Pamaskong Mensahe: Love at Emmanuel

 

Love at Emmanuel

 

Marami-rami na rin tayong kuwentong pamasko. Bawat salubong ng pagdiriwang ay mga mensaheng  sumasabay sa alindog ng mga  bituwing parol at mga  awiting  pamasko. Minsan naitatanong ko , ilang taon nating nagdiriwang ng kapaskuhan ang mundo, pero, parang umiinog lang ang panahon,at naiiwanan ang mensahe ng Pasko.

Nag-iba ang ihip nang marinig ko ang sagot ng isang bata hinggil sa tanong ko kung ano ang nais nyang matanggap na regalo ngayong pasko.

• Mula sa isang mahirap na pamilya si Love, 11 taong gulang at `pangat`lo sa pinakamatanda sa pitong magkakapatid.  Matapos mangarap magbagong buhay ang kanyang ama at ina, pinaslang sila ng mga pinaghihinalaang mga pulis noong ika-24 ng Agosto habang sila ay  natutulog at katabi ang mga anak.

Mula sa pagkasaksi sa pinakamasakit na pagkakataon sa kanyang buhay, lagi pa rin  nagigising si Love sa madaling araw, nalulungkot sa paaralan kapag napag-uusapan ang mga magulang at nanabik  sa papa at mama nila.

Naitanong namin  sa kanya, “Ano ang gusto mong matanggap na regalo ngayong pasko“

Sumaglit na tumahimik si Love, yumuko ng bahagya at muling tumingin sa amin sabay bigkas na “sana panaginip na lang lahat ng ito”.  Katahimikan ang bumalot at luha ang bumigkas sa aming damdamin sa mga yugtong yaon.  Yakap ang tangi naming kayang isagot.

Bakit ito nagaganap lalo sa isang paslit na katulad ni Love.  Nasaan nga ba ang Diyos?   Di ba sumasaatin Siya?  Siya ang Emmanuel?

 

• Maraming siyang pangarap, magaling maglaro ng basketball, naggigitara, nagtuturo ng English sa mga bata, magalang at nagpupumilit magmano sa magulang ng kanyang kasintahan  , matalino sa klase at mapagmahal si Eman.

 

“Pahiram ng damit para maunan” ang huling salita bago nakatulog si Eman sa loob ng isang tent kasama ang apat na biktima ng sunog.  Ika-6 ng Disyembre, habang nahimlay ang katawan mula sa maghapong pakikiramay  sa nasunugang pamilya ng girlfriend, punglo ang tumapos sa buhay ni Emmanuel.

Isang batang naghangad ng magandang kinabukasan, magtatag ng matibay na pamilya, maging mabuting bahagi ng komunidad at maipadama ang pag-ibig ang sa isang iglap ay naging ala-ala ng mga kapamilya, kaklase at karelasyon.

Si Love at Emmanuel ay ilan lamang  sa mga saksi sa libo-libong biktima ng nagaganap na extra-judicial killings  (EJK) na diumano ay pagsupil sa iligal na droga ng pamahalaan.

Ang pangyayari kay Love, kay Emmanuel. ay malayong malayo sa nais iparating ng pagbasa ngayong bisperas ng paggunita sa pagsilang ni Hesus.

 

Malayo ito sa nais ipakita na pagpapahalaga at kalinga ng Diyos sa kanyang sambayanan sa pagtitiyak sa kanilang kaligtasan.  Wagas na pag-ibig na isiniwalat sa pagbibigay ng kanlungan, ng kapanatagan at seguridad.

 

Ngunit karamihan sa maraming Love at Emmanuel ay kahalintulad ng kalagayan ni Juan Bautista, at ng pamilya ni Hesus, ng kanilang pinagmulang pamilya na isisantabi sa lipunan.  Ang mga tulad nila ang mga biktima ng pagsasamantala at pang-aapi ng mga mayayaman at naghahari-harian.

 

Sila Love at Emmanuel  ang mukha ng mga bata at pamilyang pinabayaan ng mga naunang pamahalaan at kinitilan ng kinabukasan ng kasalukuyang gobyerno at sistemang panlipunan.

 

At tulad ng kung paano binaybay sa ebanghelyo ang pinagmulang pamilya, ang kasaysayang magbibigay liwanag sa paghubog na daraanan ni Hesus at  naitala  ang kahalagahan ni Juan Bautista bilang kabahagi ng proseso ng pagliligtas, maging panandang bato rin sana sa atin ang karanasan ni Love at Emmanuel na ang paggunita sa kapaskuhan ay pagbibigay buhay.

 

Bagama’t may kalungkutang kahit kailan hindi natin kayang ibigay ang regalong nais ni Love at ang buhay ni Emmanuel,  magpapaalala nawa ang kanilang pangalan sa atin ngayong pasko.    Ang love ay pagkalinga sa mga aba, at ang Emmanuel na presensya ng Diyos ay pagsasakatuparan ng misyon ni Hesus para sa buhay na ganap at kasiya-siya.##

 

Nardy Sabino

General Seceretary

Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR)

 

 

December 24 Simbang Gabi Message:The “Untraditional” Family

Isaiah 62:1-5

Psalm 89:4-5,16-17,27,29

Acts 13:16-17,22-25

Matthew 1:1-25 or 18-25

The Gospel according to Matthew was written for Jews who have been converted to Christianity. One of the challenges that they faced at the time was to prove that Jesus was and is indeed the Messiah, the promised one who will deliver them, and all nations, from slavery.

Many Jew converts at the time were disheartened, doubting, not knowing if indeed Jesus was the Christ. So Matthew took the task of recalling the words of the prophets that he believed would describe Jesus as the one, and then knowing that his people loves tracing their roots, he indulged them with Jesus’ genealogy, tracing his roots to the patriarchs, particularly that of David for as the prophet Jeremiah said,

“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.” (Jeremiah 33:14-16, NRSVCE).

But more importantly, what today’s Gospel is telling us is the beauty of the Holy Family. What separates them from the rest?

We do know that Mary conceived Jesus out of wedlock. She was a virgin, for as Isaiah said, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.” (7:14, DRA).

What did Joseph do?

In those times, typically when a woman is pregnant before she is wed, the groom would tell on her to the authorities to save face. What would happen to the bride would be brutal. She would be stoned to death.

The justice of Joseph would have him thinking of just leaving Mary without reporting her to authorities. Of course several things may happen. Mary might look for another man hoping that that man would actually marry her without surrendering her to the “morality police” or just carry the child on her own and still risk being stoned to death.

What happened next, however, was unthinkable. Inspired by a dream, Joseph decided to push through with the wedding, saving the life of Mary and the baby she was carrying in her womb, our beloved baby Jesus.

We could only but imagine how Matthew’s readers would have reacted, realizing that the Jesus that he was preaching about was conceived out of an illicit affair must have harassed them and enraged their sensitivities. But this is the wonder of Jesus.

Everything about him has nothing to do with his royal blood. He was totally a contradiction to tradition. He was not the King adorned in jewels that they were expecting. He was not born of a rich family. Mary may be of royal lineage, but her side of the family ended up way outside of the margins. They were not rich. She had nothing, except Joseph, and Joseph  was all she needed. Joseph, was all that Jesus needed.

The Holy Family, is not our traditional family in all respects, but they reflect the many issues that hound many of our families these days. Single parenthood, children born out of wedlock, relationships facing opposition from society’s moralistic (and may I add, hypocrite) standards, and of course, poverty. But what example does the Holy family show us? They are telling us to love. To just love, to let love permeate into the very fiber of the family, and somehow, someday, all challenges will be overcome.##

Bro. Ritche “Tribo” Salgado,OCarm

Quezon City

photo grab from:https://t4.ftcdn.net/jpg/01/25/49/83/240_F_125498350_Do9VAynaeBEdFjn3lCWqNsBvrAjspRDt.jpg

December 23 Simbang Gabi Message:What, then, will this child be?

December  23,2016

Nativity of John the Baptist bu Daniel  Bonnell 

First Reading: Malachi 3: 1-4, 23-24

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 25: 4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14

Gospel: Luke 1: 57-66

The Child, John the Baptist is:

1. A Gift – The couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth, as any other Jewish couple, pray for a child because without it their Jewish dignity will be shattered. God answers prayers in his own time. Zechariah and Elizabeth were faced with the reality of getting very old and a fading hope of having a child when the news of John’s birth was delivered to them. For them, a son at this stage of their life is a gift, a precious one.
2. A Precious Gift – John came in desperate time. Zechariah and Elizabeth were very old and she is already incapable of childbearing. To Zechariah, the message of the angel Gabriel is unbelievable (Lk 1:18). But as it was true, it healed the injured dignity of Elizabeth (Lk 1:25) and Zechariah for that matter. To a Jewish couple, there is nothing more precious than the birth of a boy child, no matter what.
3. The Gift has a Purpose – Zechariah knew the purpose of John’s birth. When his tongue was let loose, so to say, he prophesied: “…you my child shall be called the prophet of the most high for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way…” (Lk 1:76 – 77).

While Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, let us also remember John, the child precursor of Jesus, and every little child born to this world. They are God’s precious gifts to parents and to this world and they are gifts with a purpose. When God sent His son to be born of a woman, His purpose is to save humankind from sin and bring everyone to everlasting life in His Kingdom. He gave John to Zechariah and Elizabeth to be the precursor of Jesus. He created everyone to share the fullness of His life.

May this Christmas remind us about God’s purpose in creating us. May that purpose be as alive in us now as it was when we were still children. Let us take a closer look at the manger where the King of Kings was born in poverty. Let us reflect very deeply why John died that Jesus may be known and to top it all, let us look at God in the eyes of all his created children. ##

Fr. Rodrigo Salac, SVD

Samal Island, Davao

 

Photo grab from: http://islandlife-inamonastery.blogspot.com/2013/06/nativity-of-st-john-baptist.html

December 22 Simbang Gabi Message : What Makes Mary’s Song a Risky Vision? Can we affirm with her?

December 22

Jen Norton  Artwork 

I Samuel 1: 24-28

Gospel: Luke 1: 46-56

Mary’s Song

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
⁴⁷     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸ for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
⁴⁹     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
⁵⁰ His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
⁵¹ He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
⁵² He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
⁵⁵ to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”

Whenever people discuss about the purpose why Jesus came on earth, why Jesus existed, I am always reminded of a mother’s song in the bible- the Mary’s Song. I consider this song as a shield, and a refuge that pictured how God remained tenacious in delivering people from all forms of slavery. Generally, I perceive Mary’s Song as a defense towards ruthless attacks on discrimination and dehumanization. Never did I reflect on this song in the perspective and in the context of an ordinary woman , not until I was given this opportunity to meditate on this theme- “What Makes Mary’s Song a Risky Vision?” that I was able to peruse the message from the lenses of a humble but sensible woman.

There were several questions which came into my mind while I am reading the passage. The first question was, what might be the distinct characteristics of Mary which made her sensitive to God’s works in her life? Why are some people sensitive and others are not? How did she arrive at a wisdom and a clear vision which people viewed relevant and meaningful to their lives during her time? What made her sang a song which might put her life in danger? What made it risky? Did she make an appropriate decision when she sang a risky song?

The answer on my first question depicts how Mary became sensitive to God’s works not only to her but to the people of Israel. God’s provisions to Mary and the people of Israel extended through providing all their needs and protections (Luke 4:49-55).  What made her sensitive? There are many reasons why an individual may learn to understand others and or become responsive to other’s needs. As I was searching some verses that will lead me to answer this, I came across a passage which says “You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt (Exodus 22:1).” I believe that Mary learned what God had taught the people in past. Mary had learned what their history taught them. This is to feel what others feel, to be in the shoes of the afflicted and oppressed.

One thing that surprised me was her being sagacious in spite of the fact that she lives in a time when women had very limited legal and economic rights. She had been deprived of the opportunities most males had had during that time. Deprivations of the many opportunities for Mary was not a loss when their social mores were controlled to oppress the people. Their teachings had been orchestrated to serve the rulers and not to made people productive for their benefits. Her life’s condition had taught her to be reasonable, to have a sense of belongingness to others who were like her. Her condition had taught her to live with the people, brought hope with them and to have vision not only for her alone but made a vision for the people- that they will no longer be slaves but they will live as free men and women.

What made her song a risky vision? Her song reveals a character of a strong person. Her song conveys a desire to be free from the power she knew had caused the people to suffer. Her desire to be relieved from that predicament will soon come to an end. This has been the vision of the people living in Galilee including Mary, who believed that if the person’s desire for a Godly vision nobody can be able to hinder it, for a Godly vision is God’s promise of hope for the people (Hebrew 6:17-18). In Mary’s song, a Godly promise is a redeemed life, thus, it was not only a promised to live a decent life but a promise that they will no longer experience what they had gone through because God will put an end to what causes their difficulties. It was clearly stated in Luke 1 verse 51-55 how God penalized those who were proud and persecutors, pointing to the rulers of their time. Mary was pronouncing a warning directed to the attention of the rulers and this might worsen their condition. She knew that her song is an expression of discontentment and repulse to their society’s hostile condition, but on the other hand would generate collective strength for the downhearted. She might be anticipating that the song will cause the tyrants’ indignation.  It was never easy for an ordinary woman to express her dissatisfaction because of the strong patriarchal culture that time, but she broke the tradition which had placed them to repression. She would have a choice, to sing it or keep it. But the action she opted to make was the one she thought would give hope to the people. The action she took was to unleash and expressed the vision God had for them. She stood up for what is Godly, because she knew that a Godly promise awaits.

Now that we are living in a different time, do we see the importance of expressing the same verse just like the song of Mary? Do we see, feel and experience the same anguish that Mary felt? As we look around the streets, watch the news, observe the people around us, mingle with people in our workplace, listen to the people’s story; do we utter words of frustration out of how they are treated? Do we see ourselves reacting to hard situations that we feel we could not survive if that happens to us?

Do we hear others crying the same verses as that of Mary’s song as they chant that God will never allow those sufferings? God will put an end to their affliction. God will do justice for them.

Do we opt to do what Mary did? Do we opt to give hope for the downhearted?

Can we Affirm with Her? ##

 

Ms. Divina Gonzales-Naoe

United Methodist Church

Pangasinan

 

photograb from:https://www.pinterest.com/miraclesonmain/blessed-mother-mary/

Dec 21 Simbang Gabi Message: CELEBRATING SOLIDARITY AMONG PEOPLE

First Reading: Song 2: 8-14 or Zephaniah 3: 14-18a

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 33: 2-3, 11-12, 20-21

Gospel: Luke 1: 39-45

 

 

As Christians, our eyes are fixed on the salvific promise made known to us through the incarnate Christ.  A Christ adored by millions as a fragile, poor and homeless infant Jesus in nativity scenes adorning homes everywhere – though over centuries the roughness of this image has been sanitised to the point that it would be unrecognisable to contemporaries of Mary and Joseph.  Perhaps for this reason, I find that there is much to be said for taking a step back – a step back to the time of expectation.  The season of Advent gives us this time.

In today’s world, medical technology can provide us with so many answers that there seems very little left to be surprised at when a birth occurs.  I think the great surprise is the wonder that is felt by those connected to the birth – which even though anticipated, is actually far greater than one could have been imagined.

In Luke’s account of what has been known as “The Visitation”, so much mo
re is unknown than known when we compare Mary’s pregnancy to a mother-to-be preparing for her first ultra-sound today.  A point of connection, though, is the sense of wonder and awe at the impending birth.  But more, in Elizabeth’s womb the child who will become the Baptist leaps for joy.  This child is anticipating his role of pointing to the presence of the Messiah amongst us – the child which Mary is carrying.  This is not a scene which gets “window-dressed” today, as does the Bethlehem crib.  So in this scene we are not distracted and can somehow more easily tap into the promise of faith, as exemplified by Mary.  Indeed, Elizabeth insists that Mary is “blessed”, not only because she is the “mother of my Lord”, but also because she “believed that the promise made to her by the Lord would be fulfilled”.

Our great hope in the Lord encourages us to follow the path of Mary, and remain steadfast in our belief that the promises made known to us, through the event in history of the Incarnation, will be fulfilled.   Sometimes this hope is a strident, confident hope.  At other times it feels more like we are clinging on to it.

My preparations for the birth of Christ this year coincides with my preparations for another visit to the Philippines in December.  How much has changed in such a short time since my visit last year.  And indeed, how much is changing around the world.  The outcome of the American election has implications for our own Asia-Pacific region. The international community have fascination for President Duterte, and a growing alarm over the extra-judicial killings occurring on a large scale.  At home in Australia, neither political party is willing to take a moral stand on the plight of asylum seekers.  This exacerbates the problem and forces people further into misery on Manus Island and Nauru – even though the majority have legitimate claims for refugee status.

In light of this, I ask myself “am I clinging on to hope, or boldly operating in a hope-driven present reality?”.  Scriptures urge me to take the second option. A Christian faith is actually one where we can see the future. This future promises a world reconciled to Christ.  This future is made up of small steps, each one made by following the path laid out by those for whom the Church professes a love of preference – the poor, the marginalised, the oppressed.  In taking these steps we do not glorify poverty, but rather sanctify humanity.  The lessons taught to us by those experiencing the struggle of human existence remind us that our shared humanity calls us to find a better way forward.  A way where we forge a new path towards the fullness of life for all.

Confident that this new way forward brings us together in faith and closer to our God, we can joyfully sing “Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.  Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.” (Ps 33: 20-21) ##

 

Kevin Meese

Catholic Mission, Australia

 

Phot grab from  https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=visit+of+Elizabeth+to+mary&rlz=1C1CHZL_enCA705CA705&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=672&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjajYzMpIPRAhXLq5QKHYG_ANIQ_AUIBygC#imgdii=la31XHZXIZw2OM%3A%3Bla31XHZXIZw2OM%3A%3BQ72tgpuglEvg1M%3A&imgrc=la31XHZXIZw2OM%3A

Dec 20 Simbang Gabi Message: His Mother was a Poor Peasant

 

Inang Maria ng Magnificat  by Sculptor  Rey Paz Contreras)

 First Reading: Isaiah 7: 10-14

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 24: 1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6

Gospel: Luke 1: 26-38

 Before we immerse ourselves in the enticing frills and frenzy bustles of the Christmas season — shopping, exchanging gifts, watching musical plays, partying and merrymaking, it is good to slow down, pause and ponder on the true essence of Christmas. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us… We call that wonderful event Incarnation, and its yearly celebration Christmas, the greatest love story ever told.   This is what we recall with gratitude and relive with joy as we commemorate the birth of Jesus. “The birth of Christ is the central event in the history of the earth — the very thing the whole story has been about.” – C.S. Lewis

The readings today foretell the coming of Christ through Mary, a lowly and humble peasant from Nazareth chosen to be the bearer of God’s Son. In Mary’s canticles, she foreshadows her Son’s ministry that will likewise lift up the poor, the oppressed, the downcast and the rejected.  “Though he was rich, yet for our sake he became poor” (2 Cor. 8-9). 

Who, though in the form of God, did not regard equality with God

something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance,he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on the cross.(Phil. 2:6-8)

 Just as Jesus came to bring the compassionate presence of God into our world, we, too, as Christians are called to follow his example.  Jesus showed us that mission means being with, being in solidarity with and standing with the society’s poorest and most marginalized with whom he equated himself. Compassion characterized the person of Jesus as well as his mission.   

 As we gaze at the lowly infant in a shabby stable as depicted in our ‘Belen’, may we realize that the poor in our midst, whom every so often we blame, we mock, and ignore have the gift and power to tell the story of the poor Christ who by his poverty liberates and enriches us. ##

 Ms. Jeff Vito

College of the Holy Spirit

Manila

Dec. 19 Simbang Gabi Message: Messengers of Hope

December 19, 2016

Messenger of Hope by Shannon Moore Fitzgerald

First Reading: Judges 13: 2-7, 24-25a

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 71: 3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17

Gospel: Luke 1: 5-25

MESSENGERS OF HOPE When an angel came to Manoah’s barren wife to tell her that she was to bear a child, she went to her husband, excited, to tell him of the news. In contrast, when the angel Gabriel visited Zachariah in the temple to tell him that his elderly barren wife would bear him a son, he was doubtful until the angel took his voice from him. Back then, in Israel, a barren wife is a disgrace and since honor and name are serious matters for them, even more important than riches, we could only imagine the shame that they were experiencing, and their peacelessness. That is why, when the angel delivered the Good News from God, Manoah and his wife, and Zachariah and Elisabeth were more than happy, they were relieved. Finally they could show their face in public and join in the affairs of the community.

When President Rodrigo Duterte proclaimed that peace is one of his priorities, many doubted like Zachariah, after all, this has been the promise of so many presidents starting with Cory Aquino. Many were hopeful that because Cory owed her newfound power and authority to the sacrifices of the progressive people who fought for freedom, she would listen to them. Unfortunately she answered the people’s pleas with the Mendiola Massacre early in her presidency, where several farmers were shot at the doorstep of Malacañang! Her sham agrarian reform caused so much peacelessness to farmers, which led many people to believe that her rise to power was just about protecting the interest of her family with their Hacienda Luisita as the epitome of her fake agrarian reform dubbed CARP. The poor continued to suffer and increase in number, the workers remained exploited, and the farmers, landless. The gap between the rich and the poor dramatically widened. Will we ever experience peace? Many asked.

The peace that the people are hoping for is not just the absence of war and violence but shalom, the peace of God. Peace that means the absence of hunger, the absence of exploitation and oppression, the absence of worries and fears that what we have built with our sweat and blood would be reduced to rubble so that rich capitalists can build buildings that will never be used and occupied.

A glimmer of hope was actually felt when Fidel Ramos took over the presidency. Key agreements were signed including the Hague Joint Declaration that outlined the agenda of the negotiations; the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees for the negotiators of both parties; and the landmark agreement, the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in 1998. This was followed by empty promises, until just recently when a voice from the South spoke with authority, proclaiming peace in the land. With the election of Rodrigo Duterte as the country’s 16th president, hopes are high that the peace negotiations would once again gain momentum. Already, President Duterte is showing signs that he would indeed be true to his promise. What he lacks in decorum he makes up with his desire to prove his sincerity. And so he surrounds himself with credible people who also embody the people’s agenda. There is Ka Paeng Mariano of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and Anakpawis as agrarian reform secretary, Judy Taguiwalo of Gabriela as social welfare secretary, ABS-CBN’s Gina Lopez as environment secretary, and Sivestre Bello III as labor secretary. There is also Liza Maza who now chairs the anti-poverty commission.

Despite the opposition of self-serving greedy politicians, the pro-people bloc in Duterte’s cabinet continues to bring the good news to the people, announcing the great jubilee not just with words, but with action. Ka Paeng promised land to the landless, and so now he fights for the distribution of Hacienda Luisita to the tillers. Prof. Judy provides solace to the poor, not just by promising to distribute relief packs during calamities but through empowerment. Sec. Bello, who also chairs the government panel in the peace process, on the other hand, is quick to put a stop to contractualization, and so on and so forth. Still with all these efforts, the peace process painfully staggers to the finish line, as powerful people continue to lobby against it. This time, government and the National Democratic Front are set to agree on a Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms. This means they have to reach an agreement that would address socio-economic issues in the country.

This is the time, when we too have to fulfill our parts in defending pro-people agenda in the agreement and not just those that would promote the interest of businessmen and investors. We can do this by spreading the good news of the agreement and by becoming messengers of the peace talks. Let us be vigilant and promote an agreement that would genuinely bring socio-economic reforms, that means meaningful jobs for the jobless, sustainable livelihood for local small entrepreneurs, land for the farmers, support for our small fisherfolks, and so on and so forth. Let us not just give the message, rather, the message should be coupled with action.

We should not just be the courier of the message, we should be the message ourselves. Our very lives should reflect the message, the message of the Good News, of the salvation preached by Christ, of the great Jubilee when the debts are forgiven and land given to the farmers. When captives are set free, the blind, a given sight, relief to the oppressed, balm to the bruised. (Cf. Luke 4:19-20). Let us be messengers of hope. Let us be hope. ##

 

Bro. Ritche Salgado, OCarm

Quezon City

 

Photo grab from http://www.boldmovesstudio.com/gallery-2/

Dec 18 Mensahe saSimbang Gabi : Kanino Ka Papanig?

Kanino Ka papanaig?

Isaiah 7: 10-14

Psalm: Psalms 24: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6

Second Reading: Romans 1: 1-7

Gospel: Matthew 1: 18-24

 

KANINO KA PAPANIG?

Sa bawat yugto ng ating buhay nahaharap tayo sa mga pagpili-kung tayo ba’y gagawa ng kabutihan o kasamaan, kung tayo ba ay magpatali na lamang sa ating mga komportableng mga simbahan o opisina at hindi na bababa, makiisa at makipamuhay sa mga batayang sektor ng ating lipunan, o kung tayo ba ay papanig sa mga ganid, makasarili, mapansamanatala at nagpapahirap sa nakakarami o sa mga nagtataguyod ba ng buhay, katarungang at kapayapaan. Ang kasaysayan at kasalukuyang kalagayan ng ating bansa ay nagsasalamin sa kung anong landas at tutunguhin ang pilit na ipinapatupad ng naghaharing uri sa ating lipunan at kung paano lumalaban ang mamamayan laban sa mga mapang-aping patakaran na patuloy na pumapanig sa interes ng mga mayayamang bansa tulad ng Estados Unidos at Tsina.

Sa ating mga Pagbasa, ipinapakita ang kahihinatnan ng pagpili ng tao. Si haring Ahaz, sa ating Unang Pagbasa, ay piniling magtiwala sa lakas ng tao kaysa sa Diyos, kung kaya’t siya’y nagdusa. Si Jose, sa ating Ebanghelyo, ay piniling sumunod sa balak ng Diyos para sa kanya at kung kaya’t siya’y pinagpalang makisali sa pagliligtas ng Diyos sa sangkatauhan. Si Pablo, sa ating Pangalawang Pagbasa, ay piniling tanggapin ang kanyang misyong ipahayag si Kristo sa sanlibutan kung kaya’t ang buhay niya’y pinuno ng Diyos.

Tunay na mapalad tayo dahil ang kahihinatnan ng ating mga desisyon sa pagpili sa Diyos o ang pagtanggi sa Kanya ay di lingid sa atin. Sa pamamagitan ni Hesus, lahat ng mga bagay ukol sa Kanya at ang Kanyang plano ay buong linaw nang naibunyag sa atin. Wala na tayong lihim na tutuklasin o piring na tatanggalin. Ngunit bakit nga ba nananatili tayong tumataliwas sa Diyos sa ating mga desisyon? Dahil ang pagpili natin sa Diyos ay nangangahulugan sa ating pagyakap sa buong diwa ng kanyang buhay at gawa. Ang pagpili at pagsunod kay Kristo ay ang pagpapatuloy sa kanyang nasimulang gawain, ang pagtataguyod sa isang buhay na ganap at kasiya-siya para sa lahat, na patuloy na ipinagkakait ng mapang-aping lipunang ating ginagawalawan. Kahit na nangangahulugan ito ng panganib, ay hinahamon tayong maging mapangahas na sumuong sa pagtataguyod sa katotohanan, katurungan at kapayapaan. Marahil ay ito rin talaga ang kinahihinatnan ng mga taong nagpapakatotoo sa pagsunod kay Hesus at sa pagpanig sa katotohanan. May mga pag-uusig na dala ang ating paninindigan bilang mabubuting Kristiyano. Kaya’t marami sa mga taong simbahan ang naging biktima ng mga gawa-gawang kaso, pagdukot at pagpatay. Mahaba na ang bilang ng mga ekyumenikal martir dahil sa pagtindig sa katotohanan at katarungan.  Kung minsan ay parang lalamunin ka ng mga taong liko ang pag-iisip dahil nais nilang mabuhay sa kasinungalingan at pagsasamantala sa iba.  Kaya nga’t napakahirap manindigan sa katotohan. Mahirap manindigan kay Kristo!  Ngunit ito ang kahulugan ng hamon ng ating pananampalataya na nais pag-alabin ni Hesus sa ating buhay. Huwag tayong matakot manindigan para sa katotohanan at para sa isang makatarungan lipunan.  Huwang nating itatwa si Kristo upang mapagbigyan lamang ang kaluguran ng iba.  Tunay na ang pagpanig kay Jesus ay magdadala sa ating pagpili.

Sa kasulukuyang kalagayan ng ating lipunan na patuloy na nababalot sa pang-aapi at pagsasamantala, ang Kristiyanong komunidad ay inaasahang titindig at papanig sa mga pinagkaitan ng karapatang mamuhay ng may dignidad. Kailan man, walang puwang ang pagiging neutral sa usapin ng katarungan at di makatarungan, mabuti o masama. Dahil ang pagiging neutral ay nangangahulugan ng pagpanig sa kasamaan. IKAW, KANINO KA BA PAPANIG?

Ang Diyos ay laging nasa panig ng mga dukha, isinasantabi, at inaapi ng lipunan at nakatuon ang kanyang misyon sa pagpapanumbalik ng kanilang karapatan. Ito ang kanyang sinabi sa Exodo 3: 7-9: Sinabi ni Yaweh

“Nasaksihan ko ang kahihiyan ng aking bayan sa Ehipto, at narinig ko ang kanilang daing nang pagmalupitan sila ng kanilang mga kapatas. Alam ko ang kanilang paghihirap. Nanaog ako upang palayain sila mula sa lupaing iyon tungo sa isang maganda at malawak na lupain, sa lupaing dinadaluyan ng gatas at  pulot-pukyutan, sa lupain ng mga Kananeo”.

Siya nawa.##

 

Rev. Irma Mepio-Balaba

Asst. Program Coordinator

NCCP-CUER

 Administrative Pastor

UCCP-Faith Bible Church

 

Photo grab from http://www.ldsclipart.com/jesus-christ-birth/

Dec. 17 ,2016 Simbang Gabi : Seeking Wholeness for the Human Family

art work: Boy Dominguez

First Reading: Genesis 49: 2, 8-10

Psalm: Psalms 72: 1-2, 3-4ab, 7-8, 17

Gospel: Matthew 1: 1-17

My immersion with the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is a great blessing. My integration with the migrants commission opened my eyes wider to the real situation of people on the move.

I could symbolize the context of migration into a coin. The coin has two sides, one side is living: full of opportunities; greener pastures, wealthy living; updated with techno- gadgets etc. While the other side is the dead: empty promises and no opportunities; darker pastures because they were victims of human trafficking and homelessness or statelessness; bodies inside the coffin with sometimes incomplete body organs. Even in the most dangerous situation like wars, migrants are there.

Within a year in the commission, I heard real stories of pain, struggles, brokenness, and injustices experienced by migrants both as OFWs or refugees. Their stories are life-changing to me. To be one with them, journeying with them on how they re-dignified themselves.

I attended a gathering of TALITHA CUM, one of the groups of Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP).  TALITHA CUM is focusing its ministry on how to end human trafficking and at  the same time servicing  the survivors  by in-housing them and providing them programs  for the welfare of the victims-survivors.

Let me share to you a story a Filipina domestic worker named Lourdes. She was a victim of human trafficking. She was supposed to go to Romania but she landed in Syria. She was sexually abused and tortured in exchange for the much needed passport. She was locked inside the dark cemented room without water and food for many days. She was forced to take-in her own body wastes in order to survive.  This experience led her to feel that she  was dirty, and  lost her dignity. Her self-perception became  too low that she felt    she  was as low as  an animal.

There was tears and sobbing as she narrated her story. She had brokenness and felt humiliated. She is even afraid and ashamed to tell. She has the reservation to tell her husband and children that she was repeatedly abused sexually. She was scared that she will not be accepted by her family anymore.

A Lebanese helped  her  to cross the border and was brought to the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon.

Towards the end of her narrative, there was total silence. Then I heard  cries — as we felt her pains and wounds. I empathize  with her and I admire her .  I could describe her as courageous, strong, and hopeful woman who never gave-up life and reintegrate into wholeness.

Another story that I wanted to share is from a Pakistani refugee.  Her name is   Irfan. Together with his family, they are in the Philippines for couple of years. It was the celebration for National Migrant’s Sunday when I encountered Irfan and his family.

They were aided by Couples for Christ and sheltered in one of CFC’s building. I was fetching Irfan and his family at Quezon City so we had plenty of hours conversing. He and his wife shared to me how they became refugees. They lived peacefully in Pakistan. He and his wife are professionals and they had their own jobs. They are Catholics and they belong to the minority group. The terrible nightmare started when few people of the dominating Moslem group began to misinterpret Catholic religion as    blasphemy to Pakistan law. This has been used in a way to target religious minorities like them. The dominating group started to use rifles and ambushes minority religious groups. And when facing such kind of persecution, they have no choice but to leave. To them, the Pakistani government somehow took for granted the issue of persecution. Irfan and family, like some other families had no choice but to leave the country as soon as possible. Many of them were separated from their families. Some of them, he added, were in Thailand as refugees. They are able to take refuge to Southeast Asia because of cheap tourist visas and geographical accessibility. Ifran was crying while recalling their experience. They left everything – their properties and community in order to survive.

Sometimes we could not believe their stories. Their narratives for some could be melo-dramatic. I hear comments like “drama lang yan na mapapanood sa pelikula na produkto ng kathang isip ng isang manunulat o di kaya ay direktor.”

But these are real stories like the stories in our readings today. In relation to our first reading and to the Gospel, they exactly point out to the genealogy or the family background of the Migrant Jesus. We could pose a question like “What was the historical and cultural background of Jesus’ genealogy or Jesus’ ancestors? Jesus’ genealogy is the genealogy of diaspora. It is the genealogy of transmigration of Jesus’ family. His ancestors experienced exodus from cruelties and pains of being slaves of the Egyptians. It is not just exodus but also exiles, deportations, injustices, and inequalities. The ancestors of Jesus experienced cruelties in life through persecution and dispersion. They too experienced separations from their own families. The ancestors of Jesus experienced terrible persecutions.  In spite of perennial fleeing, they never run out of hope and they keep their trust in God whom they consider their strength.

The genealogy is important to Jews. It establishes, one’s identity, one’s right to priesthood and one’s right to kingship. Our genealogy tells our own identities, the families-lineage we belong to.

Our stories today both in the bible and the plight of migrants are testimonies on how they are able to survive, and thrive, and redeem wholeness from cruelties and marginalization in a land where they are strangers.

Today, it is so hard to think that the plight of some people who wanted to find comfort and peace turns into misery and pain. Pope Francis once called the attention of the situation of the migrants and their families. He emphasized to accept and care for them as well as to value them as human persons.

Migration becomes a wide phenomenon attached with complex issues of brokenness, inequality, poverty, violence, and injustices.

Poverty and joblessness are factors why Filipinos are migrating to another land. While it is risky to go abroad, they are compelled to take this option.  Migration has its social cost. While the latest communication gadgets and sophisticated means of communication could easily open up dialogues and conversations, the actual presence of family members is priceless.

This maybe our intention for this coming Christmas Eve to remember those seeking for wholeness for human family. We have to think of the migrants (refugees, homeless/stateless, victims of human trafficking) for justice and wholeness.

As Filipinos, we have to remember those OFWs abroad and to those who are in prison esp. Mary Jane Veloso, that the spirit of new light and hope may fill them. Christmas is a season of hope. May in this season, the vicious cycle of slavery, persecution, injustice, and cruelty be totally eradicated.

Let us pray for the safety and security of our migrant brothers and sisters who continue to strive in order to provide the basic needs of their respective families.

We still look forward on a Christmas day that poverty and joblessness are addressed and the Filipino migrants will be brought back to home because they have jobs here with respectable salaries waiting for them here.

Bro. Dax Ngujo, MJ

Antipolo City

Dec 16 Simbang Gabi Message: Let There Be Justice

Culture pf Peace  by Bert Monterona

December 16, 2016

Isaiah 56: 1: 3a-1-3a, 6-8

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 67: 2-3, 5, 7-8

Gospel: John 5: 33-36

 

SALVATION IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER (The Message)

 1-3a God’s Message:

“Guard my common good: Do what’s right and do it in the right way, for salvation is just around the corner, my setting-things-right is about to go into action.
How blessed are you who enter into these things, you men and women who embrace them, who keep Sabbath and don’t defile it, who watch your step and don’t do anything evil! Make sure no outsider who now follows God ever has occasion to say, ‘God put me in second-class. I don’t really belong.’

6-8 

“And as for the outsiders who now follow me, working for me, loving my name, and wanting to be my servants—All who keep Sabbath and don’t defile it, holding fast to my covenant—I’ll bring them to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. They’ll be welcome to worship the same as the ‘insiders,’ to bring burnt offerings and sacrifices to my altar.
Oh yes, my house of worship will be known as a house of prayer for all people.” The Decree of the Master, God himself, who gathers in the exiles of Israel: “I will gather others also, gather them in with those already gathered.”

 

John 5:33-36 (The Message)

33 Furthermore, you all saw and heard John, and he gave expert and reliable testimony about me, didn’t he?

34-36 “But my purpose is not to get your vote, and not to appeal to mere human testimony. I’m speaking to you this way so that you will be saved. John was a torch, blazing and bright, and you were glad enough to dance for an hour or so in his bright light. But the witness that really confirms me far exceeds John’s witness. It’s the work the Father gave me to complete. These very tasks, as I go about completing them, confirm that the Father, in fact, sent me. The Father who sent me, confirmed me.

In this season of advent, there are many things to think about regarding the meaning and significance of the coming of the Messiah in our midst.

The word ‘advent’ comes from the Latin word “adventus”, which means ‘to come’ or ‘appear’.  The celebration of Advent is more than just a marking of a 2,000 year-old event where the historical coming of Jesus was proclaimed by the prophets and angels but also of the second coming in the fullness of time. (http://wernerbiblecommentary.org/)

The biblical texts for today’s reflection especially the one coming from Isaiah 56: 1-3a started with two commands:  1) preserve justice and; 2) do righteousness.  The need for such admonition suggests that justice and righteousness were lacking in the community during the Old Testament times. So Yahweh was reminding the religious leaders to do these 2 important commands.  Those who were faithful were blessed. “Blessed are those who uphold justice and righteousness.” The word “blessed” denotes to be in a state of well-being (wernerbiblecommentary.org).  This desirable condition is the promised possession of all who uphold justice and live uprightly, for they would be recipients of YHWH’s love, aid, and protective care.

The reason for these two basic commands is that salvation is at hand and God’s righteousness is about to be revealed.  Acting in a just and fair manner is always in agreement with God’s commands. As we wait for God’s final deliverance, Christians are called to uphold justice and do righteousness at all times.

In Isaiah 56:3a, God has instructed the religious leaders that those who now follow Him especially the foreigners who were normally excluded in the temple will now be included in the place of worship. Everybody is welcome and they must not feel discriminated on the basis of their social status. Nobody is left out in the church worship. Constantly reminding us to be conscious of our actions, giving importance to people whoever they are and wherever they are.  Christians are called to an attitude and lifestyle closer to God. As God’s people, we are called through right and ethical behavior to welcome the strangers in our midst. The message of prophet Isaiah with regard to foreigners was clear. Isaiah asked the question:  “Who are the servants of Yahweh?”.  In Isaiah 56:6-7a, it was clear that he was referring to foreigners who joined themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord and to be his servants.  God will bring them to His Holy Mountain, will make them joyful in His house of prayer, will accept their sacrifices and will gather them and others.  Israelites are reminded to be an open community for the non-Israelites.  Religious leaders apparently follow certain laws of the Torah but neglect this more important one.  We are called to welcome in our midst the foreigners and strangers, and to ensure that they are not treated as second-class citizens within the church and our community.

In verse 8, YHWH is represented as gathering the Israelites who had been driven away, banished, or dispersed from their lands. Yahweh’s promise to return to their lands was an expression of Yahweh’ righteousness, for it would be a revelation of his justice in acting for his repentant people. It was a revelation of his compassion for them by restoring them to their land and to his favor.

In John 5:33-36, just like the religious leaders in Jesus times, John had paved the way for the coming of the Messiah but still nobody believed him.  Jesus came asserting his place in the Kingdom as the Son of God, and yet many people did not believe Him.  The voice of God, and the presence of the Holy Spirit had proclaimed that ‘This is the beloved Son, in whom the Father is well pleased.’  And yet people turned their backs to acknowledge God’s Lordship.

Jesus was exposing the hypocrisy of the Jews. There was no love of God and their neighbors. Their religious zeal was in vain because of their sinful pride. Once again, Jesus was rebuking them that they did not have God’s word abiding in them because they failed to believe in Him in spite of all the evidences pointing that He was the promised Messiah.  Jesus was reaching out to save the lost, only to be rejected by them.  However, it was very encouraging that ordinary people do believe and experienced the wonderful blessings of salvation in Jesus Christ.  Those who put faith in Him were forgiven from their sins and they were gathered to God as reconciled members of God’s family.

THE NOW MESSAGE

We can find parallelism between what is happening with the Israelites people and in our own present context. The call of Yahweh to uphold justice and do righteousness continue to resonate even in our times where both the religious leaders and those who were bestowed with authority to rule forgot these 2 basic tenets. As Yahweh proclaimed salvation to those who repent, the promise of blessings and bounty was there.  As lands were restored back to the people who were exiled, banished and dispersed, the people experience the fullness of God’s salvations and deliverance.

Advent is a call for repentance so that the people might experience justice and righteousness.  Isaiah has depicted what will happen to those who believed in God.  They will be received with all the honors and their offerings will be accepted.  It is a situation where Shalom can be fully experienced by those who believed in God’s reign.

 

God had already shown us the way to peace.  But what is happening with our indigenous communities, in the countryside, and in the cities are manifestations of our unrepentant and unyielding spirit.  Acts of injustice continue to wreck havoc in the lives and survival of our indigenous brothers and sisters.  Those in the position of authority continue to wield power to exploit the poor.   The case of the Lumads, the Moro, and other national minorities was a concrete manifestation of defiance against the rule of Yahweh, where God has reminded us to embrace and accept them with love.  God has restored the scattered Israelites back to their lands. The Lumads and the rest of the indigenous communities who were displaced because of mining operations, logging concessions, development projects, and militarization must also be restored back to their lands.  They have suffered long enough.  Their families, their women and children have witnessed the pain and agonies of war, of hunger, of death and separation from loved ones, and the lack of security.  Day and night, they are crying out to God to make things right and to put death’s dark shadow into flight. But the leaders are deaf from their cries.  Their hearts showed no compassion.  They are blinded by their selfish interests.  God has been calling us to repent and to turn from our wicked ways.  This is the message of Advent.  “For I, the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, thus says the Lord in Isaiah 61:8.  When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers (Prov. 21:15).  But as long as the people wallow in pain and economic hardships, as long as families get separated to work overseas for economic relief, as our young women cry out for freedom from oppressive and exploitative employers, as workers seek for just living wages, as farmers demand for their lands, as the indigenous and Moro peoples cry out for self-determination, and as leaders show wanton disregard for the rights and welfare of others, God’s commands to uphold justice and do righteousness are not yet fully realized.

 

People who are on the margins desire for peace and justice.  They fought hard to pursue peace and justice.  Being at the margins, and struggling for survival, they are the ones closer to God as they cry out day and night and hope that justice will finally reign in their lands. Salvation is always offered to each one of us.  What we need to do is to accept God’s deliverance and God’s reign into our hearts and into our society. And for those who continue to wait for God’s final reign, must do good, preserve justice, and uphold righteousness. It is in this context that we as people of God are so persistent and faithful to the cause of justice and righteousness. That’s what God ultimately envisions for the world in the last days. “Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken” (Micah 4:3–4).

 

Salvation is just around the corner.  We need to be mindful of God’s abiding presence.  Jesus has come and is coming again.  In this spirit of advent, God is calling us to repentance and a change of attitude and lifestyle.   As people of God, let us continue to seek peace, pursue justice, and uphold righteousness.

 

Come Emmanuel, bring us wholeness of life.

Come Emmanuel, lead us to Shalom!

Come Emmanuel, help us to be faithful in bringing Shalom. ##

 

 

 

Dr. Angie B. Broncano, PhD

Deaconess – United Methodist Church

Antipolo, Rizal