January 27, 2019, 3rd Sunday of Epiphany *God’s Political Agenda: Salvation of the Poor

Noy Loyola , Redemptorist Lay Missionary

Psalm 19:8-10

Nehemiah 8:2-4, 5-6, 8-10

1Corinthians 12:12-30

Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21

 

Today’s gospel reading speaks of God’s clearest message of liberation and nurturing love towards creation, of which the apex is the human being, and whose special focus group is the poor, deprived and oppressed (Lk 4:13-21). Such biblical text when viewed from actual historical context makes us realize that God’s declarations in the sacred texts are matters of divine policy. Meaning, they are governing pronouncements over the destiny of the finite but open-ended corporal world. I say this because when Jesus announced release of the poor from socio-economic bondage, it cannot be mistaken that it is also about doing away with policy regulations that maintain the systems of oppression. Thus, God’s salvation of the poor is God’s political agenda. This Lucan missionary motif is God’s manifesto, a platform of divine rule.

The present world dominated by self-enriching pursuits gets easily scared by such display of altruism and abundance of compassion from those bearing the liberating Spirit of God. Contemporary world cannot stand the unconditional care and concern of men and women of faith carrying out their social responsibility rooted in the divine justice. That is why helping the poor, defending human rights and doing good to others are automatically considered as political statements. They are tantamount to condemnation of present pro-rich and pro-oppressors values and priorities. Any act of love is an attack to their evil ways.

Whether we are aware of it or not, the gospel as political (the good news of liberation of the poor) will always put us, the faithful, to a dangerous position. When church people opposed the extra judicial killings in the Philippine in relation to the government’s war on drugs, the head of state maligned and insulted the pastors in retaliation. Not merely content with threatening church ministers, the present government went on to do the extreme of killing three priests. The pastoral imperative of “caring for the sheep” is met with the endorsement of local thugs to rub and kill bishops. The reaction to the idea of love is so revolting to the oppressor that even triggered to call God as stupid.

Believers in the divine authority of all sorts, especially Christians, must brace ourselves for the worse. The secular world in which we are currently in is a world without God. The sovereign authority is liberal democracy (capitalism), not truth, righteousness and justice. It is a world where the only moral standard is utilitarianism. One’s goodness rests only in one’s usefulness. Anything or anyone that is not convertible to cash is of no value at all. We are in a world where acts of compassion towards one’s neighbor is considered a criminal offense. It is a world where corruption and deceptions in high places are rewarded. It is a world where the innocents and victims of injustice are punished by torture, imprisonment, worst, by summary execution.

We are called to be gentle, sober and kind.  We are also summoned to be radical, engaging and uncompromising  when  abuses, exploitation and oppression  become the norm of the powerful system.

Killings of priests and threatening of church people  are effective tools of the tyrant. It wants us to be afraid and to be silent.  It wants us  to discontinue our prophetic witness. In  a situation like this, Jesus is reminidng us of our mission:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
¹⁹     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

There were, and there are at the present moment, attempts to sanitize the political character of the Christian faith from within its ranks itself and from its own enemies, but the fundamental  idea of the jubilee social order of the Old Testament remains intact and relevantly clear as diametrically opposed to the present social order. It is easy enough to describe the tremendous suffering that people endure on a written form such as this gospel reflection. The actual happenings on the ground is much cruel and horrifying. But why is the idea of concern for others cannot simply be put off? The answer to that is because it is the work of the Spirit. The liberating Spirit of God knows no defeat. The “glories” of capitalism is a myth. Evil will not triumph in the long run. And that is where the undying hope of Christians securely rests. Amen

January 13, 2019, Baptism of the Lord, 1st Sunday of Epiphany*Binawtismuhan si Hesus

Floyd Castro, United Methodist Church

 

https://www.heqiart.com/store/p59/17a_Baptism-of-Jesus_Artist_Proof.html

Awit 29
Isais 42:1-4, 6-7
Mga Gawa 10:34-38
Lukas 3:15-16, 21-22

Sa ating aralin sa Linggong ito, mababasa natin kung paanong ipinahayag ni Juan na Tagapagbawtismo sa mga taong naghahangad at umaasa sa pagdating ng isang Mesiyas na may darating na higit na dakila kaysa sa kanya.
Ang mga tao ay umaasa sa pagdating ng Mesiyas. Ang lahat ay nagmumuni-muni sa kanilang mga puso patungkol kay Juan kung siya nga ang Mesiyas o hindi.
Hangad ng mga Hudyo ang isang Tagapagligtas. Sa ilalim ng pananakop ng Emperyo ng Roma, hangad ng bayang Israel ang kalayaan mula sa mapanupil na dayuhan na nagkakait sa kanila ng sariling pagpapasya. Pagyurak din sa pangalan ni Yahweh ang kalagayan ng itinuturing na bayan ng Diyos dahil nagpapahayag ito na ang isang nag didiyus-diyosang emperador ang nakakapagpairal ng sariling kapangyarihan at lakas sa kanila.
Mula nang sakupin ng mga Kastila ang kapuluan na itinuturing natin ngayon na bayang Pilipinas, hindi na tayo nakawala sa kamay ng mga dayuhan. Naghahangad din ba tayo ng “kaligtasan” mula sa ating kalagayan o lubusan na nating niyakap ang isang pagkakakilanlan na hindi totoong atin?
Si Juan ay sumagot sa kanilang lahat: Binabawtismuhan ko nga kayo ng tubig ngunit darating ang isang higit na dakila. Hindi ako karapat-dapat na magkalag ng panali ng kaniyang panyapak. Babawtismuhan niya kayo ng Banal na Espiritu at ng apoy.
Sa kanilang pananabik, hindi malayo na maghangad sila ng agarang pagdating ng Tagapagligtas. Hindi rin malayo na ituring nilang Tagapagligtas ang isang taong kakikitaan nila ng magagandang katangian o kariringgan ng pag-asa at lakas.
Si Juan na Tagapagbawtismo bilang isang mangangaral o propeta ng Diyos ay nakakuha ng mataas na respeto sa iba’t ibang tao. Sa kanyang ministeryo, nagpahayag siya ng mabuting balita at nanawagan ng pagsisisi ng mga tao. Sa kanyang pangangaral laban sa kasamaan, hindi niya kinatakutan kahit na si Herodes na isang tetrarka (kaparehas ng isang gubernador sa ating panahon).
Sa paanong paraan tayo, bilang iglesya nangangaral sa ating bayan? Sa gitna ng paghihirap ng marami, nangangaral ba tayo upang pasayahin ang mga nakikinig at maging katanggap-tanggap ang kinabibilangang institusyon? Nangangaral ba tayo ng may takot at pananahimik? Ano ang matututunan natin sa paraan ni Juan sa kanyang pangangaral?
Nangyari, na ang lahat ng mga tao ay nabawtismuhan. Nang si Jesus ay nabawtismuhan at nananalangin, ang langit ay nabuksan.
Pagkatapos itaas ni Juan si Hesus bilang isang higit na dakila, makikitang nagpabawtismo si Hesus kay Juan kasama ng lahat ng tao. Bagamat galing sa itaas, itinataas at karapatdapat itaas, ang Tagapagligtas ay nagpabawtismo – lumubog – kasama nila. Lumubog at magkasabay nilang naramdaman ang lamig o init, daloy o lalim ng tubig ng ilog Jordan. Lumubog at magkasabay nilang mararanasan ang mga hamon ng buhay, hirap ng paniniil ng mananakop; at palalaguin at panghahawakan ang pag-asa ng kaligtasan.
Ang Banal na Espiritu ay bumaba sa kaniya na may anyong tulad ng kalapati. Isang tinig ang nagmula sa langit na nagsasabi: Ikaw ang aking pinakamamahal na anak. Lubos akong nalulugod sa iyo.
Panalangin.
Dakilang Maylikha, kasihan mo kami ng iyong Banal na Diwa upang kami ay magkaroon ng sapat na lakas at pag-asa sa pagharap namin sa mga hamong hinaharap ng aming lipunan. Marinig nawa namin ang iyong tinig upang lubos naming maunawaan kung paano kami mamumuhay ayon sa kalooban mo. Patawarin mo kami kung patuloy naming ipinagkakait ang iyong kabutihan sa aming kapwa at loobin mo nawa na maging handa kami sa patuloy mong panawagan upang kami ay maglingkod sa iba. Siya nawa.

January 6, 2019, Epiphany of the Lord *Of KPop, Kings (or Queens?) And Following A Star…

                   Weena Salvador Meily,  AWIT (Association of Women in Theology)

 

http://sacraparental.com/2014/12/21/advent-in-art-with-he-qi-the-magi/

I want to do random thoughts – pieces of poetry here, a paragraph there, some song lines, and quotes   So, the following are random thoughts on what the gospel for today talks about.  Epiphany.  Gospel is essentially good news.  And good news is good for the soul.  Let me draw out soul thoughts, inner stirrings that make of heart at the moment…

Okay, so, you know how things lead you one after the other in the internet, when you click one word?  I clicked “Epiphany” and you know where it led me?  You probably are familiar with KPop, and the iconic KPop Groups or bands.  KPop fans you know  what I mean by now.  Yes, BTS, that famous KPop band that popularized the song, “Epiphany”.  (thanks to Hamtaro Gasa  https://youtu.be/Mc9r_BrkLmg )

(Just a little extra on the side here…and to top it all, the YT feature was followed by my favorite of all time, The Piano Guys and their rendition of this KPop song. It was a beautiful instrumental duet of piano and cello.  Here’s the link to The Piano Guys rendition…https://youtu.be/ts0lr2hXXaw )

Honestly, I found the lyrics of the song very touching and timely, especially for the young. Here are parts of the lyrics of BTS’ ‘Epiphany’…

 

“ …The real myself inside the smiling mask, I reveal it entirely…

…Meet  your true self that you hid inside the storm

Why did I want to hide my precious self?

What made me so afraid that I hid my true self?

I’m the one I should love, in this world

The shining me, the precious soul of mine”

 

So, the song goes like, this guy fell in love and later on, experiences a realization, an epiphany, that tells him, he must learn to love his Self, discover his Self before he can give himself totally into a relationship.  The song reveals much to the listener that to know one’s Self is a lifetime thing and that is necessary for any relationship to flourish.   And isn’t it an epiphanic truth that discovering one’s Self is a revelation in itself?

Epiphany is a  manifestation, a revelation.  From the Greek, ‘epiphaneia’. “ …An experience of a sudden  striking realization.  Generally, the term is used to describe scientific breakthrough, religious or philosophical discoveries, but it can apply in any situation in which an enlightening realization allows a problem or situation to be understood from a new and deeper perspective.” (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(feeling) )

In Christianity the Epiphany refers to a realization that Christ is the Son of God.  Western churches generally celebrate the Visit of the Magi on the 6^th of January, but has since become celebrated on the first Sunday of January or on the 12^th of Christmastide.  And what makes the message disturbing here is that the Good News of the birth of Emmanu-el (God-With-Us), is FOR ALL.   Why disturbing? Because a lot of us like to feel the comfort of exclusivity, of saying “ you’re there, and I’m here”.  The wise men from the East, represent those peoples other than the Jews – the Gentiles. For the Christ to reveal Himself, to manifest Himself to the people from afar, means ‘ I AM FOR ALL.’  And not for an exclusive few who enjoy a “corporate industrialism” of putting a premium on profit without considering the misery of workers breaking their backs for them.

I just had a short talk with an old neighbor, Maria V. We talked about how Spirit reveals Itself to us in so many different ways and “sometimes much later not sooner, with a pinch”, so you need the “waiting” time.  And so it  happened that for the past half the year, I did some ‘sojourning’.   It was actually a rough ride this year.  Was homeless in May, welcomed by the Holy Family Retreat House to revision my life,  had to be hospitalized in July, recovered, returned to poor health again, then now…regaining good health and reclaiming Deep Spirit.  Back to my old rented apartment of more than 20 years, by some miracle,  I am so blessed indeed by this realization:  that no matter what happens in your life, we can always call on God’s Grace sufficient for us to not only survive but to thrive!  That was my Epiphany experience.  That was a revelation, a divine manifestation that faith can move souls.

This is from one of my Queer Theology readings: Reimagining the three kings as queer or female gives fresh meaning to Epiphany.  The word also refers to a sudden, intuitive perception.  By looking at the Bible and church history from a LGBTQ perspective people can experience new insights – their own personal “epiphanies” of understanding.  New interpretations of the wise ones known as the Magi include:

Queer Magi. LGBTQ church leaders suggest that the magi may have been eunuchs – who today would be called gay, queer or transgender.

Female Magi appear in various books, videos, artwork Including a controversial painting by Janet McKenzie, where the Three Wise Ones embody different races.  The artist re-interprets the Magi as Three Wise Women from around the world.

Barbara Marian, commissioner of the art work explains that there is indeed good theological sense in the story of the visit of the Magi in Matthew’s Gospel, that “allowed the Jewish followers of Jesus to imagine the unthinkable – God’s grace extending to the outsiders…the favor of God extending beyond the human boundaries of  race, class, nationality, ethnicity, religious devotion and gender …”

Our being spiritual compels us to follow the Star that leads us to be mindful, to pay attention to, be conscious and aware, of the constant invitation of our God to turn inwards, to reflect, appreciate the quiet and stillness.  To follow that Star to get in touch with our Self, our intuitive being, to be able to discern truth from untruth, deception from honesty, fake from real. We need more epiphanies to uncover the truths hidden like a smoked-glass effect.  In these our times, the signs are obvious.  So much deception, so that it has been expertly masked as the truth.  Our government leaders are in the know of that.  And are indeed experts on that.  We are called to turn inwards to be aware of more epiphanies needed to take courage, make a stand and be a voice for the voiceless and for the hopeless to instill a hope that is on the ground…May this piece of poetry by lecturer, poet and activist Wendell Berry,  be an Epiphany for us, to make real the hope that moves us to act for justice…

A Poem On Hope

Wendell Berry                  

 

It is hard to have hope.

It is harder as you grow old,

for hope must not depend on feeling good

and there’s the dream of loneliness at absolute midnight.

                                           

You also have withdrawn belief

in the present reality of the future,

which surely will surprise us,

and hope is harder when it cannot come

by prediction anymore than by wishing.

 

But stop dithering. The young ask the old to hope.

What will you tell them? Tell them at least

what you say to yourself.

Because we have not made our lives

to fit our places, the forests are ruined,

the fields, eroded, the streams polluted,

the mountains, overturned.

 

Hope then to belong to your place

by your own knowledge of what it is

that no other place is, and by your caring for it,

as you care for no other place…

This knowledge cannot be taken from you

by power or by wealth.

It will stop your ears to the powerful

when they ask for your faith,

and to the wealthy when they ask for your land and your work. …

 

Be still and listen to the voices

that belong to the stream banks

and the trees and the open fields. …

Find your hope, then, on the ground under your feet.

Your hope of Heaven, let it rest on the ground underfoot….

The world is no better than its places.

Its places at last are no better

than their people while their people continue in them.

When the people make dark the light within them, the world darkens.##