Love Than Judge

Do not judge! Such is the command of our Lord Jesus. Is this possible? Is it not incumbent of every human being to judge given that we see, touch, hear, taste, and feel? The mere use of our senses already make us guilty of judgment. As thinking people, are we not always guilty whenever we make an assessment, understanding, and conclusion of every situation we encounter? In other words, the only time when we can not make a judgment is when we are dead. And even that is questionable. So, what is the point of our Lord?

In the Gospel, His command goes further by telling us to first look at ourselves before we look at others. Is he against any criticism? Is He against any effort to try to help others to change. Surely, the Lord knows that we are not the best "judge" of ourselves. We need the other people to better ourselves. "No barber could cut his own hair!", the saying goes. So what is this commandment telling us?

There was a time when I was very critical of other priests. I was guilty of self righteousness. I look down on them and questioned God how He allowed them to be ordained to be His minister. I behaved as if I knew better and God was deceived. Until I was into deep formation work. As a formator, I became privy to the life and faith of seminarians. There I realized how human weakness seem to prevail at times over our will and noble desires. Then, during the renewal for priests, I was assigned as one of the Spiritual Directors who will assist and "direct" brother priests in their life and ministry. I heard their pains and joys, victories and defeats, loves and hates, etc. They were not perfect but they were sincere. They were not sinless, but they were struggling. They were not successful but they had given their best. After those heart to heart encounters, I found myself looking at myself. My own life and ministry. And I realized I was no different. We share the same challenges and temptations. I, too, had my own failures and guilts. I suddenly felt empathy. I began to judge less.

The point of the Lord in the Gospel was not to abandon our senses and refrain from criticisms. What He wanted was for us to see deeper and be aware of our limitations as human beings. We do not know the whole experience of the person before us. The first quality we have is that we are humans. We are creatures and therefore we are limited. At most, we only have our point of view or a part of the whole truth. Rather than be judgmental, we must be humble. The fact that we do not see what is in every one's heart, should remind us that we only know so much of the truth but never the whole truth. Only God knows that. but even if God knows everything about us, He would rather heal than destroy, love than punish, forgive than get even. Judgment is Gods'. Yet, He chose to love. That was why He went by way of the cross. Dying for us is the ultimate loving.

My formation in the Jesuit institution, San Jose Seminary, had given me a principle I would never forget but keeps me struggling to be humble and avoid making harsh and unwanted judgments. 'Always give somebody a plus sign." It means to give every one the benefit of the doubt. There must be a reason why he had done it. It is an attitude of trust in the person. And even after the truth is known and the person is "guilty", compassion rather than rejection should be the result. Come to think of it; that is how God is with us!

Thanks be to God!

Faith On Its Feet

The Lord Jesus began His teaching today by reminding people that a good tree does not bear rotten fruits and a rotten tree does not bear good fruits. It follows that because we were created by God, then we have divine qualities. Qualities proper to our humanity. We acquire and cultivate it to perfection every time we follow His command. To be a child of God means to live according to Gods' Will. Then, to further guide His listeners, Jesus gave the parable of the house built on rock. It means that if we are to be strong, consistent, and stable in faith, we must found our life in the LIVED Word of God. Having read or heard the Word only accomplishes an encounter with God. By the grace of God and our persistence, He will reveal to us its relevance in our lives. He will help understand its meaning and purpose. If we still persist, we will make it applicable in our day to day living. It will not just remain a knowledge but it will become a way of life!

So many times we claim to know God and calls to Him in prayer. Many times He had answered us and told us what to do. But many times we reject what He wants us to do. Worse, we do the exact opposite of what He wants. So, why do we remain with Him? Why do we even call Him our God? What the Lord Jesus said is true; "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord', but do not do what I command?" For what is the relation we have for Him as Creator-creature, if we prefer to be in command and not Him? Would we rather that we exchange places with God? We command and He follows? Of course not! But here we realize the challenge of who we are, what we are suppose to do, and where we are going. God created us. God sustains us. God will welcome us in the end. We belong to God and therefore, we must know Him, love Him, and serve Him!

After the mass one Sunday morning, a parishioner approached me and told me that I repeated my just repeated the homily I gave last year for the same occasion. I thought about it and admitted to him that it was the same homily. I asked him if there is a problem. He answered by telling me that it seems I did not prepare and that I just rehashed a homily. He has a point but I believe that repeating a homily is not bad. In fact, the Gospels give a united message: salvation. The Word of God is communicate this message of salvation. The prophets used the situations in their time to enflesh God[s everlasting Word. Preachers today have the same task. Armed with the right interpretation of the Scriptures, they must be able to help the people to apply them in their lives. It is not about giving a new message but in having a new way of communicating THE SAME message. Further, the burden is more on the hearer. If given the right message, the hearer must go and live the message.

I looked at the person and answered him; "Yes, I admit I delivered the same homily, the same message. Have you lived it?" Surprised at the table being turned against him, he just went away quietly. Hopefully the message was clear to him. He may attend all masses and take note meticulously of the homilies given by whom, on this or that day, but the most important part is in the application of those messages in his life. All of those awareness and knowledge will amount to nothing if he had not verified and confirmed those truths in his daily life.

We priests who give those homilies are not exempted from living the message. In fact, our witnessing to the Gospel message is the best preaching. If people see in our lives the message, I believe, we may already be exempted from giving homilies at mass! The goal is for the message to be received as the Lord had given it. Words are a good medium. But those words becoming flesh in the life and ministry of the priest is the best! Just in the mere preparation of the homily, the priest is already confronted by the Word. More than anyone, it is the priest who is first faced with the challenge of the Word. In a way, the delivery of the homily is affected by how much the priest had been affected by it. Hopefully, the message is not only given but already testified to by the priest.

Blessedness Is Being With God

Who is truly blessed? In the Gospel today Jesus enumerated them as the poor, hungry, weeping, hated and excluded, insulted, and denounced as evil. On the other hand, He gave His woes on the rich, the laughing, and those of good reputation. Is it not the other way around? Was Jesus mistaken? Then and now, this teaching would receive so much resistance and criticism, and ridicule. Indeed, during the time of the Lord, they find it hard to accept. Now, many belong to the Christian faith but these teachings are considered either irrelevant or optional. But Jesus knew what He was saying. He is the expert as far as blessedness is concerned.

The key to unlocking the wisdom of His reversal teaching is in the cause of the blessedness and the curse. Jesus points out that blessedness is achieved if the above situations occur because of Him. Poverty, hunger, weeping, etc. will be a blessed situation if we experience them because of faithfulness to the Lord. If in following His Holy Will we are put in those situations, then we are blessed! But if one, in his poverty, sorrow, and difficulties is unfaithful and resorts to sin, then, he is not blessed but cursed instead. Poverty or any merciful situation can not be considered blessed if experienced because of evil. Therefore, the rich, laughing, and those of good reputation are not absolutely and eternally cursed. They too can be blessed if they are faithful and good. Concretely, they attain blessedness if they share their gifts; the rich shares with the poor, the laughing sharing it with the crying, the healthy sharing it with the sick, or the powerful defending the weak. Any goodness and faithfulness merit blessedness as far as God is concerned.

Situations of dire need comes in every person. The temptation to take the easy way out of responding to it even in illegal and immoral ways is very strong. I was not spared of it. After I made an appeal for medicines for our parish medical clinic in one of my masses, one person approached me and told me that If I will write a letter to his brother doctor in the United States, he could send me a lot of of medicines. To make the long story short, the medicines in a cargo box addressed to the bishop (because I thought the cargo will be acquired easily if it was sent through him) arrived and was ready for pick up in the customs department of the international airport. Bringing with me the notice, I went to the customs office at eight in the morning and immediately on the first window, I was charged with an application form for twenty pesos without receipt! After that I was subjected to a lot of waiting, approaching one table after another, and talking to a lot of persons. To make the long story short (again), at three in the afternoon (a good seven hours!) I said enough. There is no way I can get those medicines today or even tomorrow. My paper was being processed very slowly. Reason? Because I was not giving bribe money to those persons. (Totoo pala yung bukas na drawer sa bawat table na dapat mong hulugan ng pera para umandar papel mo!) I refused to do so. It was immoral and as a priest getting the cargo of a bishop, it was unbecoming and unacceptable!

I left proud that I did not succumb to the temptation. I felt blessed in spite of not having obtained the cargo which would have been of help to many. But I was not giving up. I sought help from authorities and eventually, the cargo was obtained morally! Those people who are extorting and accepting bribes maybe amassing so much money but they are not blessed. Those people who are electing to bribe than go through the required process maybe saving so much time but they are not blessed. Blessedness is not in material things, power, fame or whatever this world could offer no matter how great. It is in having a good relationship with the Lord.

Happy Birthday, My Mother, My Model!

She is the Mother of God. She is the perfect disciple. She is a woman of faith. She is a model of Christian living. She is one of us. She cares for us. She will not let us be separated from her Son. She intercedes for us.

The devotion to Mother Mary ranges from the most basic to the most sublime. Her being an intercessor goes as far as seeing her as a giver of grace, either from her own or from her Son. This is one of the reasons why other religions would attack our faith as idolatrous. While there are some truth to the accusation that there are some faithful who almost worship our Blessed Mother, the Catholic faith never teaches her as God, a salvific grace-giver, or a necessary conduit for the grace of God. That title and capacity is given only to Jesus our Lord and Savior! (Incidentally, at present, Bp. Ramon Arguelles, D.D. of the Archdiocese of Lipa is in Rome promoting and defending the possibility, maybe in a specific sense, of officially giving the title "Mediatrix" to Mary.)

Even as a priest, I would not consider myself as a "die hard" Mary devotee. My relationship to her is because of her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is clear to me that she can not save me, but she can show me the way to it. She does not give me grace but she can show me how to avail of it from her Son. She is not God but she bore God in her human womb. I do not look up to her in prayer but feels her by my side praying with me. In moments of need, sorrow, decision, failure and other dire situations, she would inspire me, comfort me, encourage me, and join me. She is a mother to me too!

As a young priest, I was once invited by a family who regularly goes to the Carmel Church in Lipa. It is the home of the famous apparition, Mary Mediatrix of All Graces through then Sister Teresing. That first visit to Carmel immediately attracted me to the devotion. Since then, together with that family, I would visit and go to mass at six in the morning. I would bring with me my personal petitions and the prayers asked for by my friends. Though it was difficult to wake up early, I always find myself preparing every first Saturdays. I have found consolation in the devotion. It had become a part of my spiritual life. I have not made an inventory of which petitions had been answered or not. It was not my primary concern. But what I know is that the regular monthly visit to the church had helped me go through all the challenges of my ministry and personal life. It made me at peace amidst some turbulent events in my life. I am always confident knowing that there is a first Saturday visit to Carmel where our Blessed Mother would join me in approaching her Son.

True, salvation is attained only in Jesus Christ. No more, no less. But Jesus Himself had entrusted His mother to us. For Him, His mother is a true model for she did not only carry Him in her womb, but also in her life. She lived her motherhood and her discipleship. Her being a mother to Jesus was not a reason for her to be complacent in her spiritual life. It was her life! So too with us. As children of God, as Christians (followers of Christ), we do not just wallow in our membership to the faith by virtue of our Baptism. Like Mary, we should also live it, to the full!

Happy Birthday, Mother Mary!

Jesus Prays! Why not us?

The beginning of todays' Gospel says that Jesus departed to the mountain to pray. And He did not only pray for hours but spent the night in prayer to God! You ask; "Jesus prays?!" And why not? Prayer is communication with God more than an activity of a creature to its Creator. It is a person to person exchange. It is an exchange of "wills" if you will. The Christian is expected to pray always and more in serious situations. There is nothing important to a Christian than to know what his God wills and to express his will in the process. Jesus shows here his true humanity. He was the Son of God, true, but He was also the son of Mary and Joseph. He needed to pray, and pray, He did!

Incidentally, He did it because He was about to choose His twelve apostles. Men who will be witnesses to everything He will do and say. Men who will compose of the foundation of His Church. Men who will see to it that everything will be passed on from generations to generation. They were important men and therefore, He has to confer with God!

As parish priest, I get to choose also my servants. They are men and women who will be my co-operators in the ministry of salvation. Ever since I became parish priest, I have always looked for people who will be of service to the parish. And I invite them and even interview them to let them know what are expected of them and what service in the parish would entail. Every time, I will always find myself praying to God for enlightenment. I will also tell them to spend time in prayer before they make their final decision to be servants. Service to God is ultimately between them and God and not with me. In most cases, our decisions were stable and responsible.

Personally, I make it a point to be in prayer before I go out of my room in the morning for my ministry. I know that once I get out of my room, I would find it hard to commune with God anymore because of so many things to do and people to attend to. Before I retire at night, I pray again. So that I and God will always be on the same page.

Needless to say, prayer is the source of my spiritual strength. It is also my refuge during challenges and crucial decisions. If Jesus prays, much more should we!