Gospel for July 1, 2015 (Wednesday)

Mt 8:23-27

When Jesus came to the territory of Gadarenes on the other side of the lake, he was met by two men who came out from the burial caves there.  These men had demon in them and were so fierce that no one dared travel on that road.  At once they screamed,  "What do you want with us, you Son of God?  Have you come to punish us before the right time?"  Not far away there was a large herd of pigs feeding.  So the demons begged Jesus, "If you are going to drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs."  "Go," Jesus told them; so they left and went off into the pigs.  The whole herd rushed down the side of the cliff into the lake and was drowned.  The men who had been taking care of the pigs ran away and went into the town, where they told the whole story and what had happened to the men with the demons.  So everyone from the town went out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their territory.

The Word in other words

Here is a picture of our Lord, trying to rescue us, going through a storm to cross a sea many would dare not go, so as to see two people who needed His help.  One would reject Him and the other would beg to go with Him, while the community who rejected them both also rejected Christ and demanded His departure, as they valued pigs over people, money over eternity.  This passage stresses the point that Jesus is no more man; He is divine.  Even the demons testify to this!

This is a strange story from a godly perspective, as people who should have marveled at Jesus saw a divine miracle performed before them and saved them from the torment of the demons, only to demand that He leave.  Yet, like them, so many of us do the same thing every day.  We may know if the Lord, even experience His gave and serve Him for a time, yet we too ask Him to go away.  We sometimes do not allow Him at all into our lives.  So, are we asking Jesus to leave, or are we allowing Him to embrace us?

How sad it is that as the demons cried out, "This is none of your business," we too make such heinous proclamations to the very Lord who crossed a storm to redeem us!  He who bridges the gap of the sin we could not cross is paving the way for our salvation and sanctification.  He allows us to remain in the boat with Him, even calling us to go with Him. Let us not fall into complacency and arrogance, seeing no need for our Lord, ignoring His call to us.  Let us not allow ourselves to be filled with so much "busy-ness" that we find no more time or Him!  Let us not be like the village people who saw the pigs to be of more value than the people.  What about our career- even our ministry?  Is it more important than our growth in Christ, so that our mission to build quality relationship is then pushed aside?  As with the village people, Jesus will not force Himself on us.  The call has been given; our sin has been covered.  It is up to us now to respond!

                       -Fr. Felix Ferrer, SVD (DWST, Tagaytay City)

Gospel for June 30, 2015 (Tuesday)

Mt 8:23-27

Jesus got into a boat and 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, "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?"

The Word in other words

How You could sleep in that boat, dear Jesus, in the midst of a raging storm at sea testifies not only to Your real humanness, to how tired You must really have been, but also to the eternal calm within You, which went with the confidence that the Father was with You all the time, and that You, after all the Lord of sea and sky.

I know from my own experience, that when my body is tired, after hours or days when I think I am superman who can go a long time sleepless, I just sleep through bells and alarms and knocks on doors- my body claiming its rest.  That was how it must have been with You.  Your companions, some of whom were fishermen supposedly used the moods of the sea, were terrified.  But You, the Carpenter that You were, were sleeping unperturbed, much like how we envision You on Christmas Day, as we sing a lullaby to Baby You, "Sleep in heavenly peace."  Only that this time though fully grown You still do sleep- in heavenly peace even as the sea was raging.

Roused from your sleep, You calm the wind and storm and sea while reminding Your companions that with You on board, they could have had a little more faith that nothing would go wrong.

It is tempting to that if I were on board that boat with You, I would have been a little more calm.  But in truth, I doubt if I really would have been.  Whether in literal or symbolic storms at sea or in life, I know I do get frightened when I think I am alone, forgetting that You love me, that You are in the boat with me, and that for as long as You are there, I am safe,

Today, dear Lord, please confirm me in my faith that I am loved.  As I face a new day, make me confident that You are with me whatever I do, wherever I go- be this on stormy sea or smoothly-paved street.  Let me only live so that just as You are with me, I shall always strive ever to be with You.

At the end of my day, may I enter the night equally confidently that You are still with me and will continue to be with me, ensuring that I, too, may "sleep in heavenly peace."

                    - Fr. Roderick C. Salazar, SVD (CKMS, Q.C)

Gospel for June 29, 2015 (Monday) Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul

Mt 16:13-19

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 say 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 Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.  For flesh and blood had 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."

The Word in other words

Have you ever made a great discover for yourself?

Today we celebrate the solemnity of Peter and Paul, Apostles.  Both can certainly be characterized as men who made a great "personal discover" of Jesus Christ.  Peter did so with his great confession: "You re the Christ, the Son of the Living God."  Paul, on the other hand, had it in Damascus event (Acts 9:3-22) when Jesus told him, "I am Jesus Christ whom you are persecuting."

Such discovery had given Peter and Paul a great privilege, but also a great responsibility.  The former, Peter, according to the post-Easter narratives, was a servant-leader and a courageous witness to the faith who fulfilled his promise to lay down his life for the Lord.  Moreover, he was given the keys to the Kingdom, making him a privileged steward of the household of God, opening the door for all to enter. The latter, Paul, went through a conversion.  He came to an awareness that God's immense love is not only for them, the Jews, but it embraces the non-Jews (Gentiles) as well, in fact the whole of humanity.  God's love is inclusive, not exclusive.  He considered the Gentiles not as a threat to Israel's holiness, but as brothers and sister within God's covenant with Israel.  He journeyed from being a Jewish Pharisee to being a Jewish-Christian missionary- a man on fire for the mission.

The discoveries of Peter and Paul are discoveries which we must make for ourselves.  As William Barclay says, "Our discovery of Jesus Christ must be a personal discovery."  Thus, our knowledge of Jesus must never be second-hand.  We might have all the information about Him; we might know every Christology that the human mind had ever thought of; we might be able to give a competent summary of the entire teaching about Him - and still remain unchristian.  Christianity is not only "knowing about Jesus", but also "knowing Jesus."

                      - Fr. Jose Honorio P. Mateo, SVD (Paraguay, S. America)

Gospel for June 28, 2015 (Sunday)

First Reading
Wis 1:13-15;2:23-24

Because 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;
There is not a destructive drug among them
nor any domain of Hades on earth.
For righteousness is undying.
For God formed us to be imperishable;
he image of his own nature he made us.
But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world,
and they who are allied with him experience it.


Second Reading 
2 Cor 8:7.9.13-15

Now as you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse, knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love we have for you, may you excel in this glorious act also.

For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

Not that others should have relief while you are burdened, but that as a matter of equality your surplus at the present time should supply their needs, so that their surplus may also supply your needs, that there may be equality.

As it is written:
"Whoever had much did not have more, and whoever had little did not have less."

Gospel Reading
Mk 5:21-43 (Mk 5:21-24. 35-43)

When Jesus had crossed again (in the boat) to the other side, a large crown 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 except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.  When they arrived at the house of the synagogues official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.  So he went in and said to them.  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.

The Word in other words

Suffering and death are painful realities which we are all afraid of.  Have you ever prayed so hard for the healing of someone who is sick and has been suffering for so long?  Have you ever pleaded God for the life of your dying father?  In such a desperate situation, did your faith in God waver or did it remain solid?

The gospel today presents two miracle stories of Jesus.  Here Jesus first raises a dead girl and then heals a sick woman.  The gospel also shows us two ways of expressing the faith: in secret and in public.  Jairus went to see Jesus and, in full view of the large crowd., fell at his feet and asked for the healing of his daughter.  On their way home, they received the news that the girl had died.  In spite of that, Jairus never wavered in faith in Jesus.  Upon reaching home, Jesus raised the dead girl to life.  Then, the woman who was suffering from hemorrhage for twelve years approached and touched Jesus in secret, trusting in His power to heal.  Jesus cured her and then sought to speak with her.  With that contact, the woman gained confidence to dialogue with Jesus without hiding herself anymore from Him.

Read again the gospel for today.  Feel the pain and despair of Jairus and the woman.  Remember your own pains and fears.  Look at the faith of Jairus and the woman and examine your faith in Jesus.  Is your faith unwavering like that of Jairus, timid like that of the woman, or at times so little like that of the disciples?  We cannot escape from suffering and death, but we can hope for the healing and the fullness of life because of our faith!

Love conquers hate: Reflection on the movie The Railway Man

A month ago, I watched the movie, "The Railway Man".  I thought it was a movie about trains and railways but then it turned out to be a World War II story of the POWs (prisoners of war). In this blog, I will not be telling you the plot and the details as I have indicated a link so you can further read about the story itself. What I will be sharing here in my blog is how the movie affected and made me appreciate life even more.

The most striking part of the movie was when Lomax, the main character, even in his anger and rage, did not hurt or kill his previous tormentor, Japanese translator Nagase when the two finally met.  You will see in the movie how the transition and change of hearts happened.  I could see how time and conversion of one's heart made a difference.  At the end, they became good friends and treat each other as brothers.  

It just goes to show that even in the most difficult times in our lives, the only thing we can do is to accept things and to forgive those who hurt us and not become consumed by hate and revenge.  I always believe that there are many instances in our lives when we question why things happen this or that way, yet what else can we do? I have always believed in the saying, "Nothing happens by accident for behind everything there is a reason though we may not know at once".  Moreover, in the movie, it was showed how love indeed conquers everything.  The love of the wife of Eric Lomax, Patti, also helped in the healing of his past.  I also learned that it is important to communicate though it may hurt digging one's past experiences because it will be like opening wounds that already became scars.  Trust, faith, and acceptance are the key to building solid relationships. 

Hope you will be more inspired after watching this movie. Enjoy!

Gospel for June 27, 2015 (Saturday)

Mt 8:5-17

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appeal 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 that you should enter under my roof, only say the word and my servant will be healed.  For I too am a person 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 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.

The Word in other words

A centurion is a Roman military official with around 100 men under his command.  With this position, he receives a high compensation enabling him to afford a better life.  This life would mean having slaves at home who, like the soldiers under him, are always ready to obey his commands.

This centurion knows then the power of his words.  At work and at home, all his words instantly take effect and are obeyed by his people.  In his own realm, the centurion feels that he is powerful.

The fact that the centurion approaches Jesus to heal his servant manifests his belief that Jesus is also powerful in His own realm,  And if he can effect power with his words, why not also Jesus?  Thus, with faith, he says to Jesus:  "Only say the word and my servant will be healed."

We can draw two thoughts from the above statements.  First, a person of prayer and deep faith, the centurion is convinced that Jesus, if he wills it, has the power to heal his servant.  In our own little way, we pray privately.  But how deep is the faith that motivates or moves us to pray?

The second thought that has to do with the content of the prayer of the centurion.  He is praying for his servant.  Yes, we pray and we bring our petitions to God, but are they usually petitions for our own personal concerns and for our loved ones?  How often do we pray for the people who serve us: our maids, cooks, laundry people, gardeners, etc?  How often do we pray for the needs and concerns of people who do not belong to our family and loved ones?

          - Fr. Jerome S. Montesclaros, SVD (USC, Cebu City)

Gospel for June 26, 2015 (Friday)

Mt 8:1-4

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".

The Word in other words

For many years, from elementary school to college, I suffered skin asthma, a disease triggered by eating seafood, chicken, and so on.  My feet was so much affected that at times, I was forced to wear slippers in school.  Eventually, it became a source of laughter ans ridicule among my classmates and friends.  Several times I was hurt by the way I became a center of jokes.  For more than twenty years my sickness became part of my prayer life.  I always prayed for God to cure me someday.

My parents did their best to find a cure to my condition.  We went as far as Cebu, Bohol's island neighbor, just to look for a doctor specializing in skin diseases.  Our relatives and friends suggested a lot of clinics and hospitals.  Alas!  Even the most popular dermatologist could not prescribe a medicine that might liberate me from my skin asthma.  And so I accepted my fate and moved on with the reality of living with skin asthma forever.

When I was a postulant, I was surprised to realize that skin diseases could be considered as a reaction to certain needs such as belongingness, intimacy, and affection.  As a son of OFW parents we were either away from home or so much engaged in work , I eagerly sought for the satisfaction of these psycho-emotional needs.  Deep inside me, I was desperate for God's healing.  I could emphatize well with the leper in today's gospel- his feeling of being ostracized and bullied, his continuous search for the best doctor in town, and his longing for Jesus to liberate him from the evil of leprosy.

The leper's cry is also my cry.  As a wounded people, it is our cry too,  Today, thousands of 'lepers' in our midst await to be healed and freed from all sorts of sicknesses and maladies.  Imagine those people who flock to healing masses and fellowships.  Yet let us not despair, for the Lord shall one day descend from the mountain, and we, 'lepers' of all sorts, shall approach, do him homage and be made clean- not only physically but holistically, not only at that moment but forever.  It will be an experience of healing grace from the Divine Healer.

                         -Fr. Kevin James Pizarras, SVD (DWST, Tagaytay City)

Gospel for June 25, 2015 ( Thursday)

Mt 7:21-29

Jesus said to his disciples, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.  Many will day to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord. did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then will declare to them solemnly, ' I never knew you.  Depart from me, you evildoers.'

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.  But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.  And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.  And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

The Word in other Words

A story is told of a very hungry hyena.  While hunting for food, he came to a thicket where he saw two goats at the far end of two different paths,  With his mouth watering in anticipation, he took the right path with his right leg and the left path with his left leg.  As the two paths veered father apart, he tried to follow them both at once.  Finally, he split into two.  Hence, the African proverb: Two roads overcame the hyena.

Today's gospel reminds us of the folly of splitting ourselves- calling to Jesus, "Lord, Lord', yet not doing the will of the Father.  For many of us, consistency in words and deeds is a huge mountain to climb.

A case in point: our country the Philippines.  The irony is that it is oftentimes ruled by corrupt politicians and government officials who mostly are Catholics.  We wonder: Are they corrupt because they are Catholics, or are they Catholics because they are corrupt?  The two seem to have causative relationship.  Yet, even if we succeed in arguing that being a Catholic has nothing to do with being corrupt or vice versa, it would not stop us from questioning how Catholic politicians and government officials could have no social conscience so as to steal from the people the have pledged to serve?

Selfishness is our greatest enemy.  Our inability to concretize our faith and live it out in every aspect of our life is, in many ways, triggered by self-seeking ambitions.  Even our acts of worship are oftentimes motivated by our demands that God would grant our request for material blessings.  "Lord, I pray that I'll get salary increment this year, so that I will still have my car.  Without it, how could I continue attending Mass on Sunday?" said the proud owner of an SUV`.

We all have a long way to go towards fulfilling our Christian calling.  The spiritual imprint we received during baptism is just the beginning of an arduous journey that is meant to change our lives as well as inspire others to do the same.  Our words and deeds often lack coherence, and our 'Lord, Lord' utterances are not always predicated on doing God's will.

                                 - Fr. Narciso Cellan, SVD (Kenya)

Gospel for June 24, 2015 (Wednesday) Birth of St. John the Baptist

Lk 1:57-66.80

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son.  Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.  When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zachariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, "No.  He will be called John".

But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name".  So they made signs, asking the father what he wished him to be called.  He asked for tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed.  Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing to God.  Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea.  All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be?"  For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.  The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

The Word in other words

With the exception of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist is the only saint whose birthday we celebrate.  The importance of John's nativity gave a signal to the coming of the Messiah, Our Lord Jesus Christ.  John the Baptist was considered to be the last prophet before the coming of the Song of God.  His birth came under "mysterious" circumstance- barren wife gave birth to a child in her old age.  Neighbors asked, " What, then, will this child be?" They asked this question because it was clear that God was with him.

John the Baptist, whose name means "God is gracious", consecrated his life to the Lord and became the precursor of the Messiah.  He was the voice crying out in the wilderness, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand".  He prepared the way for the Lord, and like the other prophets he was given the opportunity to offer his ultimate act of obedience to the will of the Father by shedding his blood.

God chose John to prepare the way for the coming of the Savior and arrange everything for him.  His parents waited for his coming and they were filled with joy upon seeing him.  He grew in righteousness "until the day of his manifestation to the people of Israel."

Like John, our existence in this world might be short but it will not be futile if we do the will of God, if we do what is supposed to be God's plan for us.  Our mission is to be a witness to what is right and true, to bring joy to the world by living out the gospel values.  John did not wish to become powerful; humbling himself before the Lord, he declared,  "He must increase, I must decrease".

To live is not to possess power, glory, and riches, but to live the life in joyful humility, simplicity, righteousness, and love.

Gospel for June 23, 2015 (Tuesday)

Mt 7:6-14

Jesus said to his disciples, "Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.

"Do to others what you would have them do to you.  This is the law and the prophets.

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.  How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.  And those who find it are few".

The Word in other words

Pedot was a farmer, and so was his older brother Sidro who was married and had two children.  They lived in the same area not too far from each other.  Pedot always felt sorry for his brother because he had more mouths to feed and care for, and so needed money and help more than he,  During harvest time, he would therefore secretly bring half a bag of rice to his brother at night and put it under his house.  Sidro, on the other hand, felt sorry for his younger brother who was living alone without any help in his farm, no wife to cook for him and o loving arms to welcome him when coming back from the farm.  So, Sidro would once in a while bring a half a bag of rice and secretly deposit  it under Pedot's house at night.  Then, one evening, the brothers met each other on the path, each carrying half a bag of rice.  Each uttered and "Ow!" now fully understanding where the occasional and mysterious gift of half a bag of rice was coming from.  They smiled at each other, and embraced each other, and then exchanged bags.

In the gospel today, Jesus mentioned the Golden Rule,  " Do unto others what you want others do unto you."  This rule is found in all religions and tribal law expressed in different ways.  However, it has been pointed out that the Christian expression is positive, whereas in other religions, the expression starts with a  "don't" and is therefore negative.

Our common belief is that we are surrounded by a kind of goodness.  Just take a look at the services around us daily where we get food, transport, clothing, etc.  People of good will are found everywhere.  In a way we are dependent on them for our daily life.  We often take for granted that, with his statement, Jesus is affirming something that we already know in the deepest part of our being--- that our hearts are in touch with the ONE who created us.

                       - Fr. Carlos Lariosa, SVD (Radio Veritas Asia, QC)

Gospel for June 22, 2015 (Monday)

Mt 7:1-5

Jesus said to his disciples, "Stop judging, that you may not be judged.  For as you judge, so you will be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.  Why do you notice the splinter in you brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye?  You hypocrite,  remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye."

The Word in other words

A 1994 classic film, "Forrest Gump", depicts the story of a naive and dim-witted man, who is able to unknowingly influence the historical events of the United States in the late 20th century.  As a child Forrest wears leg braces and other children bully him for it.  He is often insulted for being dumb.  Fortunately he is athletically adroit, which enables him to become successful in college and the military, and eventually become popular in public.  Despite his low IQ, he has an endearing character which is seen in his devotion to his duties and loved ones.  The unconventional life of Forrest Gump calls to mid the adage:"Do not judge a book by its cover".

Judging people according to their outward appearance seems however natural and prevalent. External display tells us whether somebody is dangerous or friendly, suspicious or trustworthy.  The Germans say, "Kleidung macht den Menschen" (Clothes define the person).  What we wear reveals something essential about status of a person.  We also think that it tells us about the economic and educational status of a person.  This shallow thinking may lead us to overestimate the face may also be more intelligent, richer, and happier than the relatively uglier ones.  That is why advertising agencies and cosmetic companies profit immensely from this prevailing human trait of superficiality.

Jesus admonishes us not to judge others rashly, according to their appearance or according to our moods and preconceptions.  It is better to know the people before judging them.  The imperfections of others, which we immediately discover, often disguise our own imperfections, which we seldom notice.  We need to be aware that we don't always make the right decisions and that we often do the wrong things.  Our lives are far from perfect, so we cannot expect moral perfection from others.  We may disagree on disputable matters, but we should allow people to form their own convictions.  When we search within our own hearts, we will find plenty of reasons to keep us humble before the Lord without being occupied with other people.

                              - Fr. Simon Boiser, SVD (Hamburg, Germany)

Gospel for June 21, 2015 (Sunday) Father's Day

First Reading 
Jb 38:1.8-11

Then the Lord answered Job out o the storm and said:
Who shut within the sea,
when it burst forth from the womb,
when I made the clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling bands?
When I set limits for it and fastened the bar of its door,
And I said: Thus far shall you come but no further,
and here shall  your proud waves stop?

Second Reading
2 Cor 5:14-17

For the love of Christ impels us, once we have come to the conviction that one died for all; therefore all have died.  He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.  Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh; even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer.  So whoever is in Christ is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.

Gospel Reading
Mt 4:35-41

With the coming of evening that same day, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let us cross over to the other side'.  And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him.  Then it began to blow a gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that is was almost the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped.  But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion asleep.  They woke him and said to him, 'Master, do you not care?  We are going down!' And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea. 'Quiet now! Be calm!' And the wind dropped, and all was calm again.  Then he said to them, 'Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?' They were filled with awe and said to one another, 'Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him'.

The Word in other words

One of the first things they taught me as a "bush missionary" was to take off my shoes before boarding the canoe.  Crossing the wide river was dangerous and the canoes made of hollow tree trunks could capsize easily.  Without shoes it was easier therefore to swim and save one's life.  I was told that in the nearby village a group of pregnant mothers was on board the canoe.  They had to be on the other side of the river to have medical checkup in the health center.  A storm caught them by surprise and the canoe sank.  Everybody drowned including the boatman who preferred to die with the mothers than to face the blame of the whole village.  Lakes and rivers are more perilous than the sea.  No wonder many people are scared of them.

In the Old Testament the waters were considered as a terrible monster and symbol of all negative and evil forces.  If you see the big waves rocking through your boat and the strong winds blowing with horrifying  sounds you can really be frightened.  Only God was capable to tame the sea and prevent it from harming people.  The  setting of the Gospel today is in the Lake of Genesareth.  Jesus asked the disciples to cross the other side and, while doing so, they fell asleep.  A terrible storm came, so strong that even the disciples, mostly expert fishermen, panicked.  They woke Jesus up, "Master, do you now care? We are going down!" Jesus talked to the sea as if addressing a person:"Quiet now! Be calm!" A great calm followed.  Now Jesus questioned them in return: "Why are you so frightened? Have you still no faith?"

Mark recounts the story to impart many lessons.  Leaving the shore, the stable ground, to cross the rocking waters is to take a risk.  Following Jesus entails letting go of our security and being ready to face danger for a cause.  The consolation is we are not alone; we are on the same boat with other disciples.  In times of trouble we get the impression that Jesus doesn't care.  He seems not to know that we are perishing.  But he is just testing our faith.  If the boat collapsed, he would have drowned, too.  Note that Jesus did not say: "Have you no faith?" It is important to underline the word "still".  That means that faith is not static, it is in constant growth.  Later on the disciples' faith will grow and become so strong that Jesus is in the same boat with them.  He is capable of calming all kinds of storms.  Even the wind and the sea obey him.

Gospel for June 20, 2015 (Saturday)

Mt 6:24-34

Jesus said to his disciples, "No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon.  "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds in the sky; they do no sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are not you more important than they?  Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?  Why are you anxious about clothes?  Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.  They do not work or spin.  But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.  If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the open tomorrow, will he not much provide for you, O you of little faith?  So don't worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or ' What are we to drink?' or What are we to wear?'  All these things pagans seek.  Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.  Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.  Sufficient for a day is its own evil".

The Word in other words

There is a story about a man suffering from insomnia.  He decided to try the old remedy: counting sheep.  He went to bed and closed his eyes, but when the first sheep came along, it stumbled and fell.  Would someone come along to help the sheep?  How many more sheep would come along and stumble over the fallen sheep?  How many sheep would be injured?  How much more would the shepherd lose as a result of the accident?  The man was so personally involved with the situation that the more he could not sleep!

In today's gospel, Jesus teaches us not to worry and put more trust in God.  When He tells us that we should learn from the lilies of the field and the birds of the sky, He is saying that God, in His Providence, takes care of us "who are much more of value than they".

But the write J.C. Holland had this insight on God's Providence: "God gives every birds its food, but He does not throw it into the nest.  If you observe the birds, they work so hard scraping food here and there in order to feed their nestlings."  When Jesus says, "Don't worry", He doesn't mean, "Don't work".

Following Jesus' teaching on worrying, some might say, "Do you mean to say I should not worry if my creditors are running after me over my two-million peso debt?"  Or, "should I not worry if I'am on the verge of losing my job due to retrenchment?" Or "if this lump on my neck is diagnosed as terminal cancer?"  These should be causes for worry, indeed.  But with firm faith in the Lord, we should do our utmost best to remedy them.  But if the situation is beyond human control, say, the unexpected death of a loved one or an incurable sickness, then we just have to accept them in faith.  As someone rightly said, "Don't worry about things that you can't do anything about."  Do your best, then, God will do the rest.

What Praying is for Me

Our little altar

Prayer.

I learned back when I was a child that to pray is to talk to God.  Growing up, I find myself always talking to God, - how my day went, friends I met, games I played.  Then I also learned from the way of life of the Focolare (Work of Mary) community where I belong that even a simple "For you Jesus", in everything we do is already a prayer.  Every Wednesday, I would go to the Adoration Chapel with my mother and spend an hour praying and meditating.  But that habit ceased when I get to move and to study in Cebu and my schedule totally changed. Instead,  I get to pray the Rosary with my Aunt,

In college, I learned that to PRAY means - Praise, Repent, Ask, and Yield. I also found a very simple and easy to understand article on how to pray.

Now that I am on the family way and most of the time just staying at home with lots of free time, I find myself praying for people and for their intentions.  At night, with my Aunt, we pray the Rosary.  How we both feel that our day has been complete spending less than 30 minutes to praise, thank, adore, and thank God for the many many graces and blessings and even trials that come our way.  The light of the candle focuses our attention to prayer and reminds us that praying gives us the Light.

Aside from going to the Adoration Chapel and praying the Rosary, I also have special prayers or what we call Novena. These are prayers done for 9 days straight to a particular saint, to Mary, or to the Persons of the Holy Trinity. However, I am not only for 9 days straight because I also felt that I badly need the help of the Holy Spirit these days. Slowly, I felt so much peace and grace that He promised to give which I wish to continue just the same.

I have always believed that even at times I get to forget, God knows what is in my heart.  Yet, I also felt more close to Him whenever I really focus and just talk to Him.

Gospel for June 19, 2015 (Friday)

Mt 6:19-23

Jesus said to his disciples,  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.  But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there also will your heart is.

"The lamp of the body is the eye.  If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.  And if the light in you is darkness,  how great will the darkness be".

The Word in other words

A newspaper carried this article about a young man who once found a five-dollar bill on the street.  From that time on, he never lifted his eyes when walking.  Through the years, he accumulated 29,516 buttons, 54,172 pins, 12 cents, a bent back, and a miserly disposition.  He lost the simple joy of the sunlight and blue sky, the glow of the moonlight or the stars, the smiles of friends, and the entire joy of living. (Roy B. Zuck, The Speaker's Quote Book)

I guess, what Jesus said about the eye being the lamp of the body goes with a caution to be careful where we fix our eyes on.  What can be said of the eye could be said of our mind's thoughts as well.  Indeed, what catches our attention by sight often fills our thoughts.  And the longer we allow ourselves to be drawn to the object of our desire, the sooner it consumes us.  As Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be".  This applies to many things or persons in life, but more so towards money and the so-called treasures on earth.

Why do we tend to store up or covet things, sometimes even beyond what we need?  It is not to have a sense of security?  But Jesus' advice in the gospel today challenges us: where does our real security lie?  It is not in money, power, prestige, nor even in relationships or our own strength.  If we over-rely on these things, the wise and truly rich will tell us that we are foolish indeed.  For, as the bible describes, they are life flowers that blossom in the morning and wither in the evening.  More pointedly, none of these earthly things is of value in heaven and eternity.

Our real security and treasure lie in our union with Jesus Christ.  Jesus made a promise that if you seek first the Kingdom of God and entrust yourself to Him, then He already assumes full responsibility for you and for all your needs, on earth as in heaven.  Can you name any one thing that God has come up short with and failed us?  None! Trust Jesus, fix your eyes on Him, put Him first over everything, and all the rest will fall in their proper places.

                             - Fr. Emil Lim, SVD (Hong Kong)

Gospel for June 18, 2015 (Thursday)

Mt 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples, "In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them.  Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.  This is how you are to pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. "Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us  to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one. " If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."

The Word in other words

As a missionary, in Timor Leste, I realize that one that one of the most difficult gospel lessons to preach on is "forgiveness".  This is due to the Timorese people's terrible, horrible, bitter and painful experience with Indonesian soldiers during the war 13 years ago.  Before this country finally won her independence, thousands of lives were sacrificed.  Today, people always recall and retell their experiences.  One memory that causes pain is of fellow Timorese who were pro-Indonesian government and who participated in the killing of their own Timorese brothers and sisters.  Today, many of them are still roaming around the country.

Though it is very challenging, I as a missionary must preach and live 'forgiveness'.  Otherwise, as stressed by Jesus in the last part of today's gospel, our heavenly Father will not forgive us.  There is a line in the "Our Father" that says in Tetun, "Haraik perdua mai ami sala, nudar ami perdua ba ema halo aat ami" (Forgive us our since, as we forgive those who sinned against us).  This means that our Heavenly Father can only forgive us if we are able to forgive those who have done us wrong.  May you be one with me in praying for our Timorese brothers and sisters so that God will give them the courage to forgive those who killed their loved ones.

We may not have the same experience as the people here, but isn't is that we have also our so-called 'enemies', who may be our family members, officemates, fellow religious, classmates, or friends?  During my novitiate year my classmate became my enemy for many reasons.  I was not brave enough to talk to him personally.  I was then so disturbed that I was forced to approach my spiritual director for help.  After listening to my struggle, my director suggested that I pray everyday for my 'enemy'.  Though it was not easy, I did pray for him every morning.  As I woke up in the morning I would offer a short prayer for him.  I did it for several months and, believe it or not, in the end we became good friends.  This is what we call the ' the power of prayer'.

Let me suggest that, starting today, as children of our heavenly Father we should try to do the same.  Let us offer a short prayer everyday for our so-called enemies, believing that with God's grace a miracle will happen, the miracle of forgiveness.

               - Fr. Reniel Lumiwan Nachimma, SVD ( Timor Leste Region)

Gospel for June 17, 2015 (Wednesday)

 Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples, "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people  may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.  When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others.  Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.  Bu when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be a secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that others may see them.  Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.  But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

"When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.  They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting.  Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.  But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden.  And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."


The Word in other words

We are familiar with our "Panatang Makabayan" (Pledge of Loyalty to our Country): "Sisikapin kong maging isang tunay na Filipino, sa isip, sa salita, at sa gawa". (I will strive to become a true Filipino in thought, word, and in deed).  Are we truly living this pledge in our day-to-day life?

Today's Gospel gives us practical tips or reminders on how to perform righteous deeds, how to pray and how to fast.  In short, it presents to our consciousness how to truly live our Christian life.  When we do good, whether by charitable works, prayer or fasting, we should do them with the right motive and right intention and not for self-satisfaction or self-aggrandizement - to be praised, to be honored and to attract people's attention to us.

For our actions to be truly meaningful and helpful, we must aim at the good of all. Our prayers and actions must express our sincere gratitude to God for His countless blessings and our sincere desire to help build one another in love and responsibly care for the development of our environment.  We should fast with an honest heart and fast from gossip, rumor-mongering and dishonest deeds so as to promote peace, justice, and harmony in society and the world.  With St. John the Baptist, let our lives proclaim: "He must increase, I must decrease:.

As God has so wondrously blessed us in Jesus who is our Way, Truth, and Life, and as He continuously blesses us through the Holy Spirit, may we, in turn, be a blessing to one another and to the world.  He has gifted us through the things we honestly do in thought, word and deed.  May God be praised forever.

                    - Sr. Elena Rosa Salonga, SSpS (CHS, QC)

Gospel for June 16, 2015 (Tuesday)

Mt 5:43-48

Jesus said to his disciples, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?  Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that?  Do not the pagans do the same?  So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The Word in other words

When our lives and even that of the Church's are ranged against the demands and standards of the Gospel, they will always fall short.  There will always be a big gap between the fulfillment of its demands and the expectation inherent in the demand.  No wonder the theme of conversion is a constant one.  It is because we try to do as much as we can.  This also gives reason why reforms are a never ending desire and dream of an individual and of the church.  It is because we have done enough or we have veered off far enough from our goal.  The church is semper reformanda, as the saying goes.

Reforms have also dotted the history of the church.  The religious orders like the Benedictines (they put order into the prayer life of the church), the Franciscans (they pushed for simplicity into the lifestyle of the church), the Dominicans (they revived the primacy of the word and its preaching), the Agustinians and Carmelites (they mined the ideals of their founders and applied them to their actual situations) --- they have all contributed in bridging the gap between reality and the Gospel demand.  The Councils at Pisa (1490), Constance (1414-1418), Sienna (1423-1424), Basel-Ferrera-Florence (1431-1439) and Lateran V were all aimed at strengthening the unity within the church by the conciliar definition of papal primacy in its legal and political senses.  A stronger leadership meant a credible one and therefore would inspire.

When Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio as elected to the Papacy and had acted or spoken with what could be construed as novelty, even if in the same mold as John Paul II and Benedict XVI, the clamour for reform within the Curia and in some other areas of Church governance and teaching became even louder.

The above examples are just small snippets at how the church tried to fulfill the demands of the gospel.  Definitely, they are inspiring stories because they show the human spirit at its best.  It is a never ending attempt to be faithful. Yet, it could also be seen as an effort doomed to fail and perceived as rejoicing only at our own suffering.  It might appear that frustration, failure, and disappointment are the lot of a Catholic.

                     - Fr. Joey Miras, SVD (Toronto, Canada)

Labor of Fun and Creativity

It started in 2006 when my sister purchased a desktop and printer that she commenced making simple invitations for wedding occasions.  Her then boyfriend, now her husband of five years, was her creative partner and together they ventured in this hobby-turned-income-generating activity.  Now, their products and services reached parts of Mindanao, Luzon, and even Calgary, Canada!

They used to name their 'company', TamWorks but in 2013, they re-branded it as Rookiehands-Crafts and Prints.  Maybe because they still consider themselves as rookies for this kind of endeavor yet I already consider them as genius in this field - spare you me having to patronize, hehehe.

I am featuring their arts and crafts as they also made our wedding save-the-dates and formal invitations for our December 2014 wedding.  How my then fiance appreciated the amazing designs and well-crafted details!  We had a Filipiniana theme wedding and it was one-of-a-kind. Even my sister was quite ecstatic as she worked on the project.

                                                          Our Save-the-Date Invitations

                                                              Our formal invitations

Here are also some of her creations...

                                              During her 2nd baby shower for Rookie

                                                                      Wedding favors

                                                                      Wedding favors

                                                                    For a kiddie party

If  you want personalized and hand-crafted invitations, programs, or favors, my sister will be more than happy to discuss with you.  She can deliver your project given the 2 week window otherwise there will be an add on fee for rush jobs.

Here are her latest projects...

You may reach Rookiehands- Crafts and Prints at 085-342-2294 or 0912-378-9501.

Gospel for June 15, 2015 (Monday)

Mt 5:38-42

Jesus said to his disciples, "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.  When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.  If anyone who wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well.  Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles.  Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow".

The Word in other words

Now and then, we read in the newspaper that a certain airport personnel or taxi driver returned to its owner a bag of money found in the airport or a taxi,  The finder could have used the money to answer some personal or family need, but she/he stood by her/his principles and returned that money. Such honesty is nowadays a rarity and for that reason the finder's story becomes a national news item.

Can we correctly say that such an honest guy loves his neighbor?  Certainly, for he did what he knew to be good for the other person.  And that is love--- to do what is good for the other.  In returning the money to its owner, he did what love requires of him to do in such a situation.  How about us? When making a choice or a decision, do we tell our self that we should do what love requires?

In today's readings, Jesus warns us against the unloving attitude of revenge - an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.  Our Lord is telling us we should love our neighbor.  And love means not just refraining from revenge but taking an extra mile for the one we love.  Jesus tells us that when we love others, we should also love our enemies.

Doing things which are good and beneficial to the one we love is the language of love. And doing things out of love should not be burdensome to a loving person.  And doing things out of love should not be burdensome to a loving person. Where there is love, there is no labor but delight: ubi amatur, non laboratur;  aus si laboratur, labor amatur.  When we speak the language of love, we do not preset or predetermine how far or to what extent we will show our love and concern for the other.  Look at Jesus "our Tremendous Lover" --- He loves us without measure.  Indeed, in the words of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the only measure of love is to love without measure.

                               -  Fr. Ernesto M. Lagura SVD (USC, Cebu City)

Finding and Overcoming Failed Job Applications

I used to work with the government project called Listahanan.  It is a database management system where it identifies who and where the poor are.  My job involved conducting data-sharing lobby among LGUs of Caraga region, providing technical assistance so those that already have the database of poor will be able to maximize the information, serve as resource person during seminars or training, and monitoring field staff during field operations.  These varied activities were not office-based thus I was out doing field work and I could not be happier than to go and to just enjoy the many trips that I made for almost 3 years.

Then I got married last December and my life completely turned 360 degrees.

I moved here in Baguio where my husband left me as he needed to go back to North America.  When I found out that I was pregnant, I was very ecstatic and I couldn't wait to be a mother breast-feeding my child.  

To keep myself from being bored to death, I tried to look for online work-at-home jobs. First try was Bizmates, an online part-time English tutorial for Japanese market.  I found their ad while scrolling my facebook timeline.  They were very professional and nice.  However, I did not pass their demo-interview. That happened a week after I had my initial interview. The Bizmates hiring process is as follows: Online application, Email confirmation and booking of initial interview, Interview Demo, Training, and Final Interview.  You will also need to have 1mbps upload and 0.5mbps download speeds, good lighting condition, quiet working station, and plain background (you will be having skype interviews and eventually lessons with the students should you pass).  What I like about Bizmates is the fact that they are very professional in their hiring process and I had fun nonetheless.

Second online application that was also an epic fail was my attempt to work with MOD or My OutDesk.  They have part-time and full time jobs as virtual appointment setter and general admin virtual assistant.  After the online application sent to them, I got an email informing me of my interview schedule at the given time-slot.  However, when I was already logged in to skype and letting them know I was already online, I got a very informal message of "hi" and told me that since skype was responding poorly interview will proceed through mobile phone call.  I waited until 5pm (interview schedule was supposed to be within 12noontime to 4pm).  Around 9past in the evening, when I was already lying on my bed, the phone rang and Private Number displayed on screen.  I thought it was my husband calling overseas instead it was a guy from MOD.  Interview only lasted for less than 5 minutes and he informed me that although I was applying for a part-time stint, I would still be working graveyard shift.  This said, I informed him that I was going 6 months in my pregnancy, yet I told him that I will still give it a shot.  Before we hang up, he informed me that an email will be sent to me within the week. Lo and behold, after an hour, I received an email informing me that I did not meet their 'criteria'.  They did not even elaborate what part of their 'criteria' I failed considering that I was an agent and team lead for more than 3 years in one of the biggest contact centers in the country and I believed I have what it takes to do the job. Then again, with much courage I humbly accepted my defeat.

Third, my online application to Rev.  It's a company dealing with transcription, caption, and translation.  I applied as a transcriptionist.  Their online application process consists six steps. They have grammar, writing, and practice transcription tests.  The last part was critical because it took me about an hour to transcribe a quite nonsensical conversation that lasted for 2 minutes and 37 seconds. After clicking on submit, I was able to finally go to bed.  Morning came, I checked my email and found out 2 emails from Rev with different time stamps and checked the one that arrived first. The email informed me of the turn-around time of applications that would last even up to 3 weeks.  The second email informed me that I did not make it and I should not contact them to ask for reason of their decision. They also said that I can still re-apply after 6 months.

Lastly, I have posted my online profiles in two freelances sites - Elance and Upwork (oDesk before).  Apparently, been sending applications to no avail spare for 3 scam and bogus job posts.  I almost worked for free if I had not checked and verified the sites provided to me. These are the sites www.1url.com/sample,  www.1url.com/servers, http://koloteam.com/bablo.php, and http://wordtexttypingjob.blogspot.com/.  Anything related to these sites are unreliable and should not be working for them as your accounts may be compromised or you would end up conspiring with hackers.

After all these failed applications, how shall one overcome? For me, I take them as humbling experiences and try to learn and to improve. I also learned how to be prudent and wary and not get too excited.  I know that job for me is just around the corner, I just have to keep going and moving on. Who  knows, I might get my dream job after I give birth to our son. I am just positive.

How about you, have you got similar experiences?

Gospel for June 12, 2015 (Friday) - Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Jn 19:31-37

Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of the week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down.  So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other who was crucified with Jesus.  But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.

An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may come to believe.  For this happened so that the scripture passage might be fulfilled:  "Not a bone of it will be broken."  And again another passage says: "They will look upon him whom they have pierced".

In Other Words

There are "conspiracy theories" surrounding the death of Jesus on the cross.  Some say He merely fainted, and that later on His body was spirited away to some place where He was revived.  Later, they say He traveled to France to begin a new life there.  And to think that there are people who actually swallow this "theory" as though it were "gospel truth".

The truth is what the Scriptures record: that Jesus did die and He was certified dead, and reported as such to Pontius Pilate.  There was no play acting for Jesus Christ truly died, period.  All this was to fulfill the Scriptures about the death of the Messiah.

It is however the meaning of His death that matters.  For it was sacrificial death: Jesus Christ died so we may have salvation and eternal life in His kingdom.  We, who witness His death through our loving, meditative and prayerful reading of His Passion and Death, should be overwhelmed by the sacrifice of this "Tremendous Lover".  No one who reflects on Christ's passion, death , and resurrection should come away unaffected, unappreciative and untouched by the "greatest love of all".  Yes Christ has dies, Christ is risen; and all of this is for us.  Oh what He did for love, what He did for love...

                                 - Fr. Lino Nicasio SVD (SHP, Kamuning, Q.C.)