Seeing the Face Of Christ In the Church

Posted on July 11, 2015 by Spirit Moments

For the longest time, the Church has been seen as a symbol of power, authority and even of wealth. There were many who could not see the face of Christ in her. Now, this seems to be slowly changing as Pope Francis proclaims to the whole world the authentic meaning and joy of the gospel – Gaudium Evangelii.

In the world meeting of Popular Movements in Bolivia, the Pope asked forgiveness for all the wrongs that the Church has committed against the indigenous people in Latin America. I am reminded of my own native Philippines where for the most part of our three hundred years as a Spanish colony, the friars were often the face of oppression, hypocrisy and corruption.

Visiting a violent and overcrowded prison in Bolivia, the Pope declared that he was as much in need of repentance and penitence as the inmates there. He did not condone their crimes but he joined them in their sinfulness. And meantime in the Vatican, the first ever child sex abuse trial will begin next month against the Pope’s former ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski.

Today’s secular society has practically driven the Church out of the mainstream where it used to be. She has long been out of the legal and social mainstream because of the separation of Church and State. The Church is out of economic and financial circles because she often poses difficult and often impossible to answer questions to bankers and businessmen. The Church has often been seen as an enemy of science and technology because of the narrow-mindedness of many fundamentalist-believers.

But in the process of being sidelined into the peripheries, the Church has also encountered the billions that the present world systems have driven into the peripheries and out of the mainstream as well. The Church is now where it should be – with the underprivileged and underserved, with the poor and the oppressed, with the last, the least and the lost, with those who long for land, lodgings and labor.

Now, I am indeed starting to see the face of Christ anew in His Church.

Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
~ Psalm 105
Jesus said to his Apostles:
“No disciple is above his teacher,
no slave above his master.
It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher,
for the slave that he become like his master.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more those of his household!
“Therefore do not be afraid of them.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father.”
Matthew 10:24-33
Posted in Discipleship, Encounter, The Good News | Tagged , | Comments Off on Seeing the Face Of Christ In the Church

Wolves And Doves

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Spirit Moments

Wolves are lording it over the world today. There are the ravenous wolves, extremists and terrorists who prey on the weak and the defenseless while sowing fear and terror. There are other wolves no less insatiable in their greed who portray themselves as men of honor and integrity. Yet, they have harmed more people that terrorists who outrightly kill others.

Look at what is happening in Greece which is in danger of defaulting on her loans. And the financial markets are in panic. Common and ordinary people are condemned to lives of austerity and hardships just to make sure that their country’s creditors and the banks are paid their last penny. Never mind that it would cause untold misery for millions.

In contrast, the same bankers and financial people do not seem to be as worried with what is happening in China. Because of the plunge in its stock markets, China has lost 15 Greeces in market cap in the past three weeks. These same honorable men, who claim to love freedom and democracy, know that China will eventually use an iron hand to try to bring back order into their now totally intractable stock markets.

Meanwhile, in his current trip to Latin America, the Pope continues to proclaim the good news and champions the cause of the poor and underprivileged calling for society to provide them with “land, lodgings and labor.” He has declared many times that the trickle-down economics does not work, because of the honorable men who control the flow from the spigot. Shrewd as a serpent yet simple as a dove, Pope Francis calls on all men of goodwill to work for the change of these unjust structures. He demands reform of an intolerable global economic system. These changes will have to be the work of not just individuals countries but of all countries and other social institutions in the world working in dialogue and harmony; while minding and caring for the earth and her resources.

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
~ Psalm 37
Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves;
so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.
But beware of men,
for they will hand you over to courts
and scourge you in their synagogues,
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
and the father his child;
children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved.
When they persecute you in one town, flee to another.
Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel
before the Son of Man comes.”
Matthew 10:16-23
Posted in The Good News | Tagged , | 1 Comment

My Journey

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Spirit Moments

“Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick.”

The past few days have brought me a more intense realization that I am coming to the end of my journey. I do not know how many more miles I have to go but there are definitely less miles for me to travel than I have already walked. I need all my remaining energies to make it to my destination. I cannot afford to be weighed down by excess baggage. I need to travel light. Gold and silver I cannot bring beyond a certain point. I wouldn’t want to pay any taxes on them at my port of entry. I may not need either a sack for provisions further down the road. I heard there is a banquet waiting at my destination where food never runs out and everything I can fancy will be there.  I do not need any tunic nor sandals as everything will be provided for at my final destination.

“As you go, make this proclamation:‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.”

As I lay there in my hospital bed being cared for by a myriad of doctors, nurses, technicians and hospital aides, I thought of all the people in my life. I counted my blessings of family and friends. In my time and during my journey, I have done some curing and healing with friends and colleagues in the the healthcare sector. I have raised and uplifted many a flagging spirit many times with dear family and precious friends. I have done a lot of cleaning – physical, emotional, material, spiritual – with and for people who are dear to me and for many others who were in need. I believed I have also helped drive out demons of depressions, sadness, anger, hatred, ignorance, prejudice, etc. from those whose lives I have touched or who have touched my life.

I cam home sober and rather somber and I look ahead into the coming days. Looking back, I remember all the marvels the Lord has done in my life. Looking ahead, I pace everything into His loving hands. I am coming home.

Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
~ Psalm 105
Jesus said to his Apostles:
“As you go, make this proclamation:
‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;
no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,
or sandals, or walking stick.
The laborer deserves his keep.
Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it,
and stay there until you leave.
As you enter a house, wish it peace.
If the house is worthy,
let your peace come upon it;
if not, let your peace return to you.
Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—
go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.
Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment
than for that town.”
Matthew 10:7–15
Posted in Discipleship, Encounter, Life | Tagged , , | Comments Off on My Journey

Receiving And Giving Forgiveness

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Spirit Moments

I am not perfect and I have committed many mistakes in my life. Some mistakes have made me stronger. Others have made me wiser. Still others have made me more understanding and accepting of others knowing that I have failed or disappointed others as well. Some of my failures and mistakes, I have been committed maliciously. And for these I am truly sorry.

Knowing that I can receive and have in fact received forgiveness frees me from having to carry all the baggage of the past along my journey in life. I keep the lessons I have learned and I leave the baggage and the trash behind. Then I am able to travel light.

If I have been forgiven, I must also learn to forgive. Sometimes, the hurt or the disappointment I have experienced can be so intense, I nurse it. I won’t and can’t let go and forgive others. It is during such times that I keep myself and others imprisoned in the my unforgiving. I need to break out of such imprisonment.

It is in pardoning that I am pardoned. I ask for forgiveness. I should be ready to give it. When I say the words, “I forgive.” then I must forget the hurt and leave it behind. My words must be matched by my action.

I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
~ Psalm 115

After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
“This man is blaspheming.”
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
“Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”–
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.
Matthew 9:1-8

Posted in Relationships | Tagged | 1 Comment

Seeing With Eyes Of Faith

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Spirit Moments

Last night, I had a night of fun, food and fellowship playing bocce with the RCIA/catechetical team of St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish. As we were saying our goodbyes to one another at the parking lot to call it a night, there were Jupiter and Venus in the night sky, shining brilliantly like we  have never seen them before. I whispered a silent prayer, “Thank you Lord of Creation for this wonderful night.”

I wondered how many looked up the skies last night to marvel at the sight of this beautiful night sky. I wondered how many people spent this delightful evening with family and friends, sharing food, fun and fellowship. After dark and stormy nights, there come nights like these. Even as the storms rage around, there are moments and spaces of peace, quiet, love and harmony.

It does make a difference to see things with the eyes of faith. The disciples saw Christ driving out evil spirits from those who were possessed. And they marveled and were filled with awe at the His power. Here was no ordinary man. Here was God the Almighty working among them. Others saw the same event and they were filled with fear and unsettled from their comfort zones. They would have nothing to do with this Christ.

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
~ Psalm 34

When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.
They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.
They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”
Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.
The demons pleaded with him,
“If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”
And he said to them, “Go then!”
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
The swineherds ran away,
and when they came to the town they reported everything,
including what had happened to the demoniacs.
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.
Matthew 8:28-34

Posted in Discipleship | Tagged | Comments Off on Seeing With Eyes Of Faith

The Storms Are Here. Is He Asleep Again?

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Spirit Moments

There are a lot of storms raging in the world today and many more are brewing and looming in the horizon. The same-sex debates/discussions continue, calling into question the very nature of marriage and the role of the family in society. Racial relations are raw with tensions anew and still struggling with the past. Financial markets are once more in panic over the Greek situation. Fundamentalists persist on wrecking havoc and sowing fear in the hearts of many in the Middle East. The environment continues to be despoiled and degraded, irreparable it seems.

And in homes and families, there are also storms blowing: lost jobs, lost homes, hunger, sadness, conflicts, addictions, anger, depression. Everyone seems too focused on their own selves. Every man for himself. Not enough caring. Not enough sharing.

Through it all, I hold on to my faith trusting that the Lord will make all these things right and beautiful. In His time. In His way. But there are many times, the Lord seems to be asleep in the boat. And I cry out with the disciples, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.
~ Psalm 26

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
Matthew 8:23-27

Posted in Discipleship, Life | Tagged | 1 Comment

Who Do You Say That I Am

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Spirit Moments

“Who do you say that I am?” The answer to that question is both personal and communal. My personal answer is arrived at through prayer and in loving service to others. The communal answer is achieved through common reflection and dialogue with my faith community, the Church.

The past days have been heady and thrilling times for many in the US.  The SCOTUS has recognized the rights of gay persons to be married, giving them the same rights as straight couples. The Church has long struggled on the pastoral care of LGBTQ and has always adhered to the commandment of love; that they should be treated with love and respect. But the Church’s stand is that marriage is strictly between a man and a woman. I personally never had a problem with the third sex. I have dear family members, close friends and respected colleagues who are gay. But I am struggling, with the Church, on the issue of same-sex marriage. I need more prayers and reflection as well as guidance and dialogue with others in my faith community on this issue.

The SCOTUS has also recently upheld the ACA/Obamacare. The Church has opposed the ACA because it imposed the used of public funds to pay for abortions. But it had a laudable objective of providing healthcare for the poor, the aging and the disadvantaged. In a country that would spend trillions on weapons and wars and billions more to bail out distressed big corporations; it is scandalous that in trying to balance the budget the first items to go are those funds earmarked for education and for social services for the poor, the sick and the aging. These are the peripheries that Pope Francis has challenged us to go out to and to love and serve.

The Charleston Church shooting is a national tragedy. But it has become the occasion to finally shed off the last vestiges of an inglorious past in a nation’s history. Black people have always been disadvantaged since the days of slavery. And inordinate number of them are poor, are school drop-outs, are in prison or have had a stint in one. While their contribution to the arts and culture, to sports and to the sciences are outstanding and immeasurable, theirs is generally a miserable lot. As a people, they have found refuge in the Church and in their religion and spirituality.

I see the Church struggling mightily to live Christ’s commandment of love in the face of the burning issues of the day. It is inspiring to see all these changes happening as people become more sensitive to one another’s needs. It is not always to answer the question of the gay community when it asks the Church, “Who do you say that I am?” Or when the poor, the aging, the sick and the disadvantaged in out midst ask the Church community, “Who do you say that we are?” Or, when a black person asks the Church community, “Who do you say that I am?”

The answer will come only through struggles and prayers. For before we can answer, we must first listen, prayerfully and lovingly and respectfully, to what they have to say as to who they are.

The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
~ Psalm 34

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Matthew 16:13-19

Posted in Discipleship, Relationships | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Who Do You Say That I Am

A Tree Falling In The Forest

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Spirit Moments

thumb_P1400940_1024

P1400939

We were at the Muir Woods National Monument yesterday to enjoy and be awed by the giant sequoia redwoods. Left to itself, undisturbed by human presence, a redwood tree can live for thousands of years. But sometimes, a giant redwood may fall in the forest.

A fallen redwood tree does not mean death or the end of life at all. The log of such a fallen tree becomes the beginnings and the continuation of not just one life but, in fact, many lives. The nooks and crevices of the fallen trunk become the breeding ground for all kinds of life, unseen by the human eye – molds, fungi, bacteria and all sorts of microorganisms. Some probably living off on one another. Soon, insects, bugs and small rodents create labyrinthine tunnels through the trunk of the fallen tree and make their home there. And after some time, even bigger animals find shelter or begin nesting in some openings somewhere in the decaying log. P1400936And then almost miraculously, new saplings begin to spring forth.

And even as this trunk of a fallen tree decays and slowly disintegrates, it gives back to the soil all the nutrients it has gathered together during its lifetime. If it took a hundred years to do that, it will take the same amount of time to give it back.

Imagine now all of this happening without any divine intervention. That all of this is just simply the way things are. Even then, I would still see beauty merely from the fact all this life blooming and blossoming is there at all. I would still see the goodness in the varied ways new life grows out and from a tree that has given its own so others life forms may live. I would still see the truth that there is purpose and end to the new ecosystem growing out of a dead and fallen trunk.

But I do not believe that all of this beauty, goodness and truth are due to happenstance or mere chance. I see the hand of a God who wants to see me live forever:

“God did not make death,
nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.
For he fashioned all things that they might have being;
and the creatures of the world are wholesome,
and there is not a destructive drug among them
nor any domain of the netherworld on earth,
for justice is undying.
For God formed man to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made him.
But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world,
and they who belong to his company experience it.”
~ Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23-24

When I see the beauty in nature, I catch of glimpse of His endless beauty. When I see the goodness there is men, I begin to understand His infinite goodness. When I see the truth alive in the world around me, I feel the truth of the words He has spoken through the ages.

I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
~ Psalm 30

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
“My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live.”
He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.

While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said,
“Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?”
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
“Do not be afraid; just have faith.”
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside
except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official,
he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.
So he went in and said to them,
“Why this commotion and weeping?
The child is not dead but asleep.”
And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out.
He took along the child’s father and mother
and those who were with him
and entered the room where the child was.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,”
which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.
At that they were utterly astounded.
He gave strict orders that no one should know this
and said that she should be given something to eat.
Mark 5:21-24, 35-43

Posted in Death, Environment | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A Tree Falling In The Forest

Say But The Word

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Spirit Moments

“Say but the word . . . ”
Words are very powerful. In the beginning, God created everything by just speaking the words. “Let there be light!” Man gets to own this creation by naming things and events with words. He experiences the beauty and goodness of creation. He puts what he experiences into words and the experiences are forever in his mind and memory.

A priest says the words of consecration and ordinary bread and wine become the body and blood of my Savior. I fervently believe this truth. In the fullness of time, the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us. Today, His words are my strength in times of weakness.  They are my source of comfort in times of sorrow.

A man feels the stirrings in his heart and says “I am woman!” and he is in every respect a woman but in his body. And today she is happy as the gay community attains and celebrates a new and higher level of recognition and equality. I rejoice at this new level of human consciousness and acceptance. Words are again made a reality. But there are also worrying words at the back of my mind. There are still a number of things about this new development that I do not understand.

A woman declares “I am a black person.” She is physically and genetically a white person. Do her words change the reality of her race? She has been living and accepted as a black person by most in her community. If I truly believe in the power of words, I should believe what she is saying. But what happens now to truth? Truth is the congruence of words to reality.

Words are powerful but they can also be the source of confusion, dissemblance and even of outright lies. In prayerful reflection, I struggle with these questions and listen for the words of enlightenment from the Lord.

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
~ Magnificat

When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”
He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
The centurion said in reply,
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven,
but the children of the Kingdom
will be driven out into the outer darkness,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
And Jesus said to the centurion,
“You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.”
And at that very hour his servant was healed.
Matthew 8:5-17

Posted in Faith, Mystery | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Say But The Word

Prayer Is Wasting Time

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Spirit Moments

I sometimes wonder what good does praying do. I sit in silence, alone and by myself. I do nothing. I accomplish nothing. So, what good does praying do? It seems to be such a waste of time.

Yet, it is what Jesus did constantly and consistently. He always found time to pray and spend time with the Father. Early in the morning. At the end of the day. After a long journey. Up in the mountain. In a garden. In the desert. And, I can imagine, by the seashore. He prayed for blessings. He prayed in thanksgiving. He prayed in praise of the father. He prayed when He was in the depths of dejection as well as in the heights of ecstasy.

Prayer can indeed be seen as wasting time with the Lord. I can appreciate that fact remember how my most important relationships have been so because of the time I invested, or wasted, on them. Hanging out with friends in my youth was a waste of time. But it was that wasted time that has bonded us together for life. I remember wasting time with Anabelle exchanging sweet nothings. But it was that wasted time and the sweet nothings that made our love to bloom and grow. I recall the many hours wasted playing with my sons, and now with my grandchildren. But I have learned that those wasted moments get converted into golden memories in the mind of a child.

When someone comes to me for help, the easiest thing to give is money. This betrays the underlying assumption in our culture today that money solves everything. Sometimes, I give words of advice which are often mere worn-out cliches and hackneyed platitudes. Sometimes, I would offer to do something for the person. Then, I realize the most difficult and most awkward thing to give is my time. Just to spend time with a person in need. To waste moments with a friend or a loved when you know you could be doing something else – productive.

So I see prayer as spending, yes wasting, time with the Lord. I get to know Him better and love Him more deeply. And the Lord blesses those who fear/pray to Him. Like the leper and his prayer, the Lord will hear me and say, ““I will do it. Be it done unto as you have prayed.”

See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.
~ Psalm 128

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.
And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said,
“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I will do it. Be made clean.”
His leprosy was cleansed immediately.
Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one,
but go show yourself to the priest,
and offer the gift that Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them.”
Matthew 8:1-4

Posted in Presence | Tagged , | Comments Off on Prayer Is Wasting Time