and miraculously saved by their Guardian Angels.

I remember when I was still a seminarian and was having my summer apostolate in Gapan, Nueva Ecija. One late night, the parish priest asked me to accompany him to a remote place in the parish. We rode his car and proceeded to go to the place. While we were navigating the highway, we saw some broken pieces of glass of a car. A car accident just happened. But there were no cars on the road. We decided to stop and looked around for the car. Suddenly, we heard some cry from children and moans from suffering people. The jeep they were riding turned turtle from the main road to the rice field on side of the road. We went to them and saw that the adult passengers were either unconscious or crying in pain. The children, about three of them, were lying on the ground near the jeep crying but miraculously unhurt. We called for help and everyone was brought to a nearby local hospital. We were glad that nobody was in danger of death. What was startling was the good conditions of the children. By the way the jeep was lying on the field, it was hard to think that anyone, much more a child, would go unhurt from such an accident. Me and the parish priest could not believe it. In the end, both of us attributed it to the guardian angels of the children.

But we know that it was not always the case. In our present times, we know of children who had been victims of violence and immoral acts of adults. Children are caught in cross fires between two warring groups. Children are being killed (aborted) by their very parents. Children are being  forced to work. Children are being maltreated and abused. Where are their guardian angels? This is definitely hard to reconcile. But this must lead us to an accurate understanding of guardian angels.

As defined above and by the very meaning of the word "angel", they are spirits serving as messengers of God. They are God's presences to us. By presence, it means, that God communicates Himself to us and makes His presence felt by us. Because of angels, we are never alone. Angels assure is one of us God's company. That company maybe done in different ways; actually saving children from accidents, guiding adults in determining what is right and wrong, assisting in discerning where the Spirit blows, allaying fear in the face of danger, giving courage against a spiritual challenge, etc. An angel is not God. But an angel makes possible God's active presence. At every moment in our lives, we must remember that we have angels ready to guide. This is not hard to believe because we know our God to be caring and loving. In His love for us, we expect His active presence. Therefore, providing and sending a personal messenger, like an angel, are truths that are not difficult to accept for the God that we have.

Our angels had been working for us since we were born. They will continue to work for us until we die. Have we given them the recognition and appreciation they deserve? Have we sought their guidance and listened to their messages? Let us remember that they have a counterpart from Satan. There are also evil angels who make Satan's presence active in us. They always counter the messages and guidance of our guardian angels. When we commit sins, the evil angels prevailed over our guardian angels. On this day, we do not celebrate their feast only to remember their presence but to renew our belief and commitment to them. Listening to them is not for their goodness but for us. Today's feast is therefore for our benefit. Only when we forge a union with them can we topple the evil angels and let God's message reach us and form us.

Our Catholic prayer is very appropriate on this occasion;

Angel of God

my guardian dear,

to whom God's love commits me here,

ever this day,

be at my side

to light and guard,

to rule and guide.

Amen!

Simplicity is Perfection

Feast of St. Therese

October 1, 2010

We celebrate today the feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus whose cult was considered one of the most impressive and significant religious phenomena of contemporary times. She was known for her "little way", i.e. disposing her duties with perfection no matter how small they were. In our present times, she will be a very perfect advocate for "Pondo Ng Pinoy" which promotes that no matter how small an action maybe, as long as it is good and made a habit, it will lead to salvation. It will lead to perfection.

That was not the case with the Galilean towns of Chorazin and Bethsaida. Jesus lamented their blindness and rejection of the words He had spoken before them and the miracles He had worked before their eyes. Those words and deeds were more than enough for them to recognize His power, authority, and person. Those words and deeds were much much greater than any prophet and elders had done combined, both in quality and substance. And yet, their appreciation of Jesus were limited to marvelling on the newness and radicality of His Word. Their eyes just feasted only the spectacularity of His miracles and nothing more. They failed to understand and accept the full import of His ministry.

This maybe attributed to the sophistication and high level of intelligence in those communities. Too much criticism and and bias made it hard for them to accept Jesus. They did not expect God becoming one like them.  Much more, they did not expect Him to come from Nazareth, which is an unpopular town, and for the supposed Messiah to come from a family of a carpenter. It was also the reason why Jesus said that it will be easier for the children to enter the Kingdom than for the learned. The children are more open, humble, and trusting. 

Their expectation for the spectacular made them miss the simple and true. This attitude is prevalent in most of us. But St. Therese gave us a very good example in the beauty and effectiveness of simplicity. Well, big things came from small things. The spectacular was really a result of little things done in coordination. Our focus on the grand result makes us forget about the web of little goods and rights that were done to produce the great result.

The Good News is that salvation is attained by doing simple good things. The Good news is that perfection is attained by having small holy successes. The Good News is that eternal life is reached through a series of obedience to God. This is a good reminder to all of us who are so obsessed or so concerned about achieving only big things. The point is, it will come. But we can not be blind, deaf, and insensitive to everything that is happening before us and in us. Learn from yesterday. Prepare for tomorrow. But never neglect today. The present is the most important time for us. Addressing our concerns for today will pave the way for achieving the greatness in store for tomorrow. In climbing a stair, you start on the first step. If you look ahead up, it is impossible to reach the top with one or two leaps. But if you navigate the steps one at a time, reaching the top is as easy as setting foot on the first step. It is the same with the challenges in life. Our small problems and sufferings are actually preparing us for the bigger ones (which we hope will not come). We notice that there were problems and challenges that we imagined we would never be able to hurdle. But when they come, we are surprised by the strength and confident we have to go through them.

It is the same with perfection. The very word itself is discouraging because we know we are limited and are not capable of achieving it. But it was the Lord Himself who said that we must be perfect as the Father is perfect. It means that it is a goal we must achieve. It means that we are capable of achieving it. With His help of course! St. Therese discovered the way, the "little way"! By doing little good deeds, we are perfecting ourselves. Her attitude was to give her all in anything she was asked to do no matter how little they were in the eyes of many. Whether it is mopping the floor, washing the dishes, cooking, sewing, cleaning etc. The Lord Jesus said, "Whatever you do to the least of your brothers, you do unto Me!". For the world, small things maybe small, but for God, everything is BIG!

Forget about perfection, if you will. But always do good things no matter how small as best as you can. Before you know it, perfection is attained!

Neighbor, Love Thy Neighbor

The parable of the Good Samaritan was Jesus' response to the question, "Who is my neighbor?" (As if they were not aware of the Genesis story of Cain and Abel where Cain, after asked by God where his brother was, answered God; "Am I my brother's keeper?"). As usual, Jesus responded convincingly and to the heart! He told them about the Good Samaritan.

It will be good to put the parable into context. The Jews believed that they were the chosen people. By virtue of that privilege, they expected to receive the Good News of salvation first. In fact, that was the plan of God. Jesus, the Good News, would be born a Jew and there He will fulfill His ministry. Samaria was not a Jewish town. It was a Gentile place. They were not expected to receive the Good News before the Jews. Going back to the parable, you can just imagine the reaction of his Jewish listeners in making a Gentile, a Samaritan, as the do-gooder and the Jews as the villains!

So who is the neighbor? It is easy to say that the neighbor is the victim in the parable or any victim for that matter. He is the one in need. The person who is lying on the ground needing assistance. The person who is hungry, thirsty, imprisoned, oppressed, confused, etc. And you will be right. Anyone who is in need is our neighbor. It is imperative for a Christian to extend anything he can do to alleviate the poverty and predicament of his neighbor. But if you notice, in the parable, Jesus pointed us to the other equally important neighbor, the Good Samaritan. He was the one who helped the victim. He saw to it that the victim was fully assisted. He even left something for him for his further sustenance after bringing him to a home care and entrusting him to a care giver. For Jesus, the neighbor is not only the one in need, but one who can help those in need! For Jesus, we must be neighbors to each other. We must take care of each other. We have the responsibility to see to it that we share and use the charisms, the gifts, that God had given us. From the words of St. Paul, it is ministering to each other. When we use Gods gifts for the good of the community we have become a minister. In this sense, to be a neighbor is to be a minister!

The parable thus reminds us that we must always be on the look out, not blind, mute, deaf or numb, to the needs of others. The time to help is now, here, and to everyone in need.

Neighbor, Love Thy Neighbor!

Mama Mary?

The figure above was taken at the "big lagoon" in El Nido, Palawan. It was part of our island hopping activity. Upon entering the lagoon, our guide pointed to this figure. All of us, aboard the boat, said that the image formed out of this limestone mountain, seems to be Mama Mary. Easily, we attribute similar figures to Mary, the Blessed Virgin. That is faith and there is nothing wrong with it. If, in seeing this figure, one becomes aware of the Mother of God and thus becomes aware of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, so be it.

The figure can actually be anybody or nobody. In fact, nature was not aware that it was forming a figure of  somebody, much more the Mother of God. Faith will tell us that God may reveal Himself through His creation. And this is definitely part of His creation. 

Pundits would question its immediate association, much more, its definite recognition as a saint or the Blessed Virgin Mary. Many questions can not but arise. Why the shape? Do the wind, air, limestone, trees, and everything around it, "consciously" cooperated to form it? Who is directing these forces of nature to shape the figure? Were they aware it was developing that shape? If not, then, was it accidentally formed? What an accident! 

But these things do happen. Even by just looking at clouds, for example, anyone can make a lot of interpretations from them. Cloud formations are so vast, complicated and full of lines and curves that anybody can really make something meaningful out of it. Much of it depend on the situation and experience of the viewer. Catholics, because of their deep devotion to Mary, would easily and have no difficulty seeing it as the Lady. Such is one of the principles behind an abstract work. It provides the client the freedom to interpret the work according to his experience and knowledge.

It is the same as how the famous Shroud of Turin is recognized. Pictures of it have under it a caption saying "Jesus". This is very dangerous because even though there are some signs and evidences that would make us think it was Jesus, there were also tests that say it was not Jesus. The Church had not yet made any declaration that it was really Jesus' shroud. However, even without the declaration, the faithfuls who are touched and helped by its presence to be more aware of what the Lord Jesus experienced during His Passion and Death may use it as an object of faith. But to claim it as "Jesus" would be walking on thin ice as far as idolatry is concerned. What is more appropriate would be to caption is as "Jesus?".

What is important is what the figure does to us. God uses all His creation to let us know Him more, love Him more, and serve Him more. But caution must be observed that the figure itself will be the object of worship. At most, it should only help us, via our sense of seeing, to recognize and communicate to Mother Mary and to God. Otherwise, it would be bordering on idolatry, i.e. worshipping the figure itself as Mary herself! 

Birth of Mary, Birth of Salvation.

No, Mary is not the Savior. Jesus is. But as the plan of God will show, Mary was part of the plan. Because Jesus will become one like us, He needed to be born of a woman. God chose Mary and she became the Mother of Jesus, who is God.

Maybe we ask, why God did it that way? We can reflect, speculate, or theologize about but the whole import of that act can only be known by God. As for us, we must be thankful for that generosity of God. Therefore, the feast of the birth of the Virgin Mary is an occasion to celebrate. We celebrate God's love and generosity for saving us. We celebrate God's trust when He elected to invite Mary, human like us, to actively participate in the work of salvation. We thank God for the continued inspiration being brought to us by the witnessing and guidance of the Blessed Mother.

Nowadays, when it seems that only Catholic Christians (unfortunately there are some of us who also attack her and take her for granted) are giving Mary her due recognition, we need to assert more our devotion to her. By knowing her and living the example she lived, we have given justice to her virginity, motherhood, and blessedness. By imitating her perfect discipleship, we have responded to the generosity of God who had taken her and given her back to us to be with us on our journey towards His Kingdom.

Thanks be to God for giving us a Mother.

Happy birthday Blessed Mother!