+ RWS 783 November 26, 2017    Solemnity of Christ the King

Gospel: Matthew 25: 31-46

“…whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me”

 Afterlife

By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD

At the end of our life we face the Giver of Life, who will judge us on how we have lived united with Him every moment of our earthly existence. Our life after the earthly one will either be a continuation of our union with Him on earth, or an eternal separation from the Source of life and happiness. Jesus, the King and Judge of all humanity will invite into His kingdom those who recognize Him in the daily event, no matter how little and insignificant it may be, and in every person especially those who are last and least in the community and society.

            The reminder of what we shall be in the afterlife should guide us in our daily life and work. We need to make every moment of our earthly existence count in order to merit eternal union with God. Every action and work we do should be done with the awareness of God’s presence. The small daily tasks that we need to perform are significant before the Lord and King of the universe. We should do the small acts, which we sometimes don’t give importance to, with great love and care, for God is also in small things. We relate with our co-workers, especially those whom we consider unfriendly to us, or those whom we don’t seem to care about at all, with great respect and kindness, for Jesus identifies Himself in them. We can also do our work thinking of the people whom we don’t even know and who will benefit our work. We give our total selves in our job, believing in Jesus who reminds us that what we do is done for Him. Thus, our afterlife depends on how well we do our daily work in relation to Him and the others.

Giving pure and simple

By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

Today’s gospel story sounds so simple—feed the hungry, visit the prisoner, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, look after the sick, and you’ll go to heaven; don’t do those things and you’ll go to hell.  Seems as easy as separating sheep from goats, choosing right or left hand of God.  And that’s probably what modern evangelizers will tell you it takes to be “saved”—do good.  The problem with that is it makes heaven look like a bag of candies, and God like Santa Claus.  “You better watch out…he sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows when you’ve been bad or good so be good ... Santa Claus is coming to town!”

What seems to be overlooked in this story is the fact of selflessness in those who do good.  They were not aware that they were already earning a ticket to heaven by doing good.  They asked, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?”  They simply served the needy as their way of living a life of faith.

There are people who “do good” but with the selfish intent of polishing their public image, or “do good” as an investment in heaven because they are afraid of hell.  Authentic charity is giving pure and simply, not thinking of any reward, not even feeling good about doing good.      

Parable of the Talents

+ RWS 782 November 19, 2017  /   33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Matthew 25: 14-30

“Entrusted his possessions to them…to each according to his ability”

Individuality

By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD

      Every person is unique. Even identical twins would have something different from each other. Jesus affirms this truth in a parable on the talents where He teaches that God gives each person different degree of His powers, sufficient enough for the person to become the individual God has planned him/her to be. Being aware of our uniqueness willed by God for us and gratefully accepting this truth about us would guide us in our journey of life. This aspect could help us understand our identity and therefore become focused and determined in our thoughts and actions in our daily life and work.

      The human person at work should be aware of his individuality and uniqueness so that he would not be just like the other factors of production of goods and services, like the tools, machinery, materials and other non-human elements. Human work and activity has a character and value much different from other activities and movements. While the result of human work and activity maybe similar or even identical, the person doing the work is a unique being, who could put a unique amount of love and purpose on his actions. A machine operator has a heart and a soul which the machine does not have. Two machine operators would also be different, not in the system and structure of operating the machine, but in the intensity of the love with which each does his job, or the kind of purpose one works for. But, any machine operator, or any worker for that matter, could be the best one in his job in as much as he gives his whole being in every task he does. The Giver of talents in every person rewards sufficiently the worker who gives his whole being in his job.

Honest and hated

By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

      Most reflections on this Parable of the Talents assume that the rich man who lent money to his servants is a good and righteous man.  He thus rewarded those who also in their righteousness made his money grow, and punished the one who added nothing to his wealth. 

      Let’s welcome another way of seeing this story, and say that the money lender is a corrupt and greedy man, say a drug lord, and the two servants—corrupt and greedy like him—multiplied his wealth by also dealing in drugs, human trafficking, jueteng, and illegal recruitment of OFWs.  But the third man, being honest, regarded the money as his master’s; thus he merely accepted the money for safekeeping and did nothing to use it in any way—bad or good—that would further enrich the greedy man.  Here it is not just a question of money multiplied, but also of the morality of the business it was used for—activities that take advantage of people’s weakness, need, trust, and hopes.

      Do you see the connection between this parable told over 2,000 years ago and the situation in our country today?  Rewarding the exploiters and punishing the honest servant is what makes the rich richer, and the poor, poorer.  It becomes more pathetic when the system prevails in the workplace where co-workers more or less know one another—the unscrupulous ones band together, and the honest ones are hated.  When the boss sides with the former, the latter get ostracized, fired, or sometimes even killed.  Those desiring to follow Jesus must know that this is the price of servanthood—standing strong against temptation, doing only what Jesus would do.       

Being prepared

+ RWS 781 November 12, 2017   /   32^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Matthew 25: 1-13

“Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Fear of the unknown

By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD

      There are things in our life that we do not know and therefore we feel afraid about them.

One of these unknown things that Jesus reminds us is the “day or the hour” that we will meet the Lord in glory. This moment certainly is at the moment of death, when we end our bodily and earthly life and activity. But, Jesus emphasized more our being alert and awake in doing what is good and proper to our human life than knowing the date and time of death. Our efforts to live and work according to God’s will for us are the best approach of eliminating the fear of the unknown time of our earthly departure.

      Spending one’s energy, time and talents as a way of preparing well our earthly end, which is the moment of our glorious encounter with God, is an important perspective of our human life. After all, God has given us life and everything we do with it, in order to be happy with Him. The period of our earthly existence is like a “probation period” in our journey towards regaining the fullness of life and happiness with God. If we live and work united with God, spending all our energies and talents with love for their Source, the certainty of enjoying His eternal friendship and presence would vanish all fears of what comes after life on earth. Doing every task at home, in the work place, or in any circumstance of life, with the certainty of one’s faith or belief in Jesus, will root out all kinds of fears, anxieties and insecurities in life. Doing one’s ordinary duties or work in an extraordinary manner, that is, with faith and love for God, makes one peaceful, joyful, and courageous in facing the unknown.

Being prepared

By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

      Today’s gospel story offers lessons that can be applied to so many aspects of work and life. In the workplace, it could show us the ill effects of procrastination.  If we put aside the day’s work, and make a habit of it, time comes when we’re too swamped with backlog, reducing our productivity and efficiency—so we shouldn’t wonder why we don’t get a pay increase.

      In community life, the lesson could be: preparedness.  On television and radio we are constantly taught what to do during an earthquake, or what to pack in preparation for a typhoon.  Often, too, these words “…stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour…” are taken as a warning against sudden death, a timely reminder considering the multiple deaths in our midst nowadays as reflected in the news—terrorists attacking public places, tandem bikers shooting people with impunity, EJKs, even young men dying from hazing.

      But staying awake and being ready for the unexpected “day” or “hour” is not always about physical preparation.   We are not only bodies, we are spirit, too.  If we strive to recognize how God works in our lives we can make ourselves ready for anything.  Prayer makes us stay in touch with God; in our silence and stillness, God, our Loving Father and Friend, helps us understand what is going on in and around us, and shows us our place in creation.  Our world may be full of distractions but a healthy relationship with God protects us from being enslaved by these distractions—and  keeps us grounded, well balanced, and prepared, no matter the day or the hour.

Brotherhood and Fraternities

+ RWS 780 November 5, 2017   /   31^st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Matthew 23: 1-12

“…you are all brothers…you have but one Father in heaven”

Brotherhood

By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD

Jesus reveals to us that we are all brothers since we have one Father in heaven. If we believe in this, then we should look at one another in the spirit of brotherhood. Brothers, consider each other with love and respect; they support one another and do a lot of things for each other. A brother would even sacrifice himself for the good and welfare of the other/s whom he considers as coming from the same origin either by blood or by faith. I remember my elder brother who worked in a bank and sent his salary for my sisters to go to college and became professionals. Several similar situations abound in many Filipino families.

Believing in what Jesus said, we could also do our work for the good and welfare of others whom we consider as our brothers in the faith. We may not be able to give our salaries for other people who are not our siblings, but, the dedication and wholehearted efforts we spend on performing our jobs may be done in view of the good that others may benefit from our work. The products and services that result from our work that is done with our best efforts will certainly affect positively others. When a worker does his job for money, he would not perform his task as well as when he is aware that he does it for a brother or sister he holds dear to himself. When the worker imbibes the Christian sense of brotherhood, then he also establishes in the work place and among his co-workers a family. Thus, a spirit of love, respect, cooperation among workers would reign in the work place, and the heavenly Father, though unseen, will certainly be present. 

Brotherhood in fraternities

By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

      The title of the reflection above, “Brotherhood” brings to mind “fraternity”, and by association moves me to re-examine the idea of brotherhood in today’s fraternities.  Still piping hot in the current headlines is the death last month of one neophyte during initiation rites which involved hazing.  One cannot simply look the other way when a young man his parents had the highest hopes for is now dead due to senseless violence done in the name of “brotherhood.”

      All families—not just those with sons in fraternities—should seriously question the validity of such organizations that claim to promote brotherhood and yet use hateful standards in accepting members.  The problem of hazing in fraternities has been with us for decades, coming into focus only when an initiate dies, and then the case usually gets buried along with the victim.  Nobody seems to learn.

      We who merely follow the news may know nothing of the law in this case, but we do have common sense and conscience—without any legal sophistication we know that some frat “brothers” must own responsibility for the death of a “brother.”  It seems ironic that the Aegis Juris fraternity members—young men studying to become lawyers in the future—are already having an early OJT, applying their legalistic skills and going around the law with their lawyers in order to escape blame. 

     Families should also ask themselves why their sons seek to belong in such exclusive  fraternities—don’t they feel they already belong in a loving family?  A family that recognizes the Creator as the Father of all teaches its children the sense of brotherhood that Jesus speaks of: we need not feel superior to others because we are all brothers, embraced by the Father’s love.

Forgiveness--the road to peace

RWS 773 September 17, 2017, 24^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Matthew 18: 21-35

“…how often must I forgive?... Jesus answered, Í say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.’”

Christian forgiveness

By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD

            What is the difference between Christian forgiveness and other kinds of forgiveness? For one, it is given so many times to the same offender, “seventy-seven times”, if one takes literally what Jesus said. Secondly, from what Jesus did, dying on the Cross forgiving everyone, He teaches a forgiveness which no human can give, but, which only God, the divine, can give. For any human to forgive as God does, he must be one with the Divine, fully imbued with God’s Spirit. Jesus makes this possible to anyone who believes in Him and accepts Him totally in life.

            Situations in our life that need forgiveness of others challenge us to be simply human in forgiving, or to be divine. Our daily activities, including our work, could often times fill our life with overwhelming human considerations which could limit our feelings of forgiveness to others. We find it difficult to let go of a mistake of our co-workers when we know that it is done with no valid and/or reasonable excuses. We would give at most two warnings to offending subordinates, who will surely get the sanctions on the third offence. Mostly at the workplace, only a slight margin of error is allowed, if an error is at all considered. Work performance and the corresponding rewards or compensation is measured also according to incidences of failures—the fewer, the better. Human, material and monetary considerations are the important determinants for judging and giving the corresponding measure for error, failure or offense. When a worker hurts the other or the company, through his performance or his attitudes and behavior, he is considered a liability which has to be taken away. Christian forgiveness is a financial liability in business; but it is a value that everyone needs to acquire in life.

Forgiving—the door to His peace

By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

      Sometimes a person cannot forgive even once, so how can he be persuaded to forgive as many as 77 times?  And yet, our Lord asks for no less.  Why so strict, people ask.  Forgiveness seems to be getting too obsolete a value nowadays. When it’s considered cool to get even, people who prefer to follow Christ and forgive are seen as weaklings.  “They have no choice but to forgive because they can’t fight,” they are unfairly judged.

            In one workplace alone, two women sit side by side but their attitudes towards personal offenses are at the opposite end of the pole.  Merlyn cannot forgive the father of her granddaughter for abandoning her daughter in her pregnancy; even though she finds so much joy in her apo, she cannot forgive and accept its “stupid father”.  On the other hand, there’s Carla whose husband of 25 years ran away with a woman younger than their firstborn—and yet Carla forgives him and makes peace with her husband’s second family.  The irony of it is, both women are devout churchgoers, so how come one can forgive while the other can not?

            The reason behind the difference in outlook may be a mystery to their co-workers but one thing the latter are sure of is: Carla is easier to work with than Merlyn.  Which leads us to the thought that when the Lord asks us to forgive not just seven but 77 times, He is actually opening the door for us to His peace—that lightness of being that overcomes a person who, humbled by God’s love, has discovered how easy it is to forgive.

Gathered in Jesus' name

RWS 772 September 10, 2017, 23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Matthew 18: 15-20

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Presence of Jesus

By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD

      The Catholic faith teaches about the many forms of Jesus’ presence on earth among His believers. Jesus who is the Son of God, who became man, died and was buried, rose to new life, then ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. Among the ways, according to Jesus’ words, that He is present among us, human beings is when and “where two or three are gathered in” His name. It is therefore consoling and saving for us to make all the effort to make our gatherings in such a way that Jesus would be in our midst.

      Our daily work, for many would bring people together. While the job, and tasks at hand are the immediate reason for our being gathered in a work place or in a situation to togetherness, an additional reason, that which Jesus suggests, could make our working together an occasion for Jesus to be in our midst. We have to gather and work “in His name”, which could mean that as we do our work, we have a life faith in Jesus. We see the events in our life, including our performance of our work as our personal and intimate relationship with Jesus.         

      Working in Christ’s name could mean that the worker considers his work as a participation in the mission of Christ, which is to give life to the world and all humanity. When the worker is so filled with Jesus in his mind, heart, and actions then Jesus is alive in him, and the gathering of such workers is the presence of Jesus, truly alive in the work place. Workers with a positive attitude on everything make Jesus alive in the world. 

Gathered in His name

By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

      It is a beautiful promise Jesus makes in this statement: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”  I used to work in a place run by a pious family who made sure the employees started the week right by gathering everybody in prayer first thing on Monday morning, much like government employees holding a flag ceremony.  I’d  say that office was probably better than a typical government office—at least we didn’t eat and gossip right at our work stations during office hours; we were nice to one another and the atmosphere was generally pleasant.  But it wasn’t Paradise. Even though Management thought we were all “gathered together in His name”, there would be squabbling, envy, intrigues (affecting those in luscious positions), misuse of funds by finance officers, etc.

      Jesus’ promise doesn’t automatically assure us of His presence in our midst.  The Lord won’t magically pop up before us simply because we end all our prayers with “In the Most Holy Name of Jesus, amen!”  Coming together in His name also means striving to know who is the Person behind the name—Jesus.  Away from others, in our solitude, we ponder: what did this Jesus do for us, how did He live His life on earth, why does He want us to welcome Him in our midst, who is He to me, and what does He want of me?

      Welcoming Jesus thus in the depths of our being leads us to an intimate “connection” with the Lord, a friendship that lights our way in following our Master, so that it is with absolute trust in His Way that we come with others to gather in His name.

'Turo-turo' Christianity

RWS 771 September 3, 2017,  22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Matthew 16: 21-27

“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever

loses his life for my sake will find it.”

For Christ’s sake

By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD

            Every day of our life here on earth is a step towards our grave, the place where we will have lost our life. We may not think of the losing this aspect of life at the end while we go about our daily routine of activities. We focus more on the life at hand and enjoy what the present brings us. Yet, it would also be reasonable and in order to foresee the end, whether we find a new beginning, a new life. Jesus, who went through death and also rose to new life, proclaims that one who loses his life for His sake, will find it. This word of Jesus is worth believing and living.

            Our daily work and activities drain us of life eventually. It is good to ask ourselves what we lose our life for; why we work and how we spend our energy and strength. Self-preservation and maintenance of our life are the most obvious reasons for toiling; providing for the needs of one’s family and loved ones is also a very human motive for working. Self-fulfilment is considered a higher motivation for work than simply survival and satisfaction of physical needs. Yet a higher ideal, one which reaches up to the highest being, God, could provide a most valuable reason for working and consuming one’s life and energy. Working for Christ’s sake is the key to gaining new life after dying. Spending one’s talents and skills on one’s job for the praise and worship of God whom the worker accepts as Lord of his life, gives an added significance to one’s toil, and would provide a greater satisfaction for the worker also after his life here on earth.

 ‘Turo-turo Christians’

By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

            It’s common to have a “turo-turo” canteen in our workplace where we can daily choose and point out the dishes we want to eat for the day.  We usually take those that appeal to our taste, often disregarding what’s healthy for us. When it comes to the precepts that Jesus has given us to guide our lives, we cannot be so-called “cafeteria Christians”—we cannot “make turo-turo” and say “I believe in Jesus but I’m sure He will understand that I want to follow this rule, I don’t want to follow that one.” 

      There’s no such thing as part-time followers of Jesus; when we consent to becoming His disciples, we must go with Him all the way.  Because what Jesus wants of us is to love, to love as He loves.  Just as Jesus in His time on earth willed to carry His cross and give up His life for others, so must we.  If we cling to what we hold dear—those that give us pleasure or honor, everything from food to clothing to relationships to recreation that we work very hard for in order to enjoy life—but reject the love that Jesus wants to share with us, we will end up losing life itself. 

      Being an honest to goodness follower of Jesus means trusting His leadership, believing that while He asks us to pick up our cross daily and follow Him instead of immersing ourselves in what gives us gain and worldly benefit, He will also always be there as we experience difficulties and sufferings in life with Him. 

The keys to the Kingdom

+ RWS 770 August 27, 2017, 21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Matthew 16: 13-20

“…I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven…”

Going to heaven

By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD

      Among the words Jesus spoke to Peter were about the “keys to the kingdom of heaven”, which could bring us to understand man’s need to go to heaven and what is necessary to get there. The human being is created by God to enjoy His life and love for all eternity. When man, through a choice he makes, turns away from God through sin—a disobedience to the Creator’s will—he continues to long for the life and happiness in heaven. Through God’s mercy and love, man could go back to heaven through Jesus, with Him and in Him. Anyone who wishes to go to heaven, has to unite himself with Jesus, and in the means and manner that Jesus has established. The means for man’s salvation, for man’s going to heaven have been entrusted by Jesus to Peter and the Church established on him.

      One’s union with Christ through the Church and the Sacraments needs to be lived every day in one’s life. Being united with Christ is done not only through the spiritual acts of prayer, praise and worship of God in designated sacred places, like churches, altars and sanctuaries; one can and should be united with Jesus in his daily works and activities. Jesus’ life on earth—his work/mission of proclaiming the truths and teachings of God’s kingdom, his works of curing the sick and other services for the hungry and the poor, the suffering and death He went through in obedience to the will of the Father—brought Him the resurrection and the glory with the Father in heaven.  This daily life and work of Jesus is also the pattern with which anyone united with Him goes through his daily life, which will also earn for him the rewards of heaven.

The keys to the Kingdom

By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

      You may have noticed that during Holy Week procession, the statue of St. Peter comes with a rooster and a bunch of keys usually hanging from his belt.  The rooster is there to remind us of his denial—the cock crowed three times, remember?  And the keys—symbolic of his being the gatekeeper.  It is said that in the olden days, when one desires to see the king, a servant who holds the key opens the palace door, and then assists the guest in reaching the king’s court. Now, with so many interpretations of the “keys to… heaven”, it’s okay I guess to add one more that anyone can easily understand.

      In addition to what the bishop has stated above are practical “keys”, such as Faith—faith in “servant” who can lead us to His kingdom, and in the teachings of the Church Jesus Himself established.  Next, Hope—that which we hold on to when we seem to be lost and burdened, when things do not go the way we want them to; hope that our King will hear our pleas.  Then, Love—love as the main reason for our existence, the only value that will give us a foretaste of heaven on earth and will assure us of eternal life.  There are many other “keys”, such as  simplicity, temperance, fortitude, patience, etc. but as the scriptures say, “the greatest of these is love”.  It is because of love that God gave us life, and the knowledge that God loves us empowers us to pass love on to others, and by so doing—being the channels of Jesus’s love to mankind—the very same love will open His Kingdom’s gate for us, and see us through to an eternity of love with God.   

'Woman, great is your faith!'

+ RWS 769, August 20, 2017, 20^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28

Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be done for you as you wish.”

Having great faith

By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD

      Having a great faith does not only drive away doubts in our minds and hearts which could make our life and work uncertain, but, it also makes us feel secure about our being, gives us the sense of power and makes us efficient and effective in every act we do. Faith, essentially, is being certain of something not on the grounds of one’s reason and comprehension of the thing believed, but on the authority of someone acknowledged as superior to the believer.  Faith, they say, is like a leap in the dark, a decision to act when there are no reasonable arguments for it other than the assurance of an authority. Having faith does not diminish the value and dignity of the human reason, rather, it provides the person with a higher level of truth and reality that would somehow complete and perfect human reasoning. In simple words, faith is like what the woman in the gospel did, sure and insistent that Jesus would cure her sick daughter.

      Anyone could have a great faith. He/she needs to accept the truth and fact that God is the Lord, and we are simply His creatures; that this loving God wants to save everyone from total destruction. What one needs to do is simply call on God, accept Him as Lord of his life and trust in His words and worship and serve Him in love. This is done concretely by becoming a faithful member in the Church that God has established on earth through Jesus and His apostles and the Sacraments offered by this Church. Moreover, the believer lives and acts in accordance with the life and teaching of Jesus and His Church in his daily works and activities, assuring him of salvation.

Faith’s reward

By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

      One of the reasons Mrs. Perfidia works so hard is she wants to buy a new car.  “Samahan mo ng tamang dasal para mas madali mong makuha ang gusto mo,” said her close friend, Mrs. Aviar, a bible-believing matron who seems to have found the perfect formula for making God listen to her prayers.  Mrs. A added that Mrs. P should “have faith” and describe what she is praying for—if it’s a car, state the exact color (not just “blue” but sky blue, cobalt blue, electric blue, whatever), the brand and model, etc.—and then “claim it”, as if it’s already hers.

      If it’s the way to get what we want, why must we drag in God into the picture, equating prayer with talking to a car salesman?  What kind of faith is that which goads us on to merely acquiring things to satisfy ourselves?  Even atheists or car thieves can get the car of their dreams without “praying” for it and “claiming” it. 

      The faith of the woman described in today’s gospel story is different—first, she asks not for a luxury item but for healing; second, she asks not for herself but for another person; third, she perseveres even when our Lord seems deaf to her pleas.  Sometimes, in our ignorance, we lose our faith when God doesn’t give us what we are asking for.  But faith is tested precisely by the unavailability of the thing or the state asked for.  When we continue to believe in God, in His goodness and love for us despite His deafness and neglect of us—that is faith.  And always, it is rewarded in ways we never imagine we could ever be blessed with.  

'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'

+ RWS 768 August 13, 2017, 19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Having doubts

By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD

            Having doubts is one of the common experiences we humans go through, which we try to drive out of our life. We feel we are not standing on solid ground when we are in doubt. We feel paralyzed not knowing what to do when our mind and reason seem clouded with uncertainties. Such human situation could put our life in danger, and our work unclear. We, therefore, need to diminish, or remove completely any tinge of doubt also in our daily life and work.

            Jesus told Peter, who entertained some doubt about his safety even when the Lord “stretched his hand and caught Peter” to have faith—faith in Him! Jesus would tell each human being to believe in Him and be saved from all kinds of evil. Believing in Jesus does not happen and should not be done only once in our lifetime. Having faith in the Lord involves every moment of our existence when we consciously accept that all of what we are depends on His power, and that we do every act, like our daily tasks and works, for Him and because of Him. We work as if our Boss is the Lord, doing our task with everything we’ve got, in order to please Him. Believing in Jesus is like seeing Him in our home, in the workplace, in every person we live and work with, and in every event in our daily life. This attitude of believing and the virtue and habit of faith displaces any doubt which disturbs us in the performance of our work and in maintaining a good relationship with others. After all, Jesus is always ready to save you and me.

Ditch your doubts 

By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

      Today’s gospel is particularly empowering.  It teaches us the value of believing like children.  My mother (deceased) loved to tell and retell an incident that happened when I was not quite two years old.  She was in the garden when she saw me clambering on the window sill on the second floor.  Nearing panic mode, she cried to me, “Jump!  Jump!”, stretching her arms up to catch me.  She said I managed to sit on the sill and hold on to the post (our ancestral house was of Spanish architecture, with “barandillas” and a central post for the very wide windows), and was getting ready to jump into her arms when an older brother grabbed me from behind in time.

      I think this little story best illustrates a child’s doubt-free state of mind.  A child simply obeys what the voice of authority commands for she is too innocent to worry.  An adult reasons and tends to have doubts—What if I can’t?  What if it hurts?  What if I look like a fool?—and so hesitates in spite of prodding from the divine.

      It would be a pity to live a life of doubt, always haunted by fears, bitterness, failures, and painful memories that have steadily robbed us of the ability to trust in ourselves.  Like Peter who started to sink the moment he feared the winds, we, too, can sink into negativity if we do not learn to live in the presence of God, to believe in His love, to ditch our doubts, to forgive and move on.

Transfiguring our planet

+ RWS 767 August 6, 2017,  The Transfiguration of the Lord

Gospel: Matthew 17: 1-9

And he was transfigured before them…”Rise and do not be afraid.”…

The Transfiguration 
By Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, SDB, DD

Jesus showed three of His apostles His glory as the Son of God. His transfiguration did not only fill His human followers with a glimpse of His divinity, but also gave them, and every human being for that matter, an assurance of the beauty and greatness of a life hereafter with God, the giver of life. The transfiguration of Jesus gave Peter and his companions a greater dimension of their life and work following Jesus as their Lord. For every believer, life on earth and everything one does could be valued in relation to the “hidden glory” that can only be seen with the eyes of faith and experienced with the love, worship and service of the Lord.

      Human work and activity then are valuable not only in terms of the material and economic considerations; they can acquire additional value and an eternal one at that, when the worker and his life and activities are united and joined to the person and life of Jesus, the Messiah. What is consoling about this is that God himself is the one who offers such kind of life. It was Jesus who brought Peter and his companions to a preview of the divine glory. It is Jesus who continually invites every human person to believe in Him and allow Him to bring the person to His life and glory. The person needs only to think, feel and do with Jesus. In Him and through Him. One’s daily life and work would be transfigured from merely physical, material and economic entities to something more meaningful, highly valuable, and spiritually nourishing experiences here on earth. Every worker then has the daily opportunity to re-live the wonderful experience of Jesus’ Transfiguration.

Transfigure our planet

By Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

      When I imagine the transfiguration of Jesus—in dazzling white robe, floating in mid-air, flanked by prophets Elijah and Moses, with the apostles cowering in fear on the ground—I am awed.  And I wonder how this mystery strikes Jesus’ followers today, especially the young people, the millennials.

      One day I was in the mall killing time before watching a movie, some splendid piano playing caught my ear—it was coming from the game zone.   Curious, I entered, looking for the genius at the keyboard, but I found neither piano nor genius—the music was but part of a game a young man was intent on playing.  I hung around the room watching the various players, eager to see what excitement young people would pay good money for.  Their zeal amazed me; they were totally absorbed in a world densely populated by superheroes and supervillains, zombies, mythical gods and demi-gods, aliens, and enhanced humans—all with unli powers battling one another for supremacy.  Where would our Lord’s transfiguration fit in that violent world—or in the hearts of those who see fictitious superheroes as saviors of the universe?  If the transfiguration suddenly popped up the screens, would they recognize the Lord or just be annoyed that a guy in a blinding white gown and two old men are interrupting their game?

      Let’s face it: Jesus cannot vie for the young’s attention in cyberworld where spectacle after spectacle distracts from real life.  Faithful followers of Jesus offer themselves entirely to the Lord; in turn, they are unwittingly transformed as witnesses to the reality of Jesus, a reality that can transfigure our planet in a way no superhero or demi-god can.