December 27,2020 * The Feast of the Holy Family *The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, a Reflection

Sr. Gemma Dinglasan, RGS

PS 128:1-2, 3, 4-5      

https://www.arccis.fr/au-fil-du-temps/la-presentation-au-temple

SIR 3:2-6, 12-14          

COL 3:12-21   

LK 2:22-40      

Inang nagmamahal,

Kumakalinga, nagbibigay-buhay

Araw-araw na pagsubok

Di inaalintanang pagod.

Salamat, aking ina sa pag-ibig na lubos.

Ama, larawan ng tatag

Pangarap na natupad

Pawis at pagod mong sa ‘ki’y lahad

Salamat, aking ama

Sa pag-ibig na laging dama.

Anak akong sa inyo’y di lilimot

Sa bawat damhin ng isip at kibot

Pasasalamat sa inyo, sa kapwa ko idudulot

Upang laging manahan pag-ibig n’yong handog!

Iisa lamang ang Banal na Pamilya

Jose, Hesus at Maria

Ang hamon sa atin paramihin sila

Upang bayan ng Diyos

Mamuhay ng may saya, may pagkakaisa at ganap na hustisya.

Banal na Pamilya, manatili ka sa amin.

My father died twenty-six years ago, my mother followed early this year. Though totally orphan I am not alone. I have with me seven siblings, twenty-five nephews and nieces, a congregation of nuns present in seventy-four countries and the catholic church with more than one billion members. My family.

As I begin this reflection, I spontaneously wrote the poem above (I wrote only now) as a token of gratitude to my deceased parents. My early notion of family  eventually changed as I journey through life. I realized that members of a family are not only bounded by physical or emotional intimacy and blood relation but also by sharing the same vision and faith direction,  celebrating the presence of One Spirit, and depending on the Divine Power that gives nourishment and love.  This is family.

Being a member of this large Christian family I want to resonate with Simeon as described in today’s Gospel. Not because Simeon had already saw the Messiah that he peacefully and gloriously exclaimed that he can go in peace, I can resonate with his long period of waiting. Though advent is already past and gone and the season of joyful singing is here, the life of our brothers and sisters in this huge family is still in such agony of waiting. Waiting for this pandemic to cease, waiting for the end of this seemingly unending terror attacks in many forms and waiting for families to get reunited because there is no more migration due to hunger and poverty. Like Simeon, I am waiting for the day when I can finally say, my wait is over because I have seen the salvation of my people.

Christmas is inviting us to gaze at the beauty of this baby – the Emmanuel, the Prince of Peace. The One who was sent by the Father so we can easily be connected to God as family – Jesus became our Brother, one like us. Though the wait is not over yet, there is a big hope in our midst because God is with us.

Christmas Message

Johannah dela Cruz, NCCP

Christmas songs and caroling are played around the corner in the Philippine streets and homes even before the morning breeze of the December cool is felt. Some say Filipinos has one of the longest Christmas celebrations in the world. Its starts as early as September, as we prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ. The season of advent is a joyous event in the lives of the Filipinos. Christmas in the Philippines is a big event and has always been a time of togetherness even before Christmas time arrives. It is a season of countless of gatherings for friends and families. It is always accompanied with food – from the simplest to the fanciest, as we prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ, making sure that everyone is warm, and fed.

But thousands of years ago, the preparation for the birth of Christ was not as joyous as today. It was studded by punctuations of poverty, and characterized by violence by the roman empire. Children were snatched out from their families, and killed. Contrary to the descriptions from our childhood, the first Christmas was not festive, it was the death of many innocent lives of children.

Now that Christmas is just around the corner, one of the questions that comes to mind is that, how do we celebrate Christmas amid the pandemic, how do we find ways to celebrate together in the midst of uncertainties, while grappling around the issues of the “new normal? How do we celebrate Christmas at a time when the world is facing a great onus that we may not have seen in our lifetime?

In the past months, we have seen the pandemic drastically changed our lives. If there’s one thing that this global economic and health crisis is telling us, it is that we were unprepared. In a third world country like the Philippines, where poverty is prevalent, the pandemic has showed us what is really wrong in our society today. We have been exposed yet again to the glaring inequalities between the haves and the have-nots, and have rendered many vulnerable folks like the poor people to the fringes of society. These were likely exacerbated by the continuing neglect of those who are in power. I have witnessed how in many parts of the world like the Philippines, that curbing the virus is about curtailing fundamental freedoms of communities by responding through militarists and punitive approach—not prioritizing health, but imposing militarist lockdowns in communities, without giving enough aid to the people to sustain them at the height of the pandemic. Many people I know have lost their livelihoods, they grow weary, hungry, and helpless and many people have lost their hopes of a better future, and many are left to survive on their own.

In the midst of the pandemic, we are challenged to embody the spirit of the Lord that has come especially in the most vulnerable, to that of historical enslavement by the system in patriarchy, colonialism and racial inequality.

In the midst of rife and where people struggle in a third world country like the Philippines amid the pandemic, it seems that there is not a glimmer of hope. But I see people standing up, continuing to struggle for better life, demanding accountability from the government, speaking out and creating change.  For me, our people, by history and tradition were built to hope. Hope is the only thing that sustains us, that empowers us.  And, that in the midst of the direst of circumstances, people continue to rise up, so that life will continue for others. 

The words of the prophet Isaiah say it beautifully, that as a people, we are anointed to proclaim the good news—and that we are empowered, to change the course of our situation. The good news is that, hope after all is in all of us.

I am reminded of the words of the prophet Isaiah: 61-1-4

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,^[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
³     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

⁴ They will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.

I believe that our people have always been preparing for the coming of Christ. And that these preparations involve sustained and joyful work with communities, lifting each other even in the midst of strife. These collaborations include education and relief drives, advocacy, movement building connections with grassroots, and challenging powers that be that undermine the life that God has given us.

The spirit of the lord is upon us, and it empowers us to challenge structures that perpetuates hunger, greed, inequality. It invites us, and empowers the people to speak truth to power.

The spirit of the lord dwells among us, and that hope fulfills, sustains us in the coming and preparing for the messiah. God had already made a covenant to the people, proclaiming that God is the Lord of Justice, and God has never left our side. Hope floats, hope continues.

Fourth Sunday of Advent*December 20,2020*Mary, Reina Mae, and Amanda

Ms. Arceli Bile, United Methodist Church/NCCP

Artwork by Apol Laxamana Sta.Rosa

PS 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29

2 SM 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16

ROM 16:25-27

LK 1:26-38

The scripture in Luke 1:26-38 tells us the story about the announcement of the birth of Jesus through Mary. Mary, a young girl has found favor in God and was chosen to conceive the Son of the Most High. Mary may have been perplexed at the announcement of angel Gabriel. Nevertheless, young as she was, she humbly expressed  these words to angel Gabriel “I am the Lord’s servant, May your word to me be fulfilled.”

We honor Mary’s significant role in the fulfillment of the prophecies about the birth of a Savior that had echoed throughout the Old Testament. This extraordinary event shows that God works with the lowly, and marginalized to bring forth salvation.

Mary may have known the many prophecies about the birth of Jesus. She must have also known that her obedience to God will not be an easy path to take. When her time to give birth came, there was no more room in the inn. So, she gave birth in a manger. She also had to face the fear of a threat that  would  kill his son about to be born. Mary and Joseph had to go through a long and difficult journey to Egypt to save Jesus from the hands of the tyrant King Herod.

In our present context, there are those who also face difficult circumstances of being women and mothers. They are women activists whose lives are threatened by a misogynist and tyrant ‘leader’ greedy for power and control.

Reina Mae Nasino, a young woman political prisoner was arrested in November 2019. She was pregnant during her time of arrest. When she gave birth to baby River, there were a lot of difficulties and challenges that they went through. The pleas for Reina Mae to be with his new born son and  be allowed to stay longer were denied. The prison authorities said they lacked the resources. They also have mentioned various and different explanations as excuses to the rightful pleas. The best interest of the child and the child’s right to her mother’s breast milk were violated. Baby River got sick, consequently the pleas for Reina Mae’s release grew stronger. Reina Mae was not allowed to visit her son under critical condition in the hospital. Tragically, she lost her child. To add pain to the wound, men in uniform displayed no respect to the Nasino family during the funeral. We, along with other church people, have witness how heartless the government is to a grieving mother like Reina Mae. 

Amanda Lacaba Echanis, a peasant organizer in Cagayan was recently arrested together with her one month old son. She was charged for illegal possession of fire arms and explosives, the usual charge and narrative against activists and dissenters. She and her son, are still detained in Camp Adurro in Tuguegarao, Cagayan. Human rights group, progressive members of the House of Representatives and members of the opposition senators have expressed their support for the immediate release Amanda based on just, humanitarian grounds.

Mary, Reina and Amanda all have something in common. They are women of courage that braved difficulties and challenges. They are women of strength that can withstand pain and fear, and have fiercely defy threats and state attacks.

When Jesus grew up, he was one of those being accused of “not obeying the law”. He was arrested, tortured, sentenced to death and crucified. What could have Mary felt during these times? Mary stood beside Jesus even at his crucifixion. We have witness Mary’s courage to see his son’s pain and agony.

Reina Mae lost baby River, but she knows that the struggle continues and her hope for her release is kept alive. We have witnessed Reina Mae’s courage that her inconsolable experience will not stop her to struggle for justice and freedom.

Amanda Echanis remains to be strong despite their difficult situation. Her hope springs from the people who supporta her, her Nanay Linda and of course her baby. We have witnessed Amanda’s courage in overcoming the challenges of being a woman political prisoner, a mother to baby Immanuel and a daughter of a slain peace consultant Randall Echanis.

As Mary is portrayed as a woman that committed to the fulfillment of the Savior’s birth, Reina Mae and Amanda are among the many young women that carry-on Jesus’ mission. They have embodied love and service to God’s people- the poor and the marginalized. They are channels of God’s grace and salvation to those who are oppressed and disenfranchised.

This advent time we celebrate hope. Thus, let us fervently hope that there will be no more mothers and activists who will be arrested based on trumped up charges. We hope that red tagging and vilification will stop. We pray that Reina and Amanda will soon be freed together with all political prisoners. We hope that there will be no more political prisoners. We hope that justice and peace reign among us.

At this time of pandemic and alarming cases of human rights violation, we cling to hope that Jesus is one among us. Immanuel. God with us. That despite fear and feeling of hopelessness, we  are certain that our work is not in vain. That Jesus’ mission of abundant life for all can and will continue if there are people like Mary who would dare to take on challenges and tasks that will contribute to peoples salvation. Jesus’ mission to preach good news to the poor, to bring sight to the blind and to set the prisoners free is at hand.

May these prophetic words from Mary give us inspiration and hope as we face these dark and uncertain days. 

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
⁴⁹ for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
⁵⁰ And his mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
⁵¹ He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
⁵² he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
    and exalted those of humble estate;
⁵³ he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and the rich he has sent away empty.

Third Sunday of Advent*December 13,2020*An Interrogation as An Act of Terror

Dss. Norma P. Dollaga, KASIMBAYAN

http://islandlife-inamonastery.blogspot.com/2013/01/end-of-christmas-season-baptism-of.html

LK 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54.    

IS 61:1-2A, 10-11

1 THES 5:16-24   

  JN 1:6-8, 19-28

Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to interrogate John. They must be both intrigued and threatened with his popularity. The inquiry was investigative and rude. John however was unassuming.   “Who are you?” a question in a tone of terror coming from the authority. They wanted to investigate whether this man is the Messiah, whom the people were awaiting but whom the powerful empire was afraid of. It was  afraid of the Messiah who would reverse and subvert the unjust order. The Messiah had this message: 

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]

2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn, (Isaiah 61:1-2a)

The empire (state) was so driven to trap the Messiah, that it subjected John to an interrogation. It wanted to trap John. They weaponized the legal system by attempting to corner him. It was like when Jesus was interrogated by Pontious Pilate. They wanted him DEAD. The intention was not to protect people from false prophets. The motive was far from being genuine as they know too, that the coming of Messiah is the erosion of the power that oppresses, exploits, and deceives. They did not want to shake the foundation of their violence. They promoted an ideology that those who oppose them are dissidents, evil, and rebellious. They knew well that the people wait for the Messiah. The most oppressed and marginalized were  looking for Messiah because their situation was getting worst under the empire. For the longest time, the poor ones were looking for the promise of liberation, abundant life, wholeness, and healing. 

These dreams and the longings of the people are a constant threat to those in power. It devises methods and scheme that would surely repress the articulation of people’s aspirations. It has its courts to interrogate the suspects and the rebels, punish them with imprisonment, and worst exact a judicial killing in the form of crucifixion (death penalty). The righteous and those who work for the fulfillment of redemption and liberation from economic political and social woes are persecuted, reviled, and accused of being evil (Matthew 5:10-12) by the empire- the representative of the state. 

John never denied who he was and who he was not. He is  not the Messiah (Christ), Elijah, and a Prophet. He is the voice in the wilderness, bearing a message: “Make straight the way for the Lord.”‘” (1:22-23). This must-have further threatened the authorities. The powerful ones who themselves are oppressors could only  exist so long as they  live  in their wicked ways.  And if the authorities  thought that John was already a threat to them, the One who is coming is greater. John was not even good enough to untie the  sandals of the One who is coming. 

John the Baptist’s martyrdom  is worth remembering. True to his calling, always  stood for truth and righteousness.  This did not make Herod comfortable. He was arrested and imprisoned.  He wanted to kill John ,  but  he was afraid that people might  protest and the possibility of riot was not remote. He was able to get a chance to kill John  when Horodias conspired with her daughter to ask for John’s head. He was beheaded while in prison.  His head was  set in a platter   and offered to the daughter of Herodias , and she brought it to her mother. (Mt.14:1-11).   

The third Sunday of Advent brings to the fore a message of JOY amidst a bleak and disheartening situation. John the Baptist reminds us of the JOY springing from the wilderness – the message that brings renewed power and hope.  

Who are you? The people’s lawyers, the journalists, the trade unionists, peasants, and community organizers have been maliciously asked.

Who are you? The church people, the lawmakers, scientists, and environmentalists, the human rights defenders and even the ordinary people have been repeatedly questioned. They are being interrogated, issued search warranst and warrant of arrests, harassed, threatened, red-tagged, imprisoned for trumped-up charges, Worst, after strings of humiliation, public shaming, and threats, they have become victims of extrajudicial killings.  

Are you the Messiah? Elijah? or Prophets?

All of them would say, “We are not the Messiah. We are not Elijah. We are not Prophets.” “We are bringing the message of peace and justice. We are activists. We are human rights defender.  WE work and minister with the poor. We seek the truth and demand for justice.

“There is One Greater than us. WE are not even good enough to untie HIS SANDALS. The ONE is  greater than us. His message of Joy and liberation give hope to the Community  of believers. He is our constant Partner and Companion – the Emanuel of the people and life-giving POWER.  The One- is the Light that overcomes darkness. The  One, who is the Light  is undefeatable, unconquerable and unsurmountable.”

Let the spirit and inspiration of John the Baptist live with us- to be the witness of the TRUTH 

and testify for the TRUTH.    

Second Sunday of Advent *December 6,2020*THE FORTITUDE FROM THE WILDERNESS

Br. Jonel Dalimag, CICM

https://www.trinitywallstreet.org/sites/default/files/pictures/2018-12-09-0900-CoAS-Bulletin-v5.pdf

First Reading: Is. 40: 1-5, 9-11
Psalm: Ps. 85: 9-13
Second Reading: 2 Pt. 3: 8-14
Gospel Reading: Mk. 1: 1-8

The readings of the 2nd Sunday of Advent tell us the essence of the season which is the coming or arrival of the Messiah or the Savior. For a long time, the people of Israel had been waiting for the promised One who shall deliver them from the hands of their oppressors. They did not hear for a long time from someone who preach about the Messiah. That is why when John the Baptist’s voice was heard from and in the wilderness preaching about the Messiah, the Israelites listened and believed in him. They allowed themselves to be baptized by John. John’s preaching was indeed good news to them.

Looking back (baliktanaw) at the scene where John the Baptist was preaching, as prophesied by Isaiah and as described in the Gospel of Mark, we can reflect upon two important themes that are very relevant or significant to us today.

First is the theme of social activism. As a forerunner of the Messiah, John the Baptist was an activist during his time. He dared to defy the system and talk against the status quo. He challenged the authorities to straighten their crooked ways of doing things. He preached justice and social transformation. His daring stance landed him to prison which led to his tragic death. He was decapitated for speaking the truth. John’s example reminds us that taking a principled stance against oppression and injustices is risky and consequential. Even today, those who dare to take a stand against the status quo and speak truth to power, experience being red-tagged, threatened, in constant peril, and even killed. The latest case of Jevilyn Cullamat speaks volume about taking a principled stance against those who continue to oppress and abuse other’s rights. At her very young and fragile age, Jevilyn witnessed how her Manobo tribe and other Lumad tribes in Mindanao experience abuse and oppression at the hands of the elements of the state. According to her mother Bayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat, who is also a Manobo leader, Jevilyn’s “decision to join the armed conflict is not a simple matter, it was triggered by the abuses that us Lumads have experienced and the poverty she witnessed.” She added that Jevilyn “personally witnessed the killing of their local leaders Dionel Campos, Datu Bello Sinzo, and ALCADEV Executive Director Emerito Samarca on September 1, 2015, at the hands of the state’s paramilitary.” Like John, Jevilyn, Dionel Campos, Bello Sinzo and Emerito Samarca, were killed for standing for what is just and true. They all suffered and gave-up their lives for their message. Their cries were the voices calling in the wilderness to make crooked systems straight. Their deaths fortified the call of the time to save humanity from the unscrupulous grip of the corrupt. Their lives were not wasted. On the contrary, they lived their lives to the fullest. As Rep. Cullamat proudly said: “I say this without a tinge of doubt: I am proud of Jevilyn for fighting an oppressive system especially against us Lumads…The life that she sacrificed for the country and in defense of our ancestral lands did not go to waste. It’s a great honor for me to have had a child who became a martyr and a warrior.” We should also be proud of them. The fortitude of forerunners, of social activists inspires us to do our part.

The second theme of the readings that we can reflect upon is the theme of wilderness. A visualization of the scene of the readings point us to the mountains, to the valleys, to the forests, to the rivers, to the plains, etc. Why did John the Baptist not preach in the city? Why did he preach from and in the wilderness? A look back at the history of the Jewish people would show us that it was in the wilderness where Yahweh led them from their slavery in Egypt. It was in the darkness of the wilderness, in the uncertainty of the wilderness, that the Israelites meet God. It was in their wandering in the wilderness that they felt so close to Yahweh. Their journey in the wilderness strengthened their sense of history and community. It makes their faith rooted in their experience of enslavement as a people. It was in the wilderness that they struggle as a tribe. Yet, it was also in the wilderness that God built them as a nation. It was in the mountains in the wilderness that they worshipped God: “You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid.” It was in the wilderness of the dessert that God promised them a fruitful land as they expressed in their psalms: “The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.”

The history of the Jewish people is very much similar to what the indigenous peoples of the Philippines are experiencing now. Their lands are converted for mining, for large scale plantations, for subdivisions and for malls. These cause massive displacements among them, which in turn causes them to take up arms to defend their land and their rights. As long as there is oppression, as long as there are abuses and as long as there is displacement; there will always be voices from and in the wilderness denouncing oppression, abuses and injustices. This is necessary in order to preserve cultural identity and community particularly among the indigenous peoples. Pope Francis, in his encyclical Laudato Si observes that: “Many intensive forms of environmental exploitation and degradation not only exhaust the resources which provide local communities with their livelihood, but also undo the social structures which, for a long time, shaped cultural identity and their sense of the meaning of life and community. The disappearance of a culture can be just as serious, or even more serious, than the disappearance of a species of plant or animal. The imposition of a dominant lifestyle linked to a single form of production can be just as harmful as the altering of ecosystems.” (Laudato Si, #145). The Pope further observes that extending special care for indigenous peoples is essential to the maintenance of a balance ecology: “In this sense, it is essential to show special care for indigenous communities and their 110 cultural traditions. They are not merely one minority among others, but should be the principal dialogue partners, especially when large projects affecting their land are proposed. For them, land is not a commodity but rather a gift from God and from their ancestors who rest there, a sacred space with which they need to interact if they are to maintain their identity and values. When they remain on their land, they themselves care for it best. Nevertheless, in various parts of the world, pressure is being put on them to abandon their homelands to make room for agricultural or mining projects which are undertaken without regard for the degradation of nature and culture.” (LS # 146).