Conviction by Faith

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 6:60-69.

Many of Jesus' disciples who were listening said,
"This saying is hard; who can accept it?"
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, "Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending
to where he was before? 
It is the spirit that gives life,
while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe."
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him. 
And he said,
"For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father."

As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer accompanied him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" 
Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? 
You have the words of eternal life. 
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."

---

Reflection

As a result of Jesus' teaching, many of his disciples left Him. They were drawn to Jesus because of the power of His words and the many signs and miracles that He worked. The recent teaching however was a challenge: one has to consume Jesus' flesh and blood in order to have eternal life. Not only was it against the Jews' religious sensitivities, it was also a call to cannibalism most, if not all, cultures would reject.

The invitation of Jesus was not symbolic. It is graphic and disturbing, something that challenges one's worldview. For those who rejected the invitation, they returned to their former way of life. For them, Jesus was just a fad who turned out to be too strong to the taste. The evangelist John directs us however to the honest and sincere response of Peter: "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

The twelve stood out from the disciples as those who chose to stay. Jesus forced them to face their own position, "do you also want to leave?" They were however taken up by their conviction, in their faith, to stay. They have seen and experienced for themselves the mystery of the person of Jesus and they were ready to take His challenge. They have left everything and they have followed only Him. Our Christian faith requires that strong conviction in Jesus.

A Invitation to Nourishment We Now Celebrate

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 6:51-58.

Jesus said to the crowds:
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my flesh for the life of the world."

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,
"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 
Jesus said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you do not have life within you. 
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day. 
For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink. 
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
remains in me and I in him. 
Just as the living Father sent me
and I have life because of the Father,
so also the one who feeds on me
will have life because of me. 
This is the bread that came down from heaven. 
Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,
whoever eats this bread will live forever."

---

Reflection

Jesus graphic challenge to the Jews is startling. While most spiritual teachers challenge their disciples to listen and obey, Jesus asks his disciples to eat His flesh and drink His blood as a requirement for salvation. Along with this, He claims three things: that His flesh and blood is true food and drink, that through it the disciple remains in Him, and that the disciple may receive life.

At the heart of the challenge is the eternal truth of man: we cannot live without nourishment. We take life in order to continue on living. We raise poultry and livestock, and gardens and orchards, to provide food - life for a life. Jesus, the Incarnate Source of Life, offers His very self: His truth, His flesh, and His friendship, that we might receive Life in its fullness.

This truth is celebrated in the Eucharistic liturgy, when we perpetuate this promise of nourishment and presence every time we celebrate Mass and receive Holy Communion. What was taught by Jesus, written in Scriptures, is lived and celebrated in the Church. It is Life Himself for our lives.

Beyond What Eyes Can See

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 6:41-51.

The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said,
"I am the bread that came down from heaven, "
and they said,
"Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? 
Do we not know his father and mother? 
Then how can he say,
'I have come down from heaven'?" 
Jesus answered and said to them,
"Stop murmuring among yourselves. 
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day. 
It is written in the prophets:
They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. 
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father. 
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life. 
I am the bread of life. 
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die. 
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."

---

Reflection

The Jews murmured against Jesus because they thought they knew Him fully. But they didn’t know Jesus’ true identity and mission. For although they knew Jesus’ parentage, they didn’t know his true origin. Their knowledge of the person of Jesus is limited.

This is why Jesus invites them to faith. There are realities that escape our grasp because we cannot fully understand them. These we call mysteries. The small hole that our intellect can make cannot contain the ocean of God’s truth. What the intellect does not fully understand, faith provides. Faith is a gift but it also is a response. 

The outlandish claim of Jesus that He is the bread of life is more than enough for the Jews. Cannibalism is not part of their menu. Faith however allowed early Christians to see that the Bread they partake in is really the Body of the Messiah, that the meal is also fellowship and communion, and such food is Life Himself. Faith allows us to see beyond what eyes can see. 

The First Leap

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 6:24-35.

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
"Rabbi, when did you get here?" 
Jesus answered them and said,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
you are looking for me not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled. 
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you. 
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal." 
So they said to him,
"What can we do to accomplish the works of God?" 
Jesus answered and said to them,
"This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent." 
So they said to him,
"What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? 
What can you do? 
Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:
He gave them bread from heaven to eat."
So Jesus said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world."

So they said to him,
"Sir, give us this bread always." 
Jesus said to them,
"I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst."

---

Reflection

For most of us, we would not believe until we see it for ourselves. The people who saw Jesus multiply bread were looking for Him because they saw that He could do wonders. Jesus had to point out to them the purpose of those wonders. Jesus had to remind them that His purpose is much higher than feeding people and establishing a utopian society. Jesus came to share with us the fullness of life.

Christianity is all about entering into that fullness of life. Such is the work of God, to bring His children into His Life. But to achieve that fullness one must make the first leap - the leap of faith. This episode of the Gospel reminds all Christians of the fundamental requirement of their faith - the belief in Jesus as the Bread of Life, who came from the Father in order to feed us His very own Life. To be Christian means to believe that Jesus did come down from heaven from the Father, in order to unite Himself more fully with humanity by giving them His own Life.

As Catholics, we celebrate this in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. The Sacrament is our celebration of Jesus’ own promise of the Bread of Life. Ours is not only taking in His teachings but most of all, that communion with Him in the most physical, most profound, and most human way - taking Him as our Bread from heaven, His Body and Blood, in the form of bread and wine. Our Catholic life takes its vitality from this first leap of faith.

Numbers and Signs

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 6:1-15.

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. 
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. 
Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples. 
The Jewish feast of Passover was near. 
When Jesus raised his eyes
and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip,
"Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?" 
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do. 
Philip answered him,
"Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little." 
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
"There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?" 
Jesus said, "Have the people recline." 
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. 
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. 
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted. 
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
"Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted." 
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments 
from the five barley loaves
that had been more than they could eat. 
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
"This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world." 
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

---

Reflection

Numbers run the risk of limiting value. This beautiful episode from John is a parable of the great things that Jesus can do with the little good that we can offer. Numbers pepper the story, detailing the need and urgency of the moment. Jesus, who knew the need but also has the situation in control, have to remind his disciples that faith goes beyond numbers.

It may be a story of generosity, or a story of how God can multiply what we offer but it is also a reminder that Jesus as the Prophet promised of old has more than enough to meet our needs. When Jesus feeds, He feeds to the full. He is not one who magically multiplies food, but in the same way that he takes, gives thanks, and distributes food in the Eucharistic Meal, He gives Himself as the Sign of God’s love.

People who saw the numbers saw the prophet who could do wonders but mistook the message. We who see the Sign, received and believed, sees Jesus the God-man who gives Himself that we may want for nothing. He exceeds in value to what we can count in numbers. Jesus does not work with numbers, He works in self-giving.

The Deserted Places

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 6:30-34.

The apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught. 
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” 
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat. 
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. 
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. 
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.

When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.

---

Reflection

They were doing so well it was overwhelming. The apostles who were sent to share in the mission of Jesus were filled with joy at what they had accomplished through Jesus’ authority. Even with the great good they have done, more still was left to be desired. People were coming and going in great numbers they did not even have the time to eat.

Jesus asked His apostles to retreat to a “deserted place” in the midst of all these activities. Even Jesus recognized that working for the Kingdom must be matched with a well-deserved rest. Deserts in the Bible are always places of encounter with God. The silence and solitude of the desert leads one to focus on the one thing necessary in the Kingdom.

When we begin to think that Christian life is all about doing works of charity, let this Gospel reading remind us of the more important thing. Christian life, as stressed by Jesus, is all about encountering God first. We have to be aware of where our deserted places are, so that from time to time, even in the midst of incessant activity, we can retreat and recharge in God. So that having encountered God in our desert, we too, like Jesus, return to the mission, hearts ready to be moved and limbs reading to take on the task of leading and teaching people towards their own deserted places.

Summoned and Sent

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 6:7-13.

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey
but a walking stick—
no food, no sack, no money in their belts. 
They were, however, to wear sandals
but not a second tunic. 
He said to them,
“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave. 
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them.” 
So they went off and preached repentance. 
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

---

Reflection

In Jesus company of disciples, a smaller group of twelve have always earned the reverence of the rest. Here mentioned as the “Twelve”, they were summoned and sent out by Jesus two-by-two in order to share in His ministry. Jesus was a leader who delegates that the task of spreading the Kingdom of God might benefit from the concerted efforts of many. This is not a sample case of the multiplier effect, however, but the summary of Christian life.

We all have been summoned to Jesus side. From our baptism to our Sunday celebrations of the Holy Mass, we are summoned time and time again to renew our relationship with Him, to receive instruction from Him, so as to share in His authority. Ours is not a mission, but a co-mission. We are summoned to Jesus, and share in Jesus, so that we may spread Jesus.

The idea of repentance is not limited to being sorry for one’s sins. In its original Greek meaning, it refers to a change of heart, and mind, and personhood. The Twelve were sent to preach repentance: of spreading Jesus’ words and works so that those who receive them may become more and more like Jesus. This constitutes Christian life. We become more and more like Christ, by answering His summons, listening to His words, and sharing in His works.

Open to Surprises and Gifts

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 6:1-6.

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. 
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished. 
They said, “Where did this man get all this? 
What kind of wisdom has been given him? 
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! 
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? 
And are not his sisters here with us?” 
And they took offense at him. 
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.” 
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.

---

Reflection

Jesus’ statement, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house,” is one of the most famous and quoted. Working prophetic signs and uttering prophetic words, Jesus is amazed at the lack of faith from His own people, the very people who knew Him most. They thought they knew Him as He grew up in their midst, but the wonders that Jesus was doing and saying simply broke through their calcified image of their neighbor. They could not take that Jesus was breaking through their preconceived ideas of Him.

Perhaps, the people from Jesus’ town were already comfortable with their images of their neighbors that anyone who tries to go beyond the comfortable levels are looked upon with suspicion. Even with Jesus’ miracles they then refused to believe. Their lack of openness led to a lack of faith.

Many of us fall into the same mistake of putting people into our own mental boxes and labelling them, stacking them up in our garage of biases. We even fall into the mistake of putting God into a box and expecting Him to act according to our own image of Him. But people and God are mysteries who will always challenge our measures. Persons, both our neighbors and God, are gifts that we continually peel-off layers of wonders. Our Gospel reminds us today to be open: open to people, open to God, and open to surprises.

The Touch of Jesus

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 5:21-43.

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat
to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
"My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live."
He went off with him,
and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors
and had spent all that she had.
Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd
and touched his cloak.
She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured."
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him,
turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?"
But his disciples said to Jesus,
"You see how the crowd is pressing upon you,
and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'"
And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her,
approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."

While he was still speaking,
people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said,
"Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" 
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
"Do not be afraid; just have faith."
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside
except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official,
he caught sight of a commotion,
people weeping and wailing loudly.
So he went in and said to them,
"Why this commotion and weeping?
The child is not dead but asleep."
And they ridiculed him.
Then he put them all out.
He took along the child's father and mother
and those who were with him
and entered the room where the child was.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum,"
which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.
At that they were utterly astounded.
He gave strict orders that no one should know this
and said that she should be given something to eat.

---

Reflection

Our Gospel this Sunday portrays Jesus as the healer. He goes around manifesting His power and authority over human ills, and in our story today heals a woman suffering from hemorrhage and restores the life of a young girl. Jesus who preaches the coming of the Kingdom backs up His claim with marvelous signs of healing.

These healings happened through the experience of touch. The woman fought her way through the crowd, and with faith in her heart, believed that touching just His clothes would heal her. This continues on today in the many devotees and believers who, wishing that their prayers be granted, touch objects and relics that are connected to the Divine and the Saints. Jesus took the girl’s hand and raised her up from death, telling her to “arise”!

Our encounter with Jesus should not be limited to lip service but should touch us in our deepest consciousness. Jesus’ wishes to touch those whose hearts have been bleeding for years and those who have fallen into spiritual death. His touch leads to faith, and from this faith all fears are dispelled and restores our wholeness. From the dirt of our fears and sickness, Jesus extends His hands to touch us today, lifts us up with His consoling words, “arise”! 

Prophet even in Birth

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:57-66, 80.

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child

she gave birth to a son.

Her neighbors and relatives heard

that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,

and they rejoiced with her.

When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,

they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,

but his mother said in reply,

"No. He will be called John."

But they answered her,

"There is no one among your relatives who has this name."

So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.

He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name,"

and all were amazed.

Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,

and he spoke blessing God.

Then fear came upon all their neighbors,

and all these matters were discussed

throughout the hill country of Judea.

All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,

"What, then, will this child be?"

For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.

The child grew and became strong in spirit, 

and he was in the desert until the day

of his manifestation to Israel.

---

Reflection

Prophets are a special breed of characters in the Bible. They are the human messengers of God to His people. Today, we celebrate the birth of St. John the Baptist. Luke’s Gospel portrays Mary as related to Elizabeth making Jesus and John “cousins” in the wide sense of the word. But our Gospel today does not dwell on their familial connection but on something that transcends bonds of blood.

John the Baptist is the herald of the Messiah, making him a prophet of the Incarnation of God. Luke wrote his Gospel drawing from Old Testament prophecies. The circumstances of his birth, the naming, and the anticipation of the child, all point to the role that John will take before Jesus begins His public ministry. What is beautiful about this story is the stress on blessing and hope.

If John were a blessing to his aged parents, he was to announce the great blessing that is to come for Israel. This blessing was brought about by Divine interventions seen in the marvels surrounding his birth but finds its climax in the pouring forth of God’s spirit on the child. He “grew and became strong in the spirit”. Like the dawn announcing the rising of the sun, the birth of John the Baptist was the prelude to joyful announcement of Jesus’ birth. Even in his birth, John points to Jesus, the Messiah, the God Incarnate, in whom the fullness of God’s Spirit dwells.

The Mystery of the Kingdom

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 4:26-34.

Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and through it all the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”

He said,
“To what shall we compare the kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

---

Reflection

The Kingdom of God is one of most misunderstood and less preached themes of our Christian faith. However, it is one of the central themes of Jesus ministry while he was on earth. All of the Gospels touch on the topic because Jesus Himself dwelt on the topic in his preaching. This Sunday, we hear Jesus speak of it in parables.

Parables and comparisons are the only way to convey a reality that escapes full human understanding. That is exactly the point of the Gospel. The Kingdom of God is a reality that encompasses but in itself is not encompassed by a single human being. It is a mystery that is rooted, grows, and is nourished in the internal life of a person. How the human person is invited into the Kingdom, how he enters it, and what happens as he grows in it, is completely unbeknownst to the outside. Each human person can sense it in himself but cannot fully understand it nor fully explain it.

Jesus today explains that this Kingdom though not understood fully does exist because God scatters the seed of the Kingdom in all human hearts. We cannot explain the experience to each other fully because each experience of it is unique to each individual. The Kingdom after all is about a loving relationship with God. As in a relationship, it not defined but lived and experienced. It grows because God nurtures it in each individual. God is the Divine Gardener, we are the soil.

This means our relationship with God is God’s work in us. It is He who plants, waters, and nourishes. All the soil has to do is to be open, to cooperate to grace and allow the seed to spring up, grow, and contribute to the life-giving atmosphere of God’s garden. This means the human heart has to be docile, to listen, and to obey. If the soil hardens it stifles the seed but if it responds to the initiatives of the Gardener, it allows for something that is internal to manifest itself externally.

This is exactly Christian life. We always begin with a loving relationship with God and allow Him to work in us. Responding to His grace, we grow and mature in His love. Over the years, we come to full maturity and bear fruit and offer harvest to the God who invested so much love in us.

Why We Eat Jesus in the Mass

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 14:12-16, 22-26.
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
when they sacrificed the Passover lamb,
Jesus’ disciples said to him,
"Where do you want us to go
and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
He sent two of his disciples and said to them,
"Go into the city and a man will meet you,
carrying a jar of water.
Follow him.
Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house,
'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room
where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'
Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready.
Make the preparations for us there."
The disciples then went off, entered the city,
and found it just as he had told them;
and they prepared the Passover.
While they were eating,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, gave it to them, and said,
"Take it; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them,
and they all drank from it.
He said to them,
"This is my blood of the covenant,
which will be shed for many.
Amen, I say to you,
I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine
until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Then, after singing a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.

---

Reflection

Continuing the tradition of the first Christians, we Catholics gather once a week to celebrate the "breaking of the bread", the ritual we celebrate every Sunday which commemorates Jesus' last supper which He commanded to "do this in memory of me." Such a ritual is so pronounced and is deemed important in the Church that it is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, given a long theological discourse by John (chapters 13-17), and taught by Paul in his missions. This ritual is the Holy Mass.

The significance of this ritual is rooted in the Jewish ritual sacrifice. The Jews worship God by offering gifts in the Temple. Except for the burnt offering, all other offerings are either eaten by the priest or by the one offering after they have been offered in the altar. Such offerings are a recognition of God's power, a prayer for forgiveness, or a prayer of thanksgiving. Jesus, however, in His institution of the Eucharist, replaced these with one single offering that supersedes all others. The ritual that He performed together with His disciples, while having Jewish roots have taken novel elements.

This sets apart the Christian ritual of the Holy Mass. In the Mass, we do not offer anything to God other than Jesus Himself who said, "this is my body... this is my blood..." The other offerings that we have given during the offertory are but expressions of Christian charity for the Church and the poor. Only Jesus is the offering, strictly speaking, inside the celebration of the Holy Mass. Anything that we offer, taken from the earth, could not satisfy the majesty of God. Jesus is the perfect offering because He is the Father's "beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."

This Sunday's celebration then is about Jesus' offering of Himself on the altar. No longer carcasses of animals, but the very Body and Blood of the Son is offered on the altar to the Father. And after being raised up on high and acclaimed by the people with the great "Amen!", the Christian community partakes of the offering in communion. We literally eat Jesus, who by force of His Word spoken by the instrument of the priest's person, has turned the bread and wine into His Flesh and Blood, so that in doing so, we become part of His Body and nourished by His Blood.

The Holy Trinity

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 28:16-20.
The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
"All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

---

Reflection

The Trinitarian mystery is the center, the deepest and most profound tenet of our Christian faith. It separates us from all other faiths and is the cause between the separation of the Jews and the early Christians. It is a mystery because although we can grasp the concept of it, we cannot fully explain and exhaust its richness, much like we know that there is such a thing as the Pacific ocean but we cannot imagine in our minds its full expanse and depth.

Profound though it is, Jesus revealed it to us, that God is not only Father, but He is also Son, and is also Spirit. It is a sublime truth not because it describes God's relationship to us but because among the three Persons in the Trinity we see the greatest truth of God. God is love. Within Himself love is alive and dynamic because a relationship of love requires more than one person.

The image of the Trinity, therefore, does not just speak of One God in Three Divine Persons, but above all, it speaks to us that God is a family. That is the best human analogy we have of the Trinity. As a Church, we cannot but humbly ruminate on this mystery as we grow in its truth.

The Spirit of Salvation

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 20:19-23.

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, "Peace be with you."
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained."

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Reflection

You can say that early Christians have a preoccupation with the first day of the week. The Resurrection happened on such a day. Now, even the appearance of the risen Jesus also fell on such a day. The first day of the week, of course, is Sunday. St. John the Evangelist, takes things a little bit farther, and to stress an important truth of faith, lumped all the events that we know of Easter, together in one day: the Resurrection, the appearances, and the giving of the Holy Spirit.

For St. John, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, signified in Jesus' breathing on the disciples, is the fruit of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. God acts as One. The Son and the Spirit working in unity with the Father for our Salvation. The breathing forth remembers the events of Creation, when the Spirit of God hovered over the primordial waters and when Yahweh breathed life into man. The great work of Salvation that begun in Creation is accomplished today. God, through the Son, did not only give us His flesh and blood, but now has given us the fullness of His Spirit.

Pentecost is the defining moment of Salvation when we are fully confirmed in the Trinity. We have not only become adopted sons and daughters of the Father, nor partakers of Jesus' Divinity in His Body and Blood, but now we have become Temples of the Spirit. Salvation is all about God taking us into Himself, uniting us into Himself, and loving us into Himself. The power, authority, and gifts that the Spirit showers upon us in the Church, is but natural consequence of our entry into God.

Come Let Us Worship

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 2:1-12.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
"Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage."
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel."
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
"Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage."
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.

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Reflection

Can you remember the feeling of unboxing your first gadget? Unboxing has become a fad with so many videos on YouTube showing the process of removing the gadget from its packaging, turning it on, and trying its new and promised features. Today's Feast of Epiphany is the unboxing of the Mystery of God. Like when we first opened our first iPhone from its box, Israel to whom the promise of Salvation has been given is excited to unbox its gift. To the surprise of many, when many expected power and strength, the baby Jesus was revealed as the Savior of Israel. To the further surprise of many, Magi from the East travelled and came all the way to worship Him.

That is what Epiphany is all about. It is the revelation that the unseen God is now seen, the promised light has magnificently exploded in brilliance, not only to Israel but to the whole of humanity, to the whole world, in the Baby Jesus. God overturns expectations. He came not as the invincible and glorious Being that He is, but as the vulnerable and fragile baby of Mary. He offered His love, not only to Israel but allowed the star to shine over all the land, for all people to see. The magi from the east were but stand-ins for us. Even in His birth, Jesus Christ has been welcoming everyone to Himself. It didn't matter that they were not Jews, they were not from Jerusalem, they were not sons of Abraham. What mattered is that they were invited by the star and they heeded the invitation.

With the recent Christmas celebration, many of us received gifts handsomely packed and stacked under the Christmas tree. We still feel excitement receiving and opening these. But the greatest gift we have received is the incarnate Son, the baby in Bethlehem in the arms of His mother Mary. Now He has unboxed and revealed Himself for us. Come let us worship.

Advent's 'I Accept' Button

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:26-38.
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.

"Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

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Reflection

The beautiful thing about our celebration today is that it prepares us for the momentous event of tomorrow. The Gospel relates to us the Annunciation of Jesus' Birth. Today, the angel Gabriel lays out the Terms of Service before Mary. He announces to her God's plan for the child that she will bear. Reading through the angel's announcement, Mary asks a clarification that will point out to us the other-worldly nature of this Child. It is conceived not in normal human sexual relations but through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Grand though it was, it would have been all for nought if Mary did not say 'yes'. But the Blessed Virgin clicked the 'I accept' button to become the Blessed Mother. Mary's 'fiat' was crucial in our salvation. By saying 'yes' to the words of the angel, she bore in her womb the Word, called holy, the Son of God. Divine grace which was already at work in the Virgin gave her strength to accept that proposal.

This last Sunday of Advent reminds us that our salvation cannot happen without our cooperation. Jesus cannot be born into our hearts unless we also click the 'I accept' button at the end of God's love letter to us. The Gospel challenges us to do just that. It is the last stage of our preparation for the birth of Jesus. If we assent with faith to the angel's message to us, we will be surprised by the wonders that God has in store for us, for nothing is impossible for God.

Voices in the Desert

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 1:6-8, 19-28.
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.

And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him
to ask him, "Who are you?"
He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted, "I am not the Christ."
So they asked him,
"What are you then? Are you Elijah?"
And he said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."
So they said to him,
"Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?"
He said:
"I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
'make straight the way of the Lord,'"
as Isaiah the prophet said."
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
"Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?"
John answered them,
"I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.

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Reflection

Testimonials used to be the thing when MySpace was still around. The much needed psychological boost from positive feedbacking fed the trend. Today, Facebook's 'like' and reactions replaced all that. Who among us would not delight at the number of likes our posts get on social media? Psychologists warn that this is the narcissistic trend today. We live in a world of self-promotion and self-aggrandizing.

Despite the power of his preaching and the charisma that drew in the crowds, John the Baptist denied the titles asked of him. The Anointed One or Messiah or Christ for the Jews is the one who will bring about the new age for Israel. John denied that he was. Elijah was considered one of the greatest prophets of Israel who worked wonders and preached fidelity to Yahweh. John denied that he was. The Prophet is the New Moses who will bring Israel back to the fulfillment of the Law. John denied that he was.

What John claimed for himself is his rightful and honest place in the story of salvation. He is the voice of one crying out in the desert, "make straight the way of the Lord." He is the herald that announces the coming of the Bridegroom. In his honesty, John reminded us what true humility is all about. Humility is honesty about who we are in front of Jesus.

While most of us put forward our best angle in our profile pictures and spend minutes thinking about lines that catch attention in our posts, this Sunday of Advent reminds us of our dignity and role as Christians. We too are voices crying out in the desert. We cry out to lobby for a world ready to accept its King. How can we make straight the way of the Lord today in our hearts, homes, and communities?