We, The Church…

5^th Sunday of Easter A 2023

God has created us to live not in isola­tion but in a relationship! In creating us, God desired for us to participate in a fellowship with Him and with one another – to be like Him, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, a community, a Holy Trinity. When God created humanity, God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone, I would create a suitable partner for him.” God created man and woman to be in community together, to create families and to live together, to bear His image and likeness in love and understanding with one another. And throughout the Scriptures, He showed us that our life is all about relationships. God chose the Israelites to be his people. “And I will walk among you, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people.” Following Jesus’ resurrection, He instituted the Church, the Body of Christ as a community of believers. “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

This Body of Christ is present and alive in our here and now as we gather today to celebrate the Eucharist as a community of believers. In our first reading, we get a glimpse of the life of the first “parish” in Jerusalem.  There are three things that stand out in their experience as a community which can help us reflect on our own Christian identity as a faith community as well. Firstly, the community of believers is gradually growing. The Church is a living body of believers in Christ, and living things are meant to grow. If a community of Christians isn’t growing, something is wrong. We are a missionary religion. We are asked to go out and preach the Gospel in our lives. But this is not just about the quantity of people sitting in the pews but more so, the quality of who we are as Christians. Just like the first Christians, are we steadfast in our faith? Are we firm witnesses of Christ’s love and compassion to one another? Are we committed to growing as a community despite of the challenges we face?

Secondly, there is a clear structure of authority in our Church community. The Twelve Apostles were its leaders, as Jesus intended, and they solved the new problem that arisen by ordaining the first Deacons. We are organized with the same hierarchical structure. There is the pope, the successor of Peter, and the bishops, successors of the Apostles. Then, there are the priests, the bishop’s representatives to the parishes in the diocese under his care. None of them govern by their own authority. Rather, they receive their authority from Christ, through the sacrament of the holy orders. But let us remember that there are more in the Church than just the clergy – it is more than just Fr. R, Deacon T, Archbishop S or Pope F. It is made of all of us, the Body of Christ. In the sacrament of baptism, God conferred on each one of us the baptismal grace of being a priest, a prophet, and a king. We all have a duty, a role, and a calling to make our church grow – to make our relationship with God and with one another stronger and better. And we can only do this if we see our Church in the lens of a genuine relationship. In our experience of being in a relationship whether it be in our family or with someone we love, we think, first, how can I serve; how can I love; and how can I take care of my family, my community, my spouse, my parents and my kids rather than, what can I get from them or what do I deserve from them or how can they serve me, love me, or take care of me? When we focus more on loving, on serving, and on helping each other, first and foremost – everything will fall into place. But if we are looking at it the other way around, what is it for me? What can I take from it? We all know by experience how many disappointments and hurt that kind of thinking has brought in our life and relationships.

Thirdly, even at the very beginning of the Church, we see that there are disagreements among believers. The Greek-speaking believers complained about being treated as second-class Christians. Our faith in Christ doesn’t make us perfect right away, just as it didn’t make the first Christians perfect right away. The first Christians had to work through conflicts and selfish tendencies; and so are we. We often hear about the success-stories of the saints, but we don’t often hear about their failures. They also had their own share of failures and hardships, as we all do. We can think of St. Mother Teresa, who had to experience many and long times of not feeling the presence of God in her life, the dark night of the soul, and yet, she persevered. She became a saint despite her struggles.

Becoming a mature Christian is the same way, both for us, as individuals, and for us, as a Christian community. It is a life-long process that includes troubles and failures as well as victories and successes. If we persevere in this process, never giving up and never falling into a dull and stagnant pattern, we will gradually but steadily grow in wisdom and holiness.

This is why we need the virtue of patience in our lives. As we know it, patience is not a popular virtue in our culture today. We want everything to happen right away. We want life to be like UPS, which delivers whatever we want overnight. We want life to be like high-speed Internet, instant availability of everything from friends to financial updates. But becoming a mature Christian or a mature Christian community is not like that. It requires a constant effort over time – again and again and again. That’s patience. God’s grace is like the sunlight and the rain, and our souls are like gardens. Patience is the gardener who goes out every day, rain or shine, to pull out the weeds, fertilize the soil, mend the fences, and prune the plants. How foolish that gardener would be to give up on his garden before the harvest season! To expect full-grown cherries just a week after the cherry tree blossoms! And how foolish we are when we give up on ourselves, on people, on our church, saying that we can’t change and be better, long before the autumn of life! Jesus never gives up on us. Let us not give up on one another. Let us not give up on God.

Even though it may seem strange in our individualistic world, we truly need each other to grow in the faith. “We are all in this together”. “It takes a village” as we often hear. That is true! Let us, therefore, be witnesses of the Gospel to one another. Let us be ready to lead one another to love and good works. Let us be patient and steadfast. Believe! Don’t lose hope! Let us be the Change and the Church we want to be! Amen.

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The Relationship

4^th Sunday of Easter A 2023

One of the most beautiful metaphors of God’s relationship with His people is that of the relationship between the shepherd and his sheep. During the time of Jesus, shepherding is one of the main professions of the people and this is the reason why Jesus used this metaphor often in His parables. At that time, it was common knowledge that the shepherd would do anything for the good of his flock. The relationship between the shepherd and his flock is personal. He knows each one of them and he loves them – not just as group or as a flock… but more so, as individuals. He calls each one of them by name.

The intimate dynamics of their relationship rest in who they are to each other. It is said that the sheep’s eyesight or vision is probably among the poorest of all animals. It is in their nature to have poor eyesight, so it is difficult for them to see clearly. Their wool, if not sheered, would grow long, covering their eyes and that makes it more difficult for them to see. No wonder, they always get lost, and it is easy for them to fall into a ditch or a hole while walking. However, the sheep is known to have excellent hearing. Their sense of hearing is probably among the best of all animals. So, in moving around, the sheep often use their sense of hearing to listen to the voice of their shepherd and they follow it. That is how they can see clearly, by following the voice of their shepherd.

How about the shepherd? What makes one a good shepherd?  A good shepherd is very devoted to his flock, to his sheep. He guards them and constantly watches over them. Even in their sleep, he protects them from wild animals. He would put himself in harm’s way just to keep them safe. And because he knows that the sheep cannot come by itself to a place of safety, he would always be there present, leading them and calling to them so that they can hear him, and they can follow his voice to safety. And when a sheep in his flock goes missing, he will be distraught. He will be very worried, and he will do everything in his power to find the lost sheep, again because he knows them. They have poor eyesight. They cannot on their own go back to the flock. When he finds the lost sheep, he will be very happy to put the sheep back into the fold together with the others.

Jesus is telling us today that the relationship between the sheep and the shepherd is just like the relationship of God to us, His people. Like the sheep… we have our human tendencies that make us blind and oblivious to God’s truth and the teachings of the Church – pride, self-centeredness, individualism, anger, and so many others. These things cause us to be astray or lost. But like the sheep too… we, too, have an excellent sense of hearing… in our conscience, the voice of God in our lives. We have that sense of right and wrong and what is the right thing to do. The question is: “Do we often follow that voice, or do we listen more to our inkling to go our own way?

But God knows us personally. He is aware of our weaknesses and human tendencies. That is why He sacrificed himself on the cross for us. We have a Good Shepherd who laid down his life for us so that we who can easily get lost, can always come back into the fold. When we are injured and hurt, He can heal and take care of us; when we are afraid or anxious, He can bring us peace and comfort; and when we feel alone and unloved, He is always there to embrace us with His kindness and love.

The challenge for us now is how do we truly embrace and nurture our relationship with God so that we can grow as individuals and as a flock journeying together in the faith through the guidance of Jesus, our Good Shepherd, whose voice is present in each one of us, in the Scriptures, and in the teachings and the sacraments of the Church. Amen.

c/o Maro

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What Say You?

What Say You?

Love N’ You, That’s What You Do

I was traveling one time during Valentines Day, and I noticed on the plane some love slogans celebrating this romantic celebration. One says, “Love is in the air”, another one states, “We love our customers.” One particular slogan however caught my attention, it says, “Love n’ You, that’s what we do.” This slogan stood out from the rest because of the depth of its meaning. Love is what brings people together and what gives purpose in what we do. For this reason, I would like to share this slogan to you, Lucas and Cate as you celebrate your wedding today: “love n’ you, that’s what you do.” You are two people brought together by love, so that you can together live and promote love in your life. This is why we proclaim in our Gospel today – “You are the salt of the earth; You are the light of the world.” Your love for each other should bring flavor and meaning in your life and you be able to share that to people around you especially your family and friends. It is by loving each other according to the example of Christ where you are going to find your joy complete as a couple. The love of Christ is giving, forgiving, caring, patient, steadfast, deeply loyal and faithful. It is our hope and prayer that you’re love for each other would be the same as well.

With Lucas and Cate in front of us today, can you still see if they are still smiling? (How about a round of applause for these two wonderful lovebirds in front of us.) I can see that they are still smiling. That is good. The two of you magnify the joy brought about by love to all of us here. You are beaming with joy. It’s undeniable, right? They are truly in love at each other! I can say this with sincerity because in meeting both of them, I did notice how they looked at each other. How they would glance at each other as they answer my questions to them. Their gestures, their unspoken communication reveal more than what they express to me in my meeting with them. It was a joy to experience the connection between them. And so, Lucas and Cate, your parents and loved ones, your family and friends; all of us here rejoice with you. We thank you for not only by being a witness of God’s love for us but also by showing us the joy of loving and being loved.

In my final interview with them, I asked them to give me 5 words that would describe each other. Cate described Lucas as mellow and even tempered,loving and sweet (that’s my words as hers is “He prioritizes me. I always know that he will be there to help me when I need it. He has driven to Vancouver to give me medicine in the past when I have been sick. He took time off of work when I sprained my ankle and could not walk, he helped me get down the stairs and pushed me in a wheelchair around urgent care. He always offers to cook for me when I see him, always pays for my food at restaurants, and is there with tissues when I’m sad.”

kind, humble and genuine plus trustworthy, respectful and non-materialistic. Lucas described Cate as faithful and committed Catholic, resilient and hardworking, affectionate, great with children and open to learning new things. He also tried to squeeze in being patient and fun. I told them to give me just 5 but as you can see, they gave some more. I believe that’s a good thing. Oftentimes in our lives, it’s easy to see the faults of another than their strengths. I often asked married people this question too about providing me with 5 things they liked at each other…..focus on the good, on the positive….

On the things that they shared, we can see a lot of similarities between each other but they also have their own uniqueness. They are their own persons, unique in their own ways but they complement each other. In the years that they have been together, they have brought the best in each other and they continue to do so. They have both changed in so many ways – each saw beautiful transformations in each other, through their ups and downs, through their breaking up and being back again – and have moved to become better versions of themselves because they have been enriched by the blessing of knowing and spending time with each other. Such is the gift of true relationship. Such is the grace of Marriage – a mutual giving of the self. It is to be a gift to each other; to be a blessing for each other; to complement each other, to build each other up, to make each other better. It is a covenant, a bond – “I give myself to you – you give yourself to me – not a contract – I am yours; you are mine. Forever.” 

When I asked Lucas and Cate how they wanted to be introduced, they said, Mr. and Mrs. Lucas and Caitlin …… Lucas and Cate, I would like to put your attention to the word, “AND.” in that beautiful introduction you want. AND, as a conjunction, is a part of speech that binds or connects two words, phrases or sentences together. Today, you are making a covenant to each other to bind yourselves together in love in the Holy Matrimony. By this vow, you are affixing an AND, in your life, so that you may be one. But this vow should not remain only as a vow, it must become a reality in your life so that that “AND” in your life would become an “IS”. It’s no longer Lucas and Cate but Lucas is Cate, Cate is Lucas. You belong to each other now; you are now indeed one. This belongingness or oneness should be manifested in your everyday life, not only as a couple, but also as individuals. Made for each other to live a life of love, all of your actions should always be an extension of your spouse. This is what the slogan, “Love n’ U, that’s what we do,” practically means….  So, whether you’re working or having fun, whether you’re at home or on a business trip, your actions should always express your love for each other.  As a couple, you are giving yourselves as gifts to each other. You are giving your whole persons to each other. This includes all your strengths and weaknesses, your gifts and limitations. You should find joy in each other’s perfections, but you should also learn from each other’s imperfections. It is through your vulnerability that you could bring and discover the best of each other. So be open to each other’s imperfections because through them, your love will be complete. 

It is said that by being married, you receive three rings, the engagement ring, then the wedding ring and the last is the suffer-ring.  I believe that everyone who is married here will agree with me that marriage is not always a pleasing and constantly fulfilling life. It’s not going to be always a happily ever after love story for you.  You have to continue to work on your relationship and love for each other. As all the couples here could testify, you will encounter hard times in your marriage. You will find yourself tested with the rigors of married life. They will even push you to your limits but remember that love is most proven in times of trial. It is in times of suffering and tension, that love is most pure. Take into your hearts the vows you are to make to each other today: I will be faithful to you… for richer and poorer, for better or worse….” May this sacred promise of love be the source of your strength and perseverance to abide in each other’s arms in times of trials and tribulations.

I once had this conversation with an elderly couple. I have asked them, “How many years have you been married together?” “We have been married for 56 years.” “Wow! 56 years?” “Yes,” the wife answered, “We have been together for 56 challenging yet fulfilling years.” “What have made you stay together for these 56 years?”; I asked. They looked at each other, hold each other’s hand and said, “we just hold on to each other.” 

To you, Lucas and Cate: we extend these words: “Hold on to each other.” Keep that love burning. Abide in that love as Christ abides in His Father’s love. Remember: “Love ‘N You, that’s what you do.”

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A Mother…

It is never easy to accept and experience death in our lives, but there are times when it comes as a blessing. Today, we give thanks for the life of Lee, your mom, grandma, in law, our friend, our family, our loved one…. Despite the sorrow that we feel for her passing, we know that it is in a way a blessing because she was ready to enjoy her rest and peace with our Lord together with her family and friends who had come before her.

As we come together today, let us remember how she lived her life with us. She lived a life of love for the people she cared for. I experience this myself. When I come to visit her, I always ask her how she is doing and often times, she would respond in jest that it’s not fun getting old, having to feel some aches and pains but after that she would ask me, how are you? How’s your family… how’s the parish…. That was so sweet of her. This shows her deep concern and empathy for others which I believe, we have experienced with her in one way or another in our lives. We remember those moments. We celebrate those memories. We embrace those opportunities of love and relationships she shared with us. They are our blessings of having and knowing her in our lives….

As I reflect on what to share to you today about Lee, I remember the prayer Hail Mary or “Ave Maria”…. The Hail Mary prayer stems from two passages in the gospel of Luke. The first one, found in Luke 1:28, says, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” This was mentioned by the angel Gabriel when she greeted Mary; this event is also known as the Annunciation. The second passage can be found in Luke 1:42, and it says, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” These words were said by Elizabeth when she visited Mary and greeted her. To many Catholics, this event is also called the Visitation. 

When he greets her he says “Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you.” Here the angel is declaring his admiration to Mary for being born full of God’s grace, (or without original sin) and for being the woman worthy of praise for being chosen by God to carry our all-holy, all-powerful Savior in her womb— “the Lord is with you.”

Our admiration and respect for Lee for the example, the faith and the witness that she showed us while still alive here on earth. Of course, I can’t say that Lee is without sin as I could remember her confession… she did this she did that… (just kidding….) She has her own share of shortcoming and limitations…. But she is one of the most genuine persons I’ve meet… so sincere in her desire to be good, to be better and be ready to face our Lord. She is a woman of faith worthy of praise… with grace and blessings from God because she believed…. She sincerely and perseveringly embraced Christ in the ups and downs of her life. The Lord was indeed with her for the faith and the genuine witness she shared with us as her family, as her friends and community – Hail Lee… God’s grace is with you….

As we continue the prayer: Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God…. : Being a mother…. (Describe how she was as a mother)

It is a blessing to be a mother. It is a blessing to have a family. It is a blessing called relationship. It is a miracle called love. That was what Lee celebrated with you and lived with you in her life. Indeed, this miracle was a blessing for Lee, a blessing for you and a blessing for all of us.

The blessing that is Lee…. Her life was complete. I could sense that there are two emotions you have in your hearts, a sense of joy and a sense of sadness. At the end of her long life, the need to praise God is just given because it is so clear how rich was God’s blessings for Lee. But at the same time, you mourn for your loss with sadness. You have lost a wonderful mother, grandmother, in law and friend. Now, she would not be able to bake you any more cookies or cakes but for sure, her recipes will continue to make waves, her generosity and love for sharing will continue to persist in you and in your relationship with one another. That is how her spirit, and the miracle of her life will continue to live on in your family and relationships. Indeed, you have received much from her. This time you have to let her go. Her life was complete, and she was ready for God. As one saying goes, “the glory of God is someone made fully alive.” She was an intensely alive person, wonderfully whole, and certainly she had given her life for the glory of God, by her witness and example to you and to all of us here. 

In her honor, in her memory, let us commend her to the Lord through the intercession of our Mother Mary as we pray for her: Hail Mary….

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Morning Has Broken….

Morning Has Broken….

We are Loved!

2nd Sunday of Easter A

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!

This is our Easter Cry! This cry tells us of the great gift that we have received from God – our salvation. He gave his life for us so that we can be saved. He did it because he loves us. This is the primary message of Easter. Why? Because no one will ever sacrifice one’s life for someone that he/she doesn’t care about. We know that from our personal experiences. We only sacrifice our time and effort to those who matter to us. Jesus did it for you, for me. By rising from the dead, he truly proved to us this great reality – that we are loved! We truly matter to God.

So, we can ask ourselves, “What did we do to deserve such an indescribable gift?” Probably nothing.

How about the Apostles – did they deserve it? They were Jesus’ closest friends, but they abandoned Jesus at the time He needed them most. With the doors barred, they were even fearful of being associated with Jesus but here we are, Christ appearing to them in his glory.

How about Thomas? Why was he not there the first time? Well, not only did he run away from Jesus but he also separated himself with the group. He felt that he was let down by Jesus. Jesus was not the political Messiah that he was hoping for. He expected a king on a throne not the one hanging on the cross. Still Jesus came to him and showed him his hands and his feet… My Lord and my God! That was his response and rightly so, Jesus is our Lord and our God.

Despite of their abandonment, their misgivings and limitations, Jesus loved them anyway…. Christ is the same with all of us. God loves us not because of what we have done but because of who we are to Him – we are his loved ones, his friends, his family, his sons and daughters. He is our Savior, our Lord and our God!

That is God’s “Divine Mercy”: we deserved nothing, and yet, he has given us everything. All because He loves us. All because we matter to Him. We are worth his life and sacrifice. Yes, indeed! We are loved! Amen.

Our Choice

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

It is election time. You probably received your ballots already in the mail. To vote wisely, people need to know the candidates well. One way of knowing them is to watch them in their public debate. For example, here in Oregon, there are three gubernatorial debates that were scheduled. These debates somehow give the people the idea of who the candidates are and what they are fighting for, and so help them to decide whom are they going to vote for.
In our spiritual life, there is politics too. There is that constant debate happening within our lives. It is the battle between two powerful figures, one of which offers and asks for hard things and the other one, offers and asks for easy things.
Leader 1 says: “You must learn to control your desires and ambitions.”
But Leader 2 replies: “No, let yourself go. Do what you want.”
Leader 1 declares: “God sometimes sends crosses into your life. You must learn to carry them, just as I did for you.”
But Leader 2 retorts: “you should be angry with God for all the crosses and pain you have. You deserve better than that.”
Leader 1 continues: “you must think first of others before you think of yourself.”
But Leader 2 argues: “If you do not think of yourself, no one else will.”
Leader 1 reminds: “Do not be foolish to use all your energy getting more and more power and money and fame. They don’t matter much in your spiritual life.”
But Leader 2 sarcastically responds: “Nonsense! Money, power, and fame are the only things which make this life worth living.”
Pretty intense debate, right? One speaks of generosity, patience and spiritual strength. The other speaks of self-gratification, impatience and spiritual blame. We all know who the leader 1 is. It is our Lord Jesus Christ, who gives us a choice to take the straight narrow path. The second is Satan, the Deceiver, the one who continues to divide us and tempt us to choose the easy way out.
And in our gospel today, it seemed that Satan got the best out of James and John and the other disciples. James and John longed to be the firsts among the disciples. They wanted the power, the glory and the fame in following Jesus. The other ten were no better. They were indignant and envious. What about us? They also wanted to be the
firsts, to sit at Jesus right and left hand as well. But Jesus reprimanded them. Listen to me, “If you want to be the greatest among you, you should become the servant of all. If you want to be first, you need to be the slave of all.” If you want to follow me, you should deny yourself and carry the cross.” Thus, Jesus is teaching us today that greatness does not consists in what we have or in what we can get from others but in what we can give of ourselves to others. This is the path that Jesus want us to give our vote for in our lives.
This Friday I joined the Bible Study discussion group watching Bishop Barron’s talk about how it is to live as a priest, prophet and king in our lives as Christians. He said that in a world gone wrong, there would be no communion without sacrifice. Sacrifice is needed for us to be healed; sacrifice is needed for us to be reconciled; sacrifice is needed for us to be united. We need to get out of ourselves, of our own prejudices and wants, of our comfort zones and conveniences to attain communion and peace in our lives.
When I was a student, the least favorite subject that I have is Math because it is very challenging for me. It is difficult for me to comprehend those mathematical formula like: A=πr2. Our teacher also makes sure that the problems he gave us are complicated and hard. At times, I felt like complaining. I felt like giving up. It’s hard. But my Dad told me that Math is just like life, it is supposed to be hard. It is supposed to challenge me. It is supposed to let me work hard to find the right answer. It is only then that I can be better. It is only then that I can excel in my life. For those of you who work out, you probably know the expression “Go for the burn.” This means pushing ourselves to our physical limits. The path to true glory means “going for the burn”. James and John probably didn’t see the path to glory today as entailing going for the burn in their self-sacrifice, but eventually, they learned the lesson and excelled.
This is what usually happens in our life. The experience of our parents can testify to this. Most of you if not all of you probably didn’t know the extent of how it is to be a parent until it came to you and you learned from it. Yes, there are a lot of joys of being a parent but it does come along with many sacrifices. You can think of those sleepless nights taking care of your baby or the numerous hustling of bringing
your children from one sports practice to the next. “N. You’re now an expert of changing diapers, right? Practice makes perfect, right?”
For us children, we are thankful for the sacrifices our parents have given up for us so that we can grow well and can be where are now. This is what endears our parents to us. We come to love them for what they have done for us. Though they have their own limitations and shortcomings, they try or they have tried their best to make sure that we, their children, are loved and well taken care of. They don’t do these for the sake of fame, glory or money. They do these for a simple reason, their love for their children. This is what Jesus did for us. Out of his love for all of us, he gave up his life so that we can have life in him. Notwithstanding our weaknesses and limitations, Jesus continuously loves us. He continuously takes care of us.
So let us, then, learn from the example of our dear parents, or for those who are parents, from your experience as parents. Let us follow Jesus through a parent-like love for their children. Let us continue to live up our Christian faith by our loving service to others just like Jesus for us. If we find ourselves struggling with giving ourselves up for the service of others, we should try to push ourselves. It is supposed to be hard. It is supposed to be painful. But it is worth it. If ever we come to the point of giving up, let us examine ourselves. We might be falling to the deceiving trap of the Devil. Let us not give in to him. Let us choose the way of Christ in our lives. Let us give Jesus our vote. Amen.

Let Go…

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Bb

I came across a certain traditional technique use by tribes in Africa on how to trap a monkey. What they use are just a whole coconut shell, some peanuts and a string. What they do is that they open a hole at one end of the coconut shell that is big enough to allow a monkey’s hand to push inside. However, that hole is too small for a monkey to remove his hand when he makes a fist. They then firmly attached the string at the other end of the coconut to be tied to a tree. After that, they put roasted peanuts inside and then placed it along a monkey’s trail. The monkey smells the peanuts and is attracted to them. He puts his hand through the hole and grabs a handful of peanuts, after which it is impossible for him to remove his hand since he is unwilling to let go of the peanuts. As long as the monkey keeps its grab on the peanuts, it is trapped. The only way the monkey could save its life is to let go of the peanuts and flee. This hunting system works well because it hardly occurs to the monkey that it cannot have both the peanuts and its freedom. Even when the monkey sees the trappers coming to capture it, it does not let go of the peanuts and run away but makes more frantic effort to take them with it. The system works because the monkey is entrapped by its own greed. We can imagine the monkey saying its last prayers as it sees the trappers coming. The monkey prayer would go something like this: “Save me, O God; please save me. Only do not ask me to let go of the peanuts.” This may sound funny, but fact is, many of us have learnt to say the monkey prayer. A good example is the rich young man in today’s gospel whose prayer probably was: “Give me eternal life, O Lord; only do not ask me to give up my wealth.”
The young man claimed that, from his youth, he had observed all the commandments that Jesus mentioned, including the fourth commandment. His tragedy was that he loved “things” more than people. He was trapped by the idea that he could keep his possessions and still obtain God’s mercy. He failed to realize the fact that his riches had built a wall between himself and God. In other words, his possessions “possessed” him. Even though the rich man had never killed, stolen, or committed adultery, he was breaking both the commandment forbidding idolatry and the one commanding love of neighbor. He worshiped his wealth more than God.
This is what is stopping him in fully embracing God in his life. As long as he cannot let go of the grab or the hold of possessions in his life, he cannot be free. He cannot find his true happiness in life.
This is why Jesus mentioned the illustration of the camel entering the eye of the needle. During the time of Jesus, there was in Jerusalem a back door in the city wall, which was a small, short, narrow gate that is used mostly by the locals called “the eye of the needle.” When merchant comes to the city for business with their camel caravans full of goods, they had to strip their camels bare if they wanted to get in through this gate. They have to take off all supply packs, saddles, and the trade goods on the camel’s back. It is only then that they could pass through the narrow gate – that’s how their big camels can fit through the “needle’s eye”.
In our life, we could be like those merchants. We may still be loaded down with so many self-centered hopes, habits, and worries, that we are unable to enter into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ because of these. We have to let go and strip ourselves of these burdens. It may not be riches — it may be anger, holding grudges, alcohol, drugs, lust, apathy, lies, unfaithfulness, theft, or fraud. So let us invite God today into our lives and into our efforts to face and remove these obstacles that are holding us back. Let us free ourselves from these so that we may not go away sad like the rich young man in our gospel today. Amen.

I Give Myself to You…

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time B

Life is all about relationships. They abound in our lives. We can think of our relationships with our parents, with our siblings, with our friends and acquaintances. It is how we live our lives based on these relationships that we would like to be remembered in our life. How we are as a father, as a mother, as a child, as a friend, as a believer, or as a person. Our readings for today talk about these relationships especially about the marital relationships we have in our lives. This is so because marriage is said to be one of the crowns of our human relationships. It is where human love is shared. It is where human life is given, formed, nurtured and loved. It is where our family begins, strives, and blossoms. Indeed, marriage is a unique relationship and vocation. But alongside this uniqueness of marriage are its complexities and challenges. We have heard today the question of the Pharisees about divorce; a question when we read what’s in between the lines can mean broken relationships and families, bad choices and behaviors, personal hurts and pains. I remember a friend of mine telling me in college, “I will never marry. Just look at those broken families and rampant divorces.” I thought, “That’s a wrong way of looking at things. We should not focus on the negatives but rejoice instead at the positives. There are a lot of couples out there still that have been together throughout these years; they should be our models and examples, our source of motivation and encouragement. In our world today of so many broken promises and relationships, they stand as our light illuminating what is possible by the grace of God in our relationships.” And so we should be proud of those who have lived up these ideals of marriage. They give us hope. They give us assurance. They give us light.
But we should also believe in the loving embrace and compassion of God in the case of our shattered ideals. Divorce, broken families or relationships are facts of our world and of our families today. They have touched us all. They have affected all of us. Some of us might have experienced them personally. Some of us might know someone dear to us who is experiencing or have experienced this sad reality of our lives. For them and for you, we reach out and offer our love, support and prayers. You are the children of God that Jesus is telling us about in our Gospel
today. Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
This is rightly so because when we were children, most of us if not all of us, always go back to our parents every time we are hurt, wounded and threatened. It is in their company and embrace that we feel safe, we feel better and we feel cared for. This is true to all of us especially to those who have experienced pain and frustrations in their lives. We always go back to Jesus to feel his love and care for us every time we are down and afflicted. We come to the Church to experience Jesus’ compassion and understanding in these situations. Yes, it is in Jesus that we can feel loved and cared for. It is in him that we can find belonging and acceptance. To our brothers and sisters who have been hurt by the pain of divorce and separation; to our brothers and sisters who are experiencing problems in their married life, Jesus still embraces you, Jesus still blesses you and Jesus still loves you.
I have the honor last week to celebrate two weddings here in our parish. I always feel inspired and encouraged every time I celebrate the sacrament of matrimony because it greatly shows our faith and commitment in relationship and covenant – “I give myself to you – you give yourself to me – not a contract – I am yours; you are mine. Forever.” In my homily to them, I shared that by being married, they usually receive three rings, the engagement ring, the wedding ring and the last is the suffer-ring. Most of you who are married here could testify on this reality, right? Marriage is not always a pleasing and constantly fulfilling life. It’s not a happily ever after love story. The spouses have to continue to work on their relationship for each other. They will be tested with the rigors of married and family life. But they have to remember that love is most proven in times of trial. It is in times of suffering and tension, that love is most pure. So I told them to “take into their hearts the vows they are to make to each other that day: I will be faithful to you… for richer and poorer, for better or worse….” My dear brothers and sisters, may the promise of love that couples make for each other in marriage inspire us and strengthen us as we promise as well to take care of our relationships in life.
I once had this conversation with an elderly couple. I have asked them, “How many years have you been married together?” “We have been married for 56 years.”
“56 years?” “Yes,” the wife answered, “We have been together for 56 challenging yet fulfilling years.” “What have made you stay together for the last 56 years?” I asked. They looked at each other, hold each other’s hand and said, “we just hold on to each other.” My dear brothers and sisters, just as this couple holds on to each other to make their marriage lasts for 56 years, let us also hold on to each other in facing the challenges of our lives and relationships. As we continue to live by the ideals of marriage as God intended it to be, let us help each other in making our marriages survive and in the case or in the tragedy of divorce, let us still hold on to each in finding healing and renewal in the lives of the people involved. May God embrace us, bless us and place his hands on us in this endeavor. Amen.