17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In our Gospel, it is said that Jesus prayed in a certain place. Afterwards, one of His disciples asked Him, "Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples". There is nothing wrong with what the disciple asked from Jesus i.e., to teach them to pray. But let me ask, why did the disciple say "as John taught his disciples" if he could only say, "as how You (Jesus) pray"? Well, the answer may be obvious as they could not pray the way Jesus prayed. So when the disciple asked Him to teach them how to pray as John taught his disciples, this is a direct statement from the disciple that they could not pray the way Jesus prayed but they could pray the way a follower of Jesus should pray.

In praying as a disciple of Jesus, one is privileged to address God as a Father. Apostasy is never an option whenever painful events happen in his life. In other words, he has to glorify the Holy Name of God whatever comes his way. He also treats everybody as his equal because in the Kingdom of God, only God is above all. As a disciple, he believes in the Divine Providence. Everything that he needs, God will provide him. If it is not good for his soul, he is deprived of it. When he falls into sin, he asks for forgiveness. If he has not yet sinned, he has to pray for protection against temptation. 

My dear friends in Christ, we are led to realize with our Gospel that Jesus taught His disciples not only how to pray but also how to be a man of prayer. We are also invited to do the same. So, everytime we pray the Lord's Prayer we condition ourselves that all in all we must submit our will to God. We pray not to impose our will to God but to attune our will with His will. We pray the Lord's Prayer as we know how to live as disciples of Jesus. Moreover, we pray the Lord's Prayer, so our hearts and minds are formed to be authentic diciples of Jesus. Amen.

Thanksgiving of Rev. Fr. Eubert Sarabia 7/18/2016

Our Gospel, Matthew 12: 38-42 narrates that some scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus to work for a sign. The sign here refers to a proof perceptible to the senses that would clearly reveal the authority of Jesus, which includes His words and deeds, is all from God. A sign is asked for the purpose of converting unbelievers like the scribes and Pharisees in our Gospel to a belief in Jesus as the Son of God. A sign is asked to know the will of God. A sign is asked to confirm that what is said and done is in accord with God's plan.

Jesus answered the only sign that will be given them is that of the prophet Jonah. What is this sign of Jonah? Who is Jonah? 

Jonah was a prophet sent by God to Nineveh to preach repentance but he rose up to flee by ship unto Tarshish instead of going to the said city of Nineveh. God then sent out a great wind upon the sea so that the ship was like to be broken. In order to save the rest of the people in the ship, Jonah  was thrown overboard from it and swallowed by a large fish, remaining in its belly for three days before being cast up onto the shore unharmed. This is the sign of Jonah: that God rescued Jonah from death by means of the "great fish" to go to Nineveh and preach repentance there. The sign of Jonah revealed the will of God. The sign of Jonah confirmed that everything should be in accord with God's plan. The purpose of the sign of Jonah is to convert unbelievers to a belief in God. 

Rev. Fr. Eubert Sarabia keep in your mind and heart the day of your ordination as the sign of Jonah. After your four years in High School, you decided to leave the seminary despite the advice of your Prefect of Discipline that you are called to the priesthood. You rose up to flee unto Las Pinas to study at Perpetual Help wanting to be a nurse instead of becoming a priest. More than three days and three nights, you experienced restlessness. I remember in 2005, we met in my former parish at the Resurrection of Our Lord Parish in BF Homes Paranaque and I was happy that you were looking for a priest to guide you back on your sacred vocation. Finally, after two years outside the seminary, you went back to Aklan, you went back to the seminary, you went back to become a priest. 

As the sign of Jonah revealed the will of God, so your ordination reveals the will of God for you -that you belong indeed to the Community of Priests. As the sign of Jonah confirmed that everything should be in accord with God's plan, so your ordination confirms that you have done everything in accord with God's plan. As the purpose of the sign of Jonah is to convert unbelievers to a belief in God, so your ordination can bring unbelievers to a belief in God. 

Rev. Fr. Eubert Sarabia remember that you were given the sign of Jonah. Do not look for any sign anymore. Do not say you will remain a priest as long as you are assigned in a financially-established parish. Do not say you will remain a priest as long as you can collect some best toys for the big boys like my pajero and montero sports or my Delica and Grandia. Do not say you will remain a priest as long as you are loved by many and enjoy a good reputation. Do not say you will remain a priest if you can visit the Pope in Rome. Rev. Fr. Eubert Sarabia, just remember the day of your ordination. You have realized what it means to say that it is God's will and not yours is done. You have personally witnessed how God has worked in some mysterious ways to make you a priest today. Let your ordination be the most memorable experience in your ministry. Let your ordination be the sign of Jonah for you. Let your ordination be enough as a sign from God to embrace your priesthood.

Nevertheless, though you keep your ordination as a sign from God, never forget your personal encounter with Jesus everyday as a priest. Signs are just signs. Signs are nothing without Jesus. In our Gospel, Jesus Himself declared that there is something greater than Jonah. It means there is greater than the signs you are asking fom God: He is Jesus Himself. Your ordination is not just your personal story but above all it is the story of Jesus in your personal life.

Sometimes you might think your ordination is a sign that God needs you to do something. Well, Rev. Fr. Eubert Sarabia think otherwise. Your ordination is a sign that Jesus does something special for you. Sometimes you might think your ordination is a sign that you have done your best before God. Well, Rev. Fr. Eubert Sarabia think otherwise. Your ordination is a sign that Jesus loves you even in your worst. In short, your ordination as well as our ordination is a sign for the whole Christian community of how Jesus loves us. Jesus has called us; He has chosen us despite our weakness, our sinfulness, our defective personality and frailty. Who can love us the way we are except for Jesus? 

Rev. Fr. Eubert Sarabia, without Jesus, our ordination is nothing, our priesthood is nothing. Signs are just signs. Signs are nothing without Jesus. This is why in our Gospel when Jesus mentioned about the sign of Jonah, He immediately mentioned something about Himself: "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of  the earth." Signs are just signs. Signs are nothing without Jesus. 

Moreover, Rev. Fr. Eubert Sarabia, during your ordination, remember that you prostrated before the altar of the Lord. Such act of prostrating oneself before the altar of the Lord happens only twice in your life as a priest. The first one, as I have said it, was at your ordination and the second one shall be on Good Friday. On both occasions, the act of prostrating yourself before the altar of the Lord is an admission of your guilt, that you are sinful and weak. On your ordination, you prostrated and thanked Jesus for choosing you to the priesthood. On Good Friday, you shall prostrate and thank Jesus for sustaining you to the priesthood. On your ordination, the act of prostrating before the altar of the Lord is a sign that despite your human limitation, Jesus loves you. On Good Friday, the act of prostrating before the altar of the Lord makes you a sign that despite your human limitation, you must love God's people as Jesus has loved you.

Therefore, Rev. Fr. Eubert Sarabia, your ordination is a sign from Jesus. It is a sign of the love of Jesus. No doubt about it. Jesus has already given you a sign. Jesus loves you. Do not look for any sign anymore. Rather, as a newly-ordained priest, be a SIGN of the love of Jesus in His Church. Live as a priest. Die as a priest. May Jesus bless you and keep you. May Jesus make His face shine on you. Amen.

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our Gospel from Luke 10:38-42 presents to us the two sisters, Martha and Mary who both did their best for the Lord when He visited them. Martha was busy by herself to do the serving while Mary was busy listening to Jesus. Both were doing the right thing. But only one of them did things right. It was Mary according to Jesus who chose the better part. Why was it so? Well, the twist here was that the Gospel scene happened at the home of the two sisters. 
Home is a different place to visit. Let us put it this way. If there is a visitor in our home, it is being hospitable that we serve him or her food and drinks. As we do this, we know that our visitor is not after the food or drinks we serve. Rather, he or she is there for us, to know our current situation or our predicaments. It is about us not about our food or drinks that they want to hear about. To be more hospitable, we have to give attention to the heart of our visitor more than his or her stomach. 
Home is a different place to visit. If we visit Jollibee, Mcdonald, etc. we do not expect the managers or store owners themselves shall serve us and sit with us to have some personal conversations. But if we visit a home, we expect the homeowner to invite us to take a seat and converse with him or her. If not, then either he/she does not want to see us or he/she is not hospitable. What shall we do with the food or drinks if the homeowners themselves make us uncomfortable by not facing us?
Now, going back to the Gospel, the lesson Jesus wanted us to learn from the situation is that in our home, we need to listen to Jesus. We have to make our home a prayer zone too. Of course, our home is like other homes where members of the family are sleeping, eating, drinking, etc. But our Gospel reminds us that though all these activities are good, we have to include praying as a family in our home as part of the daily activities. Some of us do not pray the prayer before or after meals. Some of us never think of God when at home. This is not good. We have to welcome Jesus, be hospitable to Him by giving Him a special space in our home. Amen.

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at Aklan State University 2016

What happens when a teacher and her student fall in love with each other?

Let me tell you about the unique love story of a lady teacher with her student in the case Chua-Qua vs Clave 189 SCRA 117.  The case was about an affair and marriage of 30 years old teacher Evelyn Chua in Tay Tung High School in Bacolod City to her 16 years old student, Mr. Bobby Qua. The lady teacher was suspended without pay and was terminated of her employment “for Abusive and Unethical Conduct Unbecoming of a Dignified School Teacher” which was filed against her by the School. For the school authorities, the marriage of Evelyn Chua, then a classroom teacher, to her student who was fourteen (14) years her junior, was sufficient basis for terminating her services. In short, when the lady teacher married her student, she got fired.

Do you think the story stops there? No. The lady teacher questioned in the court why she was dismissed from her job just because she fell in love with her student and married him.The case went on to the Supreme Court.

The good news is the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Evelyn, declaring:

...[the school] utterly failed to show that petitioner [30-year old lady teacher] took advantage of her position to court her student [16-year old]. 

"If the two eventually fell in love, despite the disparity (difference) in their ages and academic levels, this only lends substance to the truism (obvious truth) that the heart has reasons of its own which reason does not know. But, definitely, yielding to this gentle and universal emotion is not to be so casually equated with immorality. The deviation of the circumstances of their marriage from the usual societal pattern cannot be considered as a defiance of contemporary social mores.”

The bad news is this case happened in 1976. With the present laws that we have, it is difficult to find a similar or even same story such as this. In 1998, the case of Santos vs. NLRC G.R. No. 115795 opened with this statement:

"It is to state the obvious that schools, next only to the home, wield a weighty influence upon the students, especially during the latters' formative years, for it instills in them the values and mores which shall prepare them to discharge their rightful responsibilities as mature individuals in society. At the vanguard (frontliner) in nurturing their growth are the teachers who are directly charged with rearing and educating them. As such, a teacher serves as a role model for his students. Corollarily, he must not bring the teaching profession into public disrespect or disgrace..."

...For failure to live up to the exacting moral standards demanded by his/her profession, any erring teacher might be dismissed from his/her employment on the ground of immorality...

My dear friends in Christ, in this campus, instead of dreaming for a romantic love story, why not established a loving atmosphere where both teaching and learning are conducive? I say conducive for both teaching and learning because this campus is not only a community of students but also of teachers. 

Let me address this first to the students: we know that this campus is conducive for learning when students are willing to learn rather than to play some online games in a nearby computer shop or to waste their time with their peers in sorting to vices like drinking liquor, smoking, taking prohibited drugs, etc. Though it is not good on my part, but I have to confess to all of you about this. One of my nephews studied here. He enrolled as a college freshman. After five years or more, he was never fresh as he did not finish college. He loved and still loves hanging out with his brothers in the fraternity. So, do I have to blame the school authorities about the plight of my prodigal nephew? Of course not!!! This campus can be conducive for learning not because of the teachers or school authorities but because of the students themselves who have their dreams for themselves and for their family. Take this from me. In 2001, I was a newly ordained priest at that time yet I enrolled in this same campus to take my masteral, Master in Public Administration. I had to travel every Saturday and even Sunday from Numancia, Aklan where I was assigned to this campus in Banga, Aklan where I took my Master in Public Administration (MPA). The most difficult subject I had was Statistics. Statistics made me think of giving up my academic pursuits. However, the willingness to finish what I started was within my body, my mind and my spirit. It was not the professor but I myself who made this campus conducive for my learning. I learned and passed Statistics as a subject and finally received my diploma in this place where we celebrate our mass today. 

Now, let me address this to the Faculty and Staff, teachers and professors or school authorities in general: we know that this campus is conducive for teaching when teachers are willing to teach their students. There can be many reasons for teachers to willingly teach. But let me tell you this, a teacher who enjoys seeing how he or she has influenced the life of his or her students to be better is one who is willing to teach despite the odds on his or her way. I remember when I gave a seminar for Faculty and Staff, teachers and professors at ASU Ibajay, Aklan some years ago, a lady teacher voiced out her problem by asking me what is the use of teaching well with the low salary she received. I immediately gave my answer based on my own personal experience as a teacher that I would not allow my students to suffer from poor education just because of my poor salary as a teacher. I love teaching and no amount of money can compensate my love for teaching as a profession. Two or three years after I gave that seminar, that lady teacher left the campus in Ibajay.

To end, allow me to give emphasis on the words of Jesus, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice" (Matthew 12: 1-8) in relation to all what I have said to you. Human as we are we commit mistakes. Each of us has his or her own share of failures in life. Students who at first are willing to learn and teachers who at first are willing to teach sometimes face a difficult moment of their life. Great challenges and problems in life made them lose their appetite either to learn or to teach. Some female students become pregnant in the time they are unprepared to become mothers. Some male students love cutting classes in search for a drinking spree. Some teachers become exhausted or tired of teaching the same subjects. Other teachers suffered from physicall illness or sickness that changed their outlook in life affecting the way they teach too. All these situations show our limitations as human beings. They tell us that there is something wrong somewhere somehow. It is on these situations that we have to say what Jesus said -I desire mercy. Mercy means to give love to someone even when he or she is undeserving of our love. When we show mercy, we do it as part of building a loving atmosphere where both teaching and learning are conducive. Let me point out to you the case of Michael Prince del Rosario, the topnotcher of the latest LET in the secondary level. He admitted his addiction with an online game forced him to drop out of school. In other words, he did not go to Hign School. Through the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Alternative Learning System program, he was given the opportunity to get a high school diploma. This involved reviewing a module in order to pass an exam to get a diploma that would make him eligible to enter college. This is an act of mercy on the part of DepEd which makes teacher willing to teach and thus students like Del Rosario are willing to learn. Now, Del Rosario, a learner who becomes a teacher said, "Para mai-share ko naman 'yung experience ko noong high school ako, para marami ring maging katulad ko na noong una nadapa, noong una nagkamali, noong una parang wala nang pupuntahan, pero nakakabangon at nakakabangon basta may pangarap.”

(I want to share my experience in high school so that there will be more people like me, who in the past fell, made a mistake and had no direction, but is now thriving because of a dream.)

This my dear friends is the concrete example of desiring for mercy and not sacrifice. Let us show the same in this campus. As long as a student has a dream for himself or herself, as long as teachers have a dream for their students, give love. If not, just show mercy. Amen.

Thanksgiving of Rev. Fr. Kenn Martin G. Estocado 3/11/2004

Every priest has a unique story to tell about his vocation as the call comes in all sorts of ways and takes many forms. Just like one seminarian before who made a poem way back year 1995 and I quote:

Bata pa akong maliit, sa tawag ng Poon ako'y naakit.

Sa mga salita ng ina kong binanggit, "manok" ang sa aki'y kumalabit.

Ako'y pumasok sa seminaryo upang tanggapin, ang tawag ng Poon na aking pinansin.

Ako'y hindi makapaniwala sa aking narating, ako'y naging seminarista at ngayo'y pari dahil sa "manok" Mong pain.

By this, we may say, indeed becoming a priest is a mystery. And for Kenn, this "manok" became the beginning of all other mysteries. Mysteries, just like the rosary, include Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and Luminous ones.

The Joyful Mystery: 

Kenn enjoyed his seminary life as well as the memories he had with his family, friends and formators, which made him loved his stay in the seminary.

The Sorrowful Mystery:

Kenn suffered from his defective eyes when we were in Philosophy that made him missed our classes. Kenn also felt the pain of losing his father when we were in Theology.

The Glorious Mystery:

First thing is that Sacramental Brotherhood became a living experience among us as classmates. Then in the long period of delay regarding his ordination, I see the glory of God by saying, "The last deacon ordained by Bishop Reyes in Kalibo became the first priest ordained by Bishop Romeo Lazo." In addition, being a deacon which seemed to last forever, Kenn had the privilege to place the date of his ordination on his birthday. Thus, it signals the birth of his spiritual identity embracing his human identity.

The Luminous Mystery:

Kenn, you received the "Mystery of Light" yesterday, the day of your ordination. This Mystery of Light should not remain only a mystery but a ministry -a Ministry of Light.

My welcoming words for you as a new priest and more than this as my bestfriend are these when you begin your ministry of light.

1. Just as Jesus the true light which enlightens every one who comes into the world, so shall you bring light to all the faithful as a priest. As a light, do not underestimate the power of the dark side especially that of materialism and consumerism which may harm you and your ministry.

2. In order to enlighten the faithful, you should first become a light. To become a light, you need Christ -the source of all lights. And to accomplish this, it is fundamentally important that you rediscover the absolute need for personal sanctity i.e., live in Christ, like Christ and for Christ. In your prayer and celebration of sacraments, be His witness, listen and reflect, tell amd retell no other stories than that of the great light Jesus the Christ.

3. As a shining light, shine more and more unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18). Kenn, we know how hard it is to carry the light and to keep it burning. Yet, never give up as you never had given up before. In our ministry, expect that we cannot please everybody but do remember, to please everybody is not our ministry. Rather, to make what is pleasing to God our priority. Our ministry to carry the light of Christ is our life, so shall we die carrying this same light.

To end, in behalf of the young priests as well as the whole presbyterium, I welcome you who are our new priest-collaborator in the apostolate. Your priesthood is absolutely vital. There is no substitute for it. You carry the light of Christ as your priestly ministry through your day-to-day service of the faithful. You are minister of the sacraments. It is you who bring comfort to people and guide them in difficult moments in their lives. We urge you to continue on your chosen path willingly and joyfully: a light that is willing to shine! No one should be discouraged as we are only doing God's works, that same God who lights us, calls us, sends us and remains with us everyday of our lives. Amen.

A Tribute to Nay Nelly Mabasa Cristobal

Today is a significant day. It is significant not only because today is the end of Ramadan or the birthday of my sister in-law, the late Alita Marte Madula Rebaldo, but above all we finally lay Nay Nelly to rest in peace after how many days and nights we watched over her and prayed for her. This day becomes significant because the family of Nay Nelly though how much they love her they now have to LET her GO to meet our God the Father. 

My dear friends, it is easy to say that if we love someone, we should know how to let the person go. As I have said this is easier said than done, i.e., to let go of the person we love. Why do we love in the first place? To love is to hold, to embrace the person, to laugh with, to be with and to stay with the person. Letting go seems do not form part of loving. 

Letting go of someone we love happens usually when the person we love does not love us anymore. It means we have to forget the said person. Thereof, it is a good advice to let go of the person who betrays our love. The purpose of letting go here is to forget the person who ceases to love us in return. 

But today letting go is not about forgetting the person. The family and friends of Nay Nelly let her go not for the purpose of forgetting her. Letting her go today means we allow her to be absent in our midst and to be present before God the Father. We believe that she will be in her happier state of life with God compared to the life she had with us. Letting her go today gives us this consolation that comes from God the Father that everything will be okay for Nay Nelly. Just like what Jesus said in our Gospel according to John, in the Father's house there are rooms prepared for her. 

My dear friends, God the Father will take care of Nay Nelly. I am sure of this. I am really sure of this because on June 19, 2016 the day Nay Nelly died was Fathers' Day. Nay Nelly is meant to be our sacrificial gift to God our Father. Nay Nelly is the family's best gift to God our Father as we celebrated Fathers' Day.

Another thing why I am sure that God the Father takes care of Nay Nelly because this week there are no priests available to say this Burial Mass. Almost all of the priests in our diocese are in Antipolo for our Annual Retreat. But here I am. I am here to tell the family of Nay Nelly, do not let your hearts be troubled. Do not worry because God the Father prepares everything for her. God the Father sends me to tell you such message.

To end, I realize that after our oathtaking and signing in the Roll of Attorneys, my first Mass for the Dead when I came back here in Aklan as a priest and as a lawyer was last June 24, 2016. I celebrated the said mass for the soul of Nay Nelly. Today, I also realize that this is my first Burial Mass as a priest and as a lawyer. As I reflect on this, I remember that Nay Nelly though she too was sick had the time to visit my sick mother who underwent an eye surgery. A mother who visited my mother. This reminds me of Mama Mary, the mother of Jesus who visited Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. Both mothers shared their joys and aspiration. As Nay Nelly was with my mother during troubled times, I am here in behalf of my mother for the family of Nay Nelly on this troubled time. The joy and aspiration of my mother which is being a priest and at athe same time a lawyer is now shared with Nay Nelly. For me, these are all signs from God the Father saying to the family and friends of Nay Nelly that everything about her, her life and death, is in the hands of God. Nay Nelly is now in faith and in fact in heaven with our Father. Amen.

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our Gospel of Luke 10:1-20 tells us that aside from the chosen twelve, seventy-two others were appointed to go ahead of Him in pairs. The reason in appointing them is expressed by Jesus Himself -the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few. This could mean that there were many towns and places Jesus intended to visit but the chosen twelve were few in numbers to prepare the way of the Lord in all those towns and places. 

Part of the 72's appointment is one, to be sent like lambs among wolves. It means that they should expect danger in dealing with people. Two, they should bring nothing with them and talk to no one along the way as their appointment requires the immediate execution of their mission. Three, into whatever house they would enter they shall bring peace if the people living there are peaceful. This means that their prayer for peace in the home is executory. Yet the execution is under the condition that the people who should receive God's peace must be deserving of such peace. Four, they should consider what they eat and drink while they visit people in their house as payment for their labor. This reminds the 72 that their appointment is sacred, it is from God. It is God who will provide them of whatever they need. So, as they eat and drink, they shall treat all these as payment from God; for food and drinks are graces from God. But what is most important in their appointment is their mission once they are welcomed by people in the town they have entered. They have to make the welcoming people fully aware that the Kingdom of God is at hand for them because Jesus shall visit them. The 72 must prepare the people to accept and embrace Jesus wholeheartedly. Their mission is not to become popular. Rather, they shall realize that they are just God's laborers. Everything they do must be for God's glory. 

To end, I remember when I chose to be assigned here in my present parish (San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish in Camaligan, Batan, Aklan) in 2012. My parish is known as one of the economically poor parishes as most people live here with their meager income which is enough to meet their basic needs. The parish is not included in their budget. I knew how hard it was for the parish to meet the daily, weekly and monthly expenses like water and electric bills. I did not know where to get some funds for the repair and maintenance of the parish as some parts like the ceiling needed a major repair. On June 20, 2012, I was bombarded by my many concerns on how to manage the parish. Then I prayed that night to God and asked for the intercession of San Lorenzo Ruiz to help me. But now, it is 2016 already and all my worries and concerns about the parish do not bother me anymore. Parishioners help all the time to make the parish a better place where Jesus shall visit us and in gratitude for His visit, we shall accept and embrace Him wholeheartedly. Most of the parishioners become aware that I am only God's laborer and I can bring blessings of peace to them as they deserve them. Of course, this does not mean that our parish is the extension of heaven which is free from any degree of evil. Just like a lamb sent among wolves, there are some who refuse to cooperate and even try to destroy the goodness of the parishioners who are now welcoming Jesus in their lives. I expect this. It is in our Gospel that God's laborers must expect to face the kind of people who are wolves to their fellow men. It is even mentioned first in the list of precautionary measures of Jesus in our Gospel. Thereof, I thank God for allowing me to be of service for His glory. Amen.