May 28, 2023* PENTECOST SUNDAY*…And the Great Spirit was Moving Over…

Br. Jonel B. DALIMAG, CICM, Baguio City

 ACTS 2:1-11

Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34.

1 Corinthians     12:3B-7, 12-13

JOHN 20: 19-23

“In the beginning, when God created the universe, the earth was formless and desolate… and the Spirit of God was moving over…” (Gen. 1:1-2).

In the very beginning, the Holy Spirit, who’s feast we celebrate today, was with the Creator of the universe, moving over His creation. As the 2^nd person of the Trinity, Jesus was very much aware of this. Hence, he promised his disciples before He ascended to His Father, that He will send an advocate to be with them. The disciples did not understand this promised. Hence, they were filled with FEAR. They were scattered, discouraged, and some even did not see any point in staying together as ‘followers’ or believers.

In the very beginning of their faith journey after the death, passion and Resurrection of the Lord, they gathered together behind locked doors, in upper rooms, away from suspicions of the people, especially the Jews. However, as was in the very beginning when the Spirit was hovering over, Jesus appeared to the fear-stricken disciples and said to them: “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you. Receive the Holy Spirit.”

The timing of Jesus’s ‘breathing on them’ the Great Holy Spirit was perfect. When fear and discouragement were slowly killing the HOPE and FAITH of the disciples, the coming of the Great Spirit awakened their zeal to proclaim the TRUTH. The timing was just a replay of God’s sending his own Son, the Incarnate Word, when human kind and all of His creation were in chaos and in need help/salvation. “It is in the unending love of God the Father at the time of creation, when we were created as who we are; it is in the unconditional love of God the Son, at the time of the incarnation and resurrection when we were saved from eternal death and sin; and it is in the continuous love of God the Holy Spirit who fills our lives, enlightens us and guides us, comforts us and strengthens us today” (Kateri Blog, June 7, 2020).

Yes, all of us received the Great Spirit since the very beginning of creation. Jesus’ breathing in the Spirit in us marks our send-off to continue speaking, in our own languages as well as the language of other people, TRUTH to powers-that-be. Many socio-political issues that affect the already-marginalized and abandoned poor sectors of the society, and those at the peripheries are now being orchestrated by those in power. Environmental abuses; state-sponsored massive displacements of indigenous peoples and poor people due to militarization, dam projects, etc.; injustices against workers, urban poor, and peace advocates, are happening every day. Let us not lock our selves in upper rooms and wait for a miracle to happen. We have already received the Advocate to be with us as we soldier on the speak Truth to power. Our Lord Jesus has already sent us: “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you. Receive the Holy Spirt.” 

Indeed, the Great Spirit, which we celebrate today, has always been with us. It was and is the energy or force that guides the continues unfolding of evolutions in our universe. “The Great Spirit is understood to be an empowering influence, embedded in nature itself, a transformative energy that awakens and releases deeper meaning and creative engagement with the web of life. The Great Spirit is an energetic spirit-force, transcending the personal, yet embracing and endorsing all that is unique to human personhood” (O’Murchu, 2012).

Let us be inspired by the indigenous peoples who have never wavered in their belief to the Great Spirit. “The spirit keeper is alive among the indigenous peoples. The Sacred continues to dance with them in their primal interconnectedness with all living beings. They have not overlooked their rootedness with the earth and have kept alive the spirit of the animals. They know how to dance with their fellow animals. They can imitate them. Their bodies are with the soil that binds everything that pulsated with life. Their bodies and the earth are one. They have not been alienated like modern human beings that arrogantly have appropriated and subjugated the earth. The indigenous peoples, like all the other species, impel us the change course, to shift from our greed to posses and stand above the rest and learn again to listen to the keeper of the spirit” (Bacani, 2016).

The moment we allow FEAR to dampen our hope and faith, we disconnect ourselves from the Great Spirit which may lead us to venture into superficial spiritualities, convictions and commitments. There is already in the Church symptoms of these superficial spiritualities in the form of too much emphasis on rubrical liturgies, outdated dogmas and canons, all at the expense of the movement of the Great Spirit in our churches. “We are not at home where the creative God what the indigenous peoples call the Great Spirit has birthed us, with all the resources at our disposal to grow and flourish, to evolve and become whole. Earth is our true home -in both evolutionary and spiritual terms” ((O’Murchu, 2012).

Because of too much focus on liturgies, dogmas, canons and clerical affairs (clericalism), we have lost touch of the Great Spirit that has been the driving force of evolution. Hence, God-Creator, thru the Word Incarnate sends us, once again His Spirit, which we now call Holy Spirit, to reconnect us with Him and with His creation. “Our social and cultural dislocation in today’s world is based on our alienation of spirit. We have lost touch with the spirit within and correspondingly with the spiritual power that surrounds us. We are out of tune with the fundamental nature of life, our own and that of the universe. We are haunted by a sense of ‘cosmic homelessness’, an uprooted and dislocated people torn and tossed by the superficial values of consumerism, progress, exploitation and insipid religiosity. And the more we try to rectify our problem – by anthropocentric interference, scientific certitude or religious dogmatism – the more desperate our situation becomes” (O’Murchu, 2007).

Let us go back to the genesis of our faith to drink again from the spiritual well that has nourished our ancestors for a long time. Let us not fall into the movement of clericalism. Let us rather recover and revitalize creation spirituality, with the help of the Great Spirit, in order move forward in our efforts to renew the face of the earth as we continue to invoke: “Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.” Let us capitalized on the momentum fueled by Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ which puts to the fore of our faith our rootedness in creation:  “Today, we seem to be on a more authentic ground in striving to discern divine reality (holy mystery) from within the workings of creation itself. When we begin to comprehend the mystery that is our cosmic and planetary creation, we do indeed detect a sense of depth and profundity. This is a new spiritual landscape where we are more likely to encounter what the indigenous peoples have long known as the Great Spirit, an enduring and living sense of Holy Mystery… The same Spirit who evoked meaning and beauty from the original chaos of creation is once more reweaving the patterns within the evolving web of life. Our spiritual attunement to that Spirit is probably our single greatest resource for the transitions we experience, and our surest guide to the future opening up before us. Under the enduring wisdom of that Great Spirit, we venture on” (O’Murchu, 2007).  

May 14, 2023* Sixth Sunday of Easter*If you love me, keep my commands

Ms. Arceli Bile, Association of Women in Theology (AWIT)

Acts 8:5-8, 14-17         

Ps 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20       

1 Pt 3:15-18    

Jn 14:15-21     

John 14:15-21 was another intimate conversation of Jesus with his disciples. As his suffering and death are about to happen, Jesus reminded them that loving him means keeping his commands, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.”

Loving Jesus and walking in his footsteps is a painstaking journey. But being on this journey is the only way to comprehend the depth of discipleship that Jesus calls us to do. The disciples, later called the “apostles” suffered persecution, difficulties, and challenges along the way, but they stood firm and held on to the teachings and commands of their Teacher and Lord.  The movement of  Jesus persisted. 

To follow Jesus and obey his commands, is to love God and our neighbors, and this remains the imperative of the Christian faith. In John 15:13, Jesus told his disciples about the radical depiction of love; “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” We are called to embody the same love that Jesus lived out. As one popular Christian song says “They will know we are Christians by our love; yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 

In the Old Testament, Yahweh was portrayed as the protector of the widows and the orphans. Yahweh’s command to care for and defend orphans means ensuring that orphans live in dignity and are not denied justice.

Hence, it is no wonder that Jesus assured his disciples not to leave them orphaned. In the succeeding verses of John 14, Jesus spoke to his disciples full of love and assurance of giving them another “paraclete” – An advocate to be with them forever. The disciples may not comprehend everything that Jesus had expressed to them, but Jesus has assured them that the Holy Spirit will remind them of everything he said. 

When the disciples were in doubt, Jesus challenged them to have faith; when the disciples were fearful, he had words of assurance and comfort.

***

Reflecting on the text, I remember the many orphaned children in the Philippines. According to the 2021 data from the Philippines Orphanage Foundation, out of the over 109 million population in the country, there were at least 2 million orphaned children. Most of these children are victims of extreme poverty and others of natural disasters and armed conflicts in the country. While there are government and non-government organizations that cater to the needs of the orphans, like giving shelter and processing adoption, addressing the root causes of this orphan crisis must be a priority of the government. 

I remember the families of the victims and survivors of the “war on drugs” in the Philippines during former president Duterte’s administration. Many children were orphaned because of the brutal killings of the poor, young and old, even babies of two months old. These orphans have been seeking justice for their loved ones. They pursue the call for the International Criminal Court for an independent investigation and trial against the Duterte administration for its crime against humanity.

Also, I remember the families orphaned because their loved ones were victims of enforced disappearance. Numerous rights defenders were victims of enforced disappearance during the Martial Law in the Philippines. I always feel inadequate to comprehend and sympathize with the families of the Desaparecidos. I cannot fathom their grief and fear. They are full of uncertainties, yet they are also full of hope, that one day they will see their missing loved ones once again. They continue their struggle for justice for their sons, daughters, siblings, and spouses.

Recently, two political activists, Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz “Bazoo” de Jesus, have been missing since April 28. Their families and rights group activists call on the government to surface their missing loved ones. They believe that Capuyan and de Jesus were abducted by state forces because of their activism. 

Despite being orphaned, Mercedita de Jesus, the mother of Bazoo de Jesus, courageously said: “We hope the day will come that our son will return to us, that we will be able to hug and kiss him. And I know that if he comes home, he will not stop pursuing his advocacies because we know that he will not stop until he sees a ray of hope for change in society”.

The loss of our loved ones, friends, colleagues, and comrades, are tough situations that made us feel orphaned. For others, it is their experiences of being marginalized, discriminated against, and neglected; for others, it is being denied justice and deprived of their rights.

One thing is for sure; Jesus did not leave his disciples orphaned, and neither are we. We are assured that those who obey Jesus’ command have a Great Companion, Comforter, and Advocate- the Holy Spirit. 

I believe the Advocate who abides in us and among us also empowers us to be advocates of the orphaned, widows, the suffering, neglected, and abandoned. The Advocate will teach us to love despite fear and uncertainties. The Advocate will help us to be steadfast in loving God and our neighbors as Jesus’ commanded us. The Advocate will give us wisdom and strength to carry on and overcome.

May 7, 2023* Fifth Sunday of Easter *Jesus’ Political Vision and Program

Rev. Ariel Siagan, IEMELIF

https://kapirasongkritika.wordpress.com/2008/12/23/698/

Acts 6:1-7

Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19

1 Pt 2:4-9

Jn 14:1-12

Many New Testament scholars agree that the Gospel of John is written for a beleaguered community torn from many sides. John’s community experience incessant harassment from their enemies. These enemies are (1) a well-established religious community and (2) a King who reads their loyalty swerving towards subversion. They earned their enemies because of their subversive belief that Jesus Christ was resurrected and now reigning from heaven. This theological belief has political implications that could spell life and death. This belief launches them into a political mission that directly offends the ruling elite.

What does it mean of Jesus’ claim as the way, the truth, and the life?

Chapter 14 of the Gospel of John began with an encouragement, “Do not let not your hearts be troubled” which could be imagined to be addressing a community that regularly negotiates its identity and mission among communities that possesses greater political savviness and better governmental influence and infrastructure. Thus, Jesus’ claim as the way, the truth, and the life can be understood through the experience of participating in a subversive political program and political persecution and suffering at the hands of the ruling elite. It can only be articulated from the point of view of those who accept political tasks regardless of inevitable suffering. From this point of view, let us try to reimagine what Jesus’ way, truth, and life mean for those who put on their shoulders a political mission.

Jesus’ way is a political program meant to establish a Kin(g)dom in opposition to the ruling class  . Such a task is not a walk in the park, it’s the road less traveled, a journey of pain and suffering that culminated in Jesus’ eventual death in Calvary. Jesus’ truth emanates from the testimony of those experiencing marginalization from the ruling nobility. It is an intentional bias to hear and believe the stories of the suffering of the marginalized rather than deny them. It is the audacity and daringness to go to the fringes of society–to listen to, build, and be present. Jesus as life can be understood from its opposition to death. The result of their political program is life for their community, meaning the erasure of their marginal position. Jesus as the way, truth, and life is a political program, and suffering as a consequence  is embodied..

In the Philippines, those who hold a liberating political vision are harassed and vilified. As Filipinos, we should ask ourselves whether we are still under a functioning democracy or an authoritarian ruler. Not a few have been red-tagged, and not a few who have been red-tagged experienced profound suffering. Some were unjustly  incarcerated while many have been killed. The government seems to be the one setting into motion the malicious red tagging done to community activists. I have deep respect for activists. I know activist friends who passionately helped distribute food during the pandemic. I know some of them are staunch defenders of human rights and life. Some of them are religious people who advocate for the rights of migrants, urban poor, fisherfolks, and workers in factories. I always would want to support and pray for them. I know that their tireless commitment and passion emanate from a vision of a better society. I know that some of them not just distribute food, they are also educating and encouraging their people to join the vision that they have. These activists raise the political consciousness of the people they work with. I don’t wonder if their tireless commitment and passion to change society is energized by the political vision they hold true. Their tireless commitment and passion are so pronounced that the military and police find it subversive. Such is the case of Isabelo Adviento who was detained in 2022 for actively leading food distribution during the pandemic. He is also the fourth nominee of the Anakpawis partylist. He continually talk and organized peasant and farming communities so that they won’t be vulnerable to exploitation at the hands of big agricultural businesses and by the government themselves.

The community of John who believes Jesus as the way, the truth, and life have set put them into opposition against community that maintains an unjust order.  These enemies try to annihilate them because they hold a different vision of life that is made concrete by a political program aiming to change the structures of society for the better. The same is true with activists and mass leaders of today. Those people experiencing political persecution from the state may have held a different vision of life that counters the vision of the state.

Time and again as Christians we are called to heed suffering, to hear and believe their testimonies, for one should not argue with suffering. Time and again as Christians we are called to envision a better society and to create it now. Let us reason together a political program that will set into motion the erasure of poverty, marginality, and inequality that are experienced by the majority. Let us work together on a political program that will set the condition for love, compassion, justice, and peace to spring forth from the ground.