God and the Bar Part IV

My first days in UP Law Review Center were tough and became tougher. When Professor Domondon gave us a lecture on Bar Techniques, I panicked especially when he said that we were there for the re-view and not for our first view of the law books and notes. I even made saddened when he told us about our handwriting and the time we have to alot for each question in every Bar subject. I knew I could hardly pass the Bar if all the words of this well-known professor were true. I felt the frustration in me. I asked myself why did I enter into this mess while I could have a more relaxed life as a priest. What did I do to myself? I was just punishing myself by taking up Law! So I texted Judge Belen, a lector/psalmist in the Resurrection of Our Lord Parish, how I felt. She uplifted me by her words that I could catch up during the review whatever lessons I missed back in the Law School. I was temporarily relieved of my being pessimistic at that time. Atty. Andro de la Cruz also told me the same.

When it was the time to review on Labor with Atty. Poquiz, the more I knew that I knew less on the said subject. Then after Labor, we had our Political Law review with Atty. Cruz and the farther I got lost knowing that I really knew nothing of his subject. There were many new lessons which I only heard for the first time. I had a hardtime to take down notes as the lecturer was too fast for me in giving his lecture which he gave us fluently without using a book as his reference. As months passed by, I was totally lost in the review. The burden of reviewing for the Bar was even made heavy when I had to go back to my brother's house after the review. At night, I could not read anymore as my body was tired and I needed to rest. In the morning, I could not still study because of the noise from the neighborhood. So I had to go with my brother early in the morning and spent my time in his office reading Law Books which I could not understand as the words which I must memorize would not enter my mind. The greatest burden during the review came to me when I realized I was financially constrained. The budget that I prepared for my review was not enough for food, for transportation, for photocopying of notes, etc. It was at this period that I sought the help of Msgr. Manny Gabriel. He welcomed me to stay in his parish at the Ressurection of Our Lord Parish sometime in July of 2015. Msgr. Manny told me that positive vibes in the parish could help me feel good in my review. He said this because he knew that our parishioners were very supportive in my chosen endeavor. I was free to accept mass schedules in the parish if I wanted to. All my board and lodging, accomodations in the parish and others were free through the generosity of Msgr. Manny Gabriel. I had to readjust myself in the new situation. I had to travel at 6 a.m. from Paranaque to UP Law Review Center in Quezon City. I had to go back in Paranaque after our review class and sometimes I arrived in the parish at 10 p.m. or even late at night due to traffic. This always happened when I brought my car with me. But if it was "coding", I needed to commute. Time was of the essence then. It was during these times that I started suffering from vertigo. 

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our Gospel is from Luke 7: 36-50 and it tells us about Jesus and the woman who approached and anointed Him with her tears and her perfume.  It also tells us about the specific reaction of Simon the pharisee, on the attitude of Jesus toward the woman. It was on such occasion that Jesus told him the parable of two debtors.

My dear friends, let us notice the two symbols related to a woman; one is her tears and the other is her perfume. 

A woman's tears express her pain as well as her joy, her fulfillment as well as her frustrations, her love and even her hatred. Any man should remember that the eyes of a woman is the doorway to her heart. When there are tears in a woman's eyes, all she needs is someone who can respect her feelings and understand what she has been through.  

A woman's perfume is so personal to her as she finds the chemistry of how a scent smells on her body. The scent expresses her age, personality, mood, etc. A woman's perfume which becomes her signature scent reminds a man of something about the said woman when he smells it.

In short, both the woman's tears and perfume speak of her essence, i.e., who she really is and what she has.

In our Gospel, these two symbols connected to a woman were offered to Jesus. The woman began to wet the feet of Jesus with her tears and anointed them with her perfume. This act of the woman indicates her submission to the Lord, an act of love. All she is and all she has she gave to Jesus. Jesus in return affirmed everything the woman did for Him saying, "Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much." 

This Gospel imparts to us a message that the Lord forgives those who love Him. In exchange for one's love of God, forgiveness is granted unconditionally (by God). To state this in other terms, how God forgives one's sins depends on how such person loves God. Love is the basis of the forgiveness of sins. To end, we are all called to act always with the love of God. In everything we do, we do it for the love of God. By so doing, we are assured of God's forgiveness. We can go in peace and live as better persons. Amen.

10th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our Gospel for today which is taken from Luke 7: 11-17 gives us a picture of a funeral during the time of Jesus. This Gospel also tells us that Jesus brought the dead man back to life. In short, the Gospel is one of the many miracle stories of Jesus. 

But let us take a look at verse 12 of this Gospel. It states, "As Jesus drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her." In the said verse, we can identify three personalities aside from Jesus, and the following are the dead man, the dead man's mother and the large crowd. Even though we can identify three personalities in the said verse, in the next verse we can find that one was made significant on the eyes of Jesus, giving His special emotion to her; she was the dead man's mother. It is emphasized in verse 13 that the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." It is through this compassion of Jesus on her that a miracle happened, that the man resurrected from the dead. To say this in other words, Jesus raised up the dead man neither because of the dead man's merit nor of the large crowd's credit but because of a mother who wept. Thereof this Gospel reveals that because of the mother's tears a miracle happened first to her dead son who was brought back to life and second to the large crowd who glorified God the source of life. Moreover, what this Gospel conveys to us today could even be substantiated in the life of Sta. Monica in relation to her son, St. Augustine. A bishop once told Sta. Monica, "Go on your way, and God bless you, for it is not possible that the son of these tears should be lost." It was because of this weeping mother that a miracle happened to the life of St. Augustine. St. Augustine himself testified when Sta. Monica died saying, "If any one thinks it wrong that I thus wept for my mother some small part of an hour -a mother who for many years had wept for me that I might live to thee, O Lord -let him not deride me. But if his charity is great, let him weep also for my sins before thee."

To end, I believe that a mother's prayer for her children is always heard by God. I believe this because I was never ordained priest without my mother's prayers. Seminary life was difficult then. I always had the thought of giving up my studies in the seminary. I could not imagine how I survived for 13 years in the seminary which was a clear miracle. (And now I have been a priest for 15 years and this is a clearer miracle from God.) All of these I call miracles in my life happened because of my mother's prayers. I witnessed how she prays for me when she wakes up in the morning and also before she sleeps at night. I believe that I am sustained by God's grace to be a priest not because of my own merit but because of my mother who wept that I live and die as a priest. Amen.

God and the Bar Part III

I never planned to take the Bar after graduation. I was afraid to take a risk. I was afraid of the idea that if I could not pass Taxation in Law School, the more probable it would be that I could not pass the Bar. If I could not answer the question raised by a lawyer from the province, the more probable that I could not answer the question raised by a Bar examiner who is an expert of the law. I was already satisfied to finish what I started. 

One time, Fr. Jenstor Sioco, the parish priest of San Raphael the Archangel Parish in Balete, Aklan, asked me why I did not take the Bar. I told him that no one would take care of my parish if ever I would decide to take the Bar. Surprisingly, he offered himself to take care of my parish in my absence. In another time, Alan Pelayo texted me to take the Bar as he was reviewing at UPLC. He even offered his help to enrol me for the Review Class at UPLC. I could not forget what he told me; as if he was saying that the Bar is like a game of chance and we will never know if we can pass it unless we take the Bar Exam. I took all these events as signs from God that I should take the Bar in 2015. 

Immediately, I called for a meeting with all the parish ministers. After a lengthy discussion with them, the whole year activities of the parish were finalized for our parish calendar. The arrangement was to allow me to take my Review Class in Iloilo during weekend while I should be in the parish during weekdays. The Parish Pastoral Council headed by Sir Pedro De Juan Jr. was designated to supervise all the parish activities and schedules. The Parish Administrative Council headed by Shirly Briones was tasked to finish all the projects and beautification of the parish. The Parish Finance Council headed by Maam Tessie Dionisio was assigned to secure our Mass Collections and to pay for some expected expenses of the parish. Nay Laring and Maam Cynthia were assigned to take care of the needs of the priest. When it seemed that the parish was ready for this setup, it was the time that I asked permission from the bishop. Bishop Cor granted my request without hesitation. He then asked me where should I take my review. It was Fr. Echegaray who said that I would take up my review class in UP. I immediately affirmed Fr. Echegaray's answer to the question of Bishop Cor. Then Bishop Cor advised me to focus on my review while he would see to it that the parish would be taken care of. Because of this supervening event, I needed to change plans. I texted Fr. Dodot Torres of the Diocese of Cubao to help me have a parish where I could stay while reviewing in UP. I also asked my brother Ruben to enrol me in UPLC. I asked Kuya Danny of the Resurrection of Our Lord Parish to organize a team of lawyers who can help me understand every Bar Subject. I prepared all the documents I needed as well as all the Textbooks I used in the Law School. Everything was ready that after Holy Week I left for Manila via Ro-Ro. 

When I arrived in Manila, I stayed at Kuya Danny's home first while waiting for the call of the Guest Priest in-charge of the Diocese of Cubao for my application to stay in their diocese. And on the day that the priest in-charge called me to see him, I was so happy that the said priest was so welcoming and kind-hearted to a priest like me who was searching for a place to stay in the city. He actually assigned me in the parish within UP itself! I then went to meet the parish priest of the said parish who also gave me a warm welcome. I asked him if I could already stay on a Monday being the first day of our Review Class in UP, and he answered in the affirmative. Monday came, I brought all my stuff from Paranaque to the parish inside UP Diliman.  There were two men in the parish who brought me to a room downstairs. But I realized that the room was not ready for anybody to use it. So I called up my brother Ruben and I decided to stay with him in his home while I was enrolled in a Review Class at UP. 

God and the Bar Part II

One of my most unforgettable happy moments in Law School happened during our class in Negotiable Instruments. Our professor returned the papers of my classmates after our quiz. I was smiling at that time because our professor was disgusted with the result of the quiz as she returned my classmates' papers while I did not receive my paper back. I thought I passed the quiz. I never thought that after our class with her, I found my paper on the floor crumpled. I realized our professor could not read my answers because of my bad handwriting. Anyway, I got a passing grade on this subject after the semester. 

In 2012, I decided to stop my studies in Law School. I was assigned as a parish priest at San Lorenzo de Mla Parish in Camaligan, Batan, Aklan and I had to give up the Law School to shepherd the said parish. I saw how my classmates enjoyed their last year in Law School while I was struggling to be a good parish priest (as it was my first time to be a parish priest). Neverthless, I never regretted my decision because priesthood is my first vocation and I must be a priest to my parishioners. 

After a year, I went back to Law School to finish what I started. I made it sure that there was no conflict with my schedule in the parish and in the Law School. If ever there was a conflict, I made the parish my priority. The bad part of my experience in my return to Law School happened as I failed in our Final Exam on Taxation. Dan Tejada who was my classmate then and (is now a lawyer) informed me that I needed to take the "removal". I did take it but I knew I failed again. I said to myself, how could I know something about taxation because I never paid any income tax since I was born. I admit, Taxation as a subject was my greatest stumbling block before I finally graduated from the Law School in 2014.

God and the Bar Part I

I was grade six when Lola Mary, my mom and I went to Iloilo to meet uncle Tony Acevedo. We had to ask for my uncle's financial support as I was planning to enter the seminary after graduation. My mom, a widow could not afford to spend all her salary just for me, the youngest among her six little children. So, Lola Mary and mama advised her to seek uncle Tony's financial assistance. At uncle Tony's house in Iloilo, he initially asked me to choose between priesthood and the legal profession. I chose priesthood. Thirteen years later, I was ordained priest inspired by four signifcant persons in my life. 

During those times I was studying in the seminary, Mama, Lola Mary and my mom would always give me an option to take the legal profession if I would decide to leave the seminary. They would always tell me stories about Uncle Tony as a lawyer in the family. Though they inspired me to be a child like my uncle Tony, they had not awaken my interest to take the legal profession. I loved priesthood the most though this love for priesthood was tested many times by various circumstances and instances. It took a miracle that I was ordained priest in 2001.

Even when I was newly ordained as priest, my mom continued to encourage me to use my available time for studies. She would tell me that life is a continuous  learning process; that education does not stop as long as I want to learn. I listened and followed her motherly advise except for one i.e., to take the legal profession. I found out later that she once studied in law school but she never had the chance to finish her studies as she gave priority to her role as a wife to our father and as a mother to us their children. I also found out how uncle Tony influenced her to consider legal profession as a noble profession. Both of them, uncle Tony and my mom always wanted to have another lawyer in the family. It was their dream for the family but which I never dreamed for myself. Years had passed, being a lawyer had not occured into my mind until on one occasion when I visited Atty. Olen Gonzales in his home. He told me that I have to save a huge amount to pay for a lawyer. My family he said is engaged in politics and as a priest, I need a lawyer to defend my rights because I am not expected to speak something beyond the boundary of my vocation. I pondered upon his words but I took no action to hire any lawyer for my behalf. I believe I am blessed that Atty. Olen's son, Atty. Chris Gonzales who is now a fiscal in our province is a very dear friend of mine and he is always ready to help me in any legal battle as long as I have not done any wrong. Fiscal Chris and I have been good friends since we were in the minor seminary though he was one year senior to me. With his legal knowledge and expertise, I have been confident that he can set me free as he sets the truth free. 

But much to my surprise, Jhoanna Gonzales Guarin, the fiscal's sister and Atty. Olen's daughter, who happened to be my close friend invited me to join her in enrolling at Aklan Catholic College to take up Law. Without hesitation, I agreed. I took the entrance exam, passed the said exam and enrolled in Law School. It was my first day in Law School that I learned Jhoanna did not enroll. So, I planned to back out. But our professor in Civil Code and Perfam on that day reminded me of my seminary days as she was strict in handling our class. She asked us to stand up and recite the first few articles of the Civil Code. If one could not recite those articles, he or she would remain standing until the class ends. This is what we did in the seminary when we were in high school! This classroom experience awakened my interest to stay in Law School. I loved standing in the class with a smile every time I could not memorize, recite or answer the professor's question in Civil Code and Perfam. From this I learned to enjoy our class in Law School especially with the growing camaraderie within our batch. 

5th Sunday of Easter 2016

A Sikh called Singh and a friend were travelling through the mountains of northern India. A winter storm was howling around them. In the midst of the blizzard they found a man lying by the roadside, apparently dead. The Sikh wanted to stay and give help, but his friend refused to even slow down.

The Sikh massaged the hands and feet of the man very briskly, rubbed snow on them, and then took the man onto his back and trudged along slowly. The warmth of the man’s body added to that of his own, had a reviving and sustaining effect on both of them.

After a mile of painful progress, he found another body lying by the wayside. It was that of his late companion, frozen to death. He did not have enough warmth to fight the storm.

This story gives us an analogy that in life there is a journey and a destination. The Sikh and his friend journeyed together to reach their destination. For the Sikh, the journey is as important as the destination; but for his friend, the destination only matters. So the story ends with the Sikh’s friend never reached his destination as he never made his journey worthwhile while the Sikh who saved a man during their journey had finally arrived at his destination.

My dear friends, in our Christian life there is a journey and a destination too. Our destination is heaven. God created us to share His life and love with us. He even sent us His only Son to secure us of our final destination i.e., heaven. Moreover, the Holy Spirit guides us towards this destination. If heaven is our Christian destination, what then comprises our journey? Well, our Gospel reminds us that our life here on earth is a journey. Therefore, we have to make this journey worthwhile. Our journey matters in order to reach our destination which is heaven. Just like the Sikh, we have to do something for the other. Jesus made this clear in our Gospel that we have to love one another as God loves us. If we are only busy thinking about heaven but we never love one another while we are here on earth, then we end up like the Sikh’s friend who never reached his destination. Yet, when we are busy loving one another while we are here on earth, we surely shall reach heaven even though we are not aware of it. My dear friends, we are all in this journey. Let us love one another as Jesus loves us (John 13: 31-35). Amen.