October 31, 2021*Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time*BY THE POWER OF LOVE, WE COMMAND!

Bro. Jonel DALIMAG, CICM

https://pixels.com/featured/love-your-neighbor-as-yourself-brent-kastler.html

1^st Reading: Deuteronomy 6:2-6

Res. Psalm: Psalms 18: 2-3, 3-4, 47,51

2^nd Reading: Heb. 7: 23-28

Gospel Reading: Mk. 12: 28b-34

The Greatest Gift of All

In the letter to the Corinthians, it is said that “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13). Faith gives meaning to our struggles in life and connects us to our God, for the faith “is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1). Hope is a disposition, a prayer, and a vision that strengthens and emboldens our will to live. It projects us to an unknown future. Love is an investment of faith and hope that gives meaning and purpose to our life and relationships. Love brought us all into this world. Love sustains us and connects us to our very roots, to our past, and it defines our present and future. Love shares our faith and hope. Love never runs o

ut. Faith and hope may fluctuate but love remains. Love never fails. This letter to the Corinthians’ declaration is an affirmation of Jesus’ proclamation in the Gospel that the greatest commandment of all is LOVE. Under normal situations, love should not be a command. It should naturally flow from our very being. However, situations in Jesus’ time, especially the socio-political and religious situations, under the rule of the Romans, impede the natural flow of love. People. Especially those in power like politicians and religious leaders were so timid in releasing that natural flow of love to God and to the people they are supposed to be serving. Jesus is a vigilant observer of the Jewish society, that is why when He was given the occasion and opportunity to correct this problem, He commanded love! Jesus was not a politician.

He was  an ordinary son of a Jewish carpenter, but He knows and was sensitive to the needs of the people. Jesus knew what the people were looking for, especially from people who are supposed to love and serve them. Basic human services and respect for rights are expressions of love of God and love of neighbor, but it was terribly missing in Jewish society in Jesus’ time. Hence, the need for a strong command or order. Jesus’ power to command emanates from his permanent priesthood: “but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood” (Heb. 7:24). To love is to serve God and neighbor. It is only when the love of God and love of neighbor set in  us that true love of self becomes possible. The love of self-generated by power, prestige, position, and money -especially political power, is a misplaced love of self because it is not founded on the love of God first then on the love of neighbor. We are once again reminded that, first, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength.” This is the same reminder Moses gave to his people: “Fear the Lord, your God, and keep, through the days of your lives, all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you, and thus have a long life…Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deut. 6: 2, 5). Second, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Note that there is an order of things. There is first and second. It did not say that you shall love yourself first with all your power, wealth and prestige, before loving God and neighbor.

Election fever is heating and the onslaught of the pandemic is getting worst, and yet, misplaced self-loving candidates are coming out to promote their interests at the expense of the already suffering people. They present themselves as God’s loving and neighbor-loving people but their  actions contradict  their claim in the midst of self -glorification. Let us be critical, vigilant, and careful about these people. Let the commandment of Jesus be our guide and criterion in choosing wisely whom we will entrust our lives for the next few years. Otherwise, we will suffer again for the next six or more years.        

Let Us Ask Intelligent Questions

It is election time again in the country. We are at it again. This means that the one we had a few years ago failed. What makes it worst is that the official campaign period did not yet commence, but character assassinations are heating up, not only between possible candidates but also their followers. This makes this process of ours a big failure. We have yet to hear wise arguments and strategic vision for our country and people. We still have to hear how the issues affecting our country, especially the poor who are most affected by the ongoing pandemic are addressed. We need to start asking substantial questions that would solicit a substantial programs of governance to face the enormous challenges that are drowning us.

In the gospel, Jesus was asked a very intelligent question: “Which is the first of all the commandments?” (Mk. 12:28) In other words, what is the greatest commandment of all? Jesus is not a politician and He was not in the middle of campaigning for a public office or position. He was just an ordinary Jew, who grew up with His friends in the streets of Jerusalem. The question was asked by a scribe, someone who was learned in the Law of Moses, and officer of the Sanhedrin. The question was thrown at Jesus, not to solicit ideas on how to address the recurring problems of the Jewish society, but to test Jesus’ beliefs. However, Jesus was able to intelligently answer the question with the best possible answer that strikes at the very heart of the Jewish society – LOVE. Love of God takes precedence over everything. Love of neighbor takes precedence over love of self. There is no other greater commandment than love.

LOVE as our Collective Political Capital

Put it in today’s Philippine context, perhaps we could ask all the possible candidates: for you, what is the greatest commandment of all. I am very sure that their answer to this question depends on their own interest that they want to protect. The interest of their own selves takes precedence over the interest of the people. And their love for political power is the only thing that matters to them. For them, political power is everything. It makes them feel like gods. Even in Jesus’ time, political power, particularly that of the Roman rulers, was abused and misused. And Jesus was very much aware of this. That is why He offered an antidote to it: LOVE of God and LOVE of neighbor.

It is only when one has love of God and love of neighbor that true love of self happens. By loving God and loving our neighbors through basic services and generosity, we begin to love ourselves. The love of self emanating from political power is a misplaced love of self. I would not call it love of self but self-glorification. Love of God and love of neighbor should become then the criteria for choosing our political leaders. Who among them love and respect God and who among prioritizes the welfare of the people? We have a president who has been lambasting even God and the Church and the result was a disaster. Many church people and advocates were completely silenced for speaking up for the love of God and for calling services to neighbors through basic services and respect for rights.

Many advocates from cause-oriented groups were put to prison for their guts and courage to speak up for love. We have to remember that even Jesus knew He would  be arrested, prosecuted, punished, and executed because of speaking up for the love of God and neighbor, but He did keep silent. He was also a victim, but He used his voice to counter the status quo. Nothing has changed so far since the time of Jesus. Hence, His answer to the question what is the greatest commandment, meaning, what is the noblest thing to do as a believer, as a leader, as an advocate, as a politician, is still very relevant today, especially now that we are in the middle of election fever. normally, love should not be commanded. It should come naturally. However, with the way things are unfolding since the time of Jesus until now, love has to be commanded to penetrate the hearts and minds of all. And it is the only command that matters now. There is no other command than to love. Let us, therefore, command those aspiring to lead us and win our trust to love. Love becomes a command when we demand it together from aspiring leaders of this nation.

Let us command, not beg. Let us make love our collective political capital to stand up against the enormous political power that has been the cause of our struggles in life. Jesus’ command to love God and to love our neighbors is our primary source of strength and inspiration.  W can always go back to our oath of allegiance to the Philippine flag which we pledge to be Maka-Diyos, Maka-Tao, Maka-Bayan and Maka-Kalikasan. Yes, Maka-Diyos at Maka-Tao kontra sa mga Maka-Sarili para sa isang Maka-Bayang Halalan! Yes, we have all the sources to command and demand love from our aspiring leaders. Let us remember that we are citizens of the Republic of the Philippines. We are not mere diehard supporters and fans of any candidate. As citizens we have all the right to demand from our leaders. Let us assert this right together. By the power of love, let us demand and command! May love, not money, power, and influence win this time. This way, we can say that we the people are the true winners.  

October 24, 2021*Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time*To the poor, your faith has healed you!

Jennifer Ferariza-Meneses, Board of Women’s Work of The United Methodist Church

https://www.levenindekerk.nl/2020/09/08/zie-jezus-preek-over-de-genezing-van-de-blinde-bartimeus/

Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6

Jer 31:7-9

Heb 5:1-6

Mk 10:46-52

The Faith of the Poor

During Jesus’ time, the beggars on the street were considered to have the lowest economic status. They would sit on the side of the street and situate themselves in a place where they knew that a huge crowd was passing by. The beggars most likely were Jews and were heavily taxed by the Romans.  The poor are the oppressed, the exploited, the despised and the marginalized and not just entirely those who suffer from economic poverty. To be poor was more a question of honor, social status and lack of power that led to oppression and marginalization.    

Bartimaeus’ situation almost makes no difference in the present life of our poor Filipino people.  We can find and see Bartimaeus of today in the faces and struggles of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, victims/survivors of sexual violence, migrant workers, peasants, teachers, health workers, human rights defenders, among others.  

We have been witnessing how the poor live out their strong faith to be healed from many social illnesses even before pandemic time.  Their sustained determination to survive each pandemic day is an expression of a genuine love for life.  Like Bartimaeus, our suffering Filipino people have been begging and shouting for mercy, justice and healing through their unified voices and collective actions for a dignified life for all.  Like Bartimaeus who never gave up to seek Jesus’ healing for his physical impediment, the faith of our poor Filipinos has never been wearied, all the more it perseveres amidst the climate of violence, injustice and inequality.  It is the faith of the poor like Bartimaeus’ that can bring power of healing, justice and liberation.       

The Rejection of the Poor

Bartimaeus, a poor, blind man, was rejected by the disciples and the Jewish people by rebuking him to keep silent when he was calling the attention of Jesus.  They believed that the likes of Bartimaeus must not be treated justly because of his illness, disability and committed sins.    They believed that low people like him do not deserve the attention, mercy and healing of Jesus.  

In the Philippines, the gap between the rich and the poor further widens, more so during this pandemic.  This gap does not only mean about the income inequality between the lower and higher income classes in the country but also the poor’s difficult access and limited opportunities to basic social services.  Around 22 millions of poor Filipinos have been suffering from poverty, hunger, joblessness and poor housing, education and healthcare services.  Deaths caused by the virus, human rights and drug-related killings have become a usual news of the day.             

Sad truth is, the Philippine government has embodied a prevailing culture of tyranny, impunity and corruption at the expense of the welfare and development of the Filipino people.  This sad truth means deprivation of people’s potentials to participate meaningfully in all life aspects of our nation.  This sad truth means rejection to productivity and creativity of Filipinos in contributing to the nation’s progress and development.  This sad truth means negligence to fully exercise the rights of the Filipinos as active citizens of a democratic country.       

Jesus’ Healing and Salvation for the Poor

In Bible time, the healing ministry of Jesus does not only address the person’s physical health needs.  Jesus restores and redeems the person, holistically.  More importantly, the healing of Jesus sends a message of faith, hope, love and wholeness to the people in the community where social prejudice, exclusion and abuse of power are of high prevalence.  The healing ministry of Jesus is a powerful manifestation of  the restorative and redeeming grace of Christ.

Through the healing of Jesus, Bartimaeus received not only his sight, but also his salvation.  He was saved from his sickness and from the people’s unjust treatment towards him.   Jesus sees to it that salvation must be given right when we ask for it, when we need it the most.  

With the danger and crisis around us nowadays, we never lose hope that Jesus’ promise of salvation would be within our reach and can be experienced each day.  For our struggling people, salvation is food on the table, decent jobs and wages, better healthcare service, no more killings and death.  We long for the day where all of us will be healed and saved from “sins and sickness” of violence, injustices, abuses and exploitation happening in our land.  We long for the day where salvation of Jesus that brings love, justice and peace would be an everyday experience of all.   

——-

To the modern day disciples and followers of Jesus, how do we see our Bartimaeus of today?  Do we see them powerless, voiceless?  Do we keep them silent or listen to their cry?  Do we ignore  or accompany them to receive healing and salvation?

October 17, 2021*Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time* Remembering Fr.Pops Tentorio,PIME

Norma P Dollaga, KASIMBAYAN

Is 53:10-11

Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22

Heb 4:14-16

Mk 10:35-45 or 10:42-45

We love to teach Sunday School children songs from Kids Praise like “If you want to be great in God’s Kingdom, learn to be the servant of all……” We also hear songs like, “I’m gonna zoom, zoom around the room, room, room… Praise the Lord…when the gates are open wid e, I ‘m gonna sit by Jesus side…Praise the Lord.”

The melodies of both songs are inviting as it creates a jolly mood especially when children sing it with action or dance. But listening closely to the second song reminds us of conflicting understanding of kin-dom values.

Why grapple who will sit at the right and left side of Jesus? Is it not inviting the brothers and sisters of faith to be in an unfriendly competition? Is this not a stimulant to a theology that promotes and advocates “padrino” system, thus, reducing the church into a ground for power-competition that deviates itself from its calling as church of the people or of the poor?

It is like having a photo-op with Jesus, and one feels good sitting beside him. But would you take a photo-op with him when the state ruled that he was a criminal? One who belongs to the bandits? One who radically challenged the unjust system? One who exposed the rotten system with his parables? One who was non-compliant with the “standard of this world?” Would you sit with him and include him among your friends and allies when he was “red-tagged”  by the unscrupulous state? Oh well, Jesus was confidently assured that the masses whom he loved to serve were with him. He got a good platform in life. The hypocrites and the humbugs red-tagged Jesus out of their resentment.  “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.” (Matthew 23:27)

The disciples, so intimate with Jesus,   asked Jesus  in the middle of their work, “who is going to sit at the right side of him?” Jesus openly has to be genuinely honest to his disciples. He heard them in their squabbles on the “left and right positions”. This led to intrigue among the disciples. As it turned out, it was not only the two disciples who asked the question who were interested but the rest of them. They got angry  at the two brothers because all of them had common interest. The common interest was rooted in the desire for individual prestige and lofty position.

It was Jesus who reminded them what it takes to be great. Service to God and to the people is the primary desire that every follower of Christ must bear in mind and heart. “Can you drink the cup of suffering that I am about to drink?” This was as if Jesus was telling them, “Are you willing to pay the price for greatness? ”

If along the way, we become vulnerable to our own weaknesses, to our desire for a lofty position, let the words of Jesus remind us. “If you want to be great, you should be the servant of all”.

Jesus overturned our concept of power. With him, power is seen in terms of service and not control. He was also very sharp when he said that those who lord over are the tyrants themselves. Service to God and to the people is the primary desire every follower of Christ must bear in mind and heart.

Greatness is about being servant of all. Many times, the disciples were still confused about the meaning of following Jesus and being part in the propagation of the message of the Gospel of Truth and abundant life. They were trapped with the concept they grew up with.

Greatness is not about power over or a grand display of authority where every head bows and every knee bends in reverence.But the one who was supposed to be “kingly” showed his divinity by incarnating and living among the poor. Many times, leadership has been a source of exploitation and abuse because structures and principalities developed a concept very much in contrary to the values of human community – of equality, mutuality, and partnership.

In our story, Jesus was simple but deep. He posed a great challenge: Can you drink the cup that I will be drinking? Jesus could be asking them: Will you be willing to offer your life for the sake of others? Are you willing to give yourself, to live and to die for others who are longing to behold an abundant life? Are you willing to live and die for the principles that contradict the dominant values of the Roman Empire? Will you be able to engage the Roman Empire as it promotes Pax Romana – peace under military might and colonial rule? Will you be willing to speak the truth about redeeming and emancipating love, and carry forward the agenda of justice even under threats and attacks  of the powers-that-be? Will you be willing to be punished and branded as enemy of the state, and suffer the capital punishment – like being nailed at the cross? Will you be willing to give up everything for the sake of ministry?

This was his life. And the price of this deep commitment is the cup of suffering.

I am reminded of the life of Fr. “Pop” Tentorio, PIME, an Italian priest who spent 33 years of his life serving the indigenous people and poor peasants in Mindanao. For being good and true to the call of priesthood and servanthood, he was killed by elements believed to be members of a para-military group. Tomorrow ( Oct. 17)  is his 10^th death anniversary.  He humbly served the people. He dined with them, starved with them, dreamt with them and became one amongst them.

A man who

lived out the calling of priesthood for the people;

obedient in following the commandment of loving the neighbor;

purified and molded by the teachings of the lowly;

became poor by choice because he opted to be one amongst those whom

he held dear to his heart.#

TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME* October 10, 2021 *The way of Christ

Fr. Aris Miranda, MI

https://www.polyp.org.uk/cartoons/wealth/polyp_cartoon_
charity_aid_trade_exploitation_sweatshop_cash_crops_wealth_
poverty_media.jpg

Ps 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17

Wis 7:7-11

Heb 4:12-13

Mk 10:17-30 or 10:17-27 

The question of the rich man in the gospel of Mark  – “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (10:17) -resonates with  our desire to inherit eternal life (kingdom of God.) But what do we understand about this inner desire? What do we expect from the inheritance of eternal life? Though the rich man has everything  he needs and observes the commandments religiously, he seems to be perturbed because he cannot give up and share what he possesses, which originally belongs to others.  

Many are deeply concerned about their present and future situation with this pandemic. The incompetence of the Duterte administration in addressing the problems  incurred by the advent of Covid 19  made us more vulnerable.  I was shocked to learn that “the world’s 10 richest men have seen their combined wealth increased by half a trillion dollars since the pandemic began —more than enough to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine for everyone and to ensure no one is pushed into poverty by the pandemic. This has  ushered in the worst job crisis in over 90 years with hundreds of millions of people now underemployed or out of work.” “As the virus spread, central banks injected $9T into economies worldwide, aiming to keep the world economy afloat. Much of that stimulus has gone into financial markets, and from there into the net worth of the ultra-rich.” Collectively, the 50 Filipino billionaires’ wealth totaled $45.6B (P2.2 tn), which is half of the Philippines’ 2021 national budget of P4.5 tn.  With this  glaring  gap, the  words of social activist Bryan Stevenson, sums up  the  paradox, “The opposite of poverty is not wealth but justice.”

Jesus responded to the rich man: “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”  This is a shocking call to discipleship—incredibly stunning in a culture that assumed that riches constituted an endorsement by God of the rich person’s life.  This man has probably gone through his life believing that he has tried to please God and that his riches demonstrate that God is pleased with him. In most cases, Jesus called people by saying simply, “Come after me.” Nothing is recorded of Jesus requiring the fishermen to sell their boats, Simon and Andrew kept their house in Capernaum, Martha and Mary owned a house, Levi, the tax collector, was not told to give up his ill-gotten gains, and wealthy people became disciples without divesting themselves of their wealth.

Why then should Jesus demand such sacrifice from this man? There are at least two possibilities. First, this man’s wealth is very important to him than the Kingdom of God. The security afforded by material possessions tempts us to trust in possessions rather than in God. Remember the gospel of Matthew: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Mt 6,24). In the gospel today, “… how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”  The “eye of a needle” refers to the low gate in a city wall that would require a camel to be unloaded before proceeding on its knees through the opening. The love of accumulating wealth will not give you eternal life but chaos.

In the Old Testament, wealth and material goods are considered a sign of God’s favor. The words of Jesus in today’s gospel seem to contradict the Old Testament concept. Wealth, power, and merit generate false security. Salvation goes beyond human capability alone and depends on the goodness of God, who offers it as a gift. It is a gift and a responsibility. It will never come through without your active involvement in redeeming the world where we are. Our responsibility is to redeem the temporal order (structures and institutions) that it will regain its fidelity to its primary intention, that is, for the well-being of humanity, especially those who are vulnerable, marginalized, and our “common home,” the place where we live. Pope Francis reminds us that: “No one can demand that religion should be relegated to the inner sanctum of personal life, without influence on societal and national life, without concern for the soundness of civil institutions, without a right to offer an opinion on events affecting society.”

Riches fulfill their service function to humanity when they are destined to produce benefits for others, society, and our common home. Wealth is a good that comes from God and is used by its owner and made to circulate so that even the needy may enjoy it. Evil is seen in the immoderate attachment to riches and the desire to hoard.  Saint Gregory the Great says the rich man is only an administrator of what he possesses; giving what is required to the needy is a task to be performed with humility because the goods do not belong to the one who distributes them. He who retains riches only for himself is not innocent; giving to those in need means paying a debt.” While the Catholic church recognizes the right to private property, it is not an absolute right because it flows from what the church calls “the universal destination of goods.”  The goods of creation are destined for the whole human race. It is intended primarily to be shared and not to be accumulated. After all, “the original source of all that is good is the very act of God, who created both the earth and man and who gave the earth to man so that he might have dominion over it by his work and enjoy its fruits.” God gave the earth to the whole human race for the sustenance of all its members, without excluding or favoring anyone. Abusing it by development aggression destroys the very gift of God. “In the capitalist system that emerged out of this, value is ascribed to accumulated capital rather than to work, now simply a vehicle for such accumulation. This system creates vast economic inequalities as well as political, social, and ethnic injustices […]. This system has been imposed worldwide and has created a culture of limitless private accumulation and consumption.”

What must be done? The Lord is challenging and reminding us today of the following truths: Whatever we have on earth are all gifts coming from God for the well-being of the human family, the society, the poor, and our common home. We are only administrators of the earth’s goods and not masters and owners who are hungry to subdue and devour its purpose for profit and domination. Each of us is given the responsibility to develop it, manage by distributing each benefit equally according to each need and make others accountable and denounce if someone abuses it. God has given us all the capabilities and possibilities to turn this world into a just and peaceful world so that the “fullness of life” will be realistically attained. For those who are tasked to harness the “temporal order” (governance), let’s make them accountable. For those who abuse and accumulate more wealth, let’s make them realize the evils they have been doing. If we desire to inherit eternal life, come and follow the way of Christ.