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The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

11/26/2017

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Come and Live in your Servants! 
Fr. Dennis Jones Garcia, CJM 

Jesus Christ, Our Lord and King, is a God of surprises. Although divine, he humbled himself to share in our humanity. Although powerful, he never used it for coercion. He shows up where we least expect him to be. Not in power and strength but in weakness and vulnerability.

In our gospel, the Last Judgment of the Nations, both groups gave no thought of the treatment of the “least of these”--- the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, and imprisoned. Both were surprised to discover that Jesus was present in these people. They didn’t think of the repercussion of their actions because it never crossed their mind that the Lord was present in them. And probably, they never thought of the implication of their action to these least ones simply because those persons just did not matter. And yet, their action was crucial to their salvation. The acts of mercy of the first group and the indifference of the second one spelled the difference.

The gospel, thus, invites us to recognize God’s presence in the needy around us and serve them. We can begin with the poor and serve them concretely in their physical needs which we tend to overlook and spiritualize. Pope Francis in his message on the occasion of the First World Day of the Poor exhorts us: “Let us love, not with words but with deeds”.  According to him, the poor are our “passport to paradise.” And to love the poor “means to combat all forms of poverty, spiritual and material.”

Serving Jesus extends not only to the economically poor but to all those in need.  This includes those whom we disregard and disdain, those whose convictions are opposed to ours, those we fear, those we exclude, those we perceive to be unlovable. We might be hesitant to serve them, but indeed, Jesus is also present in these people.

Jesus continues to show up where and when we least expect him, surprising us, catching us off-guard, to disarm us, to challenge our expectations and prejudices, and to invite us to love at all times.

As we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, we affirm Christ’s sovereignty to allow him to touch our apathy and indifference, our stubbornness, and selfishness. In other words, we allow him to rule our lives that we may recognize him in all peoples and in the mundane and ordinary circumstances of our lives. And with that to respond appropriately to what he calls us to do. Our actions make a difference for moving Christ’s reign to its fullest expression and presence in this world.

If we live in a greater consciousness of God’s presence in our world and allow such awareness to direct our actions, then come Judgment day, when we face Jesus, we wouldn’t be surprised and have to say “Lord, when did we see you….”

Live Jesus. Hail our King!

 
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THIRTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

11/19/2017

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Stewards  of Gifts 
Sem.  Ryan M. Recto 

 Our life is a great gift that we received every day from God. It reminds us of the great love shown by our Creator, a love we never asked for but which was given by the One who only wants for us is to be with Him. Our life has been blessed with numerous gifts that God has generously shared and entrusted to us.  Everything we possess physically and spiritually are not only of our own making but through the grace of our loving and merciful God. That is why it is important for us to recognize the call of God to be responsible for all the gifts that we received, no matter how small or huge they may be. 


The Parable of Talents in the Gospel of Matthew is part of the teaching of Jesus to his disciples about the Kingdom of Heaven. It tells a story of how people appreciate the talents or gifts given to them in two different ways. First, Jesus teaches us that although God has given us varying talents, we are not asked to go beyond our capacities and capabilities. But by appreciating and using the talents we have received, we are being faithful in doing what the Lord asks of us. Second, if we will not be a good and faithful stewards of the talents entrusted to us due to our fear, laziness, envy of others talents and thereby choose to hide our own gifts, our talents will be taken away by the One who gave them.

In a deeper sense, Matthew is telling us that Jesus has entrusted his mission and work to his disciples. The slaves in the story are the disciples that need to be attentive, good and faithful stewards in the absence of Jesus. In God’s time, Jesus will return again and the disciples are charged to be vigilant and to act properly as responsible stewards.

​As His disciples today, we have received the responsibility to be faithful and good stewards.  We received at our baptism the calling of every Christian to be consistent with our commitment to be good stewards. Those found faithful will be invited to enter into the joy and abundance of the Kingdom of Heaven.  

The life entrusted to us by our generous and kind God is our first and important accountability that needs to be appreciate and cherish everyday as Christ’s disciples. Our commitment through imitating Christ as his disciples in our community will help us to fulfill the responsibilities and duties entrusted by God to us. It is important to ask for the grace from God for us to maintain our relationship with Him in appreciating the talents or gifts we were given to share.

We need to remember that within our differences and diversity, we will discover the uniqueness of our talents and responsibilities. Success is measured by our selfless sharing what we have received with others.    
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THIRTY SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

11/11/2017

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Be Awake and Watchful! 
Sem. Ian Granada 

When I was a child, a photocopy of the alleged secrets of Fatima was circulating in the Catholic neighborhood. In that text, we can read the various images that depict in detail the end of the world. I can still remember how frightening the end of the world will be. It depicts a a seemingly punishing God who have forsaken creation. 
​

They call it the three days of darkness.

It was so sensational that in our home, my mother used to have this ready kit in case the three days of darkness will come. We have bottled waters enough for three days, blessed candles we call ‘kandelaria’ are always set and again those should last for three days. A black plastic bag that was supposed to cover windows, doors, or any opening of the house is also handy. You cannot gaze or even peep outside, as this will cause death.

After some months of waiting, we began to use the bottled waters especially when a water shortage happened in the neighborhood. We used the candles for days when electricity was out due to typhoons. Yes, even the plastic bags were used to collect our garbage.

This was just an example how paranoid sometimes people become when it comes to the end of the world. We are always on our toes when we hear the end times. It causes fear, confusion, and panic. We want to be saved but we know that we will be punished. Our preparation was external.

The liturgical year is about to finish. Heeding the call of the Church to be watchful and ready for the Second Coming of Christ, she teaches us to be wise like the five wise virgins who are waiting for the groom to arrive.

In the readings, it is beautiful to see how St. Paul describes the eventual second coming of Christ. It describes the ultimate triumph of the Son of God over death and sin. The angel calls all the dead people, who hoped and lived a life of love and mercy, to share the triumphant start of the reign of God. All of us who will be alive on that day will be drawn to the clouds together with these multitude of witnesses welcome Christ the King!

Indeed, such vision gives consolation and hope for all of us who yearn to be with God, our origin and end, come to fulfillment in our lifetime. Such a state will come with a price; the price of living out Jesus in our lives; how we become Jesus in ourselves, others, and in the world we live in.

One insight, which I believe this Sunday imparts to us, is the wisdom that is Jesus. The only Word of God, who became one of us except sin, made it possible for humanity to participate in the communion of the Holy Trinity; that is of Love. We receive this Wisdom in our Baptism. Through Confirmation, we re-affirmed our Baptism and said again Yes to Christ. Strengthened by the Eucharist, we are to become what we received as St. Augustine reminds us.

A second insight brings us to the relevance of the Second Coming of Christ and our liturgies. Imagine the Second Coming of Christ as the Holy Eucharist itself! The eternal High Priest, our Lord Jesus Christ as the presider, all the angels, saints, holy men and women, popes, martyrs, our beloved dead and ourselves side by side as the attendees of the Divine Banquet. Such sight gives me goose bumps on how lofty and majestic the sight. No word, emotion, or feeling can capture it except perfect joy or even beyond it.

The liturgy we perform now is but a mirror or better, a dress rehearsal on that day when we will participate in that Divine Eucharist. Our participation in every liturgy, especially the Holy Eucharist expects a certain participation that we should do now. The Holy Eucharist feeds us with the Bread of Life, which in turn feeds our brothers and sisters with our good works and deeds. Not because we will merit a reward for doing good, but because it is a thanksgiving for the gift of Faith we received in recognizing Jesus as the Son of God.

Third, our father, St. John Eudes teaches us to look always and form Jesus in our lives. As we await the Second Coming, our lives will not be a passive onlooker but an active gazing everyday in our hearts, because Jesus is always coming to us in the heart of our hearts. It is there that he is being formed and reigns, hence our lives will always be ready to welcome Him anytime, anywhere because our dispositions and will are one with our Savior and Lord, because where the master is, there his servant will be.

When the second coming of Christ comes, our restless hearts that long to see the fullness of life will be of joyful and blissful contemplation of that love that we have held in Faith. It will be put to fulfillment and full revelation when Christ comes again. The end of times is not a gloomy and doomsday event unless we have acted foolishly that we have not seen Christ coming everyday in our lifetime. May the Blessed Mother always lead us to Jesus, who is the Star of the Morning! 
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    The following reflections are courtesy of Eudist Fathers in the Philippines with some Eudist seminarians assigned to give their sharing and reflections on Sunday readings.

    For feedback and comments, please email us, cjm.vocph@gmail.com

    Thanks and God bless you!

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