Give them some food yourselves

May 29,2016

PS 110:1, 2, 3, 4
GN 14:18-20
1 COR 11:23-26
LK 9:11B-17

He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.” (Luke 9:13)

Hunger is one of the most pressing and disconcerting concerns of the world today.  This appalling crisis has almost one billion people in its grip. Do we lack the means to feed our starving people? Maybe no, for God has blessed our world with abundant resources.  Apparently, the problem lies in our tendency to amass and the hesitancy to share. We have witnessed this sad reality during the April 1 Kidapawan tragedy that left at least two farmers dead and 116 wounded. This tragedy displayed the lack of empathy and insensitivity of the provincial government to the distress of the hungry people.  The rice allocation and other budget items for relief for the farmers were already approved, but they hoarded them. People were only asking for rice to survive but they were sprayed with bullets.

At times, we feel helpless and discouraged when faced with the enormity of human suffering and pain. Our tendency is to be indifferent.  In the gospel episode where thousands were left hungry after having followed, Jesus in a deserted place and listened to him for a long time, the disciple’s initial response was to send the people away to fend for themselves without realizing that it may endanger their lives. But Jesus said to them, “Give them some food yourselves” (Luke 9:13).

In today’s gospel Jesus manifested the mercy and compassion of the Triune God and taught the disciples the true essence of mission.  Mission as a relationship invites us to see our interconnectedness, to feel ourselves as part of the whole, as threads in a weaving pattern, entwining people to form a “community, where creating and sharing together generates abundance” through kindness, compassion, generosity and sensitivity. Communion allows us to draw from Christ, the Bread of Life, the grace which makes us capable of sharing what we have to those in need.  Let us follow the example of the boy who gave so little food, which ended up feeding thousands. We all have our ‘five loaves and two fish’. “If we are willing to put them in the hands of the Lord, we will bring a little more love into the world a bit ‘more love, peace, justice and joy. God is able to multiply our small gestures of solidarity and make us partakers of his gift” (Pope Francis).

Today is Corpus Christi.  It is a celebration of the generosity and compassion of Jesus. Once again, we are reminded of our mission to continue Christ’s compassionate presence in the world today.  “In the Eucharist we receive Christ hungering in the world. He comes to us, not alone, but with the poor, the oppressed, the starving of the earth. Through him they are looking to us for help, for justice, for love expressed in action. Therefore we cannot properly receive the Bread of Life unless at the same time we give the bread of life to those in need wherever and whoever they may be” (Pedro Arrupe, SJ).

 

Jeff R. Vito
Campus and Community Involvement Office
College of the Holy Spirit Manila

 

 

Photo grab from:https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/5d/c4/fa/5dc4fa8d501ff5cb1c0dde9e3c123d25.jpg

Ginhawa (Trinity Sunday)

May 22, 2016, Trinity Sunday

Psalm 8	Lesson 2: Romans 5:1-5
Lesson  1: Proverbs 8:22-31	Gospel:  John 16:12-15

 

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Everything God has, Christ has. The Spirit leads us. These three are ONE—constant characters of understandable WISDOM and GRACE.  God was in Jesus who caused the blind to receive sight, the lame to walk, those who had leprosy to become clean, the deaf to hear, and the dead to be raised to life; God in Jesus proclaimed good news to the poor. (Matthew 11:5).  God is with and among the most painful episodes of the oppressed and downtrodden until become victorious over the chains that enslaved them.  The Spirit, as Jesus promised to his disciples, will lead lead the disciples; the Spirit will be their guide to TRUTH.

We do not see GOD, but we recognize God in various experiences-a tangible God, in active form GOD-MADE-FLESH, GOD that has been witnessed by human history in Jesus Christ.  Likewise, the promise of Jesus was that his PRESENCE will be in the SPIRIT.  SHE (Spirit-God as Wisdom, Hokmah in Hebrew, or Sophia in Greek, a feminine form) will guide us, lead us, counsel us, and dance with us the way she was in CREATION (Proverbs 8:22-31).  The Spirit is ever-present, the One who was before us and is with us today and who will be with us through time.

We believe in the TRUTH of God through our daily struggles and hopes, in the journey and pilgrimage of people towards the fulfillment of final victory:  “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”(Revelation 21:3-6 NIV)

Let us celebrate Trinity Sunday in joyful affirmation that God in Jesus and the Spirit is EVER-PRESENT amongst us.  This Trinity Sunday, let us treat ourselves  and  unshackle ourselves from too much theological debates on the TRINITY.

Rev. Daniel T. Benedict of the United Methodist Church shares this reminder:

Our congregations are starving, not for doctrinal correctness, but for life in communion with the triune God. Our churches need the subversive presence of the triune God who defeats and break the chains of the strong enslaving the weak. The whole people of God are yearning to be encountered by the God who gives up the idea of God (Philippians 2:5-11) and becomes incarnate in the demands and struggles of daily life. We long for this God. Baptized into this faith, we are born to proclaim before the world the God who by the power of the Spirit animates Christian worship in the name of Jesus Christ. http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/trinity-sunday)

Let the Spirit of God, the Breath of God, become alive in us….

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
that I may love what Thou dost love,
and do what Thou wouldst do. .[1]

Ginhawa is the Cebuano word for breath. I was so fascinated with this meaning because for in Tagalog Ginhawa means one is relaxed or one has been relieved from pains and difficulties.   Ginhawa also means a life in abundance. Maginhawa ang buhay mo means that you are having a comfortable life.  Ginhawa also means well-being. When one lives in a life of comfort and abundance, one is breathing well.  To breathe is to live; to live is to breathe.   When a Cebuano farmer longs for ginhawa he/she must mean there is longing for a life that is free from cares and woes, a life of comfort. This is when her/his basic needs are within reach. This is  having such provisions  sans (without) slavery and oppression.  Perhaps , Ginhawa comes  from Gin(Ginoo) or Bathala,  H is the spirit (like the H in Bathala) and awa is grace/mercy.   But then, Ginhawa is only fulfilled when everyone is having a share of joy out of blessings and abundance—not just a few people.

Ginhawa until everyone is fed , sheltered, and clothed . To live is to breathe in and breathe out, in ginhawa.God in Jesus and the Spirit leads us to Ginhawa.

Norma P. Dollaga
Deaconess, United Methodist Church
KKASIMBAYAN

 

 

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[1] by Edwin Hatch, 1835-1889 (Hymn #420, United Methodist Hymnal)

Pphoto :http://www.focolare.org/gb/spirituality/spirituality-of-unity/the-holy-spirit/

 

“Peace be with you”

by Br. RITCHE T. SALGADO, OCARM

Day of Pentecost

 

 

ArtWork: Apol Laxamana Sta Rosa 

Psalm 104
Acts 2:1-11
1Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13
John 20:19-23

“Peace be with you,” the blessing and the greeting  of Jesus to  his disciples .They  locked themselves in fear of being discovered by the Jewish authorities who  were responsible in  the execution of Jesus.

I stayed for a month ina  a fisherfolk community in Naic, Cavite.  I could not help but feel the unpeace situation  in the community.

At a glance, one would believe that people in the community  have no worries and that they are happy, doing their daily activities.  I saw familiar scenes,  like mothers gathering in small huts under the shade of a tree, talking animatedly, and  laughing, as their children play around with other kids. There were young men playing basketball, older men tinkering with their rooster, while those who went  out at sea, lay relaxed on their bancas floating on the mirror-like smooth waters of Manila Bay waiting for the fish to bite the bait.

But when you listen to their stories you would hear the cry of desperation. The constant fear that they are experiencing – fear that they might lose their homes; fear of being killed if they oppose their tyrant association leaders who is driving them homeless while they enjoy a luxurious life (although the president was indicted for the murder of an opposition leader); fear of not being able to provide for their families.

The mothers are worried that if their children won’t be able to finish school they might end up as drug addicts or bar girls.

So much unpeace.

“Peace be with you.”

When Jesus greeted his disciples with this blessing he used the word shalom which is not just peace like being in a situation devoid of war, but peace in all aspects of our humanity. Peace which means free from anxiety, free from worries, free from troubles.

A greeting I learned from the Brahma Kumaris goes, “Om shanti.” Om means soul and it could refer to “you” and “me” at the same time, while “shanti” is peace, bliss, tranquility, calmness. So when we use it to greet and bless someone, it would mean “You and I are peace.”

There is so much unpeace  in our world. Economics of greed begets , unpeace because no one can become super  filthy rich without extorting, abusing, or stepping on the rights of another.

Jesus taught us the economics of sharing, and so we hear stories of him moving people to give like the story of the five loaves of bread and two fishes, inspiring others to share and contribute what they have. Of course, with this we don’t expect to have extras, but all will be fed and satisfied.

“Peace be with you.”

The country just elected Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as the next president. Many are hopeful that he would be able to bring the much needed change in the country. That criminality would go down, that more meaningful jobs would be created, that the peace talks between government and both the Muslims separatists and the National Democratic Front would resume and have a meaningful end (rumor has it that he’s the only mayor who has brought together the Philippine Army, the New People’s Army, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to march together in a parade). In other words, there is an anticipation for peace to finally reign in the country.

But when his spokesperson started saying that one of the agenda of Duterte that is going to push for is the easing of foreign ownership restrictions, one should be wary and should be worried and anxious. This could mean the worsening of poverty as rich foreign capitalists who has more capital at their disposal would now be given permission and more power to exploit our country, most especially our human resources, our labor force, which at the moment is experiencing so much abuse.

I remember the sharing of a brother who was assigned in Valenzuela to get the stories of the workers of sweat shops in the city. They were told not to reveal their identity as seminarians, but they are to apply for a job as a laborer of any kind. The brother came to realize the desperate condition of the workers. One might think that the workers are happy because they don’t seem to be complaining or because they manage to laugh and joke around in the workplace ,  they sweat profusely as the factory lacks proper ventilation and with no proper exit.

They are paid based on their output.  For instance,  for every 100 items finished a  worker  is paid P20. Even if  workers would   be on an 8-hour shift they still won’t be able to earn enough to meet the family’s daily needs. In order to “survive”  they have to  for   a minimum of 16 hours.

Where is peace in this situation?

As Christians, Jesus challenges us  to be instruments of peace. He advised us to continue his mission of bringing peace and inspiring peace to others.

And so, he said, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you,” after which he “breathed on them” and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

In Hebrew, spirit is ruah which means breath, ginhawa in Cebuano, which in Tagalog would mean ease of life or rest, or being comfortable. Such richness.

Jesus breathed into his disciples and gave them the blessing of the Spirit that they may be able to bring peace to the world.

And so we ask ourselves, as much as we profess our being Christians, have we truly become that? Have we been instruments of peace?

Om shanti!

 

That They May All Be One

by Norma P. Dollaga

Seventh Sunday of Easter

May 8, 2016

Acts 7:55-60

Psalm 97

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

John 17:20-26

 

For our Gospel reflection this Sunday, let us  meditate upon the words of Jesus in his prayer.  On Monday ,  May 9,  the Filipino people will cast their  votes .  While elections in the Philippines has been the arena and a domain  of the ruling class to perpetuate their power , the people are still casting their hope  that this exercise will somehow change the direction of the nation’s life.   Let  us be one in our  prayers and hope.

Women did not automatically  had the right  to vote. The mothers and women  fought for the right to suffrage.  The 1935 Constitution then,  set a condition that the right to vote  can only be extended to women  if 300,000 of them will vote in favor of it through a plebiscite to be held within two years  after the adoption of the Constitution. There were 447,725  who voted for it in a special plebiscite.  It happened on April 30, 1937.  

Today, we are  also celebrating  the mother’s day.   We remember the women  in the late 1800s in West Virginia.  They  came together to address the issue of infant  mortality rate ,milk contamination and diseases.  In 1872 , Julia Ward Howe, an activist, a poet, and a  composer  issued a “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” that   urged  women to be politically engaged to promote PEACE  .  Ms.   Ann Jarvis, organized the first Mother’s Day celebration at a church in Grafton, West Virginia, in 1908. .  On   May 8, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson designated  the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. Later , Ms. Jarvis protested and was  deeply hurt on the commercialized way of celebrating the mother’s day.

Let us offer a prayer for  our nation.

 

A PRAYER FOR MOTHER’S DAY:  That They May All Be One

(  a prayer of  BaBaE – Babae Bantay Eleksyon)

God who is always with us in our journey

We celebrate your PRESENCE,

We embrace you as our WITNESS

In our cries and in our victories.

 

We praise you for teaching us to take side with the poor

We adore you for leading us to the way of Justice and Truth

Open our hearts and minds so we will not give up your Way

And this may lead us to a wiser decision-making.

 

God of history, our people will choose leaders come Election Day

Grant us the power to choose according to the ways of your TRUTH

Grant us the courage to defend the right of the people to vote

Make us prophetic when our hard-earned right is compromised

As we celebrate Mother’s Day today, Oh Lord,

We also pray for your intercession at this most critical time.

Overwhelmed by the crisis besieging our nation,

We seek refuge in your protection

Grant our people

 the wisdom

to choose a selfless leader who cares for this nation,

the courage to reject and resist the bribes and falsehoods of traditional politicians,

the strength to watch the sanctity of our votes.

Shower us with your blessings and love as you have showered your most blessed Mother

Give us Courage and Wisdom

To denounce and expose the degrading use of women and girls by traditional politicians;

Make us prophets

To demand the COMELEC to be transparent and provide the means to ensure clean and honest elections.

Be with us when we speak out loud the voice of TRUTH and call for accountability.

Make us wise like serpent and humble like dove

When we expose the illegal use of public funds and resources government leaders for their election campaigns

Unite us as we

Continue to educate and engage our families, households, classrooms, business enterprises, and workplaces on the essence of elections as part of our democratic rights.

Be with us, and help our faith grow as we serve those whom you hold dear to your hearts.

This we pray in Jesus name, AMEN.