FEAST OF THE SANTO NIÑO (B) - Being Childlike

FEAST OF THE SANTO NIÑO

Proper Feast in the Philippines

Mt. 18:1-5, 10

January 18, 2015

GOSPEL READING: The Greatest in the Kingdom

At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.

REFLECTION: Being Childlike

Just like the Sto. Niño, we are all called to become childlike. Far from being childish which is irritating, a childlike person is pleasing. He is like the Lord described by Isaiah in the 1st reading as someone who makes our gladness greater and our joys increase (Isaiah 9:1-2). Now the childlike person is pleasing because of his sense of wonder, dynamism, and relation.

A childlike person has a sense of wonder. Aristotle himself says that this wonder which is the desire to know more applies to all humans (Metaphysics 980a21). Now this openness implies universality and discretion. Unlike the sceptic who is too proud to learn from somebody, the child is eager to learn from his parents and elders. Similarly the childlike person has this sense of universality by being open to the truth not just of one, but of everyone. For the truth that we cannot learn from one can be learned from another. This is the reason why for us Dominicans, we do not have the tradition of appointing only a single spiritual director in formation. The spiritual direction is provided by our community and our deep study life. This structure prevents us from developing a perspective limited by a single confessor or spiritual director.

Yet it is not enough that one be merely open. Discretion is also necessary so as to evaluate whether ideas are true or not. Fr. Enrico Gonzales, OP illustrates this using an angle saying that one should be open on one side and closed on the other side. He should be open on one side in so far as he accepts new truths that complement or clarify the already-established or accepted truths. Yet, he should also be closed on the other side in so far as he rejects ideas that totally contradict the established truths. A person who boasts of being so open that he becomes a relativist has the danger of having his brains fall down! That is why in today’s gospel, the child Jesus is not merely open in listening to the teachers of the temple. He also clarifies their ideas by asking questions (Luke 2:46). Similarly while the child is generally obedient to his elders, he would refuse to follow their immoral commands like not telling the truth. In the story of the Emperor’s new clothes, in spite of the command of his elders to ignore the truth and be silent, the child could not help laughing and expressing the simple truth that the emperor has no clothes.

A childlike person is also dynamic. Regardless of our achievements we all have to keep on progressing not just in knowledge, but in all aspects of our life. Even the child Jesus Himself “increased in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and men (Luke 2:52).” The problem enters when we fail to grow in one aspect of our life. Thomas Aquinas describes this as becoming a monster. Imagine that your body is growing but not your head! Hence, let us use the prayer of Paul in the 2nd reading that we may keep on improving in knowing and doing God’s will (Ephesians 1:17-18).

And finally, a childlike person is also relational. Being the youngest, the child could be the focus of attention in the family. But this focus is far different from that of the celebrities. The care and love given to him by his parents promote not so much grasping after something as openness to receiving trust and love. The centeredness of the child promotes unity and love.

As we celebrate the feast of Sto. Niño, let us pray that we may become like Him who is pleasing to everyone because of his wonder, dynamism, and love.

ABOUT THE SHARER:

FR. RUDOLF STEVEN SEÑO, OP is a Dominican Priest assigned in the Priory of St. Thomas Aquinas.

KEYWORDS:

Feast, Cycle B, OP Friars, Sto. Niño, Child, Wonder, Dynamism, Love

30th Sunday of in OT (A) - The Absence of Judgment

OCTOBER 26, 2014

THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. Green

Mt. 22:34-40

The Absence of Judgment

Joseph Conrad Salenga (OP Postulant)

The Lord is commanding us all to love Him primarily with all our heart, mind, and soul. On the other hand, He is asking us to love our neighbors as ourselves. But the former com­mandment could be satisfied by fulfilling the latter. The image of God is reflected in our neighbors most especially in the least among them. As the Lord says, “whatever you do to the least of my brothers, you do it to me.” There­fore, if we are to love our neighbors with all our heart, mind, and soul, so are we doing the same thing to the one who created us all.

According to St. Teresa of Calcutta, “Love is the absence of Judgment.” Humans as we are, we are weak and have the tendency to falter most of the time. Since all of us belong to a certain community, there will always be misunder­standings between different individuals. For this reason, the love that the Lord is asking us to have becomes vague and frail because it contradicts the meaning of love which is the “absence of judgment.” Because of our self-centered differ­ences, we tend to criticize, mock, and hate on another causing divisions. In the seminary, we are all different from one another. Each one is coming from a cul­ture unique from everyone else’s.

We have different attitudes and capabilities. Because of our uniqueness, we end up misunderstanding each other and creating divisions. But the essence of the words of Mother Teresa gave us the reason to be reunited. The Lord is telling us all, according to the words of Mo. Teresa, that in order for us to live as one, we must not look at the differences we have but on what is commonly good among all. We do not judge our brothers and sisters according to how they differ from us but we must appreciate their goodness. We will never remove our sense of judgment towards the shadows of others directly but indirectly, by focusing our perspective towards the beauty in the person, not the shadows behind her/ him, only then will we be able to appreciate them. The Lord looks at all of us not by the way we see things but with a perspective full of hope. He does not look on our sinfulness and imperfections but on what is good in us. He always seeks the perfection in us amidst all our imperfections. He identifies our goodness so that he may use that to convert our misdeeds to hope. In order for us to love, we should take God’s perspective --- not judging the imperfections caused by differ­ences but appreciating the goodness that is common within us all.

On this day, the Order commemorates sixteen martyrs who labored to establish the Church in Nagasaki, Japan, and who were martyred at various times during the years 1633, 1634 and 1637. After enduring horrible tortures, they were executed by the method known as the “gallows and pit,” their bodies were burned, and their ashes scattered.

Of this group, nine were from Japan, four from Spain, one from France, one from Italy, and one from the Philippines. Father Dominic lbañez de Erquicia was the first to die on August 14, 1633. Lorenzo Ruiz, the father of a family and the protomartyr of the Philippines, died on September 29, 1637. Thirteen of these martyrs were members of the Dominican Family and three were associated with it. (cf. Dominican Missal and Lectionary)

KEYWORDS: 

Cycle A, Ordinary Time, OP Postulants, Neighbors, Commandments, Love, Martyrs

29th Sunday of in OT (A) - Just is the Lord

OCTOBER 19, 2014

TWENTY-NINETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. Green

Mt. 22:15-21

Just is the Lord

Gary Ni-og (OP Postulant)

Jesus says, “Give to Ceasar what is Ceasar’s,” but He also adds, in the same breath: “and to God what is God’s.”

There is no indication that Jesus returned the coin to the Phari­see. Maybe as Jesus proclaims the punchline “and render to God the things that are God’s”--- He pockets the coin and has the last laugh.” and that is another story. Faced with the dou­ble-ended trap of the Pharisees and the Herodians, in which it was unsafe to clearly say yes or no, Jesus framed His answer in such enigmatic lan­guage that it would be hard for either party to trap Him. In this way, He succeeded in confusing not only His interroga­tors but also many of us who read the Bible today. If you think Jesus meant that we should have two parallel loyalties, it might help to know that the Pharisees who heard Him did not understand it in that way. In the trial of Jesus before Pi­late, one of the charges they brought against Him was that He forbade paying taxes to Caesar (Luke 23:2).

Instead of answering the direct question of whether one should pay the forced tribute to Caesar or not, Jesus raises the question to another level, that of the principle of justice. Greek philosophers before Jesus defined justice as “giving back to everyone what is their due.” Jesus seems to be saying that the only binding obligation is that of justice, that of giving back to every person what is due to them. Serving God is basically a matter of justice? If God has given to us all that we are and what we have, then we are bound in justice to give back to God some gratitude, loyalty, and service. The central act of Chris­tian worship is called Eucharist, which means “thanksgiving.” It is basically a question of paying back the debt of gratitude we owe to God.

Surely, even in our own lives, we might come to the point of asking God as if we are entrapping Him and blaming Him for all of our misfortunes that happened in us. But certainly, one thing is for sure, God will answer all of our questions in due time. Most of the time, we will not recognize his answers be­cause of too much self-centeredness and God is so mysterious.

This is the challenge for all of us --- to become a just man that is to render what is due to our neighbor and to our God. Do not ask your neighbor what good he can do for you, but rather ask yourself you can do well for your neighbor. As Jesus says what you do to others, you do also unto me. With this, we will be­come a just man that is pleasing in the sight of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I think, He will answer our questions clearly and directly this time.

KEYWORDS: 

Cycle A, Ordinary Time, OP Postulants, Justice, Eucharist, Neighbors

28th Sunday of in OT (A) - Come to the Feast

OCTOBER 12, 2014

TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. Green

Mt. 22:1-10

Come to the Feast

Raphael Tanseco (OP Postulant)

Every day we listen to the sound around us. The birds calling in the night, the breeze of the ocean, people talking, we all listen to them. In fact, we even listen to an­noying sounds even if they are not pleasing to hear but the point is, do we listen to God who is always calling us?

If you couldn't understand the parable of the wedding banquet, I can provide you with some insights. The king who is inviting the guests is God. The messenger whom he sent to invite the guests is Jesus our divine teacher and we are the guests who refused God's invitation. Despite of His invitation to us, we do not respond to His call rather, we reject it. God is calling out to us every day and He is reaching out to us but we completely ignore it at times.

All we need to do is to listen to God’s invitation and accept it. St. Paul even pointed out that faith comes through hearing. If we do not listen to our teachers, we will not understand anything at all. If we will not listen to the homily, we will not learn anything about the Gospel; and if we will not listen to God, we will not live a life of holiness and happiness. It's that simple. We need to listen and accept the invitation of God to a life of holiness and in order for that to happen, we need to open our hearts and our minds to Him.

God is inviting us and in His invitation we could choose whether we would accept the invitation or decline it. Jesus is always knocking at our door. It is up to us if we will open it and receive Him with our whole hearts. Remember, the doorknob is on the inside and not on the outside. It is our call if we are go­ing to accept His invitation or not.

KEYWORDS: 

Cycle A, Ordinary Time, OP Postulants, Vocation, Invitation, Wedding Feast

27th Sunday of in OT (A) – Pamamathala (Stewardship)

OCTOBER 5, 2014

TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. Green.

Mt. 21:33-43

Pamamathala (Stewardship)

Vince Stanley Iñigo (op Postulant)

When I was still little child, my parents would always remind me whenever I borrow things to take care of other people’s belongings and treat it with love as if those were my own. Of course, they never fall short of reminding me to return those borrowed things; but so far as I remember some of those are still with me until now, I would like to apologize for that. Going bask, the reminder of my parents tells me of responsibility and stewardship.

Stewardship means “we are entrusted of something and accounted of something.” In Filipino, we translate this word in different ways: pangangalaga (caretaking), pagkakatiwala (entrusting), pamamathala (overseeing), etc. Now, let us focus on the tenants of the vineyard. When we say that we are tagapangalaga (Filipino root: pag-aalaga), we are given the task to take care of an object, an institution or a place.

When we say that we are katiwala (Filipino root: tiwala), we are entrusted an obligation. But pamamathala goes to a deeper meaning. In the olden times, the native Filipinos would call God, Bathala. When we consider ourselves as namamathala, we are given a responsibility in which God would have wished after the servants did not do anything productive. They beat one, killed another and stoned a third even the owner’s son was not spared. Do you think that they have practiced pamamathala in that manner?

In our daily lives, we are also called to practice stewardship. We are given talents, intelligence, strength and many more in different ways that God had fashioned us into and it's up to us if we want to discover more. Sometimes, we forget that we are only stewards to the point that our pride overpowers us. We tend to show off. We strive to own the world. We try to amass the produce by being indifferent to God's creation. It's time to wake up. It's time to fulfill our mission as stewards. The Creator entrusted us with natural and spiritual gifts in order for us to be productive tenants and servants for His Kingdom. My friends, remember that we are all stewards, that is tagapamathala.

NOTE:  Inspired by a composition entitled Dominican Poverty and Filipino Stewardship by Fr. Stephen Redillas, OP, page 24 of the book ““Nanahan sa Atin” by Pedregosa, Timoner, Marquez, etc.

KEYWORDS: 

Cycle A, Ordinary Time, OP Postulants, Stewardship, Mission, Entrustment 

26th Sunday in OT (A) – Fulfilling our Word

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. Green

Ez 18:25-28/ Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9/ Phil 2:1-11/ Mt 21:28-32

Fulfilling our Word

RUDOLF STEVEN N. SEÑO, O.P.

Today, we celebrate National Seafarer’s Sunday and remember our Filipino Seafarers in our prayers. Come to think of it, we are also seafarers since we are pilgrims on the way to our true homeland in heaven. But owing to our weakness, we sometimes divert from the right path to our destination. Yet what is important is that we revert back to the proper course. This is the message of today’s gospel. It is not so much saying ‘yes’ to God as repenting ourselves and doing His will that matters. For doing God’s way is the only way to have life. Our Lord explains this to Ezekiel in the 1st reading: “When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed, and does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.”

Does this mean that verbal promises are useless? Not at all. Otherwise, public promises or vows like ordinations & religious professions would be impractical. The reason why we could not keep our word is that we have become so used to disregarding it that we have become weak. This is quite different from the case of God who upon saying “Let there be light,” produces light. The technique here is to develop the virtue of keeping one’s promises starting with the simple ones.

A perfect example of a person who keeps his word is St. Lorenzo Ruiz whose feast occurs today and who is himself a seafarer. Upon receiving the chance to save himself by the judges, he says: “Had I a thousand lives I would gladly offer them all for Him. Never shall I apostatize. You may kill me, if that is what you want. To die for God—such is my will.” And he did; thereby, becoming the first recognized Filipino martyr. To emulate this saint, let us obey Paul’s exhortation in the 2nd Reading to conform ourselves to the Word of God—Jesus Christ. That is the best way of fulfilling our word.

KEYWORDS: 

Cycle A, Ordinary Time, OP Friars, Seafarers, Saints, Fulfillment

25th Sunday in OT (A) – Conforming our Ways with God’s Way

SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. Green

Is 55:6-9/ Ps 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18/ Phil 1:20-24, 27/ Mt 20:1-16

Conforming our Ways with God’s Ways

RUDOLF STEVEN N. SEÑO, O.P.

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.” We cannot but agree with these words of the Lord in the 1st reading as we try to understand the Lord’s mysterious and seemingly unfair actions in today’s gospel. But maybe today’s psalm can enlighten our understanding. As we repeat, “the Lord is near to all who call upon Him,” we realize St. Augustine’s words: “the Lord is nearer to me than I am to myself.” So no matter how sinful a person maybe, God is always ready to forgive him as long as he would humbly ask for it.

We can see this scandalous generosity demonstrated in the vocation of Matthew whose feast also occurs today. He was a tax collector, a profession that is often tainted with injustice and extortion. And yet the Pharisees (those who are called first) are scandalized when Jesus invites him to be His disciple (Mt 9:9-13). Indeed, God’s ways are not our ways. But we have to constantly pray and strive to approximate His mysterious ways. Starting tomorrow, we will observe the Laity Week. This celebration reminds us that holiness is not only limited to the clerics and religious, but to all baptized. We only need to conform our will to God’s will. St. Paul in the 2nd reading serves as a good model for this. He admits that he longs to die so as to finally rest with the Lord. And yet, he is open to the will of God to preserve his life for the benefit of his neighbor.

KEYWORDS:

Cycle A, Ordinary time, OP Friars, Conformity, Generosity

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (A) – Look at the Cross and be Healed

SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

FEAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS. Red

Nm 21:4b-9; Ps 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38; 2 Phil 2:6-11; Jn 3:13-17

Look at the Cross and be Healed

RUDOLF STEVEN N. SEÑO, O.P.

The Cross is part of our everyday life. We use it in our prayer and liturgy, in our homes, in our clothes, and even in our non-religious actions. Some of our drivers would touch the cross hanging from the mirror before leaving. I used to have a batchmate who had the habit of making the sign of the cross before shooting the ball in the game. And even Manny Paquiao himself (during his golden years) would make the sign of the cross when he

is inside the ring!

But the cross has not always been that popular. It used to be infamous for being used as a punishment for criminals. This is the reason why the Lord asks Moses in the 1st reading to make a bronze serpent and mount it on a pole. The serpent is a treacherous animal that tempted Adam and Eve. It is also the same animal that punished the nagging Israelites by biting and killing them in the 1st reading.

But Moses did not mount a true serpent on the pole. He just used a copy—a bronze image of a serpent. Unconsciously, Moses was foreshadowing the crucifixion of our Lord. To borrow the expression of Paul in our 2nd reading: Jesus is the Holy and Innocent God who humbled Himself and took the form of a slave—a criminal at that. Just like the bronze image of serpent which is not really a serpent, He was not a criminal but just appeared as criminal to the public.

What is good about the image of the Christ as a criminal on the cross is that Christ embraces everything—all of our sins and weaknesses and turns them into something new and good. This sheds light on the mysteries of life as expressed in today’s psalm. And this is also what makes our Bible unique. Just like the Quran of the Muslims, the Vedas and Upanishads of the Hindus, the Bible also has its own stories of violence which can be found in the Old Testament. But unlike the holy books of the other religions, the bible alone sheds meaning on its stories of violence in the light of the New Testament, in the light of the cross. The Cross shows us that God is against sin and violence because He Himself pays for it in His suffering. But at the same time, He also uses the cross to make us children of God.

And just like the rebellious Israelites in the 1st reading, many of us who are now experiencing some problems could blame no one but ourselves. The biting of serpents represents our constant struggle in this world. Some of us may not have enough money and that is because we are not working. Some of us may not be excelling in our studies and that is because we waste much of our time on less important things like computer games. Some of us feel unattractive and that is because of our vices and lack of discipline. But just like the wounded Israelites in the desert, let us repent of our sins, look at our Lord Jesus on cross, ask for His forgiveness and be healed... because the cross triumphs over our sin and failures.

KEYWORDS:

Cycle A, Feast, OP Friars, Holy Cross, Challenges, Healing

23rd Sunday in OT (A) - Save the Sinner and Yourself by Private Correction

SEPTEMBER 7

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. Green

Ez 33: 7-9/ Ps 95: 1-2, 6-7, 8-9/ Rom 13:8-10/ Mt 18:15-20

Save the Sinner and Yourself by Private Correction

RUDOLF STEVEN N. SEÑO, O.P.

During one of the Quodlibetales (an academic exercise wherein anyone can publicly ask a master any questions) Thomas Aquinas received two questions (Quodlibet 1, q 8, aa 1-2): 1) whether a religious is bound to obey his superior so as to reveal to him a secret which was committed to his trust?; and 2) whether a religious is bound to obey his superior so as to reveal a fault of a brother which he knows? The dilemma here is that on the one hand, he seems bound to obey his superior because he made a vow (a religious assurance or profession and not merely a promise) to be obedient to him. On the other hand, doing this goes against the spirit of charity for he would reveal a secret entrusted to his care. Because of this predicament, many of us Filipinos pretend that we have not seen anything and simply be silent about it; thereby, avoiding tension. Aquinas starts by quoting St. Bernard who says that what was instituted for the sake of charity does not work against charity. After all, Paul tells us in today’s 2nd reading that charity is guiding principle in all our actions for it is the fulfillment of the law (Rom 13:8-10). So, the vow to obey his superior does not give the religious the license to obey superior’s commands that go against charity. He would sin if he breaks the trust committed to him.

The same is also true with revealing the fault of a brother. Personal and brotherly correction should precede the reporting of his fault to the superior. We learn this from our Lord Himself in today’s gospel. The first step of dealing with faults should always be the confrontation between you and the erring person alone. If he does not listen then take one or two others to further convince him of his fault. And finally, it may be related to the Church. Why so many steps? Aquinas explains: “For it pertains to charity that someone spare a brother as much as he can. Hence, he ought first to strive to correct the brother’s conscience, preserving his reputation by admonishing him in solitary fashion and afterwards in the presence of two or three.

Finally, public repute must be disregarded in order that conscience be corrected and the affair must be related to the Church, in which process consideration is taken for conscience. For a sinner, if from the beginning he saw his sin made public, would lose shame and be made to sin more obstinately.” An exception would be a danger that requires immediate action as in the case of a bomb that is about to explode. This

moment should be guided by the words of Isidore, “In cases of bad promises, break the faith.” But generally, by personally confronting an erring brother, we not only save him, but also ourselves as what the Lord tells us in the 1st reading (Ez 33:7-9). So, whenever we see a fault committed, let us not harden our hearts (today’s responsorial psalm) in being blind to it or in immediately reporting it. Let us love him by correcting him privately.

KEYWORDS:

Cycle A, Ordinary Time, OP Friars, Sinner, Correction, Charity

4th Sunday of Easter (A) - The Shepherd's Voice

MAY 11 

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER. White

Acts 2:14. 36-41 / Ps 23:1-3. 3-4. 5. 6 / 1Pt 2:20-25 / Jn 10:1-10

The Shepherd’s Voice

VLADIMIR CECILIO E. MAGBOO, O.P.

I had a working mom. Before her retirement, she used to work the whole day at the office and would normally come home past five in the afternoon. As a little kid, I would always wait for that moment. The mere sound of her heels on our floor would signal the excitement, that I would even jump once I hear her voice uttering either a simple “Mga anak!” (Children!) or “Ihanda na natin ang hapunan.” (Let’s prepare our dinner!). There were times when she would arrive a little bit late due to overtime. I would feel a sort of extended sadness in those exceptional days. As a child, there would always be a feeling of deep security and peace to know that mom is home. Hence, the constant longing to hear and recognize her voice. It was a voice of care and sincerity since a child would always be dependent and trusting to his mother. It was a voice that reminded me of a strong love and connection. With that, other voices seem to be just secondary if not insignificant. Hence, the Gospel is both a relief and a caution. 

The Gospel is a relief since we are assured of the immense love and connection of the Lord to us. This means that we would always have the capability to hear His voice. Being loved by Him, we have been given a sort of mechanism for voice recognition. On the other hand, there is a caution, especially for those who have been entrusted to take care of His flock. The sheep knows who’s real and who’s fake. An elder Dominican once told me, “Do not underestimate the people whom you preach to. They can sense if you are really making sense in what you say.” 

Yet perhaps, the worse sham is for a shepherd not to be heeded by his own flock because he himself has become a contradiction to what he is saying. When a religious congregation went to Africa to do mission and evaluated their venture, they found out that their efforts seem to be in vain. Only a small percentage of the people were being converted. They thought at first, it might be the language barrier or the lack of resources among other factors. Then, they asked a chief of a tribe about what seems to be the problem in what they are doing. The chief said, “We may not understand exactly what you say, but we understand what we see you do.” The Second Reading from the First Letter of Peter gives us a hint on how to become a good shepherd and be heard, “Remember Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you may follow His way.”

KEYWORDS:

Cycle A, Easter,  OP Friars, Good Shepherd, Voice, Preaching