Disappointment…

Today, Holy Saturday , is sacred, as the day of the Lord's Rest, as He lies dead in the tomb. It has been called the "Second Sabbath" after creation. Holy Saturday is, and should be the most calm and quiet day of the entire Church year.

"The altar is left bare, and the sacrifice of the Mass is not celebrated. Only after the solemn Vigil during the night, held in anticipation of the Resurrection, does the Easter celebration begin, with a spirit of joy that overflows into the following period of fifty days...." Today, the Church, as it were, at the Lord's tomb, meditates on the Lord's Passion and death, and on His descent into hell ( not the hell of the damned) and awaiting His resurrection with prayer and fasting...


We have all been disappointed many times in our lives. Children get disappointed when they do not get the toys or clothes that they yearn for. Teenagers get hurt because of some difficulties with their friends. Students get disappointed because of the lack of support and affection from the significant adults in their lives.

We feel betrayed sometimes, deceived by others, misled or disillusioned once in a while. When the hurt gets to be too deep and the pain almost unbearable, our hearts are heavy and our shoulders seem too weak to carry the load. It is at these times when some of us tend to withdraw. We lick our wounds in self-pity and start to think that the whole world is against us.

Some of us cope with such situations by doing the things that we think we can do best. We return to familiar things, places and persons associated with the carefree days of our childhood. We hope that by living again in all that is familiar and starting anew in that environment, we will be able to nurse our wounded hearts back to health. We hope that by doing this, we can give ourselves a fresh start. Others, who do not know what they are good at, who do not know whom their true friends are, go home to their parents as an escape. There are those, who feeling beaten, lost and miserably use drugs, wine, women, men, and money as their eternal crutch. What a waste!

Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus chose to go back and do what is familiar to him. The frustrations, hurts, pains, anger, shame, and disappointments of Good Friday were weighing heavily upon him. In order to cope with the situation, he returned to his familiar fishing net, boarded the familiar fishing boat, ready and willing to do his familiar work-- catching fish. He wanted to forget about his hurts and wanted them to heal on their own by doing what at least he thought he did best- fishing.

Three years prior to this time in his life, Jesus called him and asked him to follow the Master. Peter left his father, his net and boat and followed Jesus. Jesus explicitly told Peter that from that time on, Peter was going to catch not fish but men and women for the kingdom of God. What a noble task! What a dignified job he had reason to be proud. He had reason to have high hopes. The kingdom of God is close at hand. He will be one of the VIPs in that kingdom. What a blast!

Then came the Passion. Then came the Crucifixion. Then came a criminal's execution for the very One he had placed all his hopes in. It was enough to shatter his hopes and break his wings. It weakened him, broke him, crippled him. It was simply too much for him!

I feel with Peter. At times like these, we too can return to our own version of "catching fish." We return to whatever it is we are used to even if we have already received the greater call of catching people for the Lord. Peter's former involvement was too lowly, in comparison to the task Jesus gave him. It was too mediocre. At that point, what could we expect? The man was hurting and everything seemed to have closed in on him.

I experience this myself when I am hurt too deeply by those whom I love. When people whom I love so very much, the members of my community, that I am willing to risk life and limb for, judge me so harshly and gossip about me, a significant part of me dies. I get hurt too. I feel frustrated also. I too end up questioning my choices. I am sometimes tempted to return to my own "fishing net", forget about my higher calling and be small, mediocre and satisfied with the bare minimum.
Fortunately,there is Peter's experience from which we can learn. Peter, the first Pope, seems to take nudge from Jesus and together they come to pull me out of the hole I begin to dig for my hiding and hibernation.

Just when Peter was ready to settle down in his own little world, Jesus "came" and visited him at the familiar lake. Jesus challenged Peter, "Why should you return to fishing when I have called you for greater things?" "I did not die on the Cross so that you will be sad and timid and afraid."

When we are so deeply wounded, we may be tempted just to stop by the roadside, lick our wounds, cry over our hearts and get paralyzed by our resentments and pains.

Why should we stop and be miserable when we can actually still crawl to reach our goals, our original calling? Now, why should we be satisfied with crawling when we can stand? Why remain standing when we can walk? Why walk when we can really run to the finish line, with heads held high?

If we keep in mind always that life really has its share of winning and losing, then we will be better disposed to face all our challenges. The truth of the matter that we must accept is that there really are more times when we LOSE in this game called life. That is alright! We just have to pick ourselves up again and set our hearts and minds on our calling, on our dreams.
We must believe that if God has called us, He will definitely equip us with all that it takes to make us winners. We must cooperate. The best part is when the winning happens, it will be so much sweeter!

Let us allow the Lord to be our ultimate Coach. Picture Him standing at the wings prodding us to stand up and continue the good fight. We are called to be champions. That is why Christ died and rose from the dead. He wants to make us champions of love.
So the next time we fail, the next time we feel the world crumbling in on us, remember Peter.
Remember how he too miserably failed not just at one point but also in several points in his life. Remember to call on the Lord because if it means for Him to pick us up in that old familiar place where He originally called us by name- He will do it.

When we fail, let us not feel sorry for ourselves. Let us hold our head high. Let us not dig holes for hiding. Let us begin with the first step. He will be there at the finish line to hold our hands up and proclaim: The champion!

Good Friday of the Lord's Passion...

On this day, when 'Christ our passover was sacrificed', the Church meditates on the Passion of her Lord and Spouse, adores the Cross, commemorates her origin from the side of Christ asleep on the Cross, and intercedes for the whole world.

On this day, in accordance with ancient Tradition, the Church does not celebrate the Eucharist. Holy Communion is distributed to the faithful during the Celebration of the Lord's Passion alone, though it may be brought at any time of the day to the sick who cannot take part in the celebration.

Good Friday is a day of Penance to be observed as of obligation in the whole Church, and indeed through abstinence and fasting.

The order of the celebration of the Lord's Passion (the Liturgy of the Word, the adoration of the Cross, and Holy Communion) that stems from an ancient Tradition of the Church should be observed faithfully and religiously...

The priest wearing red Mass Vestments, and ministers goto the altar. After making reverence to the altar, they prostrate themselves or, according to circumstances, humble themselves on theri knees and pray for a while. All other humble themselves on theri knees. This act of prostration, which is proper to the rite of the day, should be strictly observed, for it signifies both the abasement of 'earthly man' , and also the grief and sorrow of the Church. Afterwards the priest, from the chair says the opening prayer.

The account of the Passion according to John is read in the same way as on the preceeding Sunday, i.e., there is no incense or candles, and there is no greeting and signs of the cross. (At the end of the Passion narrative the book is not kissed.)

After the reading of the Passion there may be a brief homily.

The General Intercessions, a series of solemn prayers for all classes and needs of the Church and of mankind, conclude the Liturgy of the Word. Chris died for all, and these great petitions, as it were, interpret the mind and heart of Christ as He hung dying on the Cross.
The General Intercessions are to follow the wording and form handed down by ancient Tradition, maintaining the full range of intentions, so as to signify clearly the universal effect of the Passion of Christ, who hung on the Cross for the salvation of the world.

For the veneration of the Cross, let a Cross be used that is of appropriate size and beauty, and let one of the forms for this rite as found in the Roman Missal be followed. The rite should be carried out with the splendor worthy of the mystery of our salvation: both the invitation pronounced at the unveiling of the Cross, and the people's response should be made in song, and a period of respectful silence is to be observed after each act of veneration- the celebrant standing and holding the raised Cross.

After the veneration, the Cross is carried to its place at the altar, and the lighted candles are placed around the altar or near the Cross.

Since the earliest times of the Church, no Mass has been offered on Good Friday. The omission of Mass reflects the deep sorrow the Church has in remembering the sacrifice of her Lord and spouse on the first Good Friday. The simple communion service includes the recitation of the Our Father, the proclamation "This is the Lamb of God...", and then the reception of Holy Communion which was consecrated at the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord's Supper.

When communion has been completed, a suitable minister may take the ciborium to a place prepared outside the church. After the priest says the concluding prayer and the prayer over the people, all depart in silence. The altar is stripped at a convenient time.

The look...

There is such a thing as a dagger-look. This look wants to kill the one we are looking at.
There is such a thing as lustful and provocative look. This look practically strips naked the one we are looking at.
There is also a look of sympathy. This look shows assurance that we are feeling what the other person is feeling. We are happy when the person is happy, we are sad when he or she is sad.

But the look that the Lord gave the rich young man was not a dagger-look, a look of sympathy, a look of lust. It was the look of love.

Unfortunately, the rich young man did not allow himself to be touched by the look of love of Jesus, because he went away sad. He had many possessions which he was not ready to give up.

But the Lord was not always a failure. There were times when He gave the look of love and He succeded.

Do you remember the look of love given to Zacchaeus? Zacchaeus hurried down from the tree, sold his belongings and gave them to the poor. Why? Because the Lord looked at him with love.

Remember the look of love the Lord gave Matthew? Without saying a word, Matthew left the tax collector's table and decided to follow Jesus. Why? Because of that single look of love.

Do you remember the look of love the Lord gave Peter on that first Holy Thursday? Even after Peter denied the Lord three times before the cock could crow, the Lord looked at him not with rebuke, not with resentment, not with a dagger-look, not with a look of sympathy, but with the look of love. And Peter wept because he knew he had been unfaithful to his Friend.

The Lord continues to look with love on all of us. And the Lord has a special message for each of us, though not everybody has the same message from the Lord.

For some, the Lord says, give up some of your many possessions. Give him up, give her up, give it up, because we are too attached to this person, this place, this belonging. Give it up because it is only in giving it up, in detaching ourselves, that we can truly attach ourselves to the Lord.

But for some of us, when the Lord looks at us with love, the message of the Lord is not to give it up. The Lord's message is to take it and accept it.
Many of us are not so willing to accept love from others because we have been hurt te last time we loved.
Many of us are not willing to accept gifts from others because we were betrayed the last time we accepted gifts.
Many of us are not willing to trust anymore or love anymore, or respect anymore, because we were hurt the last time we did it.

For these, dear brothers and sisters, the Lord's message is not to give it up. The Lord's message is take it, be humble, take the risk, because it is only in taking the risk that you will discover happiness again.

Whether the Lord says take it or give it up, He looks at all of us with love right now, and says: "I love you." The Lord looks at us with love right now and says: "Even if you were the only person in the world right now, I would still be crucified for you. Even if you were the only person in the world right now, I would still choose to be born in a manger , and I would still choose to suffer because that is how much I love you."

But after the Lord looks at us with love, He also expects us to look at Him with love, because the Lord expects to be loved in return.

Yet the Lord is no longer here. Who is with us? Who is looking at us? Other people. It is now time to love the Lord by loving one another.

So, today as we celebrate the Eucharist of Holy Thursday, let us bow down our heads and pray: "Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your look of love but not only for Your look of love, I also thank You for listening to me with love. I thank You for touching me with love. I thank You for speaking to me with love. As You have touched me, as You have looked at me, as You have spoken to me with love, let me, in turn, love everybody."

The devils…

In the Gospel, Mary Magdalene, from whom seven devils had been cast out, is now following Jesus.

There was a story I read about a “gospel” written by a modern woman. The story said that the Lord saw a woman with seven devils, and He said to her, “I will cast out all seven devils in you.”

The woman looked at the Lord and hesitantly asked, “Lord, may I ask favor from you?” The Lord said, “What is it?” And the woman said, “Would You please cast out only six?”

That is our reality. The reality that we want to be healed , yet we keep one little demon within us. We want to be healed, and we say, “Lord, heal me,” yet we refuse to let go of one very unpleasant temptation. Perhaps we don’t like to let go of an old grudge, or a comfortable habit.
This is why healing cannot be complete. It is because we entertain little devils despite the fact that the bigger devils have been cast away by the Lord.

Mary Magdalene was honest enough with herself. She had seven devils. She called each one of them by name, then asked the Lord to heal her of all her seven devils. Not six, not five.

Today, as we are preparing the final day of the great Holy Thursday of Jesus’ Passion, let me advise you to pause for a little silence wherever you are and recount and make an inventory of the devils you may be keeping in your hearts.

Perhaps, it could be the devil of unchastity, the devil of untruthfulness, the devil of slander and gossip, the devil of gluttony, the devil of avarice and greed, the devil of lying, the devil of worshipping false gods, or the devil of love of money.
Make an inventory of all the devils you carry within your heart. It is not difficult to do it.

Then let us ask ourselves, “Which of these devils am I most comfortable with? Which of these devils am I hesitant to part with? Which of these devils have I started to love? Which of these devils have become too pleasant?

Then ask the Lord, “Lord heal me. Cast out all my evils. Do not leave anyone of them in my heart.”
If we can do that, the Lord will not snob what we ask Him to do. He is our Redeemer and Savior.

Let us meditate and reflect on our big and little devils and let God cast them away from our hearts completely as we recall His Passion, Death and Resurrection.

Sufferings and joy…

Today is Tuesday of Holy Week. Let me talk about a short message about the Holy Season's significance. I will talk about the destruction of the temple and the plot to kill Jesus Himself.

This Holy Week, we will reflect on separation, destruction, pain, sufferings and death. We will reflect on the Cross.

What we’re trying to say is that pain is only a means to joy.

Death is only a means to life.

Our sufferings are only a means to our glory.

We cannot attain glory, we cannot attain Easter Sunday, we cannot attain joy, unless we are willing to die, to allow the temple of our bodies to be destroyed, to allow our pride to be broken down, so that the Lord can raise us up again.

This is also the story of our own lives.

Sometimes we can say, “I live in a valley of tears.”

Sometimes we complain to God, “Dear God, I did not live a single day when I didn’t cry. Dear God, I have not lived a day in my life when I was not troubled or hurt.”

And yet dear brothers and sisters, we know that because we are hurt, because we are pained, we, too, will rise again with the Lord.

Let us meditate on this reflection as we continue to remind ourselves of the Passion of Jesus our Savior.

The priest…

The first Reading of St. Paul to Titus is like an examination of conscience for our priests because St. Paul enumerates the qualities of a good presbyter. What makes a good priest?

He said a good priest must be irreproachable. God’s steward must be blameless. He should not be self-willed or arrogant. Neither must he be drunkard, a violent or greedy person. He must be hospitable and a lover of goodness. Eh must be stable, just, holy and self-controlled.

These are the qualities a Christian community expects of a priest. I know, at this present time, it seems that it is very difficult to live up to this expectation!

If one particular priest falls short from these expectations and fail as a priest, that is definitely his huge responsibility to God. But what must be our response to that failure? What should the response of the Christian community be when it comes in contact with a drunkard priest? a womanizing priest? a priest who is avaricious? a priest who inhospitable? a priest who is uncompassionate and unkind? a priest who is thoughtless? a priest who is inconsiderate? a priest who is unjust?

How should a Christian community react when they see a priest like this?

When we see a minister of God who is so unfaithful to the descriptions and classification given by Paul to Titus, can we ask for the removal of the priest? Can we demonstrate against the priest? Can we gossip about the priest?

The answer is contained in the Gospel. When you come face to face with the scandalous life of a minister of God, your first recourse should be to pray and ask the Lord: “Increase our faith! increase our faith, Lord, despite the unworthiness of our ministers!”

I know that you have not been spared of priests who have hurt you, offended you, or taken you for granted. Perhaps, the priest in your very own parish or congregation is included in the list as far as you are concerned.

When you come face-to-face with a priest like that, it is not for the community to judge, to spread gossip or intrigue. The Christian community should pray: “Lord, touch his heart and bring him back to You. Lord, give us more faith so that despite the limitations of our elders, we may see You.”

Join me in my prayer for our priests as we observe the great Passion of our Lord Jesus this Monday of Holy Week.