Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.
"Why the priesthood?" Each candidate to the priesthood is asked this question before his acceptance to the seminary. Each candidate, as he nears the ordination, asks the same question to himself.

I asked myself this question some three years ago before I decided to apply back for the seminary formation. At that time, I was receiving a monthly salary enough for me to have my breakfast at Midtown Hotel, Mid-day snacks at the nearest Pizza house, and sip a cup of Venti from Starbucks on a daily routine. I paid annual tax equivalent to that of my sisters' annual salary. It was just great life!

But why the priesthood?

One hot sunny afternoon, I was on my way home from Sto. Rosario Church after I attended the 4:15PM mass when I felt such deep loneliness in the deepest part of my soul. I could not explain what the feeling was all about. I could not say that I was bored because I had been spending my weekends either on an Island-hopping spree or under the waters for Scuba Diving. There were also weekends spent at home with my family. But on that day, and the months following that day, I had that great loneliness.

One day, while I spent an hour praying inside the Church, I asked God what that feeling was all about. I was looking intently at Him then slowly, peace came back to me. I was gazing at the Cross and I had such peace and contentment and told myself I want to spend my life gazing at the Cross. I want to spend the rest of my life in prayer and in adoration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

It was difficult decision to make. I mean, I was on top of my career when decided to start once again my journey to the priesthood but it was all worth it.
Every priest has his own story of how God called him to become his minister. Every priest has had that great encounter with the Lord. A day when he said before God, "I want to spend the rest of my life loving and serving you."

But years in the ministry, with all its fuss and buzz, tires the weary heart of the priest. The human needs, wants, and desires are sometimes so powerful that temptations to live a life a bit far from the loving gaze of the Lord weakens the priest. Priests are living reminder of the unwavering presence of God and His eternal love for humanity. Priests do a lot of noble things in the parish. But they are still humans. They are as weak as we are. They are as fragile as we are.

Today, in the celebration of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, our Church invites the faithful to spend this day in adoration and in prayer specifically intended as an offering to her priests. We pray that today, priests will renew their commitment before God and before His people, that above all and before anythings, his life is dedicated for God. His life is solely for God and the fruits of this loving relationship are the ministries he is working on for the people of God.

Thank God It's Friday!

Thank God It's Friday (TGIF). Long before I had the chance to be part of the working class of this country, I just couldn't understand what was there on Friday nights to look forward to. I mean Friday nights seemed to be just like any other nights. It starts at nine in the evening and ends six hours later. But when I had my share of having to go to an office, to deal with supervisors and managers, and to try hard hitting targets and quotas, it was then that Friday nights became such a relief. But then Friday night came, Saturday morning followed, the next time I opened my eyes, it was again time to be in the office. Friday nights offered relief, albeit temporarily.

Jesus, in our Gospel reading today, said, "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." Did Jesus say come to me and your heavy loads will be gone forever? No! He said, "I will give you rest!" Jesus Christ offers that we spend our Friday nights with Him. He invites us to cling to Him for rest.

We can never do away with the difficulties and challenges of life. But let us not be weary. Instead, let us be consoled because someone offers Himself to us that we can take our rest.

Furthermore, Jesus invites us to "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart... For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Instead of looking for Friday nights to console us momentarily, we embrace the yoke of Jesus. We will still be facing the same difficulties and challenges, but this time around, with Jesus Christ with us, it will be easy and our burden light. He assures us that with Him, "you will find rest for yourselves."

May we all learn to run to Jesus when we are tired and weary. He alone can give us real and lasting comfort. He alone can give us lasting peace. So instead of saying TGIF, we say, "Thank God for Jesus!"

My Sins Are Forgiven?

One of the cases (made up stories) I read from the collection of cases for our Ad Audiendas Confessiones (On Hearing Confessions) that created a great impact on me was that of a 65-year old woman who went to confession after hearing mass. She said, "Bless me Father for I have sinned. I have had an abortion and it haunts me until now." The priest was shocked because the woman was of age and pregnancy was impossible for her more so with abortion. He was silent for a while. Then the old woman continued. I was 18 when it happened but until now I still carry with me the guilt. The priest asked, "Is this the first time that you confess this sin?" The old woman replied, "No, I have been confessing this sin and even almost every month but the guilt haunts me until now."

The case was just a made up story but I think somewhere, somehow, in one of the corners of our churches, the story holds true. This case happens everyday though it wears different hues and shades but it does happen. I can only imagine how the old woman spent her days, for the last 47 years of her life, in such guilt-stricken heart. I can only imagine how she felt every time a new born baby cries. She lived her life feeling that she was not forgiven by God.

In today's Gospel reading Jesus said, "Courage, child, your sins are forgiven!" No amount of sin can separate us from the love of God. No amount of sin can equal the love of the Father. No amount of sin is ever unforgivable before Father. He loves so much the world (all of us) that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, so that whoever believes in Him may have life, life eternal."

But we often doubt this love of God. We often think that sin is more powerful than love. Jesus Christ assures us, no amount of sin can ever keep us away from Him. Today, Jesus reminds us that His love for us is beyond the bounds of human imagination. His love for us is greater than the sin we committed.

When we are in sin, we are away from the presence of God. It is not because God hides himself from us, but that we hide ourselves from Him. God is simply waiting for our return. Like the father of the Prodigal Son, he awaits patiently for our coming home.

If we are in a state of sin and are now haunted by the guilt of the mistakes we have committed in the past, Jesus Christ has offered us the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He awaits for our return.

Let us trust and believe that God loves us so much and that no amount of sin we have committed are ever unforgivable for Him. He offers us forgiveness. He offers us His love. All we need to do is embrace this loving and forgiving God. We also pray that those who are forgiven by God, like the 65-year old woman, will try to forgive themselves as they are forgiven by God. May we truly be like our Father, loving and forgiving.

You Are the Christ!

Who do people say that I am? Jesus posed this question to His disciples some 2,000 years ago. Peter was bold enough to declare, "You are the Christ, Son of the Living God!" And Jesus asks us now, and you, "Who do you say that I am?"

Jesus is the baby in the manger on Christmas day. He is the reason for the burgeoning of sales to our business tycoons - we are talking in billions here. On the other hand, he is the hope of the children singing their carols hoping for some penny to be handed on to them with some shouts and smirks from the half-opened doors.

Jesus is the King on Palm Sunday. He gives an added P500 income to street vendors on Saturdays prior to Palm Sunday and an added P700 more on the Big Day. Everybody shouts hosanna to the King of Kings with palms raised up high.

Jesus is the Crucified Son of God on Good Friday. He is the reason for our walking down the streets barefooted on a hot and sunny Good Friday. We cried for His pains and mourned for His death. We looked up at the Crucified Christ with so much love for the Son of God and remorse for our own sins. And on a Sunday after His death, His resurrection, we sing again the grand melodies of the great Gloria!

But who is Jesus in between? Jesus said, "whatever you do to the least of brethren you do it unto me." Elsewhere He says, "I was naked and you clothed me, hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me drink, imprisoned and you visited me."

Jesus is our neighbor in between the festivities we celebrate in His honor. We don't need to look for celebrations to meet the Christ and to know Him better. We simply have to open our eyes and see with the compassionate heart of the Father the people around us. We see suffering, we see pain, we see injustices, we see famine and hunger. There is Jesus. There He is waiting for us to get to know Him better. When He asks, "who do you say that I am?" We answer, you are the brothers and the sisters around me.

May we all be real brothers and sisters to everyone especially those who needed us the most. May we all have the heart who listens to the cries of the least, the lost, and the little ones.