Monday in the Octave of Easter (Year C)

Mateo 28:8-15. Asa man ta angay mas mosalig – sa mga babaye o sa mga lalaki? Ang mga Judiyo walay pagsalig sa mga pulong sa usa ka babaye; dili gani nila dawaton ang testimoniya niini diha sa ilang mga korte. Mao kini ang gitawag og “prejudice against women”. Diha sa ebanghelyo karon, ang mga kadagkoan sa mga pari ug ang mga punoan sa mga Judiyo nag-uban sa paghimo og bakak aron tabonan ang Pagkabanhaw ni Cristo. Sila, nga mga lalaki unta, mao hinoon ang dili masaligan sa ilang mga pulong ug buhat. Sa ato pa, wala diay sa pagka-babae o pagka-lalaki ang basihan kon kinsay angay saligan. Gani, si Cristo mipili og mga babaye isip unang magsasangyaw sa Iyang Pagkabanhaw ngadto sa uban.

Easter Sunday (Year C)

Acts 10:34, 37-43; Col 3:1-4; Jn 20:1-9

A woman and his bad-tempered husband went on vacation to Jerusalem. While they were there, the husband suffered a heart attack and died. The undertaker told the wife, “You can have him shipped home for $5,000, or you can bury him here, in the Holy Land, for $150.”

The woman thought about it and told him she would just have him shipped home. The undertaker asked, “Why would you spend $5,000 to ship your husband home, when it would be wonderful to be buried here and you would spend only $150?”

The woman replied, “Long ago a man died here, was buried here, and three days later he rose from the dead. I just can’t take that chance.”

(The story is from an unknown author)

Today the whole Christendom commemorates with great joy the day of the Lord’s resurrection. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead is something that we proclaim in every celebration of the Eucharist. And yet, we also assign a special day to tell the world that our Lord conquered death once and for all, that the tomb could not hold on to Him who is the very source of life.

We rejoice in the Lord’s resurrection because it is a powerful reminder that Jesus triumphed in the end, not the power of darkness and sin. For a while, it seemed that evil had the final say and darkness had overshadowed light. Evil succeeded to falsely accuse Jesus and to condemn Him to death. The power of darkness also managed to cast doubts and fears in the hearts of Jesus’ disciples which led them to desert Him. But not until the time of the resurrection when Jesus showed the world that he is the sovereign Lord of life.

The good news of the resurrection is important because sometimes we are tempted to think that evil is more powerful than the good and that the wicked are more fortunate than the righteous. We are made to think this way whenever we see bad people living in affluence and good people suffering from poverty. We need to remind ourselves that things aren’t always what they seem. What appears to be a good life may not really be good; and what seems to be a bad situation may not in fact be bad. As believers of the resurrection, we need to trust that the righteous will always be at peace in their hearts, but not so the wicked. God is happy with the upright and He will grant them the reward of eternal joy in heaven.

The Lord’s resurrection reminds that we will not end up in the grave but in everlasting life. The sacrificial death of Christ on the cross is followed by his sitting at the right hand of the Father (Heb 1:3) and in him, we gain a mediator per excellence who will intercede eternally on our behalf (Heb 2:18). We are now hopeful of walking and passing thru the same gate that leads to the Father’s home (Heb 6:20). As St. Paul says: “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died” (1 Thes 4:13). Now, we can face physical death with full confidence that the Risen Christ has swallowed up death in victory and will awaken those who have died at his coming (1 Cor 15:51-56). Like Paul, we now have the courage to say, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Cor 15:55). Therefore, a believer’s death should never be seen as a tragedy because “the Christian who unites his own death to that of Jesus views it as a step towards him and an entrance into everlasting life” (CCC, 1020).

If we really believe in the resurrection, then we have to live our life in preparation for the life to come. This is the clear invitation of Saint Paul in our second reading: “If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:1-3).

What a powerful reminder this is for all of us! How many of us live lives as if there is no tomorrow? We work and work as if there is no tomorrow. How much money is enough? How much possession can satisfy us? Sometimes, we also eat and drink as if there is no tomorrow. We don’t care about our health as long as we enjoy life now or as long as we get much money today. Obviously, this is the attitude of people who do not truly believe in another life to come.

What are things that are above? They are nothing but the values of the kingdom of God that Jesus would like us to keep. Some of them are described by Saint Paul: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body” (Col 3:12-15).

Good Friday (Year C)

Juan 18:1- 19.42. Posible ba kitang luwason ni Jesus sa laing paagi? Pwede kaayo tungod kay wala may dili mahimo sa Dios. Apan gipili niya nga luwason kita diha sa Krus tungod kay sa giingon na niya: “Walay gugma nga makalabaw sa usa ka tawo nga andam mopakamatay alang sa iyang mga higala” (Juan 15:13). Si San Pablo, nga naluwas pinaagi sa kalooy sa Dios, miingon: “Posible natong ihatag ang atong kinabuhi para sa usa ka matarong nga tawo. Pero ang Ginoo nagpakita sa iyang gugma kanato sa talagsaong paagi: samtang kita mga makasasala pa, si Cristo nagpakamatay para kanato (Roma 5:8). Si Jesus maoy midawat sa silot nga para unta kanato. Gisulod niya ang kamatayon aron kita mabuhi sa dayon. Karon – unsa may atong ikabalos sa iyang kaayo?

Holy Thursday (Year C)

Juan 13:1-15. Unsa man ang atong gisaulog sa Huwebes Santo? Ang liturhiya ning adlawa naghandum sa duha ka mahinungdanong hitabo: Ang pagtukod ni Jesus sa Eukaristiya ug ang Iyang paghugas sa tiil sa mga apostoles. Sa pagtukod sa Eukaristiya, si Jesus miingon, “Buhata ninyo kini aron paghandum Kanako.” Human sa paghugas sa mga tiil, miingon Siya, “Kon ako nga inyong Ginoo ug Magtutudlo naghugas sa inyong mga tiil, paghinugasay usab kamo sa inyong mga tiil.” Duha kini ka kasugoan nga nahilambigit pag-ayo ug dili pwede nga tumanon nga wala ang usa. Ang pagsaulog sa Eukaristiya maoy magdasig kanato sa pag-alagad. Ug ang paghigugma ug pagtabang sa isigkaingon maoy maghatag og kahulogan sa atong pagsaulog sa Santos nga Misa.

Holy Wednesday (Year C)

Mateo 26:14-25. “Unsa may inyong ihatag kanako kon akong itugyan kaninyo si Jesus?” Kining pangutana ni Judas sa mga kadagkoan sa mga Judio nagpakita nga andam siya modawat og bahandi aron budhi-an ang iyang Ginoo. Mangutana kita sa kaugalingon karon: Aduna bay kantidad, butang, o kalipayon nga sarang makapahimo kanatong maluibon sa Dios? Adunay mga tawo nga tungod sa kwarta magbuhat na og dili maayo, sama sa pagbaligya’g boto. Aduna puy mga tawo nga tungod sa kabiling yuta, mahimo nang mopatay og laing tawo. Aduna usay uban nga tungod sa kaulag malimot na sa ilang gipanumpaan diha sa simbahan panahon sa ilang kaminyoon. Dili unta kita mahisama kang Judas nga ibaylo ang Ginoo sa mga butang nga lumalabay lamang.