A sower went out to sow....

A Friend or A Slave? 0 comments

Servanthood is the mark of true Christian living. Jesus emphasized it during the Last Supper, saying that he came not to be served, but to serve, and that likewise we should serve one another. In his parables, he often referred to believers as "servants" of the Kingdom. But in this Gospel reading, Jesus says that he wants us to be his friends, not his slaves.

Is he contradicting himself? Not at all! Friends serve because they care. Slaves serve because of duty and the fear of punishment. Jesus said, "If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love."

Do we hear this as a friend or a slave? Slaves are afraid of what will happen if they fail to keep God's commandments; they are self-protective. Friends are eager to find out what God commands, because they view the commandments from the perspective of love, as opportunities to serve; they are other-oriented.

Jesus said, "This is my commandment: Love one another the way I love you." It's the supreme commandment; call it the Commandment of Friendship. He says, "You know how I love you, my friends: I openly share with you everything that the Father tells me." His friends realize that what he shares (through scripture and through the Church) reveals the opportunities to love that we seek. Every commandment is rooted in love. Every Church teaching is based on love.

When we fail to obey, do we lose God's love? Never! Do we lose our place in his love? Yes. By living outside of his commandments, we feel unloved even while being loved.

This is slavery. We're enslaved by fear or by false beliefs or by our wounds that have caused us to think that we're not loved enough. God's commands then feel confining, and if we try to escape, we commit rebellion. Those who don't rebel accept their slavery and obey dutifully in the hope of winning God's love. Friends, on the other hand, know that God always loves them, and in this love, they are free to serve one another joyfully.

Are you obeying God like a slave or as a best friend?

[6th Sunday of Easter]

Shalom 0 comments

In the Scriptures peace is always much more than a cessation of hostilities or an absence of war.  It is a right relationship with God and with others – with others because with God.  In this picture, there is no peace if there is no peace with God.  But we often settle for less, calling it peace: if we are not actually fighting we say we are at peace.  We always say that war “breaks out,” implying it was always there, dormant, within us, just waiting to cross over into action.  Why not talk about peace breaking out?  Of course it can only break out if it is first within us.  But it is.  “Peace I leave with you,” Jesus said, “My peace I give to you.”

The Jews say, “Shalom!” – which means - “Peace!”  This fine greeting too can become superficial unless we see some depth of God in it.  It was not just a vague wish for the other person, “Don’t worry, be happy!”  It was a prayer for full harmony with God – for salvation.  If you read Numbers 6:22-26 you will find the original text in which Jews were told to greet and bless one another with ‘Peace’:  “Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them, ‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Numbers 6:22-26).  This is a wonderful blessing, worth learning by heart, and using bravely on special occasions, instead of “Good luck!”  It is a prayer for “the peace that the world cannot give.”

World peace begins in each heart. It has certain prerequisites:

A still and quiet conscience arising from the knowledge that one has been true to self and to God.

Working for justice, therefore one knows that all are given what is due to them as human beings.

Seeking God’s will, hence one has no fear about the future, and about eternity.

Love, therefore one can forego and transcend even the most unpleasant realities.

Not just being a peace-lover, but being a peacemaker, and a peace-giver, therefore one lives out what is celebrated in the Eucharist where we great each other “Peace be with you.”

Recognizing God’s presence in each person.

[Tuesday 5th week of Easter]

May Day 0 comments

Today is known as May Day. There has been already traditional celebration of May Day since pre-Christian time, which celebrates May Day as the end of uncomfortable winter. But May 1, is also known as International Labor Day. It was instituted in 1889. It celebrates the social and economic achievements of the international labor movement.

In 1955, Pope Pius XII established the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker to coincide with the International Labor Day. This gesture shows how the Church also values the basic rights of workers. In the Gospel we can see how, even during the time of Jesus and His Legal Father Joseph, there was the tendency to belittle manual labor. Initially impressed by Jesus’ eloquent and authoritative teaching the people later remarked: “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son?”

While the Communists define the value of labor in terms of political and economic considerations, the Church invites us to appreciate labor and work in terms of the following values:

VOCATION: Through labor and work, we give meaning to our existence. We realize that we are not just here to waste time and to occupy space. We have a unique role to play; we have contributions to make in the world.

SERVICE: Through our labor and work, we employ our talents and abilities not only to make a living, but to meet the need of others.

Nowadays, many people work in order to have better living. Ironically, many who work so hard but still complaining, “Ah..mahirap ang buhay.” And many people who enjoy luxury lives upon the suffering of others. I think we need to live these three values: SSS. Stewardship, Simplicity, and sharing.

Stewardship: an awareness that we do not own what we have. Our God is the Creator and he is the owner of everything. We, co-creators, are only given the responsibilities to develop, maintain, manage, it. We need to respect and accountable to our belongings and the world.
Stewardship will lead us to Simplicity. The awareness that everything we have do not belong to us and we are only the stewards of the Creator, will make us simple, because we will not focus on ourselves but God and others. We will not work hard only for the sake of ourselves. And lastly, simplicity will lead us to sharing. The simpler our life, the more we share with others. Sharing is the heart of Christianity: life given to others. Our world today really needs this spirit. Can we begin? I hope so.