PETER AND PAUL: ROCK & ROLL

Sts. Peter and Paul are described as the Rock and Roll.

Peter is the rock upon which the Church of Christ is built; a solid foundation of our Christian faith. Peter is the Rock not so much of his abilities and personal qualities. Peter sinned, betrayed Christ three times. Peter became the Rock for he was opened to God's abounding mercy and love for man. Peter is the Rock for he received and embraced God's gift of faith that enabled him to profess Christ as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Peter is the Rock through the solid faith he received from God.

Paul is the roll. He rolled throughout the known world of his time; to the entire Roman Empire. He preached the Gospel revealed by Christ Himself to him. He preaches to all nations emphasizing the Catholicity; the universality of Christ's message of love for humanity.

Peter and Paul, the Rock and the Roll went to Rome and watered the Church of Rome with their very own blood. They were martyred in Rome in the year 64 and 67 A.D., respectively. They were martyred in the center of the known world to highlight the oneness, the unity of our universal faith. Most of all, the blood they shed manifests the true value of Christian faith; the faith for which one can live and die for.

Sts. Peter and Paul, the Rock and Roll serve as models of our faith.

We are to be rocks regarding our faith; solidly founded on our Christian beliefs and on Christ's commandment of love. We are to be rocks that can be used in the formation of our local Church. We are to be rocks whom our brothers and sisters can hold on to whenever they are in danger of falling to sin. We are rocks who strengthen our friends whenever their faith wavers.

We are not to be rock alone. We need to roll! After receiving the fullness of God's Spirit, Peter did not remain in the upper room in Jerusalem. He spoke of the mighty acts of God up to the hills of Vatican. After his conversion and restoration of his sight, Paul did not remain in Damascus (Syria). He preached Christ probably as far as Spain (cf. 1 Clement 5:7; Muratorian Canon), and ultimately in Rome.  

Sts. Peter and Paul rocked and rolled in the name of Christ; in the name of the faith, Christ gifted to them. And the same Christ gratuitously gives that same faith to us. Do we rock and roll in the name of Christ? Do we rock and roll in the name of our faith?   

To be solid rock in our faith is good but it is not enough. We have to let our faith roll in our life, in our community. Some of us are satisfied in being solid rock in our faith. They do not roll. Is our faith not worth being rolled through our communities, in our country? Are we ashamed of our Catholic faith? Peter and Paul live and died for Christ and His gift of faith. Are you to remain silent in your rooms, in your houses, treasuring that inner peace you experience in God? Go! Preach! Walk towards your Jerusalem! Christ did not stay in Caesarea Philippi. He started going to Jerusalem after that blissful confession of Peter. Peter did not remain in the Cenacle. He went out and preached. Paul did stay in Damascus he journeyed and preach the word of God, whether the time is favorable or not, patiently corrected, rebuked, and encouraged people with good teaching. Not even prison cells stopped Peter and Paul from preaching, from speaking the truth of our faith (Acts 12:1-11, 2 Timothy 4:6-8 17-18).

When thousands are killed, will you not distracted and remain in your inner peace? Are we not move to save the lives of every human person, and uphold the dignity of every human being?

When values we hold dear are being lambasted and questioned, will you not be distracted and remain in your inner peace? Are we not move to answer; to clarify our faith in God? Apparently, we are not to save God. But are we not to express our love and faith in Him? 

To be faithful and at peace with our Lord and in our faith; to attain and treasure an inner peace is the initial stage of our faith. That is to rock! We do not stay there in that blissful experience. Our God whom we encounter inspires us to preach about Him, to express the joy we experience, to share the good news we have received, and to embrace our faith fully. That is to roll! After all, God is not a static being. He is an act! He moves us to act too, in the same way, He did to Peter and Paul, in the same way, He IS!

In the name of Christ, in the name of the faith He gave us, 

dear friends, Let's "Rock & Roll!"

WE TOO ARE PROPHETS

John the Baptist was a humble and courageous proclaimer of Christ; pointing to Christ when everyone else lost sight of Him. He never claimed to be the Christ but only His forerunner. He risked everything even his very own life in the name of truth; to proclaim the Truth. 

We too are made prophets! In our baptism, we were anointed with the chrism of salvation making as participants of Christ's priest, kingly and prophetic office. By our baptism, we are made prophets. And like John the Baptist, we are too proclaim Christ and the truths of His message to man; to proclaim the truth even if it means dying in the name of God. We are to proclaim God's truth; to be courageous proclaimers of the Good News.

How are we to proclaim the Truth? We have to study our Christian faith. Read the Bible. Read the Catechism. We have to pray that we may encounter God and verify the truths we have learn from our studies. And these truths and the Truth move us to act, to preach without compromises, to preach even if we are reduced to a voice in the wilderness.

Today, truths of our faith are in question. One calls our God stupid for allowing original sin to enter His perfect creation. How do we respond to this question and accusation? Or are even disturbed by these questions and accusations about our Catholic faith?

We too are prophets! We have to make a stand for our faith; the very faith for which Christ came to the world and died just to be proclaimed for our sake. Dare to live out this faith. Dare to preach this faith. There are no lukewarm Catholics who fail to stand for what we believe in, who are neither hot nor cold.

There are 83 million Catholics out of 105 million Filipinos. By our baptism, we are 83 million prophets, proclaimers of the Truth in this country. But look at our country. What have we made out of it? Have we transformed it into a Christian, Catholic community? Are the values we uphold consistent with the Catholic values we ought to proclaim?

In recent months, three Catholic priests were ruthlessly murdered. They were killed in the name of the truths they proclaimed against human right violations (Fr. Tito Paez), irresponsible mining (Fr. Mark Ventura), and for defending our faith (Fr. Richmond Nilo). Their lives do not serve as an example for priests and religious alone. Their lives are set as an inspiration before all of us, 83 million Filipino Catholics. This is what it means to be a Catholic, to be shared of Christ's prophetic ministry; to preach the Truth even if it means risking our heads to a silver platter.

We are 83 million John the Baptists in this country. How many of us are ready to preach the Truth of our Catholic faith without any compromises? How many of us are prepared to die for this Faith? Three priests had set an example for us. John the Baptist had set a standard for us. Christ crucified is our archetype, our perfect inspiration.

Take courage dear friends!

FOR WE TOO ARE PROPHETS!

A QUESTION OF VALUES

Every two years, in the seminary, we have to transfer to a new room assignment. During our transfer, we are asked to make an inventory of our belongings. Recently, while transferring and making a list, I was having difficulty moving to my new room assignment. I had a lot of boxes of stuff with me. I noticed how much clothes I have, which I never wore in the past six months. They were merely there kept in my cabinet. All this time I kept them for I thought they were important. I was wrong. By keeping these clothed I was, in one way or another, depriving others of having something to wear. I started giving some clothes to my brothers, taking only what is essential for me. 

We learn to love whatever we deem important. And we keep them in our rooms, in our life, in our hearts. Ano mang MAHALaga para sa iyo, ay mahal mo. Ano/Sino ang MAHALaga para sa iyo? Ano/Sino ang mahal mo? Sila ang nariyan sa puso mo! Where your treasure is, there your heart is also. Nasaan ang puso mo?

Christ teaches us, in the Gospel (Mt 6:19-23), what matters most in life; treasures that neither moth nor rust corrode, nor thieves break in and steal. These are the heavenly treasures; treasures that last even after we die. Ito ang MAHALaga (These are important). Ito ang mahal (These are precious). Yung iba mura na o minumura natin.

Ano ang mahal para sa iyo? Ano ang mura para sa iyo? Ano ang minamahal mo? Ano ang minumura mo?   

Store heavenly treasures that last forever, more than the earthly treasure that in a second may be gone.  We store earthly treasure when we refuse to spend and rather live miserably because we are afraid we may lose whatever material things we have. We store up earthly treasure when we enjoy material wealth thinking we can't take them anyway. We store up earthly treasures when we think of the legacy we leave behind when we die. Our attitude towards material wealth determines what we value most in this life. We store heavenly treasure when we spend whatever is entrusted to us to help other people. We store heavenly treasure when we enjoy material wealth, not at the expense of others poverty. We store heavenly treasure when we think of the legacy we shall embrace in heaven. Our material wealth is only means and not ends in itself. Don't live your life on earth as if there is no life after it. 

Once there was a priest who died. After his burial, his brothers entered his room to clean it. The only thing they found is a pair of slippers, and few used clothes. Throughout the life of that priest he had given away whatever was entrusted to him; his time spent with people whom he administered to, his talents he used to build the kingdom of God on earth, his resources he shared to the needy. The pair of slippers and few clothes he had left behind were poignant reminders of the thousand memories of selflessness in service of God and others, even to the point of giving everything one's have. Indeed, when we die the only thing that is left to us are the very things we have given away in our lifetime; the joy we spread, the laughter we share, the love we manifest; the very things we deem important in our life; the very things we love most.  

At the gates of heaven, God will not ask us how many mansions we build; how many cars we drove, how many shoes we wore. God will ask us if we have love, if we have rightly love the things entrusted to us, if we have love the persons in our life.

Ano/Sino ang MAHALaga para sa iyo? Ano/Sino ang mahal mo?

WHERE IS GOD?

Where is God? This is one of the questions we ask these days?

In the midst of chaos in our society, in the poverty of many of us whether emotionally or materially, in the convoluting opinions on various issues of life, in doubts and discouraging results of our struggles to live better, we ask the question "Where is God?" When innocent people are killed, when the truth is twisted to conform to once convenience, when goodness is met with hatred, when hope seemed to be replaced by despair, we ask the question "Where is God?" Worse is, some do not anymore look for God, for they have lost their faith in Him.    

The story of Elijah, in the first Book of Kings, teaches about God's abiding presence in our midst. In the midst of tumults and difficulties in his life as God's prophet, Elijah sought God. He went to Mount Horeb (where Moses met God too). In the mountain of God, Elijah prayed and searched for God in a cave. He searched for Him in strong wind, earthquake, and fire but he did not find God in there. As he remained still and silent, Elijah heard a tiny whispering sound through which God was revealed. In Mt Horeb, Elijah sought for God. By staying still and silent, he heard the whispering sound present all along, covered by the noises in his life. He met the God of wisdom who pointed out to him what he should do, pointed out the wisdom behind the noises in his life. In the gospel (Mt 5:27-32), we meet the same God, not a god of prohibitions, not of DOs and DONT, but the God who teaches us about the wisdom in the way we use our body; the God who shows us the wisdom behind the laws, the wisdom behind our faith.

When our life goes south, whom do we turn to? When a thousand reasons do not suffice for an explanation, whom do we ask? In the midst of noise, personal problems, and struggles, what do we do?

In our difficult situations may we, like Elijah, long to see the face of God in silence and stillness of our hearts. Go to your Mt. Horeb, to a cave in your heart! God will not fail us, for as we seek Him, we shall find God. He will point to us the reasons behind the things we do not understand. We shall meet our wise and loving God, in that cave in your heart, in the midst our silence and stillness.

Where is God? You know where to find Him! You know how to find Him!  

I would like to end this reflection with this beautiful poem by an unknown author.

Be Silent.

Be still.

Alone, Empty

Before God.

Say nothing, Ask nothing.

Let God look upon you.

That is all.

He knows.

He understands.

He loves you with an enormous love.

He only wants to look upon you with His love.

Quiet.

Be still.

Let God love you…