Friday of the 1st Week of Lent (A)

Matthew 5:20-26. Do we aspire to live in peace with others? Jesus teaches the need to reach out and get reconciled with enemies and accusers before we bring our gifts to the altar. Otherwise, our offerings will have no value in God’s eyes. This gospel inspires us to say the heartwarming prayer of Eusebius, a 3^rd century Father of the Church: “May I never quarrel with those nearest me: and if I do, may I be reconciled quickly. May I wish for all people’s happiness and envy none. May I never rejoice in the ill-fortune of one who has wronged me. When I have done or said what is wrong, may I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always rebuke myself until I make amends. May I accustom myself to be gentle, and never be angry with people because of circumstances. Amen.”

Thursday of the 1st Week of Lent (A)

Matthew 7:7-12. What are the goods that we usually ask God in prayer? Some people might be praying for a cellphone, laptop, car or house; others might be asking for jobs, business opportunity, spouse, or health; while some others may be praying for understanding, love and affection. Jesus says, “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” To properly understand this passage, we need to remember that the goods of God mean more than money or material things; they are above all the spiritual goods of the kingdom such as peace, justice, mercy and forgiveness. May we learn to ask the Lord for things that really matter in our life with Him so that our joy may be genuine and complete! Amen.

1st Sunday of Advent (Year A)

Is 2:1-5; Rom 13:11-14; Mt 24:37- 44

Karon mao ang unang adlaw sa Liturhikanhong Kalendaryo sa Simbahan. Daghang mga tawo ang wala masayud nga kita gasunod og laing kalendaryo para sa atong kinabuhing Kristohanon. Ang kalendaryo sa kalibutan gimugna sa lain-laing panahon sama sa panahon sa ting-init, ting-ulan ug ting-tugnaw. Sa susamang paagi, ang liturhikanhong kalendaryo aduna usay lain-laing panahon sama sa adbiyento, kwaresma, pagkabanhaw, ug uban pa. Dinhi sa kalendaryo sa Simbahan, ang matag panahon adunay kalambigitan sa mga misterio sa kinabuhi ni Kristo. Gituyo kini aron nga ang atong inadlaw-adlaw nga kinabuhi mahisubay gayud sa kinabuhi sa Diyos.

Ang unang bahin sa Liturhikanhong Kalendaryo mao ang panahon sa Adbiyento, nga atong gisugdan karong Domingoha. Ang pulong “adbiyento” nagagikan sa Latin nga adventus nga nagpasabut og “pag-abut”. Gigamit nato kining maong pulong aron itawag sa panahon kanus-a atong gipaabut ang Ginoo nga Manluluwas. Upat kini ka Domingo padulong sa Pasko sa Pagkatawo ni Kristo ug gisimbolohan sa upat ka kandila sa Advent Wreath. Ang dakong tema sa Adbiyento mao ang “pagpaabot ug pagbantay”. Kitang tanan gihagit nga magpabiling mabinantayon o mag-andam kanunay alang sa klase-klaseng pag-abut sa Ginoo sa atong kinabuhi.

Una sa tanan, ang mga semana sa Adbiyento maoy panahon sa pag-andam para sa adlaw sa Pasko, kanus-a atong handumon ang pagpakatawo sa Ginoo. Ato kining saulogon uban sa kasingkasing nga mapasalamaton tungod kay dinhi atong mabati nga kita gihigugma pag-ayo sa Dios. Ang Ginoo nagpakatawo ug nahisama kanato uban sa tuyo nga kita mahisama kaniya. Ang Dios maoy mihimo og lakang aron kita mahiuli ug mahiusa Kaniya. Ang liturhikanhon nga kolor sa Adbiyento mao ang violet o purple nga magpakita nga kini usa ka panahon sa paghinolsol. Aron mahimong makahuluganon ang pasko, angay kita nga magbag-o sa kinabuhi, magbasol sa mga sala ug maghini-uliay sa maayong pagtinagdanay.

Ikaduha, ang Adbiyento nagdasig kanato nga magbantay sa pagduaw sa Ginoo sa inadlaw-adlaw natong kinabuhi. Sa mosunod nga Domingo sa Adbiyento, ang ebanghelyo magsaysay mahitungod ni San Juan Bautista nga maoy magpaila kang Cristo, ang Dios nga anaa nakig-uban sa mga tawo. Kaniadto, si Jesus nagpuyo taliwala sa mga tawo, apan pipila lang ang nakabantay kaniya. Karon, Siya ania gihapon sa atong taliwala pinaagi sa Espiritu Santo, apan pipila lang ang naghatag og bili sa iyang pagpakig-uban kanato. Ang Adbiyento nagdapit kanato sa paghatag og pagtagad sa presensya ni Cristo sa atong kinabuhi. Siya atong ikahibalag sa Santos nga Misa, sa Kristohanong katilingban, ug sa matag tawo nga nanginahanglan og tabang.

Ug sa katapusan, ang Adbiyento nagpahinumdum kanato nga mangandam alang sa atong umaabut nga pag-atubang sa Ginoo. Kini mahitabo sa adlaw sa pagbalik ni Cristo sa katapusan sa panahon nga mao usab ang adlaw sa paghukom. Ang ebanghelyo nagpahimangno kanato nga ang “Anak sa Tawo” moabut sa takna nga wala damha, sama sa dakong lunop nga nahitabo panahon ni Noe. Miabut ang lunop samtang ang mga tawo nangaon, nanginum ug nagminyoay. Nga sa ato pa, wala gyuy timailhan nga nakapaandam kanila nga maglunop na. Ingon usab kuno niini ang mahitabo sa adlaw sa pagbalik ni Cristo. Walay “last call” or “warning signs”. Busa, ang hagit sa Simbahan mao kini: Pagmata kanunay! Ayaw pagpiyong-piyong! Pagpabiling mabinantayon!   Adunay nag-ingon: “Ang tawo nga mapakyas sa pagpangandam tabla ra nga nangandam sa iyang kapakyasan.”

Unsaon man nato nga magpabiling mabinantayon sa pag-abut sa Ginoo? Diha sa ikaduhang pagbasa, Si San Pablo naghatag og practical advice: Pagpuyo kamo kanunay isip mga anak sa kahayag ug likayi ang tanang buhat nga salawayon. Gipasabut ni Pablo nga angay kitang manginabuhi nga maligdong ug likayan ang daotang mga buhat sama sa paghuboghubog, pagpangaway, pagdinaotay, kasina, ug uban pa.

Ang panahon sa Adbiento usa ka maayong pahinumdum nga ang matag adlaw sa atong kinabuhi atong gayong gamiton sa pagpangandam sa atong pakigkita sa Ginoo. Manglimpiyo ta kada adlaw (dili kada semana, dili kada bulan) aron sa tanang panahon andam kita sa pagpakig-uban sa Ginoo!

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Wis 11:22-12:2; 2 Thes 1:11-2:2; Lk 19:1-10

It is quite ironic that the name Zacchaeus in Hebrew means one who is just or clean. Before he met Jesus, the Zacchaeus that we know in the gospel had no moral integrity. He was a chief tax collector who enriched himself through anomalous means.

Zacchaeus belonged to the higher echelon of society. Yet, he was unhappy for he had chosen a life that made him an outcast, an enemy of his own people. During the time of Jesus, tax collectors were employed by the pagan Roman occupiers and, ordinarily, they made money through the large interests that they imposed on the working people.  It was understandable that the Jews would look at tax collectors with disgust and anger.

The gospel tells us that Zacchaeus was seeking to see Jesus whom he heard would pass their place that day. Perhaps he was one of those people whose hearts were restless in search of something genuine and meaningful. He might have realized that wealth could not satisfy him or make him happy. Providentially, the Spirit was silently leading Zacchaeus to Jesus.

It was not easy for Zacchaeus to see Jesus. We are told that the crowd was blocking his sight because he was small in stature. Perhaps, this was the gospel’s way of expressing the awkwardness of Zacchaeus to join the crowd in welcoming Jesus given his bad public reputation. To solve his dilemma, Zacchaeus climbed up a tree which did not only make him see the Lord but also made Jesus find him.

The conversion of Zacchaeus was initiated by Jesus who invited him to come down from a high, embarrassing position. Commentators would interpret it as an invitation for Zacchaeus to leave his place of corrupted power and dishonest wealth. In a way, the Lord called him to come down to earth, to enter into contact with reality, with the people whose poverty he had taken advantage of.

Zacchaeus responded beautifully well: “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” Notice how Zacchaeus suddenly recognized the poor and how he desired to make good reparations. Bible scholars tell us that Jewish Law ruled that if voluntary confession was made and voluntary restitution offered, only the value of the original goods stolen had to be paid, plus one-fifth (Lev 6:5). Zacchaeus manifested his sincerity by intending to give back more than what the law demanded.

A writer recalled how a rich young man failed to become a disciple of Jesus despite living a clean life. Zacchaeus led an immoral life but received salvation because he was willing to leave everything for Jesus, something that the young man refused to do.

The conversion-experience of Zacchaeus inspires us to do at least three things:

First is to find peace with our Creator. St. Augustine reminded us that we are made for God and our hearts are restless until they rest in Him. Zacchaeus knew this by experience. He found real joy only when he received the Lord Jesus in his life. May we likewise find our way to meet Jesus who also is constantly seeking for us.

Second is to acknowledge humbly our faults and ask for mercy and forgiveness. Sometimes we like to blame others for our wrongdoings. Other times we minimize the gravity of our sins or justify them with trivial excuses. Let us emulate the example of Zacchaeus who confessed his crime, accepted responsibility and showed remorse in the presence of Jesus. Saint Augustine once said: “The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works.”

And third is to make sincere reparations for whatever injuries we have committed against others. Most of our sins have social implications. We offend others by taking advantage of their miserable situations, or by taking something that rightfully belongs to others, or by destroying another person’s name. We also harm others by living scandalously or by giving bad examples. If conditions would allow it, let us try to restore whatever damage we caused in other people’s lives.