ONTO TO THE END

Saan tyo dinala ng pagsunod kay Jesus?

In obedience to the command of Jesus to preach His word to the ends of the world, St. James literally went to the ends of the known world of his times. He preached up to Spain which was believed then to be the end of the world. He is the one who brought the Christian faith to the Spaniards. In the tip of the Iberian Peninsula, there lies his tomb today in a beautiful church that has become a popular pilgrimage site for centuries; the Camino de Compostela. The road from Israel to Spain covers thousands of kilometers, but St. James was able to cover this distance, considering the difficulties in traveling during his time. He was able to do so for he had a great source of strength with him; our Lord. His experience of Jesus and His love empowered St. James to do what seemed to be impossible during his time (to travel a great distance; face adversities and opposition from the people to whom he preached the Good News). St. James was able to respond to Jesus invitation to serve Him and His people, to realize his vocation, through Jesus who called him.   

God empowers us to answer His call and to follow Him. Not by our own strength do we respond. It is through God's grace. His grace is more than enough for us to live out our vocation. Si Hesus ang ating lakas!

In our life, from what or whom do we draw strength to continue our journey? From our selves, from the positions we hold or desire?

In the gospel (Mt 20:20-28), the mother of James and John desired that her sons occupy positions of power with Jesus. Such can be considered a valid concern of a mother; to ensure that her sons will be in a better place in life. Jesus points, however, to a better and proper way to achieve such goals. It is not by positions and ranks that we can live a better life, but it is rather through service. It is by serving in a community that we can truly show our strength.

In serving, with Jesus as our strength, we make manifest that great power of God at work in us. For how can we do amazing things in our life of service by ourselves when in fact we are simply earthen vessels, as St. Paul says (2 Corinthians 4:7-15), so fragile and insignificant. But because we hold Jesus in us, we can offer Jesus through our service to others. In the process of serving, we gain true joy. We live a better life because we receive and share Jesus, whom we hold in our fragile humanity. Ang tunay nating saya ay ang makasalamuha si Kristo sa ating buhay paglilingkod, kahit sa gitna ng pagsubok at hirap, kalungkutan at pighati. Karanasan sa pag ibig ng Dios; ito ang pinagmumulan ng tuwa at kahulugan sa ating buhay. Without that experience of God, our studies, service, community life, and other aspects of life become sterile and fruitless. We remain to be simply earthen vessels. 

Thus in life, all that matters is to be with Jesus (all other things will follow). We have to put Jesus first always in our life. If not, we might be desiring other things we think are of great importance (worldly riches, positions of power). The Lord might ask us: “Is it not enough for you, to be with me?” With Jesus in our life, we go anywhere, and do anything, even to the ends of the earth.

THERE IS HOPE

I grew up in a farming community. My father is a farmer. To save money from hiring tenants to help in the rice fields, my father would ask us, his sons, to help him in cultivating the farm. We would carry the seeds from the storage house to the farm and prepare them for sowing. After days of preparation of the paddies and the seeds, he would carefully sow them in the paddies. He was cautious not to sow them outside the paddies for the seeds are too precious. Once when he was taking a break, with his permission, I took the basket of seeds and tried to sow the seeds. In the beginning, I was doing quite well. As I gained confidence in sowing the seeds, I scattered them further and further. without noticing it, I was already sowing them up to the field of our neighbor. And my father shouted at me: "Focus on our field. Don't waste the seeds." And so I tried again but to no avail. I could not control myself from scattering the seeds too far to the other fields. Upon seeing my inability, my father rose from the pilapil where he was resting, toke the basket from me and said: "You cannot be a farmer." Now you know why I did not become a farmer, like my father.

In the gospel, Jesus shares to us the parable of a sower who sowed seeds on the path, rocky ground, among thorns, and only some on the rich soil. By the manner of his sowing, this sower can be considered inexperienced, if not negligent, as he puts into waste the precious seeds that fell on undesirable surfaces. If my father was there, he could have shouted at this sower and said "Focus on the rich soil. Sow the seeds on the rich ground alone." In other gospel passage, it would be explained to us that the sower is the Lord. Thus, can we conclude that the Lord is being negligent in sowing and giving His Word even to those who could not nurture it?

More than being negligent, God is being hopeful to us, as he sows His words and graces to us generously.  God makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Mt. 5:45), with the hope that by doing so, even paths, rocky and thorny fields may produce a harvest of a hundredfold. The Lord never loses hope in us. The Lord saw hope among the Israelites even with their seeming faithlessness in the plan of God. He gave them bread from heaven, the manna. Thus, even in the desert, the Lord sustained them (Ex. 16:1-5, 9-15). The Lord gave them bread for them to live; to be alive. Even in our stubbornness, God sees the possibility of change and growth in us. 

In Letran-Calamba, I am assigned as a Chaplain of the Basic Education department. I don't know why I am assigned to such office. I did not have any inclination towards youth ministry. In the name of obedience, I accepted the office, believing it is from the Lord. From one who never had an inclination towards the young, now I enjoy accompanying young people on their journey to become good Christians. I never felt so alive today, with the contagious dynamism of grade school students (Now I enjoy doing action songs!).    

The living Christ hopes one thing from us: to be alive as He is. Thus, he affects not only those who are rich soil, those who are already alive, but those who are dying, that they may fully experience the life-giving Spirit of the Lord. He gave us more than manna, more than His words. He offers to us the bread of life, and the chalice of salvation, that we may be sustained and be alive through Him. Christ desires that we may be alive, that we may give life to others. Christ hopes, that like Him, you will grow to be hopeful sower who sows hope and life to the people you encounter.   

How are we to nurture the seeds entrusted to us? How are we to fulfill the hope God sees in us? Those who have ears ought to her and should listen.

Huwag magbingi-bingihan sa tawag ng Dios sa isang buhay na banal.

Huwag lang makinig sa Salita ng Dios. Pakinggan ito! Dinggin ito,

Nang matupad ang pag-asang batid ng Dios sa atin,

Nang magkaroon tayo ng buhay kay Hesus, maging buhay tayo sa ngalan Niya, at makapagbigay buhay tayo tulad Niya.

COMMUNIO

Are we close? To whom are you close?

"Blood is thicker than water."  This saying emphasizes that our blood relations are more important than our affiliations made with other people. Our parents and siblings are far more significant than our friends as the same blood runs through our veins. We are closer to our biological families more than our other families.  Through our blood relations, we form our family and our community.

Jesus challenges this belief as he asks:  "Who is my mother?  Who are my brothers?" He presents an answer to his question: "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother." He presents to us a greater bond more than water, more than blood. Our obedience to the will of the father is the thickest among our relations, more than blood, more than water. By becoming obedient children of God, we form a community greater than our biological family and friends; we form the Church of Christ; the communion of disciples. Isn't this what we all desire; to belong to a community? More than belonging to a particular family we long to be with more people with whom we are of one mind and one heart in God.

In the animal kingdom, animals often stick with species that will enable them to survive. And so it is for us. To survive our journey, live out our purpose in life and fulfill our mission, we stay close to persons that can be of help to us. Our closeness forms a community.

In the desire of Jesus for us to be in heaven with God, He founded a communio; the Church, through which we can stick together and help one another as brothers and sisters to arrive in our destiny (heaven). Thus, as a Church, as a community, we stay close with each other, that we may keep warm when coldness strikes in our faith and journey, that we may be strengthened by other (and most especially by God) when we feel weak. Embers keep aflame if they stick together. Broomsticks are more effective if they are bonded together.

In our community, the Church, what keeps us close? What keeps us together? It is our desire to follow Jesus; to follow the will of the Father. This is the bond that is greater than blood and water. As we draw closer to Jesus, we draw also closer to one another, as we form one heart and one mind towards God. As we desire to belong to God and to His community, God will take care of us as He took care of the Israelites against the Egyptians. As we obey God, he will protect us. The good news is, in this family, in this community, in this Church, it is God who takes the initiative for us to be closer to Him. More than us moving towards Him, God makes the first move that He may be closer to us and that we may be closest to Him.