21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

I remember a case against a Court Stenographer II (Calingasan), of a Municipal Trial Court in Cities, Sta. Rosa City, Laguna who was reprimanded for her habitual tardiness with a stern warning that a repitition of a similar offense in the future will be dealt with more severely. In the said case, the excuses offered by respondent are not the kind that would justify her tardiness. The court held that moral obligations, the performance of household chores, traffic problems, health conditions, and domestic and financial concerns are not sufficient causes to excuse habitual tardiness. But what is striking in this case was this quote: "Public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people... Inherent in this mandate is the observance of prescribed office hours and the efficient use of every moment thereof for public service, if only to recompense the Government, and ultimately, the people who shoulder the cost of maintaining the Judiciary. Thus, to inspire public respect for the justice system, court officials and employees are at all times behooved to strictly observe official time. As punctuality is a virtue, absenteeism and tardiness are impermissible."

My dear friends, our Gospel (Luke 13:22-30), speaks of the same thing, that tardiness is impermissible. In other words, it is not good to risk being shut out especially when we set our feet for a spiritual journey. In the said Gospel, Jesus made it clear that each one of us must strive to enter heaven. Heaven is already open for all. Yet, Jesus made it also clear that not all would be able to enter heaven. Why? Jesus said that time would come for the householder to rise up and shut the door. The door of heaven would be shut to those who would come too late. It is like a door closed by the teacher on tardy students. At its best, this is a particular Gospel that gives us one instance why some people could not enter heaven i.e., they come late. We are therefore reminded to efficiently use every hour, every minute, every second, every moment of our life to serve God and His people. We have to do this as early as possible while alive. We must not waste any time. While still young and able, we must be good. When we are old and weakened by age, we must remain good. And when death comes, we are not afraid going to heaven. Because by that time, we know our right foot has already entered heaven waiting for our left foot to step inside too. To end, our Gospel reminds us that it is not good to always say it is better late than never. We are rather called to do good as early as we can. It is like saying then, early bird catches worms. Amen.

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A young man who aspired to become a priest someday entered a seminary. All his family, relatives and friends were happy with his decision except for one person, the young man's father. His father never wanted him to become a priest. At his father's deathbed, he was asked to leave the seminary to follow the dream of his father i.e., to perpetuate their family name. When his father died, he finally left the seminary to give in to his father's last request. 

My dear friends, our Gospel, Luke 12:49-53 confirms as a matter of fact that in following Jesus, conflict arises even between or among family members. Jesus Himself declared that He came to cast fire upon the earth, to give not peace but division. Just like what I said in the story, a son's decision to follow Jesus as a priest was in conflict with his father's wish for him. If the son really would stand for Jesus, he would find himself going against his father as his father would go against him. There would be division between them. Here, instead of making his father understand his love for priesthood, the son gave up his love for priesthood just to have peace between them. In a father and son relationship, the decision of the young man was noble. But in relationship with Jesus, the young man's decision was ignoble. In short, our Gospel reminds us that we rather have rest with Jesus than have peace without Him. This is not an easy choice but we must choose for the love of Jesus. Amen.

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

All things are vanity according to our first reading taken from Ecclesiastes 1. It means that at the end of our life here on earth, everything we do, everything we have, everything we are, are vanity.  The one who has many achievements in life in comparison with one who has not achieved anything, dies without bringing anything. Both end up with worms in their decaying bodies. The question is, what is the difference between being good and being bad in this life if both suffer the same consequences in death? 

Well, as Psalm 90 states, "You turn man back to dust, saying, 'Return, O children of men.' For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night", it reveals that the end of our life here on earth is not an end in vain. The Psalm reminds us that there is God who knows when our life shall end and even how it shall end. If therefore there is God, then whatever we do, whatever we have, whoever we are matters as we are accountable to Him with what He has given us while here on earth. Yes, we cannot bring what we have here on earth when we face death. But whatever we do with what we have is important for our life after death. This is made clear when we read the Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians 3:1-11 as it says, "If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God." So what we do, what we have and who we are here on earth is given weight for our life after death. When we do good things, though our body lies in death just like those bodies of bad people who die, we have this hope that we shall rise again and gain our eternal reward in heaven. By this, we do not share the same consequence with those bad people.

In Luke 12:13-21, Jesus reminds us not to lay up treasure for ourselves for such act does not make us rich toward God. It means we have to consider that everything we do, everything we have, everything we are is from God and for God. Our happiness lies in living, in being and in doing what is pleasing to God. Our life here on earth points towards our life in heaven as we use our life for a divine purpose. Life is in vain only when no God is in our vein. Amen.

SNS Intrams 2016

Last July 25, 2016, I was invited by Sem. Rome to celebrate this mass today with you so as to signal the opening of your Intramural. I was invited not because I was one of the Mythical Five during the 1995 Intramural in this seminary. I was invited not because I was the champion in chess during the 1995 Intramural in this seminary. I was invited not because my team, our Base group San Miguel, was the back to back Champion in basketball before I graduated from this seminary. I was invited not because I initiated that the two Class A basketball courts be painted with the seminary's logo in 1995.  I was invited not because I used to be the chairman of Sports Committee which I called Sportscom during the 1995-1996 Academic Year. 

Rather, I was invited to say this mass with you today because of so many priests who were invited prior to me, they all refused to accept the invitation. (To refuse an offer is an insult) In short, I was the only one left, the last choice. To make this sounds better, I am your only hope because you have no more choice. (To offer a reject is an insult)

Nevertheless, I accepted the invitation to say this mass today because Sem. Rome is a good friend of mine. Aside from just being a good friend, there is a bond of brotherhood that I forge with Sem. Rome as well as with Sem. Rollo which started when we met some few years back in my very poor parish. I cannot afford to say NO to any of them especially if this is the only way I can convince them to become a priest; I do not have any reason to reject their invitation. Above all, I convey to you today that my presence here makes our brotherhood authentic. 

Now, Sem. Rome, Sem. Rollo as well as to all seminarians who are here, hopefully you know what it means to state "Flourishing Authentic Brotherhood" as the theme for this year's Intramural. I shall not explain what "brotherhood" is as it is obvious that all of you are physically male and therefore you call each other as brother (unless you prefer to call each other in a different way).  I shall not also explain to you what the verb "flourish" is as you already know it connotes that something is at the height of fame. But let me ask you why you use the adjective "authentic" in describing your brotherhood. Does this mean there is among you an experience of "false brotherhood?" 

False brotherhood is nothing but a relationship established with the purpose of handing over a person to his enemies. To understand this, look at our Gospel which is taken from Matthew 14:1-12. Although the verb used in verse 3 is "had arrested" or "had laid hold", it is not the exact translation of the greek word "paradedomei" which means to hand over a person to his enemies by a pretense of friendship. To have a better picture of the word "paradedomei" look at the Gospel of Mark 14: 43-45 which tells us about how Jesus was arrested. It is said that Judas handed Him over to His enemies by a kiss. "Paradedomei" is also seen among brothers as the Gospels of Matthew 10:21 and Mark 13:12 state, "Brother will hand over brother to death." This is "false brotherhood" as one leads another to his destruction. So in having a theme, "Flourishing Authentic Brotherhood" during your intramural, it is but right that each one of you must wish for the best of another.

To dwell with the theme, "Flourishing Authentic Brotherhood", just let me tell you something about the First Intramural by Base Group at least in the College Level. In 1993 Intramural, our Base group Saint Michael was the toughest team among the seven teams in basketball. Our team captain was Stephen Bolivar of Nabas, the best among his classmates in terms of basketball skills. Our pointguard was Brechyl Rapio of Banga who was also one of the best in their class in terms of basketball skills. Our shooting guard was Ian Gubatina of Madalag who was also one of the best in his class in terms of basketball skills. Fr. Ike Temporaza of Tangalan was our power forward and I was there just to complete the list of the first five. I could still remember how we won every game during the elimination round to reach the championship game. We were sure that our Base group St. Michael would be the champion in basketball as we defeated all the six teams with scores you do not want to know. We were the Dream Team. We were proud and we aimed to get the title of the Overall Champion for the 1993 Intramural. 

But during the championship game against the Base group of Saint Gabriel; anybody might imagine it was an epic battle between San Miguel and San Gabriel. We were leading the scores quarter by quarter against the Base group of St. Gabriel. When the last quarter began, the tone of the game changed. All the other teams cheered for the Base group of St. Gabriel. Everyone wished for our defeat. With the joint forces of the six teams, we were demoralized. We panicked. Stephen Bolivar was even fouled out. It became a close fight. The game ended with our hearts broken. The Base group of St. Gabriel won. 

The players of St. Gabriel Base group at that time were too small for us but they won over us because almost all seminarians gave their moral support to them. The six base groups had something in common against us. They all lost against us. Their individual defeat made them sympathetic from one base group to another base group. Their experience of defeat created in them a unique brand of brotherhood. The brand of their brotherhood was not confined to their base group but was extended to those who tasted defeat against us. The authenticity of their brotherhood flourished when all the six teams joined together during the basketball championship. We were not just playing against the St. Gabriel base group but with all the other base groups as their allied forces. We were dealing with a band of brothers.

On that day, we realized we were defeated not because we lacked skills. Rather, we were defeated due to our failure to show some good attitude with the other base groups. Perhaps, we failed to treat them as brothers during the game. In every game, we were like roaring lions looking for someone to devour. We somehow forgot that Intramural, which literally means "within the walls" is an exclusive activity involving ONLY brothers of the same seminary. We somehow neglected to show a kind of brotherhood which the late Fr. Victor Hugo I. Martelino instilled in our hearts and minds known as the "Igmaeanghoran Spirit". It is a brotherhood that goes beyond the four walls of this seminary.

With all these realizations, our team, the St. Michael Base group finally became the champion in basketball not only in 1994 but also in 1995 Intramurals. We played every game with respect for other base groups. We remained humble whenever we won. We faced defeat with a hope for a fighting chance for the next game. Above all, we treated every seminarian, skilled or unskilled, as a real brother. We experienced the "Igmaeanghoran Spirit" among us.

My dear friends in Christ, intramural is one venue that allows everyone to experience authentic brotherhood within one's base group extending to other base groups. We can say there is authentic brotherhood among you when you play every game with an attitude of a real brother. Just like in basketball, those who are skilled encourage their base group members who are unskilled to dribble and shoot the ball. In playing with the other base group, play with them just like a big brother playing gently with his little brother. No matter how good one dribbles the ball or shoots the ball, if he does not know how to play calmly like a caring big brother, the risk of losing the ball while he dribbles or the risk of missing the shots is highly probable. To develop one's skills during intramural is good but remember it is the brotherly attitude that defines how good he is with his skills. 

To end, I wish you seminarians bear this in your mind, that today is the day for you to show there is indeed a flourishing authentic brotherhood among you. You must have that desire to play every game for the good of the other. And if there is this brotherhood among you, then bring it on!