The parable of the rich man and Lazarus, provides rich lessons for those who seek Kingdom life on earth and the hereafter. In the parable, the rich man did not lift a finger to lift up the poor man Lazarus. He was the very picture of complacency that the Lord decried through the prophet Amos.
The purple garments and fine linen he wore signified his regal and imperial standing. His table fare was sumptuous - rich and magnificent banquets reminiscent of kings. The parable made no mention of work. His was definitely a life of comfort and opulence.
The rich man had everything of this world, but nothing of God. But he did not welcome Lazarus into his home, who lay just outside his door. He did not invite Lazarus to his table. He did not share his resources with the poor man - not one tiny bit from his riches, not even the scraps of food that fell from his table. He did not witness to Lazarus the good news of God’s covenant of love with Israel. He did not accord Lazarus the dignity that befits a fellow child of God.
On the other hand, Lazarus had nothing of this world, but everything of God (Latin name Eleazar means “God is my help”). He was so poor, diseased and weakened that the parable described him as “lying at the rich man’s door.” He was unable to stand up and fend for himself. He had to beg to eat. He was hungry and would have eaten scraps falling from the rich man’s table. Apparently without family and friends, he was ignored, avoided and abandoned, approached only by dogs which licked his sores. Though suffering, he was uncomplaining. Lazarus had no possessions, except that which truly mattered: he had God.
Like everything in this world, both earthly wealth and suffering are passing things. Jesus, “the King of kings and Lord of lords…alone has immortality” Inevitably, the rich man and Lazarus died and met God’s divine justice. Lazarus, because of his reliance on God, was carried by angels to the eternal comfort of the bosom of Abraham. The rich man, because of his selfishness, was consigned to the eternal torment of the netherworld. There, he discovered that his and Lazarus’ earthly states had been reversed. Lazarus was comforted; the rich man was tormented. The rich man was now the beggar. Yet his old self-absorption and low regard for Lazarus remained. He begged Father Abraham to send Lazarus to cool his tongue with water from the tip of his finger. His tears did him no good, for without Jesus, there was no way the great chasm between heaven and hell can be bridged.
The rich man made his final appeal to warn his five brothers – who represented a society which did nothing to alleviate the plight of the poor - that they may repent of their selfishness. Father Abraham’s response speaks to us too. Repentance must flow out of love of God and obedience to His commandments. St. Paul reinforces and simplifies the command, “…keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Tim 6:14). The commandment to keep is kingdom love.
Our value before God does not lie in our wealth, looks or stature, but in our heart of love, a love that lifts up all persons, most specially the poor. Jesus is the model of lifting up the poor: “for your sake, He became poor though He was rich, so that by His poverty you might become rich” (2 Tm 8:9).
As Catholics, we must come together with a common conviction that we can no longer tolerate the moral scandal of poverty, hunger and deprivation in the world. As believers, we can debate how best to overcome these realities, but we must be united in our commitment and action. Our faith teaches us that poor people are not issues or problems but sisters and brothers in God's one human family.
As Catholics, we are called to be "ever more faithful witnesses of God's love and justice, protecting the dignity of all God's children, especially the poor and vulnerable." As our nation and world confront terrorism, war, and violence, we recall the words of Pope Paul VI, "If you want peace, work for justice."
With our Church under challenge, the world confronted by terror and haunted by conflict, we must focus our individual and collective efforts on issues of poverty and human dignity now!
* It is our calling. Our commission from the Lord places our service to the poor and the vulnerable and our work for justice at the heart of our discipleship.
* Poverty is all around us. Even in the richest country in the world, 1/6 of the children are growing up poor. The blessings and burdens of American life are not being shared equitably. In the Philippines, over 3 million families live below the poverty line, and are experiencing hunger daily. Millions are homeless or living in shanties.
* The situation is dire. It is estimated that more than 30,000 children die every day from hunger, deprivation, and their consequences. Disease and debt, corruption and conflict are threatening the lives and dignity of millions of people around the world.
* Jesus is in the poor. In Jesus' description of the Last Judgment in Mt 25, our Just Judge asked the question "What did you do for the least of these?" Jesus identified himself with the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the imprisoned, and the stranger, insisting that when we serve them we serve him.
* Each of us in Jesus can make a difference. Our community must actively preach the Gospel and pursue the Church's evangelizing and social mission. Together, we can build a world where people are treated with dignity, where lives are respected and protected.
In his hometown synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus outlined his mission and ours: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me . . . he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free." In these challenging times, this mission of Jesus is our way forward and our urgent task.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
On Authority and Obedience to God's Will
(Reflection on Readings from 4th Sunday of Advent, 2 Sam 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14, 16; Ps 89:2-5, 27, 29; Rom 16:25-27; Lk 1:26-38)
Man’s Will vs. God’s Will
Victorious in his wars and established as king of all Israel, David offered to give thanks to the Lord by building for Him a house. The prophet Nathan, who knew that David was the Lord’s anointed king, encouraged him to do what was in his mind. After all, what could be wrong with the king’s plan to build a house for God? That same night, the Lord corrected Nathan. He asked the prophet to tell David that it will be the Lord who will build a house for the king. That house will not be a physical but spiritual; it will not be temporal but eternal. It will be ruled by a king who will reign forever.
God can never be outdone in His goodness. David proposed to undertake something good in this world for the Lord. The Lord told David that was not His will. Instead, the Lord promised that it will be He who will give David what is supremely good for all eternity.
God’s Promise and Mary’s Response
A thousand years later, the Lord sent the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to announce that God’s promise to David will be fulfilled in her. She was to conceive and bear a son – Jesus. “He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of David, His father, and He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom, there will be no end” (Lk 1:32-33). Mary, who did not have relations with a man, wondered: “how can this be?” Gabriel replied that she will conceive and bear a son by the power of God through the Holy Spirit. A person of ordinary faith would have responded with derision to this incredible information. Yet this “revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages…manifested…according to the command of the eternal God..” brought about in Mary the “obedience of faith” (Rom 16:25, 26). Mary declared: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to thy word” Lk 1:38.
God’s plan of salvation for man needed the cooperation of a woman named Mary. Because of Mary’s humble acceptance of God’s will, our Savior, Jesus Christ, was born to her and through her, to all mankind. It is Jesus who is to build a house for the Lord – the Church (Mt 16:18), which is not a physical structure but God’s spiritual kingdom, “against which the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail.”
Applications to Community
The most often question asked in Christian communities like ours is this: How do we know if the leaders’ discernment is based on human motivations or guided by the Holy
Spirit? The answer is we don’t, particularly if it involves a good or even a morally neutral decision. Consider the example of David. He was living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remained in a tent. David wanted to build a house for the Lord who had been so good to him. There was one other reason why David (and Nathan) thought he should: as king, he can. But as scripture tells us, this was not what the Lord wanted, so David didn’t.
In a covenant community like ours, where authority is exercised by leaders in God’s name, those leaders have the duty and responsibility to seek and do His will. Because they are responsible, they are accountable – to the Lord. This thought should send any leader on his knees before God! As to the members, they should remember that it is the will of the Lord to entrust His flock to our leaders. He did this knowing fully well their heart, for nothing is concealed from Him (Heb 4:13). If the Lord can trust our very human leaders with His very work, who are we to distrust God’s judgment?
Besides trusting God, what else can members do? According to St. Paul, “offer supplications, prayers, petitions and thanksgiving…for all in authority” (1 Tm 2:1-2). What should they pray for? Pray that the Holy Spirit will come upon our leaders and that the power of the Most High will overshadow them. Then, with humility and faith, let us trust that the Lord heard our prayer and led our leaders to obedience of His will.
Man’s Will vs. God’s Will
Victorious in his wars and established as king of all Israel, David offered to give thanks to the Lord by building for Him a house. The prophet Nathan, who knew that David was the Lord’s anointed king, encouraged him to do what was in his mind. After all, what could be wrong with the king’s plan to build a house for God? That same night, the Lord corrected Nathan. He asked the prophet to tell David that it will be the Lord who will build a house for the king. That house will not be a physical but spiritual; it will not be temporal but eternal. It will be ruled by a king who will reign forever.
God can never be outdone in His goodness. David proposed to undertake something good in this world for the Lord. The Lord told David that was not His will. Instead, the Lord promised that it will be He who will give David what is supremely good for all eternity.
God’s Promise and Mary’s Response
A thousand years later, the Lord sent the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to announce that God’s promise to David will be fulfilled in her. She was to conceive and bear a son – Jesus. “He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of David, His father, and He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom, there will be no end” (Lk 1:32-33). Mary, who did not have relations with a man, wondered: “how can this be?” Gabriel replied that she will conceive and bear a son by the power of God through the Holy Spirit. A person of ordinary faith would have responded with derision to this incredible information. Yet this “revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages…manifested…according to the command of the eternal God..” brought about in Mary the “obedience of faith” (Rom 16:25, 26). Mary declared: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to thy word” Lk 1:38.
God’s plan of salvation for man needed the cooperation of a woman named Mary. Because of Mary’s humble acceptance of God’s will, our Savior, Jesus Christ, was born to her and through her, to all mankind. It is Jesus who is to build a house for the Lord – the Church (Mt 16:18), which is not a physical structure but God’s spiritual kingdom, “against which the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail.”
Applications to Community
The most often question asked in Christian communities like ours is this: How do we know if the leaders’ discernment is based on human motivations or guided by the Holy
Spirit? The answer is we don’t, particularly if it involves a good or even a morally neutral decision. Consider the example of David. He was living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remained in a tent. David wanted to build a house for the Lord who had been so good to him. There was one other reason why David (and Nathan) thought he should: as king, he can. But as scripture tells us, this was not what the Lord wanted, so David didn’t.
In a covenant community like ours, where authority is exercised by leaders in God’s name, those leaders have the duty and responsibility to seek and do His will. Because they are responsible, they are accountable – to the Lord. This thought should send any leader on his knees before God! As to the members, they should remember that it is the will of the Lord to entrust His flock to our leaders. He did this knowing fully well their heart, for nothing is concealed from Him (Heb 4:13). If the Lord can trust our very human leaders with His very work, who are we to distrust God’s judgment?
Besides trusting God, what else can members do? According to St. Paul, “offer supplications, prayers, petitions and thanksgiving…for all in authority” (1 Tm 2:1-2). What should they pray for? Pray that the Holy Spirit will come upon our leaders and that the power of the Most High will overshadow them. Then, with humility and faith, let us trust that the Lord heard our prayer and led our leaders to obedience of His will.
On Being the Lord's Under-Shepherds
(Reflection on the readings from the 4th Sunday of Easter: Acts 4:8-12; Ps 118:1,8-9,21-23,26,28,29; 1Jn 3:1-2; John 10:11-18)
We are asked: “As BLD disciples, let us commit to and live our CHARISM, to be the Lord’s under-shepherds, to witness to the Word, to bring healing and wholeness to others, to be co-defender in Christ to those who suffer injustice and oppression.” This raises this unavoidable question: how can we when we are so broken?
That question must have come to Peter's mind when he said to the Jewish leaders and elders: “If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved…” (Acts 4:9) Although Peter and John were the instruments used for the crippled beggar’s healing (Acts 3:1-10), he knew they can not withstand an examination of their lives. True, they were amazingly blessed to be disciples of Jesus. But it was also true that they were nonetheless still sinful men.
Note that Peter and John refused to take credit for their good deed. There is no room in them for pride and self-acclaim. To them, their life and work was no longer about self, but about Jesus. It is to Christ that Peter ascribed the power to heal: “all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in His name this man stands before you healed” (Acts 4:10). And it is to Christ alone that he ascribed the power to save: “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved" (Acts 4:12).
We too have been similarly blessed to be the Lord’s disciples. Like Peter and John, an honest self-examination will lead us to recognition of our brokenness and unworthiness- even as the Lord uses us as instruments of His grace. It is to Christ that we must direct ourselves and others. When we do, then our life and work will be about Jesus and our relationship with Him.
He proclaimed, “I am the good shepherd” (Jn 10:11a): Jesus is the shepherd, we are the under-shepherds; Jesus is the Word, we are His voices; Jesus is the Healer, we are the laying hands of faith; Jesus is the Defender of the weak, we are His prayer warriors; Jesus is the King, we are His servants.
Our relationship with Jesus grows in intimacy and unity as we persevere to follow His footsteps, to have His own heart, to think with His mind and to act in His Spirit. All of which is possible by grace alone. That grace comes to us through the cross. “A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (Jn 10:11b). We can be good under-shepherds if we lay down our life for the sheep. This means to love as Jesus loved: selflessly, totally, sacrificially - for the glory of God the Father. Goodness comes with love, and love comes from Jesus Christ.
“See what love the Father has bestowed on us, that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.” (1 Jn 3:1). Our present and future identity is to be children of God. But while “we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed.” (1 Jn 3:2a) Our adoption into God’s family leads to our ultimate reality - “what we shall be”. This will come at the time of revelation when “we shall see Him as He is”, and in accord with God’s grace, “we shall be like Him” (1 Jn 3:3).
Back to the question, how can we when we are so broken? We can in spite of our brokenness, if we persevere in Christ. We can, when we listen to the Lord’s voice and allow Him to lead us in our journey to the Father. We can, when we love and care for the flock with the love and strength of the Good Shepherd. We can, when our witness to Jesus is in the power of His Spirit- giving thanks, praise and worship to Him who entrusts, enables and equips us to do His work, and who gives us victory over sin, suffering and death
We are asked: “As BLD disciples, let us commit to and live our CHARISM, to be the Lord’s under-shepherds, to witness to the Word, to bring healing and wholeness to others, to be co-defender in Christ to those who suffer injustice and oppression.” This raises this unavoidable question: how can we when we are so broken?
That question must have come to Peter's mind when he said to the Jewish leaders and elders: “If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved…” (Acts 4:9) Although Peter and John were the instruments used for the crippled beggar’s healing (Acts 3:1-10), he knew they can not withstand an examination of their lives. True, they were amazingly blessed to be disciples of Jesus. But it was also true that they were nonetheless still sinful men.
Note that Peter and John refused to take credit for their good deed. There is no room in them for pride and self-acclaim. To them, their life and work was no longer about self, but about Jesus. It is to Christ that Peter ascribed the power to heal: “all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in His name this man stands before you healed” (Acts 4:10). And it is to Christ alone that he ascribed the power to save: “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved" (Acts 4:12).
We too have been similarly blessed to be the Lord’s disciples. Like Peter and John, an honest self-examination will lead us to recognition of our brokenness and unworthiness- even as the Lord uses us as instruments of His grace. It is to Christ that we must direct ourselves and others. When we do, then our life and work will be about Jesus and our relationship with Him.
He proclaimed, “I am the good shepherd” (Jn 10:11a): Jesus is the shepherd, we are the under-shepherds; Jesus is the Word, we are His voices; Jesus is the Healer, we are the laying hands of faith; Jesus is the Defender of the weak, we are His prayer warriors; Jesus is the King, we are His servants.
Our relationship with Jesus grows in intimacy and unity as we persevere to follow His footsteps, to have His own heart, to think with His mind and to act in His Spirit. All of which is possible by grace alone. That grace comes to us through the cross. “A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (Jn 10:11b). We can be good under-shepherds if we lay down our life for the sheep. This means to love as Jesus loved: selflessly, totally, sacrificially - for the glory of God the Father. Goodness comes with love, and love comes from Jesus Christ.
“See what love the Father has bestowed on us, that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.” (1 Jn 3:1). Our present and future identity is to be children of God. But while “we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed.” (1 Jn 3:2a) Our adoption into God’s family leads to our ultimate reality - “what we shall be”. This will come at the time of revelation when “we shall see Him as He is”, and in accord with God’s grace, “we shall be like Him” (1 Jn 3:3).
Back to the question, how can we when we are so broken? We can in spite of our brokenness, if we persevere in Christ. We can, when we listen to the Lord’s voice and allow Him to lead us in our journey to the Father. We can, when we love and care for the flock with the love and strength of the Good Shepherd. We can, when our witness to Jesus is in the power of His Spirit- giving thanks, praise and worship to Him who entrusts, enables and equips us to do His work, and who gives us victory over sin, suffering and death
On our Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe
(A Look Back To Our Pilgrimage to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in 2005)
“Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother.’ And from that hour, the disciple took her into his home.” Jn 19:27
Several community members were blessed with the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe and other Marian shrines in Mexico several years ago. Like the apostle John prior to the Lord’s crucifixion, our discipleship prior to the pilgrimage was entirely focused on Jesus. We were unable to make room for Mary in our lives, believing that it is better to go directly to God. Our devotion to the Blessed Mother was as perfunctory as our un-mindful recitation of the rosary.
The Lord Jesus Christ gave His mother to the Church knowing that if we knew her like He did, we would love and honor her like He did. As His first, most faithful and model disciple, we have everything to gain from emulating her life of prayer, reflection, obedience and service. Looking back, we now realize that our pilgrimage was the Lord’s way of bringing us to a deeper relationship with His mother.
As we traveled to various Marian shrines in an air-conditioned bus, we came across hundreds, if not thousands of pilgrims, or peregrinos in Spanish, on their way to the Guadalupe shrine on foot and with nothing but sleeping and sparse food supplies. They were two or three days of walking away from the shrine. At night, we saw them encamped by roadsides, with only flashlights to illumine themselves.
In Mexico City, we were thrust into a sea of peregrinos from all over the world. Millions of them ascended to the Guadalupe shrine, which consisted of the Basilica, chapels and grottos built around Mt. Tepeyac, where four of the five Marian apparitions to San Juan Diego occurred in 1531. (URL: http://www.sancta.org/). It seemed as if every province, city, town, parish and school in Mexico had a delegation of peregrinos to represent them in Guadalupe.
The scene at the shrine reminded us of big town fiestas in the Philippines, with their fill of marching bands, cultural dances, singers, vendors, and tourists. Masses were scheduled around the clock at the Basilica, which teemed with people morning, noon and night. A steady stream of peregrinos, some walking on their knees, passed in the front of the main altar and through the automatic walkways where San Juan Diego’s tilma (shroud) bearing Our Lady of Guadalupe’s image can be viewed more closely. Simultaneous masses for special pilgrim groups were at the dozen or so chapels at the balcony of the Basilica.
On the eve of the feast, a nationally televised program to honor the Blessed Mother was held throughout the night in the Basilica. Every well-known Mexican singer, musician, artist and celebrity serenaded Our Lady, many of them speaking to her as though they were face to face with their own mother. It was clear that the peregrinos and the Mexican people were deeply in love with the Blessed Mother.
Our Newark pilgrims had their intimate moments with Our Lady as well. One was given a vision of a radiant light emanating from the face of Our Lady of Ocotlan. (URL: http://www.starharbor.com/santiago/ocotlan.htm) Several others were healed through the intercession of Our Lady from past emotional and spiritual hurts. Many received a fresh anointing for prayer. Others discovered gushing wellsprings that will nurture their newly-discovered devotions to the Blessed Mother.
The Lord used the huge crowds, which could have been distracting to the serious peregrino, and our quiet moments of prayer, to convey the first but lasting lesson of the pilgrimage: God’s love empowers our love relationship with the Blessed Mother. Our Newark pilgrims took Our Lady home, to begin a love relationship that will grow deeper over time, thanks to her Son who so graciously gave her to us.
“Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother.’ And from that hour, the disciple took her into his home.” Jn 19:27
Several community members were blessed with the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe and other Marian shrines in Mexico several years ago. Like the apostle John prior to the Lord’s crucifixion, our discipleship prior to the pilgrimage was entirely focused on Jesus. We were unable to make room for Mary in our lives, believing that it is better to go directly to God. Our devotion to the Blessed Mother was as perfunctory as our un-mindful recitation of the rosary.
The Lord Jesus Christ gave His mother to the Church knowing that if we knew her like He did, we would love and honor her like He did. As His first, most faithful and model disciple, we have everything to gain from emulating her life of prayer, reflection, obedience and service. Looking back, we now realize that our pilgrimage was the Lord’s way of bringing us to a deeper relationship with His mother.
As we traveled to various Marian shrines in an air-conditioned bus, we came across hundreds, if not thousands of pilgrims, or peregrinos in Spanish, on their way to the Guadalupe shrine on foot and with nothing but sleeping and sparse food supplies. They were two or three days of walking away from the shrine. At night, we saw them encamped by roadsides, with only flashlights to illumine themselves.
In Mexico City, we were thrust into a sea of peregrinos from all over the world. Millions of them ascended to the Guadalupe shrine, which consisted of the Basilica, chapels and grottos built around Mt. Tepeyac, where four of the five Marian apparitions to San Juan Diego occurred in 1531. (URL: http://www.sancta.org/). It seemed as if every province, city, town, parish and school in Mexico had a delegation of peregrinos to represent them in Guadalupe.
The scene at the shrine reminded us of big town fiestas in the Philippines, with their fill of marching bands, cultural dances, singers, vendors, and tourists. Masses were scheduled around the clock at the Basilica, which teemed with people morning, noon and night. A steady stream of peregrinos, some walking on their knees, passed in the front of the main altar and through the automatic walkways where San Juan Diego’s tilma (shroud) bearing Our Lady of Guadalupe’s image can be viewed more closely. Simultaneous masses for special pilgrim groups were at the dozen or so chapels at the balcony of the Basilica.
On the eve of the feast, a nationally televised program to honor the Blessed Mother was held throughout the night in the Basilica. Every well-known Mexican singer, musician, artist and celebrity serenaded Our Lady, many of them speaking to her as though they were face to face with their own mother. It was clear that the peregrinos and the Mexican people were deeply in love with the Blessed Mother.
Our Newark pilgrims had their intimate moments with Our Lady as well. One was given a vision of a radiant light emanating from the face of Our Lady of Ocotlan. (URL: http://www.starharbor.com/santiago/ocotlan.htm) Several others were healed through the intercession of Our Lady from past emotional and spiritual hurts. Many received a fresh anointing for prayer. Others discovered gushing wellsprings that will nurture their newly-discovered devotions to the Blessed Mother.
The Lord used the huge crowds, which could have been distracting to the serious peregrino, and our quiet moments of prayer, to convey the first but lasting lesson of the pilgrimage: God’s love empowers our love relationship with the Blessed Mother. Our Newark pilgrims took Our Lady home, to begin a love relationship that will grow deeper over time, thanks to her Son who so graciously gave her to us.
On Measuring Up To Rules & Norms
In every community, there are rules and norms. Rules are guidelines for human behavior intended primarily to institute order in community. Without rules, chaos will prevail. Norms are patterns of human behavior that reflect the spiritual values of a community. Without norms, the vision and purposes of the community will be unrealizable. Together, they form a set of expectations against which individual members and the community as a whole are measured.
It is natural to expect conformance to our rules and norms. Human frailty, however, makes it impractical to expect unfailing conformance, even of gifted and mature disciples. The reality of human weakness is best expressed by St. Paul in Rm 7:15 “What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate.” While acknowledging this truth in His teaching and discipling of His followers, Jesus Christ would not accept human frailty as an excuse for mediocrity. He commanded them: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” Mt 5:48. But how does a creature weakened by sin become perfect just like his Creator?
The Word of God from Heb 2:10 clues us in to the answer: “For it was fitting that He, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.” Our perfection lies in our persevering willingness to suffer for the sake of Jesus, for the sake of His gospel, for the sake of His love. Suffering comes in various forms of martyrdom, like forgiving those who have offended us, encouraging those who have failed us, aiding those who are helpless and struggling, bearing the burdens and pains of those who suffer. Struggles and suffering are essential companions in our journey to perfection in Christ.
We should therefore never give up on ourselves, on others, and on our community- even in the face of failure to measure up to rules and norms. The gospel is filled with examples of how Jesus dealt with His disciples who did not measure up. For example, Jesus prophesied on the eve of His crucifixion that Peter will deny Him: “Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers” Lk 22:31-32. In spite of His foreknowledge of Peter’s denial, Jesus’ love for him did not waver. The Lord prayed for him, expressed His confidence that Peter will return to God, and charged him with the task of strengthening his fellow disciples when he did return!
“…Have peace in Me. In the world, you will experience trouble. But take courage, for I have conquered the world.” Jn 16:33
It is natural to expect conformance to our rules and norms. Human frailty, however, makes it impractical to expect unfailing conformance, even of gifted and mature disciples. The reality of human weakness is best expressed by St. Paul in Rm 7:15 “What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate.” While acknowledging this truth in His teaching and discipling of His followers, Jesus Christ would not accept human frailty as an excuse for mediocrity. He commanded them: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” Mt 5:48. But how does a creature weakened by sin become perfect just like his Creator?
The Word of God from Heb 2:10 clues us in to the answer: “For it was fitting that He, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.” Our perfection lies in our persevering willingness to suffer for the sake of Jesus, for the sake of His gospel, for the sake of His love. Suffering comes in various forms of martyrdom, like forgiving those who have offended us, encouraging those who have failed us, aiding those who are helpless and struggling, bearing the burdens and pains of those who suffer. Struggles and suffering are essential companions in our journey to perfection in Christ.
We should therefore never give up on ourselves, on others, and on our community- even in the face of failure to measure up to rules and norms. The gospel is filled with examples of how Jesus dealt with His disciples who did not measure up. For example, Jesus prophesied on the eve of His crucifixion that Peter will deny Him: “Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers” Lk 22:31-32. In spite of His foreknowledge of Peter’s denial, Jesus’ love for him did not waver. The Lord prayed for him, expressed His confidence that Peter will return to God, and charged him with the task of strengthening his fellow disciples when he did return!
“…Have peace in Me. In the world, you will experience trouble. But take courage, for I have conquered the world.” Jn 16:33
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
On the Only Good
Reflection on Wis 7:7-11; Ps 90:12-17; Heb 4:12-13; Mk 10:17-30
In the gospel reading, Jesus lays down the essential truth regarding
Christianity. When a rich man asked the Lord, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?", Jesus answered that only God is good and reminded must him about God’s commandments concerning our relationship with other people. When the rich man quickly declared that he has observed all of these commandments from his youth, Jesus responded: "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." (Mk 10:21)
Jesus teaches that merely refraining from harming others in observance of the
commandments is not enough. More importantly, we must to do good to others.
When Jesus lovingly told the rich man "You are lacking in one thing”, He meant that he needed to have the disciple’s heart- the heart that burns in intense love for God, the heart that cultivates, cherishes, and manifests this love of God through love of others, the heart that worships the one and only true God in every facet of our life.
Lacking this, the rich man could not give up his "many possessions" to follow Jesus. The love of riches impede discipleship. Those who love to amass wealth find it hard to humble themselves, to surrender control over their life to God, and to depend entirely on Christ. The poor, on the other hand, have nothing and no one to depend on but God. Thus, Jesus said that it was easier for the camel to pass through a needle's eye than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God (Mk 10:25). Jesus warns us of the dangers of attachment to power and wealth when he said "You cannot serve God and mammon." (Mt 6:24; Lk 16:13). He asks us to make our choice between the love of God and the idolatrous love of power and wealth.
"Teach us to count our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of
heart." (Ps 90:12).
We could also make gods of a cause, an idea, a group, an activity, our accomplishments, our convictions or principles, our ways of doing things, our community- by being excessively attached to them, even in the course of serving God. We could be so enamored with our community that we forget that it is not the end, but a means to the ultimate end- God Himself. Our community’s primary mission is to help lead people to Christ- the only Way to the Father.
To be true to our purpose, we must be like Solomon in praying for prudence and understanding, and pleading for His Spirit of Wisdom (Wis 7:7). We must rely on the Holy Spirit to work through us, to lead and to guide us in all our ways. More importantly, we must allow God to develop in us the disciple’s heart, to grant us the qualities of true inheritors of His kingdom: emptying of self, poverty of the spirit, humility, obedience, charity and openness to His Spirit.
Let us give up worldly goods for the Goodness that comes only from God --the
only one who is truly Good.
In the gospel reading, Jesus lays down the essential truth regarding
Christianity. When a rich man asked the Lord, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?", Jesus answered that only God is good and reminded must him about God’s commandments concerning our relationship with other people. When the rich man quickly declared that he has observed all of these commandments from his youth, Jesus responded: "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." (Mk 10:21)
Jesus teaches that merely refraining from harming others in observance of the
commandments is not enough. More importantly, we must to do good to others.
When Jesus lovingly told the rich man "You are lacking in one thing”, He meant that he needed to have the disciple’s heart- the heart that burns in intense love for God, the heart that cultivates, cherishes, and manifests this love of God through love of others, the heart that worships the one and only true God in every facet of our life.
Lacking this, the rich man could not give up his "many possessions" to follow Jesus. The love of riches impede discipleship. Those who love to amass wealth find it hard to humble themselves, to surrender control over their life to God, and to depend entirely on Christ. The poor, on the other hand, have nothing and no one to depend on but God. Thus, Jesus said that it was easier for the camel to pass through a needle's eye than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God (Mk 10:25). Jesus warns us of the dangers of attachment to power and wealth when he said "You cannot serve God and mammon." (Mt 6:24; Lk 16:13). He asks us to make our choice between the love of God and the idolatrous love of power and wealth.
"Teach us to count our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of
heart." (Ps 90:12).
We could also make gods of a cause, an idea, a group, an activity, our accomplishments, our convictions or principles, our ways of doing things, our community- by being excessively attached to them, even in the course of serving God. We could be so enamored with our community that we forget that it is not the end, but a means to the ultimate end- God Himself. Our community’s primary mission is to help lead people to Christ- the only Way to the Father.
To be true to our purpose, we must be like Solomon in praying for prudence and understanding, and pleading for His Spirit of Wisdom (Wis 7:7). We must rely on the Holy Spirit to work through us, to lead and to guide us in all our ways. More importantly, we must allow God to develop in us the disciple’s heart, to grant us the qualities of true inheritors of His kingdom: emptying of self, poverty of the spirit, humility, obedience, charity and openness to His Spirit.
Let us give up worldly goods for the Goodness that comes only from God --the
only one who is truly Good.
On Trustworthiness
Reflection on Am 8:4-7; Ps 113: 1-2, 4-8; 1Tim 2:1-8; Lk 16:1-13
Our Scripture readings focus on trustworthiness as a requirement of Christian Stewardship. Webster’s dictionary defines trust as assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something. It defines a steward as an employee in a large household or estate who has been entrusted with the management of domestic concerns, which includes certain property or resources to be used in accord with the owner’s instructions or purposes.
Each and every one of us is a steward of the Lord. As parents, we are stewards of our children, whom we have been entrusted to love, care, nurture, guide, educate and raise, that they may become good and productive citizens in the land where the Lord settles them, and more importantly, holy and fruitful citizens of God’s kingdom. As workers, professionals and business people, we are stewards of the knowledge, skills, capabilities and material resources that He gave us, in order to provide for our families and our needs, to help fulfill our God-given potential and in the process help to build a prosperous, caring, sharing and peaceful society. As members of His Church and His disciples in this community, we have been entrusted with the gospel, His flock and His resources, in order to fulfill the mission to bring the light and goodness of Christ to our children, our friends, to all tribes and nations, for the praise and glory of God the Father.
In the parable of the dishonest steward, we learn that the steward broke his master’s trust by squandering the latter’s property. To squander means to dissipate, waste or be unfruitful. As a result, the master demanded a full accounting of his stewardship, telling him that he can no longer continue as the master’s steward. True to his selfish nature, the steward discounted the debts of his master’s debtors in order to ingratiate himself with them.
The gospel itself teaches us three key lessons. First, all of us will be called to account for our stewardship of the Lord’s people, gifts and resources- hence the call to trustworthiness. Second, we are to be trustworthy in great and small matters, in worldly wealth and true wealth. Third, the trustworthy steward knows and serves only God, not mammon. The other readings for Sunday reveal to us other essentials of Christian stewardship: integrity and justice, concern for the needy and the poor, and thankfulness, prayer and intercession.
What is the path to trustworthiness? It starts with the choice of service over self-interest. The spirit of service requires us to hold in trust the well-being of the larger entity- our family, our parish, our community, our workplace, our nation. That trust is best served in obedience to the two greatest commandments, which is authentically expressed when we place a higher value on pleasing God and working for the good of others. Stewardship is about humility and servanthood, not self-interest, ownership and control. The proud and arrogant person would primarily be concerned with himself, and not the good of others. The humble steward relies and trusts not on his own abilities and strengths, but on God and God alone. Only God is trustworthy (Jn 3:33). By ourselves, we are weak and broken, hence undeserving of God’s trust. Yet He calls us to Christian stewardship (1 Cor 1:26-29).
In power made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12:9-10), the Lord equips us in and through Christ to respond fruitfully to His call. He aids us to trustworthiness in Christ by renewing our minds in the Holy Spirit, so that we may discern and be united with His perfect will (Rm 12:2). Through Christ who empowers us, we, His stewards, have strength for everything (Phil 4:13). Our reliance on Christ makes us reliable; our trust in Him makes us trustworthy. Those who trust in and are one with the Lord bear much fruit (Jer 17:7-8; Jn 15:5).
Our Scripture readings focus on trustworthiness as a requirement of Christian Stewardship. Webster’s dictionary defines trust as assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something. It defines a steward as an employee in a large household or estate who has been entrusted with the management of domestic concerns, which includes certain property or resources to be used in accord with the owner’s instructions or purposes.
Each and every one of us is a steward of the Lord. As parents, we are stewards of our children, whom we have been entrusted to love, care, nurture, guide, educate and raise, that they may become good and productive citizens in the land where the Lord settles them, and more importantly, holy and fruitful citizens of God’s kingdom. As workers, professionals and business people, we are stewards of the knowledge, skills, capabilities and material resources that He gave us, in order to provide for our families and our needs, to help fulfill our God-given potential and in the process help to build a prosperous, caring, sharing and peaceful society. As members of His Church and His disciples in this community, we have been entrusted with the gospel, His flock and His resources, in order to fulfill the mission to bring the light and goodness of Christ to our children, our friends, to all tribes and nations, for the praise and glory of God the Father.
In the parable of the dishonest steward, we learn that the steward broke his master’s trust by squandering the latter’s property. To squander means to dissipate, waste or be unfruitful. As a result, the master demanded a full accounting of his stewardship, telling him that he can no longer continue as the master’s steward. True to his selfish nature, the steward discounted the debts of his master’s debtors in order to ingratiate himself with them.
The gospel itself teaches us three key lessons. First, all of us will be called to account for our stewardship of the Lord’s people, gifts and resources- hence the call to trustworthiness. Second, we are to be trustworthy in great and small matters, in worldly wealth and true wealth. Third, the trustworthy steward knows and serves only God, not mammon. The other readings for Sunday reveal to us other essentials of Christian stewardship: integrity and justice, concern for the needy and the poor, and thankfulness, prayer and intercession.
What is the path to trustworthiness? It starts with the choice of service over self-interest. The spirit of service requires us to hold in trust the well-being of the larger entity- our family, our parish, our community, our workplace, our nation. That trust is best served in obedience to the two greatest commandments, which is authentically expressed when we place a higher value on pleasing God and working for the good of others. Stewardship is about humility and servanthood, not self-interest, ownership and control. The proud and arrogant person would primarily be concerned with himself, and not the good of others. The humble steward relies and trusts not on his own abilities and strengths, but on God and God alone. Only God is trustworthy (Jn 3:33). By ourselves, we are weak and broken, hence undeserving of God’s trust. Yet He calls us to Christian stewardship (1 Cor 1:26-29).
In power made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12:9-10), the Lord equips us in and through Christ to respond fruitfully to His call. He aids us to trustworthiness in Christ by renewing our minds in the Holy Spirit, so that we may discern and be united with His perfect will (Rm 12:2). Through Christ who empowers us, we, His stewards, have strength for everything (Phil 4:13). Our reliance on Christ makes us reliable; our trust in Him makes us trustworthy. Those who trust in and are one with the Lord bear much fruit (Jer 17:7-8; Jn 15:5).
On Faithful Obedience
Reflection on Isaiah 62:1-5, Ps 96:1-3, 7-10, 1st Cor 12:4-11, John 2:1-11
John’s gospel account brings to fore two radiant models of faithful obedience: Mary and Jesus. We find them at a wedding in Cana- some thirty years after the Virgin Mary gave her assent to God, bore and gave birth to His child- the promised Messiah, nursed, nurtured, raised and formed the Incarnate Lord from infancy to childhood to manhood. She was the perfect mother, giving Him her flesh, her womb, her love, her breasts, her home, her love, her devotion, her faith, her knowledge, her values, her goodness, her discipline, her time, her strength, her life, her all. She bore an extraordinarily good fruit: our Savior.
In Cana, we find Jesus at the outset of the Messianic work entrusted to Him by His Father. From the young age when He began discerning His divine Sonship (Lk 2:49), through the hidden years in Nazareth, and throughout His public ministry- from the river Jordan to Cana to Calvary- our Lord Jesus Christ lived in faithful obedience to God’s will. His life and ministry bore the extraordinarily good fruit of our salvation, our adoption as God’s children, our incorporation to His Body, the Church, and our heavenly inheritance. At the wedding at Cana, we see the glory of the Lord shining radiantly in both Mary and Jesus.
What does living in faithful obedience to God’s will mean?
Sharing in the life of God (Is 62:5; 2 Pt 1:4; Gal 2:20)- When we experience His life in our life, the Lord allows us to see as if through His eyes, think in unity with His thoughts, speak with His words, and act in obedience His will. He gives us inner eyes of faith that penetrate beyond what our outward eyes can see, for He reveals to us signs of His presence and action in people, events and creation. We discover in difficult relationships, trials and afflictions the many opportunities for conversion and sanctification presented to us by the Lord. There is a fundamental shift in our thinking and attitudes, as we begin to place God as our first, highest and only priority, our greatest value. His wisdom enlightens our every desire, judgment, and plan, enabling us to discern His expectations and obey His will for us. We perceive the deeper meanings of our life’s experiences in the light of His Spirit who dwells in us. We accept without fear what we do not understand, trusting that God will guide and protect us through the darkness. We speak and act with love, truth and respect, aware that we are always in God’s presence. As Paul exclaimed, it is Jesus who lives in us, and thus thinks within us, speaks through us and acts in us.
Abiding in Christ (Jn 15:1-5)- When we remain united to Jesus who is our Lord and the love of our life, He becomes our way, our strength, our goal. We become His bride, His joy (Is 62:5), His possession, whom He has made a new person, and given a new name (Is 62:2). His voice beckons within us, and we heed His call to an ever-deepening communion of life and love through prayer and servanthood. We detach ourselves from false idols that could enslave us. We choose Him and we completely abandon ourselves to Him. Our every breath is a song of praise for Him (Ps 96:1); our every step proclaims His glory to all (Ps 96:3). We love and serve Him and despise sin and its relatives. For our greatest desire is to delight Him, even if it means crucifying our own will. We rely on Him for everything, using our gifts and talents, even our lack, to fulfill His purposes (1 Cor 12:4-6). When the wine of wellness is depleted by our frailties, trials or affliction, we turn to Him for help and we do whatever He tells us (Jn 2:5). We rejoice at whatever He gives us, knowing that He who faithfully loves us will not be silenced, will not be quiet until we are vindicated and victorious. For He has espoused us and will never forsake us. He has in His heart only what is best for us.
John’s gospel account brings to fore two radiant models of faithful obedience: Mary and Jesus. We find them at a wedding in Cana- some thirty years after the Virgin Mary gave her assent to God, bore and gave birth to His child- the promised Messiah, nursed, nurtured, raised and formed the Incarnate Lord from infancy to childhood to manhood. She was the perfect mother, giving Him her flesh, her womb, her love, her breasts, her home, her love, her devotion, her faith, her knowledge, her values, her goodness, her discipline, her time, her strength, her life, her all. She bore an extraordinarily good fruit: our Savior.
In Cana, we find Jesus at the outset of the Messianic work entrusted to Him by His Father. From the young age when He began discerning His divine Sonship (Lk 2:49), through the hidden years in Nazareth, and throughout His public ministry- from the river Jordan to Cana to Calvary- our Lord Jesus Christ lived in faithful obedience to God’s will. His life and ministry bore the extraordinarily good fruit of our salvation, our adoption as God’s children, our incorporation to His Body, the Church, and our heavenly inheritance. At the wedding at Cana, we see the glory of the Lord shining radiantly in both Mary and Jesus.
What does living in faithful obedience to God’s will mean?
Sharing in the life of God (Is 62:5; 2 Pt 1:4; Gal 2:20)- When we experience His life in our life, the Lord allows us to see as if through His eyes, think in unity with His thoughts, speak with His words, and act in obedience His will. He gives us inner eyes of faith that penetrate beyond what our outward eyes can see, for He reveals to us signs of His presence and action in people, events and creation. We discover in difficult relationships, trials and afflictions the many opportunities for conversion and sanctification presented to us by the Lord. There is a fundamental shift in our thinking and attitudes, as we begin to place God as our first, highest and only priority, our greatest value. His wisdom enlightens our every desire, judgment, and plan, enabling us to discern His expectations and obey His will for us. We perceive the deeper meanings of our life’s experiences in the light of His Spirit who dwells in us. We accept without fear what we do not understand, trusting that God will guide and protect us through the darkness. We speak and act with love, truth and respect, aware that we are always in God’s presence. As Paul exclaimed, it is Jesus who lives in us, and thus thinks within us, speaks through us and acts in us.
Abiding in Christ (Jn 15:1-5)- When we remain united to Jesus who is our Lord and the love of our life, He becomes our way, our strength, our goal. We become His bride, His joy (Is 62:5), His possession, whom He has made a new person, and given a new name (Is 62:2). His voice beckons within us, and we heed His call to an ever-deepening communion of life and love through prayer and servanthood. We detach ourselves from false idols that could enslave us. We choose Him and we completely abandon ourselves to Him. Our every breath is a song of praise for Him (Ps 96:1); our every step proclaims His glory to all (Ps 96:3). We love and serve Him and despise sin and its relatives. For our greatest desire is to delight Him, even if it means crucifying our own will. We rely on Him for everything, using our gifts and talents, even our lack, to fulfill His purposes (1 Cor 12:4-6). When the wine of wellness is depleted by our frailties, trials or affliction, we turn to Him for help and we do whatever He tells us (Jn 2:5). We rejoice at whatever He gives us, knowing that He who faithfully loves us will not be silenced, will not be quiet until we are vindicated and victorious. For He has espoused us and will never forsake us. He has in His heart only what is best for us.
On A Humble Heart
Reflection on Isa: 43:18-19,21-22, 24-25, Psalm 41:2-5,13-14, 2 Cor 1:18-22, Mk2:1-12
Our worship theme tonight is “humbly bowing to God’s pardon purifies the disciple’s heart.” One might ask, isn’t this common sense? One cannot receive God’s pardon unless one has a humble, repentant heart; seeking and accepting God’s forgiveness purifies the heart. But herein lies the challenge. A humble heart is a grace of God. Jeremiah 17:9-10 describes the natural condition of human heart as “more tortuous than all else…beyond remedy, who can understand it? I, the Lord, alone probe the mind and test the heart.” How does one receive the grace of a humble heart?
We should be forgiving. Our hearts retain memories of the past, particularly of the hurts inflicted on us by others. We hold on to these hurts, relishing the thought that one of these days, we will get even. Rather than confront the offender, we avoid reconciliation. Even after reconciliation, we still speak of these hurts to others, holding to judgment or condemnation those who offended us. This is why in Isaiah 43:18, the Lord says, “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not.” God commands us to forgive, because in forgiving others, we too are forgiven of our sins. The Lord’s forgiveness releases us from sin and death, heals and restores us, and makes us new persons in Christ. “See I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” Our hearts must be rid of pride, if we are to perceive God’s gracious work in our lives.
We should be prayerful. A heart that does not call upon God does not know Him, does not love Him. It is a heart that frequently turns its back on Him, and easily falls prey to sin. “Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob, for you grew weary of me, O Israel.” Such a heart is insensitive to God, alien to godly grief. “You burdened me with your sins, and wearied me with your crimes.” God commands us to “pray without ceasing” 2 Thes 5:17. A prayerful heart finds its delight in the Lord. It is joyful, thankful, gentle and kind. It seeks and obeys the will of God for us in Christ Jesus. It is a heart that continually grows in the love of God. “Whoever keeps His word, the love of God is truly perfected in him” 1 John 5.
We should be faithful. A heart that is unwilling to submit itself to the Lord, to commit itself totally to Him, does not trust in Him. Such a heart is unreliable, a doubting heart that “like the wave of the sea is driven and tossed about by the wind” James 1:6. The Lord detests a doubting heart: “Because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” Rev 3:16. God commands us to believe in Him without reservation, to give Him our unqualified “yes”. Why? Because “God is faithful…For the Son of God, Jesus Christ…was not yes and no, but yes has been in Him…However many are the promises of God, their Yes is in Him…The one who gives us security with you in Christ is God; He has also put His seal upon us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment” 2 Cor 18-22.
The gospel reading contrasts the disbelieving hearts of the scribes, who questioned Jesus’ authority to forgive sins and accused Him of blasphemy, with the persevering faith of the paralytic and his companions, who found a way to bring the paralytic before Jesus in spite of the large crowd around Him. Breaking through the roof of Jesus’ Capernaum home, they let down the paralytic on the floor before Jesus. This scene is symbolic of the humble posture we must have before God. Because of their faith, Jesus declared the paralytic’s sins forgiven, and commanded him to “rise, pick up his mat, and go home” Mark 2:11. The paralytic arose, just as God’s word in 1 Peter 5:6 said, “God will raise up those who humble themselves before Him.”
God assures those who humbly bow to God’s pardon, “It is I, I, who wipe out, for my own sake, your offenses, your sins I remember no more” Isaiah 43:25. Purified of our sins, we receive His beatitude: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God” Matthew 5:8.
Our worship theme tonight is “humbly bowing to God’s pardon purifies the disciple’s heart.” One might ask, isn’t this common sense? One cannot receive God’s pardon unless one has a humble, repentant heart; seeking and accepting God’s forgiveness purifies the heart. But herein lies the challenge. A humble heart is a grace of God. Jeremiah 17:9-10 describes the natural condition of human heart as “more tortuous than all else…beyond remedy, who can understand it? I, the Lord, alone probe the mind and test the heart.” How does one receive the grace of a humble heart?
We should be forgiving. Our hearts retain memories of the past, particularly of the hurts inflicted on us by others. We hold on to these hurts, relishing the thought that one of these days, we will get even. Rather than confront the offender, we avoid reconciliation. Even after reconciliation, we still speak of these hurts to others, holding to judgment or condemnation those who offended us. This is why in Isaiah 43:18, the Lord says, “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not.” God commands us to forgive, because in forgiving others, we too are forgiven of our sins. The Lord’s forgiveness releases us from sin and death, heals and restores us, and makes us new persons in Christ. “See I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” Our hearts must be rid of pride, if we are to perceive God’s gracious work in our lives.
We should be prayerful. A heart that does not call upon God does not know Him, does not love Him. It is a heart that frequently turns its back on Him, and easily falls prey to sin. “Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob, for you grew weary of me, O Israel.” Such a heart is insensitive to God, alien to godly grief. “You burdened me with your sins, and wearied me with your crimes.” God commands us to “pray without ceasing” 2 Thes 5:17. A prayerful heart finds its delight in the Lord. It is joyful, thankful, gentle and kind. It seeks and obeys the will of God for us in Christ Jesus. It is a heart that continually grows in the love of God. “Whoever keeps His word, the love of God is truly perfected in him” 1 John 5.
We should be faithful. A heart that is unwilling to submit itself to the Lord, to commit itself totally to Him, does not trust in Him. Such a heart is unreliable, a doubting heart that “like the wave of the sea is driven and tossed about by the wind” James 1:6. The Lord detests a doubting heart: “Because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” Rev 3:16. God commands us to believe in Him without reservation, to give Him our unqualified “yes”. Why? Because “God is faithful…For the Son of God, Jesus Christ…was not yes and no, but yes has been in Him…However many are the promises of God, their Yes is in Him…The one who gives us security with you in Christ is God; He has also put His seal upon us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment” 2 Cor 18-22.
The gospel reading contrasts the disbelieving hearts of the scribes, who questioned Jesus’ authority to forgive sins and accused Him of blasphemy, with the persevering faith of the paralytic and his companions, who found a way to bring the paralytic before Jesus in spite of the large crowd around Him. Breaking through the roof of Jesus’ Capernaum home, they let down the paralytic on the floor before Jesus. This scene is symbolic of the humble posture we must have before God. Because of their faith, Jesus declared the paralytic’s sins forgiven, and commanded him to “rise, pick up his mat, and go home” Mark 2:11. The paralytic arose, just as God’s word in 1 Peter 5:6 said, “God will raise up those who humble themselves before Him.”
God assures those who humbly bow to God’s pardon, “It is I, I, who wipe out, for my own sake, your offenses, your sins I remember no more” Isaiah 43:25. Purified of our sins, we receive His beatitude: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God” Matthew 5:8.
On Mary's Obedience
Reflection on Mic 5:1-4; Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; Heb 10:5-10; Lk 1:39-45
Mary, the mother of God and our mother, is the personification of the theme from the liturgical readings: we increase and abound in love as we become obedient to the call to communion and mission.
The angel Gabriel had just given Mary an incredible message, one that defied logic, tested her faith, risked her life and jeopardized her relationship with Joseph. A virgin, she was to conceive the Son of the Most High (Lk 1:32, 35), not through any relationship with a man but through the power of the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:34, 35). The solitary sign that the angel gave Mary to gain her trust was the news that her relative Elizabeth, who was old and barren, was six months pregnant. Mary responded by believing and obeying in faith: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).
Mary was obedient to the call to communion: “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus” (Lk 1:31). Prior to the annunciation, Mary was already one in spirit with the Lord. She was born without sin and remained holy throughout her life. By her “fiat”, Mary completely united her will with God’s will, which was for her to provide a body for His Son (Heb 10:5). She thus became one flesh with the Lord: Jesus is the flesh and bone of Mary. Her womb was home to the unborn Babe for nine months. Mary was the living Ark of the New Covenant (Rev 11:19, 12:1), the covenant that made us one family and Church with God as our Father and Head.
Mary was obedient to the call to mission. Her first mission was one of will, to agree to become the mother of mankind’s Savior. Thus she united herself to His mission. Her second was to proclaim the Good News to Elizabeth and Zechariah. This required her to travel from Nazareth in Galilee to the hill town in Judea believed to be Ein Kerem- an estimated distance of 100 kilometers. She hastened, for she was filled with the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit does not waste time (Mk 1:12). Mary carried the Word of God in her womb and in her voice. The Good News’ first encounter with man fulfilled the Lord’s purpose, for “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth (was) filled with the Holy Spirit” (Lk 1:41). God’s Word did not return to Him void but fulfilled His will (Is 55:11).
Because of Mary’s obedience, “the Lord has looked upon His handmaid’s lowliness” (Lk 1:48) and blessed her with abounding love. She conceived and gave birth to Love (1 Jn 4:8). Her love nurtured, shaped, strengthened, and sustained Jesus throughout His life. Although she stayed in the background during Jesus’ public ministry, her love for others was evident in her intercession in Cana (Jn 2:3, 5), and at Calvary, when Jesus entrusted the beloved disciple, representing the Church, to His beloved Mother (Jn 19:27). Acts 2:14 shows Mary carrying out this trust as she prayed with the disciples prior to the Pentecost. Tradition has Mary present to and inspiring the growing number of disciples in Jerusalem and Ephesus. She is forever one with her Son and all the saints in heaven in interceding for the Church. Truly, Mary’s own prophecy, “From now one will all ages call me blessed” (Lk 1:48), has come true.
Mary, the mother of God and our mother, is the personification of the theme from the liturgical readings: we increase and abound in love as we become obedient to the call to communion and mission.
The angel Gabriel had just given Mary an incredible message, one that defied logic, tested her faith, risked her life and jeopardized her relationship with Joseph. A virgin, she was to conceive the Son of the Most High (Lk 1:32, 35), not through any relationship with a man but through the power of the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:34, 35). The solitary sign that the angel gave Mary to gain her trust was the news that her relative Elizabeth, who was old and barren, was six months pregnant. Mary responded by believing and obeying in faith: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).
Mary was obedient to the call to communion: “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus” (Lk 1:31). Prior to the annunciation, Mary was already one in spirit with the Lord. She was born without sin and remained holy throughout her life. By her “fiat”, Mary completely united her will with God’s will, which was for her to provide a body for His Son (Heb 10:5). She thus became one flesh with the Lord: Jesus is the flesh and bone of Mary. Her womb was home to the unborn Babe for nine months. Mary was the living Ark of the New Covenant (Rev 11:19, 12:1), the covenant that made us one family and Church with God as our Father and Head.
Mary was obedient to the call to mission. Her first mission was one of will, to agree to become the mother of mankind’s Savior. Thus she united herself to His mission. Her second was to proclaim the Good News to Elizabeth and Zechariah. This required her to travel from Nazareth in Galilee to the hill town in Judea believed to be Ein Kerem- an estimated distance of 100 kilometers. She hastened, for she was filled with the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit does not waste time (Mk 1:12). Mary carried the Word of God in her womb and in her voice. The Good News’ first encounter with man fulfilled the Lord’s purpose, for “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth (was) filled with the Holy Spirit” (Lk 1:41). God’s Word did not return to Him void but fulfilled His will (Is 55:11).
Because of Mary’s obedience, “the Lord has looked upon His handmaid’s lowliness” (Lk 1:48) and blessed her with abounding love. She conceived and gave birth to Love (1 Jn 4:8). Her love nurtured, shaped, strengthened, and sustained Jesus throughout His life. Although she stayed in the background during Jesus’ public ministry, her love for others was evident in her intercession in Cana (Jn 2:3, 5), and at Calvary, when Jesus entrusted the beloved disciple, representing the Church, to His beloved Mother (Jn 19:27). Acts 2:14 shows Mary carrying out this trust as she prayed with the disciples prior to the Pentecost. Tradition has Mary present to and inspiring the growing number of disciples in Jerusalem and Ephesus. She is forever one with her Son and all the saints in heaven in interceding for the Church. Truly, Mary’s own prophecy, “From now one will all ages call me blessed” (Lk 1:48), has come true.
On Thinking Like Jesus
Reflection on Jer 20:7-9; Ps 63:2-6, 8-9; Rm 12:1-2; Mt 16:21-27
The gospel reading starts with Jesus’ first prediction of His passion, death and resurrection and Peter’s strong reaction to it. Peter’s reaction provoked a stronger response from the Lord: a sharp rebuke of Peter and His emphatic teaching about discipleship. What was wrong with Peter’s reaction?
Jesus’ prediction must have seemed like foolishness to Peter. Peter may have thought, “If the Messiah can not save Himself from cruel death, how can He save us? Didn’t His own family say that He had gone out of His mind? His family must be right! How could “the Messiah, the Son of the Living God” (Mt 16:16)- a divine person- die? If His Church is so indestructible that “the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18), how is it that its founder can be destroyed by death? Why would Jesus’ Father allow such a terrible thing to happen to His Son?”
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my says, says the Lord” (Is 55:8). By rebuking Jesus’ for His prediction of His passion, death and resurrection and by declaring that “no such thing shall ever happen to you”, Peter was actually hindering the plan of God for our salvation. To obstruct God’s plan is to join Satan in his mission. This is why Jesus commanded him, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Mt 16:23).
By asking us to think as God does and not as men do, is Jesus asking for the impossible? The answer is yes, but God Himself has given us the means to make the impossible possible. In 1 Cor 2:12, God’s Word says, “we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God.” This is the same Spirit who “scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God” (1 Cor 12:10). Because we are the temple of the Holy spirit within us (1 Cor 6:19), “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16). Therefore, we may be able to “discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Rm 12:2).
To empower the mind of Christ in our lives, we must nurture and safeguard our communion with the Holy Spirit. The condition necessary to grow in communion with God is to live a life of holy worship (Rm 12:1). A life of holy worship is a life of self-denial – of detaching ourselves from the pleasures and the profits of this world and attaching ourselves to the person of Christ. A life of holy worship is a life of discernment, of getting behind Jesus instead of in front of Him, of seeking and obeying the Lord’s will in small and big decisions. A life of holy worship is a life of self-giving sacrifices, of sharing in the saving sacrifice of Christ through forgiveness, reconciliation, burden-bearing and apostolic work, even if these mean giving greater importance to the interest of others instead of our own. A life of holy worship is a life under the Lordship of Christ, wherein His Holy Spirit shapes and transforms us to His divine image from glory to glory, so that we become more of Him and less of ourselves (2 Cor 3:18).
The gospel reading starts with Jesus’ first prediction of His passion, death and resurrection and Peter’s strong reaction to it. Peter’s reaction provoked a stronger response from the Lord: a sharp rebuke of Peter and His emphatic teaching about discipleship. What was wrong with Peter’s reaction?
Jesus’ prediction must have seemed like foolishness to Peter. Peter may have thought, “If the Messiah can not save Himself from cruel death, how can He save us? Didn’t His own family say that He had gone out of His mind? His family must be right! How could “the Messiah, the Son of the Living God” (Mt 16:16)- a divine person- die? If His Church is so indestructible that “the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18), how is it that its founder can be destroyed by death? Why would Jesus’ Father allow such a terrible thing to happen to His Son?”
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my says, says the Lord” (Is 55:8). By rebuking Jesus’ for His prediction of His passion, death and resurrection and by declaring that “no such thing shall ever happen to you”, Peter was actually hindering the plan of God for our salvation. To obstruct God’s plan is to join Satan in his mission. This is why Jesus commanded him, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Mt 16:23).
By asking us to think as God does and not as men do, is Jesus asking for the impossible? The answer is yes, but God Himself has given us the means to make the impossible possible. In 1 Cor 2:12, God’s Word says, “we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God.” This is the same Spirit who “scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God” (1 Cor 12:10). Because we are the temple of the Holy spirit within us (1 Cor 6:19), “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16). Therefore, we may be able to “discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Rm 12:2).
To empower the mind of Christ in our lives, we must nurture and safeguard our communion with the Holy Spirit. The condition necessary to grow in communion with God is to live a life of holy worship (Rm 12:1). A life of holy worship is a life of self-denial – of detaching ourselves from the pleasures and the profits of this world and attaching ourselves to the person of Christ. A life of holy worship is a life of discernment, of getting behind Jesus instead of in front of Him, of seeking and obeying the Lord’s will in small and big decisions. A life of holy worship is a life of self-giving sacrifices, of sharing in the saving sacrifice of Christ through forgiveness, reconciliation, burden-bearing and apostolic work, even if these mean giving greater importance to the interest of others instead of our own. A life of holy worship is a life under the Lordship of Christ, wherein His Holy Spirit shapes and transforms us to His divine image from glory to glory, so that we become more of Him and less of ourselves (2 Cor 3:18).
On Jealousy and Self-Interest
Reflection on Num 11:25-29; Ps 19:8, 10, 12-14; James 5:1-6; Mk 9: 38-43, 45, 47-48
JEALOUSY is a sin rooted in prideful self-interest. It divides and destroys. Jealousy was the motive behind the first murder in human history when Cain killed his brother Abel. Jealousy drove King Saul to plot and attempt to kill the young David several times. Prov 14:30 says, “a tranquil mind gives life to the body, but jealousy rots the bones.” This Sunday’s Scripture readings warn of the dangers of fleshly jealousy to the community of God.
Out of jealousy, Joshua urged Moses to stop the prophetic activities of two men who did not join the gathering of the seventy elders. In the spirit of openness and inclusion, Moses corrected Joshua: “Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow His Spirit on them all!" Out of jealousy, the disciple John tried to prevent someone outside their company from driving out demons in Jesus’ name. In the spirit of openness and inclusion, Jesus corrected John: "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.”
What was behind the jealousy of Joshua and John? It was obviously not genuine concern for the interest of their masters. The “outsiders” they were worried about were not a threat, but rather appeared to be of help to the work of their masters. Could it have been self-interest? This explanation may be true particularly in the case of John, as other gospel accounts narrate how he and his brother James asked to be at the side of Jesus- a position of power and honor- in His kingdom. The point is this: jealousy can not have fellowship with wisdom (Wis 6:23). In their jealous self-interest, these two disciples could not think as God does, but as men do. They correctly observed the sure signs of anointing among the “outsiders”, anointing which could have come only from God. But because they were not open His purposes in granting the anointing, they could not comprehend His will.
God’s will is that we all share in His life through Jesus. In obedience to His will, His Son Jesus died for us all, so that we who were separated can be reconciled with the Father. To empower us to remain and to grow in Him, He gave us His Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit’s gifts that equip us to carry out the Lord’s command to make disciples of all nations, to bring all peoples into communion with His universal church. It is with this church that all men are to undertake the journey of faith, from the transitory to the permanent, from the seen to the unseen, from earth to God.
Our faith in God, while rooted in our hearts, must branch out to others, so that others may share in it too. To branch out is to reach out; to reach out is to be open to all. The tree branches out to wherever the light directs it. We must reach out to wherever and whomever the Lord of light directs us to. Since there is no partiality in God, there should be no partiality in us.
Reaching out requires faithFULLness and sacrifice on our part. Reaching out to others is a ministry that must find its strength and inspiration from a faith that is fully founded on Christ. The love and goodwill that we extend to others must come from Christ. Broken as we are, we have none or little to give of our own. Sacrifice is required, because the weaknesses of our flesh often tend to get into the way of God’s work. Our mission is to bring others to the Lord, not away from the Lord.
For this reason, the Lord warns His followers not to be a cause of sin to others. Our hands, feet, eyes - our life’s witness - must be a source of blessing rather than condemnation to others. By ourselves, this is impossible. With God, everything is possible. The sacrifice required is dying to self, that Christ may increase in us.
JEALOUSY is a sin rooted in prideful self-interest. It divides and destroys. Jealousy was the motive behind the first murder in human history when Cain killed his brother Abel. Jealousy drove King Saul to plot and attempt to kill the young David several times. Prov 14:30 says, “a tranquil mind gives life to the body, but jealousy rots the bones.” This Sunday’s Scripture readings warn of the dangers of fleshly jealousy to the community of God.
Out of jealousy, Joshua urged Moses to stop the prophetic activities of two men who did not join the gathering of the seventy elders. In the spirit of openness and inclusion, Moses corrected Joshua: “Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow His Spirit on them all!" Out of jealousy, the disciple John tried to prevent someone outside their company from driving out demons in Jesus’ name. In the spirit of openness and inclusion, Jesus corrected John: "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.”
What was behind the jealousy of Joshua and John? It was obviously not genuine concern for the interest of their masters. The “outsiders” they were worried about were not a threat, but rather appeared to be of help to the work of their masters. Could it have been self-interest? This explanation may be true particularly in the case of John, as other gospel accounts narrate how he and his brother James asked to be at the side of Jesus- a position of power and honor- in His kingdom. The point is this: jealousy can not have fellowship with wisdom (Wis 6:23). In their jealous self-interest, these two disciples could not think as God does, but as men do. They correctly observed the sure signs of anointing among the “outsiders”, anointing which could have come only from God. But because they were not open His purposes in granting the anointing, they could not comprehend His will.
God’s will is that we all share in His life through Jesus. In obedience to His will, His Son Jesus died for us all, so that we who were separated can be reconciled with the Father. To empower us to remain and to grow in Him, He gave us His Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit’s gifts that equip us to carry out the Lord’s command to make disciples of all nations, to bring all peoples into communion with His universal church. It is with this church that all men are to undertake the journey of faith, from the transitory to the permanent, from the seen to the unseen, from earth to God.
Our faith in God, while rooted in our hearts, must branch out to others, so that others may share in it too. To branch out is to reach out; to reach out is to be open to all. The tree branches out to wherever the light directs it. We must reach out to wherever and whomever the Lord of light directs us to. Since there is no partiality in God, there should be no partiality in us.
Reaching out requires faithFULLness and sacrifice on our part. Reaching out to others is a ministry that must find its strength and inspiration from a faith that is fully founded on Christ. The love and goodwill that we extend to others must come from Christ. Broken as we are, we have none or little to give of our own. Sacrifice is required, because the weaknesses of our flesh often tend to get into the way of God’s work. Our mission is to bring others to the Lord, not away from the Lord.
For this reason, the Lord warns His followers not to be a cause of sin to others. Our hands, feet, eyes - our life’s witness - must be a source of blessing rather than condemnation to others. By ourselves, this is impossible. With God, everything is possible. The sacrifice required is dying to self, that Christ may increase in us.
On Mission and Dispossession
Reflection on Amos 7:12-15; Psalm 85:9-14; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:7-13
What does the Lord Jesus Christ require His disciples who are sent out to mission?
“Jesus summonned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two.” The Lord entrusted the mission of building up His kingdom to His Church, and it is clear that He desires to see His disciples perform His work as a community. In this gospel account, Jesus empowered a small community of two persons to the common mission of sharing His life and love to others. This number reminds us of couple power. It reminds us of the small church- the Christian family, which the Lord has blessed to be both a saved as well as a saving community. By sending out a community to mission and arming it with His authority, the Lord communicated this demand of His disciples: that they be of one mind, heart and purpose, and that they be present to one another.
“He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick - no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were however to wear sandals but not a second tunic.” The Lord asked His disciples to embrace His example of dispossession to signify and affirm their trust and reliance on the Lord. Jesus does not ask His disciples anything that He Himself did not do. His was the ultimate dispossession: although He was God Himself, He emptied and humbled Himself by taking the form of man and by becoming obedient to death on the cross (Philippians 2:6-7). He became poor that we may become rich (2 Cor 8:9). Jesus took nothing for His journey on earth. In Matthew 8:20, Jesus said, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."
As the Master and Teacher has done, so must His disciples (John 13:13). His disciples must leave behind everything that is not of the Lord- all material, emotional and spiritual baggage- and must depend only on God’s grace, which is sufficient whatever the circumstance. Worldly dispossession reflects our love of God (1 John 2:15ff) and our poverty of spirit. The latter is a beatitude that carries the supreme promise: possession of God Himself in Christ (Matthew 5:3). This is what St. Paul means when He said “Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens” (Ephesians 1:3). When the Lord blesses us with His strength, no task is impossible.
“Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” The Lord’s disciples must not let rejection, opposition or difficulties discourage, slow or stop them. They are not to feel sorry about themselves, nor take offense against their tormentors. Anger, hurt, frustration should be not allowed to attach themselves to us. In community, these negative feelings are to be shaken off like the dust from our feet through fraternal correction and reconciliation. Nothing that the enemy will throw our way should prevent us from obeying the summons and call of the Lord. The Lord rewards obedience with fruitfulness. The apostles “went off and preached repentance” and as a result “drove out many demons and healed the sick”.
What does the Lord Jesus Christ require His disciples who are sent out to mission?
“Jesus summonned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two.” The Lord entrusted the mission of building up His kingdom to His Church, and it is clear that He desires to see His disciples perform His work as a community. In this gospel account, Jesus empowered a small community of two persons to the common mission of sharing His life and love to others. This number reminds us of couple power. It reminds us of the small church- the Christian family, which the Lord has blessed to be both a saved as well as a saving community. By sending out a community to mission and arming it with His authority, the Lord communicated this demand of His disciples: that they be of one mind, heart and purpose, and that they be present to one another.
“He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick - no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were however to wear sandals but not a second tunic.” The Lord asked His disciples to embrace His example of dispossession to signify and affirm their trust and reliance on the Lord. Jesus does not ask His disciples anything that He Himself did not do. His was the ultimate dispossession: although He was God Himself, He emptied and humbled Himself by taking the form of man and by becoming obedient to death on the cross (Philippians 2:6-7). He became poor that we may become rich (2 Cor 8:9). Jesus took nothing for His journey on earth. In Matthew 8:20, Jesus said, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."
As the Master and Teacher has done, so must His disciples (John 13:13). His disciples must leave behind everything that is not of the Lord- all material, emotional and spiritual baggage- and must depend only on God’s grace, which is sufficient whatever the circumstance. Worldly dispossession reflects our love of God (1 John 2:15ff) and our poverty of spirit. The latter is a beatitude that carries the supreme promise: possession of God Himself in Christ (Matthew 5:3). This is what St. Paul means when He said “Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens” (Ephesians 1:3). When the Lord blesses us with His strength, no task is impossible.
“Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” The Lord’s disciples must not let rejection, opposition or difficulties discourage, slow or stop them. They are not to feel sorry about themselves, nor take offense against their tormentors. Anger, hurt, frustration should be not allowed to attach themselves to us. In community, these negative feelings are to be shaken off like the dust from our feet through fraternal correction and reconciliation. Nothing that the enemy will throw our way should prevent us from obeying the summons and call of the Lord. The Lord rewards obedience with fruitfulness. The apostles “went off and preached repentance” and as a result “drove out many demons and healed the sick”.
On Life's Struggles
Reflection on Jer 38:4-6, 8-10; Ps 40:2-4, 18; Heb 12:1-4; Lk 12:49-53
Struggle- whatever form it takes- is a fact of life. As people of God, we often wonder why the Lord would allow His children to experience pain, hardship and suffering. Our scripture readings provide an answer: to draw out something good from them.
In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah was thrown into a muddy cistern to die there, only to be rescued by the Lord through an Ethiopian courtier. Jeremiah thus continued his teaching on the great oracle of the new covenant, the “gospel before the gospel”. In the psalm, David lamented that his enemies had cast him into the pit of destruction but thanked God for “setting his feet upon rock and steadying his steps.” David emerged from this struggle sovereign and his “royal throne firm forever” (2 Sm 7:15). In the letter to the Hebrews, the sacred writer exhorts us to “persevere in running the race” with “our eyes fixed on Jesus”, who would lead us and perfect us. In the gospel, Jesus expressed His yearning for the baptism with which He must be baptized. By baptism, Jesus meant His cross of suffering, from which came the greatest good of all: His victory over sin and death, our redemption.
While Christ’s victory does not remove our struggles or suffering, it has redeemed it. When the Lord embraced the cross of Calvary, He struck a devastating blow on evil, which is at the root of much suffering. When Jesus rose from the dead, He won for us an endless life free from sin and suffering. Thus, when we join our temporal suffering with the redemptive suffering of Christ, the Lord brings out from it a lasting good. Paul wrote of this shared suffering in Christ and the good it produced in Gal 2:19-20 “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.” In 2 Cor 1:5, the Apostle attests, “For as Christ's sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow.” The supreme good derived from sharing in the redemptive suffering of Christ caused Paul to proclaim in Col 1:24, “I rejoice in my sufferings.”
If struggle or suffering is inevitable in this life, we have a choice of dealing with it: with Jesus or without Jesus. As God’s children, our choice is clear: “and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us” Rm 8:17-18.
For us who “struggle against sin”, what must we do to suffer with Jesus? The Word from Hebrews offers the following guidance.
First, we are to “rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us.” This means we should repent for our sins, forgive and reconcile with others. We must not let sin and our worldly attachments cling to us so that we may be able to cling to Jesus.
Second, we must “persevere in running the race that lies before us.” No matter what hardships confront us, we should persevere “for the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world” 1Jn 4:4. When we persevere, the Lord fortifies us to bear difficulties or even harm. Thus hope is unleashed in us, assuring us that suffering will not defeat us nor deny us our dignity as human persons. “By your perseverance you will secure your lives” Lk 21:19.
Finally, we must keep “our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.” When our hearts are set on the Lord, we receive the grace of a intimacy with Jesus that allows us “to know him and the power of his resurrection and (the) sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death” Phil 3:10-11.
Struggle- whatever form it takes- is a fact of life. As people of God, we often wonder why the Lord would allow His children to experience pain, hardship and suffering. Our scripture readings provide an answer: to draw out something good from them.
In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah was thrown into a muddy cistern to die there, only to be rescued by the Lord through an Ethiopian courtier. Jeremiah thus continued his teaching on the great oracle of the new covenant, the “gospel before the gospel”. In the psalm, David lamented that his enemies had cast him into the pit of destruction but thanked God for “setting his feet upon rock and steadying his steps.” David emerged from this struggle sovereign and his “royal throne firm forever” (2 Sm 7:15). In the letter to the Hebrews, the sacred writer exhorts us to “persevere in running the race” with “our eyes fixed on Jesus”, who would lead us and perfect us. In the gospel, Jesus expressed His yearning for the baptism with which He must be baptized. By baptism, Jesus meant His cross of suffering, from which came the greatest good of all: His victory over sin and death, our redemption.
While Christ’s victory does not remove our struggles or suffering, it has redeemed it. When the Lord embraced the cross of Calvary, He struck a devastating blow on evil, which is at the root of much suffering. When Jesus rose from the dead, He won for us an endless life free from sin and suffering. Thus, when we join our temporal suffering with the redemptive suffering of Christ, the Lord brings out from it a lasting good. Paul wrote of this shared suffering in Christ and the good it produced in Gal 2:19-20 “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.” In 2 Cor 1:5, the Apostle attests, “For as Christ's sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow.” The supreme good derived from sharing in the redemptive suffering of Christ caused Paul to proclaim in Col 1:24, “I rejoice in my sufferings.”
If struggle or suffering is inevitable in this life, we have a choice of dealing with it: with Jesus or without Jesus. As God’s children, our choice is clear: “and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us” Rm 8:17-18.
For us who “struggle against sin”, what must we do to suffer with Jesus? The Word from Hebrews offers the following guidance.
First, we are to “rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us.” This means we should repent for our sins, forgive and reconcile with others. We must not let sin and our worldly attachments cling to us so that we may be able to cling to Jesus.
Second, we must “persevere in running the race that lies before us.” No matter what hardships confront us, we should persevere “for the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world” 1Jn 4:4. When we persevere, the Lord fortifies us to bear difficulties or even harm. Thus hope is unleashed in us, assuring us that suffering will not defeat us nor deny us our dignity as human persons. “By your perseverance you will secure your lives” Lk 21:19.
Finally, we must keep “our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.” When our hearts are set on the Lord, we receive the grace of a intimacy with Jesus that allows us “to know him and the power of his resurrection and (the) sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death” Phil 3:10-11.
On Judgment
From "In the Spirit of Transparency" - January 12, 2001
One of the top news of the past two weeks concerns the thorough scrutiny that the president-elect’s cabinet nominees are being subjected as part of the confirmation process. In this process, official and unofficial investigations are undertaken wherein a nominee’s life is placed under the microscope, including his or her record of past actions and statements. Often depending on the politics of the evaluating organization, a nominee is judged either to be fit or unfit for the cabinet post. Such judgment is proclaimed and played out in media. As is often the case, unjust judgments hurt not only the nominations but more importantly the lives of some nominees themselves. One such nominee, in withdrawing her nomination, decried the prevailing “politics of personal destruction”.
This sad scenario should have no place in a Christian community where love and up-building, not hostility and destruction, is the highest good. This is why the evangelist Matthew devoted a major portion of the gospel to the Lord’s teachings regarding His Kingdom and Church. “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” Mt 18:4. The greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God…and your neighbor as yourself” Mt 22:37, 38. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone” Mt 18:15. And we are to forgive our brother “not seven times but seventy-seven times” Mt 18:22. “Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave” Mt 18:26, 27.
Yet the Lord’s servants in community can expect to be judged, because man is broken and is prone “to notice the splinter in his brother’s eye but not perceive the wooden beam in his own eye” Mt 7:3. To be unjustly judged can very well be part of the cost of discipleship: “whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, carry his cross and follow me” Mt 16:24. The Lord promises the kingdom of heaven to His disciples who endure persecution for His sake (Mt 5:10). God, who judges not from a man’s appearances but from his heart, “is not mocked…the one who sows for his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows for the spirit will reap eternal life from the spirit” Gal 6:7,8.
The Lord’s servant will always fall short in the expectations of man, but he serves not to please man but God alone. “In a large household, there are vessels not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for lofty and others for humble use. If anyone cleanses himself of these things, he will be a vessel for lofty use, dedicated, beneficial to the master of the house, ready for every good work” 2 Tm 2:20-21.
We who are prone to judge should be aware of God’s Word - "Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” (Mt 7:1-2. Let us examine our hearts first and rid ourselves of any ill-feeling that could cause us to judge our brother unjustly. Remember, the Lord is the only Just Judge. If we must “judge”, let it be on the behavior rather than the character and person of our brother. And rather than keep our “judgment” to ourselves or share them with third parties, we should instead go directly to our brother to express how his behavior affected us. Let us share our feelings with him truthfully and lovingly. Let our goal in correcting our brother be to win him back to the Lord.
“By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” Mt. 12:37.
One of the top news of the past two weeks concerns the thorough scrutiny that the president-elect’s cabinet nominees are being subjected as part of the confirmation process. In this process, official and unofficial investigations are undertaken wherein a nominee’s life is placed under the microscope, including his or her record of past actions and statements. Often depending on the politics of the evaluating organization, a nominee is judged either to be fit or unfit for the cabinet post. Such judgment is proclaimed and played out in media. As is often the case, unjust judgments hurt not only the nominations but more importantly the lives of some nominees themselves. One such nominee, in withdrawing her nomination, decried the prevailing “politics of personal destruction”.
This sad scenario should have no place in a Christian community where love and up-building, not hostility and destruction, is the highest good. This is why the evangelist Matthew devoted a major portion of the gospel to the Lord’s teachings regarding His Kingdom and Church. “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” Mt 18:4. The greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God…and your neighbor as yourself” Mt 22:37, 38. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone” Mt 18:15. And we are to forgive our brother “not seven times but seventy-seven times” Mt 18:22. “Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave” Mt 18:26, 27.
Yet the Lord’s servants in community can expect to be judged, because man is broken and is prone “to notice the splinter in his brother’s eye but not perceive the wooden beam in his own eye” Mt 7:3. To be unjustly judged can very well be part of the cost of discipleship: “whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, carry his cross and follow me” Mt 16:24. The Lord promises the kingdom of heaven to His disciples who endure persecution for His sake (Mt 5:10). God, who judges not from a man’s appearances but from his heart, “is not mocked…the one who sows for his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows for the spirit will reap eternal life from the spirit” Gal 6:7,8.
The Lord’s servant will always fall short in the expectations of man, but he serves not to please man but God alone. “In a large household, there are vessels not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for lofty and others for humble use. If anyone cleanses himself of these things, he will be a vessel for lofty use, dedicated, beneficial to the master of the house, ready for every good work” 2 Tm 2:20-21.
We who are prone to judge should be aware of God’s Word - "Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” (Mt 7:1-2. Let us examine our hearts first and rid ourselves of any ill-feeling that could cause us to judge our brother unjustly. Remember, the Lord is the only Just Judge. If we must “judge”, let it be on the behavior rather than the character and person of our brother. And rather than keep our “judgment” to ourselves or share them with third parties, we should instead go directly to our brother to express how his behavior affected us. Let us share our feelings with him truthfully and lovingly. Let our goal in correcting our brother be to win him back to the Lord.
“By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” Mt. 12:37.
On Compassion Beyond Rules
From "In the Spirit of Transparency" - September 3, 2004
In Luke 6:1-11, the scribes and Pharisees were enraged when Jesus twice “dispensed” with the Mosaic law of Sabbath rest. First, Jesus defended His apostles’ conduct of gathering grain during Sabbath. Second, Jesus Himself healed a man with a withered hand on another Sabbath! Did Jesus dispense with the Sabbath law in these two gospel instances? What can we learn from Jesus regarding rules in a Christian community?
Jesus did not dispense with the Sabbath Law. In fact, He declared that “I have come not to abolish but the fulfill (the Law)” (Matthew 5:17). How did Jesus fulfill the Law? By becoming poor although He was rich so that by His poverty, we might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). By laying down His life for us (John 15:13), so that we might have abundant life (John 10:10). By giving Himself for our sins in order to save us from the present evil age in accord with the Father’s will (Galatians 1:4). Jesus fulfilled the Law by loving us and giving Himself up for us (Galatians 2:20). When He died to atone for our sins, the Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5) showed us that the highest law is the law of Love. This is why St. Paul in Romans proclaimed that “Love is the fulfillment of the Law.”
The gospel clearly shows that Jesus wanted His people to obey His Father’s commandment to keep the Sabbath holy (Exodus 20:8) through compassion- by doing good, not evil, and by saving life, not destroying it (Luke 6:9). From this, we can draw two conclusions. One, the community needs to have fundamental laws or rules if we are to have order in the body. Without these rules, there will be confusion, waste and chaos, and the community will fail and die. Two, such rules must aim primarily to deepen and mature the heart and spirit of the community and to foster the overall well being of its members. An undue focus on efficiency and the strict interpretation of the letter of the law will shackle if not kill the heart and spirit of the community.
Remember: our community is body and spirit like its members. The community’s rules must therefore care for both its body and spirit. While rules are needed for order, they are beneficial only if they serve the good of the members (1 Cor 10:23-24). By themselves, rules are not the source of good. Christ is. This truth should direct our focus solely on Christ, who is the end of every law (Romans 10:4) and the source of all life and good. A Christ-centered community, in following its rule of life, shall become a fruitful agent in fostering a balanced spirituality among its members.
In Luke 6:1-11, the scribes and Pharisees were enraged when Jesus twice “dispensed” with the Mosaic law of Sabbath rest. First, Jesus defended His apostles’ conduct of gathering grain during Sabbath. Second, Jesus Himself healed a man with a withered hand on another Sabbath! Did Jesus dispense with the Sabbath law in these two gospel instances? What can we learn from Jesus regarding rules in a Christian community?
Jesus did not dispense with the Sabbath Law. In fact, He declared that “I have come not to abolish but the fulfill (the Law)” (Matthew 5:17). How did Jesus fulfill the Law? By becoming poor although He was rich so that by His poverty, we might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). By laying down His life for us (John 15:13), so that we might have abundant life (John 10:10). By giving Himself for our sins in order to save us from the present evil age in accord with the Father’s will (Galatians 1:4). Jesus fulfilled the Law by loving us and giving Himself up for us (Galatians 2:20). When He died to atone for our sins, the Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5) showed us that the highest law is the law of Love. This is why St. Paul in Romans proclaimed that “Love is the fulfillment of the Law.”
The gospel clearly shows that Jesus wanted His people to obey His Father’s commandment to keep the Sabbath holy (Exodus 20:8) through compassion- by doing good, not evil, and by saving life, not destroying it (Luke 6:9). From this, we can draw two conclusions. One, the community needs to have fundamental laws or rules if we are to have order in the body. Without these rules, there will be confusion, waste and chaos, and the community will fail and die. Two, such rules must aim primarily to deepen and mature the heart and spirit of the community and to foster the overall well being of its members. An undue focus on efficiency and the strict interpretation of the letter of the law will shackle if not kill the heart and spirit of the community.
Remember: our community is body and spirit like its members. The community’s rules must therefore care for both its body and spirit. While rules are needed for order, they are beneficial only if they serve the good of the members (1 Cor 10:23-24). By themselves, rules are not the source of good. Christ is. This truth should direct our focus solely on Christ, who is the end of every law (Romans 10:4) and the source of all life and good. A Christ-centered community, in following its rule of life, shall become a fruitful agent in fostering a balanced spirituality among its members.
On Emails
From "In the Spirit of Transparency" - September 25, 1998
Community members are increasingly using e-mail to correspond to one another. Email is transforming the manner, speed and scope of our personal and business communications. One who is equipped with a PC and modem and who is part of an email system can instantaneously write a letter to any person or group of persons anywhere in the world with access to similar facilities. On any given day, our incoming mail would consist of prayer requests, meeting reminders & minutes, ministry advisories & reports, community issues & problems, scripture readings & reflections, humorous & inspirational stories and other letters from our members.
All these benefits are well and good, but there are downsides to email as well:
- If our use of company email for personal or community business violates company policy, then we are out of integrity and we are risking the loss of our jobs. If this were the case, stop! Such unauthorized usage is wrong, even if the purpose is the work of God. Instead, consider subscribing to a free e-mail service line like “juno.com” and “hotmail.com”, to name a few.
Even if your employer allows reasonable use of the company’s email facilities for personal use, we still encourage prudence. When does reasonable become unreasonable? It is more prudent subscribe to a personal email service.
- If you think your email letter is private and confidential, you are mistaken. Therefore, please consider delivering your confidential message by some other means, i.e. face-to-face meeting or a phone call. This advice applies to urgent issues as well, since some members open their email infrequently.
- We are spending more and more time in front of the PC to read and to respond to our emails that some spouses have complained that this takes time away from them as well as from prayer, study, housework, leisure, etc., which are all important to every member’s overall well being. Members are requested to use their good judgment in deciding when and how to use the email.
- The speed with which we receive a letter via email often encourages us to respond with similar quickness, often at the sacrifice of prayer, reflection and consultation. Such hasty correspondences have in the past caused misunderstandings, hurt feelings and alienated relationships in our community of love. We advocate writing letters from the heart, email or not. Let us write them after much prayer and reflection, and always follow-up a letter with an open and loving dialogue with one another.
“You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all, shown to be a letter of Christ administered by us, written not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.” 2 Cor. 3:2-3
Community members are increasingly using e-mail to correspond to one another. Email is transforming the manner, speed and scope of our personal and business communications. One who is equipped with a PC and modem and who is part of an email system can instantaneously write a letter to any person or group of persons anywhere in the world with access to similar facilities. On any given day, our incoming mail would consist of prayer requests, meeting reminders & minutes, ministry advisories & reports, community issues & problems, scripture readings & reflections, humorous & inspirational stories and other letters from our members.
All these benefits are well and good, but there are downsides to email as well:
- If our use of company email for personal or community business violates company policy, then we are out of integrity and we are risking the loss of our jobs. If this were the case, stop! Such unauthorized usage is wrong, even if the purpose is the work of God. Instead, consider subscribing to a free e-mail service line like “juno.com” and “hotmail.com”, to name a few.
Even if your employer allows reasonable use of the company’s email facilities for personal use, we still encourage prudence. When does reasonable become unreasonable? It is more prudent subscribe to a personal email service.
- If you think your email letter is private and confidential, you are mistaken. Therefore, please consider delivering your confidential message by some other means, i.e. face-to-face meeting or a phone call. This advice applies to urgent issues as well, since some members open their email infrequently.
- We are spending more and more time in front of the PC to read and to respond to our emails that some spouses have complained that this takes time away from them as well as from prayer, study, housework, leisure, etc., which are all important to every member’s overall well being. Members are requested to use their good judgment in deciding when and how to use the email.
- The speed with which we receive a letter via email often encourages us to respond with similar quickness, often at the sacrifice of prayer, reflection and consultation. Such hasty correspondences have in the past caused misunderstandings, hurt feelings and alienated relationships in our community of love. We advocate writing letters from the heart, email or not. Let us write them after much prayer and reflection, and always follow-up a letter with an open and loving dialogue with one another.
“You are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all, shown to be a letter of Christ administered by us, written not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.” 2 Cor. 3:2-3
On the Sexual Abuse Scandal
From "In the Spirit of Transparency" - June 14, 2002
From Thursday to Saturday this week, the Catholic bishops of America will meet in Dallas to develop a draft policy addressing sexual abuse by priests and the need to ensure the protection of children. For the past several months leading to this conference, much media attention has been focused on hundreds of reported cases of such child molestations and sexual misconducts, and the unfortunate practice of concealment by some church authorities in dealing with these cases. The sustained media frenzy has spawned a similar frenzy of allegations of wrongdoings dating back to 20-30 years ago, some of which may be true and verifiable, a vast majority of which is suspect and without proof.
Several months ago, the Pope met with American cardinals to express his deep concerns about the crisis gripping the Catholic church in America and to urge corrective action. Dioceses conducted thorough reviews of their priest personnel: most of those under allegation were temporarily removed from their pastoral assignments pending the results of investigations by church and/or civil authorities; some were dismissed from their posts while others resigned or voluntarily removed themselves from office. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been paid to settle some of the cases; hundreds of millions more may need to be paid to satisfy court judgment. Meanwhile, the anti-Catholic, anti-Christian and anti-religion elements in media and in society seem to be gloating over the deepening crisis in our church.
Through all these, there appears to be a conspicuous and deafening silence on the part of the faithful. A few believers stood up to publicly defend our church and our faith, but their spirited defense failed to elicit resonant support from the majority of their fellow believers. Collections and pledges have decreased appreciably in some dioceses: can this be construed as an indication that the faithful is dissatisfied by the current state of affairs?
Yet there are many of the faithful who possess the right perspective on this crisis: this crisis is not faith-affecting, because our faith is founded on Jesus Christ and not on priests. While there indeed are aberrant priests in the church, the vast majority of priests are dedicated and true to their holy calling.
Even among those under allegation, some are innocent and should be exonerated after investigation. Those who may have committed a wrongdoing in the past but have since reformed their lives should be dealt with compassion. While some church leaders may have mishandled sexual abuse cases by priests in the past, the whole church has learned from these and is seeking a common way of dealing with such cases with justice for all.
From Thursday to Saturday this week, the Catholic bishops of America will meet in Dallas to develop a draft policy addressing sexual abuse by priests and the need to ensure the protection of children. For the past several months leading to this conference, much media attention has been focused on hundreds of reported cases of such child molestations and sexual misconducts, and the unfortunate practice of concealment by some church authorities in dealing with these cases. The sustained media frenzy has spawned a similar frenzy of allegations of wrongdoings dating back to 20-30 years ago, some of which may be true and verifiable, a vast majority of which is suspect and without proof.
Several months ago, the Pope met with American cardinals to express his deep concerns about the crisis gripping the Catholic church in America and to urge corrective action. Dioceses conducted thorough reviews of their priest personnel: most of those under allegation were temporarily removed from their pastoral assignments pending the results of investigations by church and/or civil authorities; some were dismissed from their posts while others resigned or voluntarily removed themselves from office. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been paid to settle some of the cases; hundreds of millions more may need to be paid to satisfy court judgment. Meanwhile, the anti-Catholic, anti-Christian and anti-religion elements in media and in society seem to be gloating over the deepening crisis in our church.
Through all these, there appears to be a conspicuous and deafening silence on the part of the faithful. A few believers stood up to publicly defend our church and our faith, but their spirited defense failed to elicit resonant support from the majority of their fellow believers. Collections and pledges have decreased appreciably in some dioceses: can this be construed as an indication that the faithful is dissatisfied by the current state of affairs?
Yet there are many of the faithful who possess the right perspective on this crisis: this crisis is not faith-affecting, because our faith is founded on Jesus Christ and not on priests. While there indeed are aberrant priests in the church, the vast majority of priests are dedicated and true to their holy calling.
Even among those under allegation, some are innocent and should be exonerated after investigation. Those who may have committed a wrongdoing in the past but have since reformed their lives should be dealt with compassion. While some church leaders may have mishandled sexual abuse cases by priests in the past, the whole church has learned from these and is seeking a common way of dealing with such cases with justice for all.
On War
From "In the Spirit of Transparency" - October 12, 2001
How should we as a community of Christ’s disciples conduct ourselves during these days of heightened alarm and concern brought about the September 11th terrorist attacks against America? What role should we play in our country’s quest for justice and security and in the war our country has declared against terrorism? As always, we look to God’s Word in Scripture for the answers to these questions.
Revelation 12 describes John’s vision of a horrific war that started in the heavens, a vision with eerie parallels to recent and current events. “A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then appeared a huge red dragon. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth.”
Setting aside but fully respecting the Church’s understanding of these symbols, the woman in the vision could have very well been our country or people. The sun could have symbolized God’s abundant blessings, the moon under her feet America’s economic, political and military preeminence among nations, and the crown of twelve stars America’s union. The child she bore is freedom. The red dragon represents the evil of terrorism, its tail the airplane hijackers. A third of the skies hurled down to the earth the three buildings destroyed by the hijackers.
Revelation 12 continues: “Her child was caught up to God and His throne.” God originally gave us our freedom. He won our freedom back for us when we lost it to sin. We can be certain that even in the midst of the devil’s attack, God will safeguard our freedom for us. Here we find our first direction from the Word: true freedom is possible only when we are united to the will of God, when our faith resides fully in God our Father and Sovereign Lord. When we are “caught up to God”, the enemy can not catch up with us.
“The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God, that there she might be taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days.” Here we find our second direction: we are not to trust in ourselves to do battle alone with the enemy. Rather, we must flee to the protecting arms of God, where, emptied of our worldly power and wisdom, He relieves our fears, removes our confusion, heals our hurts, strengthens our droopy arms and legs, and fills us with courageous resolve.
Does the verse, “The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God, that there she might be taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days” suggest that we should avoid war? Yes, it does. This supports the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) statement that, “the fifth commandment forbids the intentional destruction of human life. Because of the evils and injustices that accompany all war, the Church insistently urges everyone to prayer and to action so that the divine Goodness may free us from the ancient bondage of war. All citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war” (2307-08).
But how can we reconcile this Church teaching with Rev 12:7: “Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled against the dragon”? Could we infer from this that the Lord authorized Michael and his angels to fight the dragon, which symbolized Satan and the fallen angels? If so, doesn’t this verse suggest that there are certain circumstances under which a “just war” may be waged?
The war in heaven started when Satan, wanting to be like God, rejected the Lord and His reign. Driven away from God’s kingdom- “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky” (Lk 10:18), Satan waged his rebellious war on earth. By successfully seducing Adam and Eve, the devil introduced sin and death to man. Thus, Jesus said of Satan in John 8:44, “He was a murderer from the beginning.” To save mankind from eternal destruction, God declared war on the devil: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at His heel” Gen 3:15. Early on, God sent His prophets to lead man back to Him and away from sin (Heb 1:1). When His prophets went unheeded, God sent His only Son to destroy the works of the devil (1 Jn 3:8), to free us from sin and death.
From these verses, we can conclude that there are certain conditions that may warrant the waging of a “just war”. CCC 2309 lists down several conditions for “legitimate defense by military force: a lasting, grave and certain damage inflicted by the aggressor (sin and death); impractical or ineffective alternative means of ending aggression (prophets); serious prospects of success (Son of God); the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated (what is produced is freedom). These conditions are present in America’s war against terrorism.
In a just war, the battle is the Lord’s, because it is a battle between good and evil. In a just war, we as citizens of this country and as Christian disciples have an obligation to assume responsibilities necessary for national defense. If we are for the good, then we must fight evil. There is no middle ground.
How should we as a community of Christ’s disciples conduct ourselves during these days of heightened alarm and concern brought about the September 11th terrorist attacks against America? What role should we play in our country’s quest for justice and security and in the war our country has declared against terrorism? As always, we look to God’s Word in Scripture for the answers to these questions.
Revelation 12 describes John’s vision of a horrific war that started in the heavens, a vision with eerie parallels to recent and current events. “A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then appeared a huge red dragon. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth.”
Setting aside but fully respecting the Church’s understanding of these symbols, the woman in the vision could have very well been our country or people. The sun could have symbolized God’s abundant blessings, the moon under her feet America’s economic, political and military preeminence among nations, and the crown of twelve stars America’s union. The child she bore is freedom. The red dragon represents the evil of terrorism, its tail the airplane hijackers. A third of the skies hurled down to the earth the three buildings destroyed by the hijackers.
Revelation 12 continues: “Her child was caught up to God and His throne.” God originally gave us our freedom. He won our freedom back for us when we lost it to sin. We can be certain that even in the midst of the devil’s attack, God will safeguard our freedom for us. Here we find our first direction from the Word: true freedom is possible only when we are united to the will of God, when our faith resides fully in God our Father and Sovereign Lord. When we are “caught up to God”, the enemy can not catch up with us.
“The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God, that there she might be taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days.” Here we find our second direction: we are not to trust in ourselves to do battle alone with the enemy. Rather, we must flee to the protecting arms of God, where, emptied of our worldly power and wisdom, He relieves our fears, removes our confusion, heals our hurts, strengthens our droopy arms and legs, and fills us with courageous resolve.
Does the verse, “The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God, that there she might be taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days” suggest that we should avoid war? Yes, it does. This supports the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) statement that, “the fifth commandment forbids the intentional destruction of human life. Because of the evils and injustices that accompany all war, the Church insistently urges everyone to prayer and to action so that the divine Goodness may free us from the ancient bondage of war. All citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war” (2307-08).
But how can we reconcile this Church teaching with Rev 12:7: “Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled against the dragon”? Could we infer from this that the Lord authorized Michael and his angels to fight the dragon, which symbolized Satan and the fallen angels? If so, doesn’t this verse suggest that there are certain circumstances under which a “just war” may be waged?
The war in heaven started when Satan, wanting to be like God, rejected the Lord and His reign. Driven away from God’s kingdom- “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky” (Lk 10:18), Satan waged his rebellious war on earth. By successfully seducing Adam and Eve, the devil introduced sin and death to man. Thus, Jesus said of Satan in John 8:44, “He was a murderer from the beginning.” To save mankind from eternal destruction, God declared war on the devil: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at His heel” Gen 3:15. Early on, God sent His prophets to lead man back to Him and away from sin (Heb 1:1). When His prophets went unheeded, God sent His only Son to destroy the works of the devil (1 Jn 3:8), to free us from sin and death.
From these verses, we can conclude that there are certain conditions that may warrant the waging of a “just war”. CCC 2309 lists down several conditions for “legitimate defense by military force: a lasting, grave and certain damage inflicted by the aggressor (sin and death); impractical or ineffective alternative means of ending aggression (prophets); serious prospects of success (Son of God); the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated (what is produced is freedom). These conditions are present in America’s war against terrorism.
In a just war, the battle is the Lord’s, because it is a battle between good and evil. In a just war, we as citizens of this country and as Christian disciples have an obligation to assume responsibilities necessary for national defense. If we are for the good, then we must fight evil. There is no middle ground.
On Transformed Community Culture
From "In the Spirit of Transparency" - January 18, 2002
Several disciples recently approached us with the following questions: “why is it that we hear word of mouth talk about significant developments happening in the community, yet our leadership has not communicated anything to us about these things?” “Why are we being kept in benign ignorance?” “If we are truly a Christian community, shouldn’t there be more transparency than what we seem to be seeing right now?” These questions about the lack of transparency in the community surfaced for us the urgency of changing old paradigms that have outlived their usefulness, and of taking bold steps to transform our community culture.
The Lord’s Vision for Us
Our vision statement says that we are “a communion of families and a community of persons.” The word “communion” comes from the Latin cum unus which means “with one another.” This word implies a unity, a oneness, a bonding that can come only when barriers to communication, sharing and participation disappear. This unity requires the giving of oneself and one’s gifts without reservation to others who are part of the communion. Our vision is the result of a prayerful discernment of the Lord’s will for our community. Thus, we can say that the Lord’s plan is for us to become a real communion.
The Lord’s Example
The Lord does not expect us to do something that He Himself has not done for us. To reconcile us with His Father, the Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself totally to mankind by becoming man and by sacrificing His life for us. In so doing, He cleansed us of our sins and united us to Him. We have become the Body of Christ, who is our Head. To empower us to remain in communion with Him, He gave us His Holy Spirit to be our advocate and guide. To nourish us in this communion, He continues to offer Himself to us in the Eucharist- where He is really present body, blood, soul and divinity. Our communion with Christ and our participation in His life and love is total and substantial.
There is only one standard when we evaluate the quality and strength of our communion, and that is the standard established by Christ. For to the Lord, each one of us is vital and important to His Church. So vital that St. Paul exclaimed in Galatians 2:20 “I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me.” Therefore, every member of His community should recognize and bring to fruition the very vital role that he or she must play in the life and mission of God’s community. Everyone counts in the Lord’s community!
Our Current Situation
For everyone to matter, we must transform our community from its current patriarchal culture into a collaborative, participative, interdependent community. We can not remain self-absorbed, group-focused, internally-directed and beholden to friends and idols. We must, as our community’s name demand of us, be OPEN TO THE SPIRIT OF GOD, attentively and heedfully open to His promptings and direction. When He shows us the way, then we must follow. Let there be no doubt that when the Lord directs us individually or collectively to do His will, He also equips us.
When the Lord gave the Holy Spirit to each and everyone of us, He did not allocate Himself in portions. We received His Whole Being! This trustworthy belief should therefore give us the confidence that, in Him and through His gifts, each of us is capable of contributing to the common good. The Spirit’s gifts are not the monopoly of the community’s stewards and coordinators; therefore the life and work of the community do not depend exclusively on them.
Bold Steps Needed
The stewards have recognized this by empowering the body of coordinators to oversee the operations of the community, while they devote themselves to prayer, discernment, preaching, teaching, mentoring and enabling others. But the journey to the transformation of the community must go beyond such initial steps. The stewards must lead the way in dismantling the artificial, functional “barriers” that in the past caused each ministry, and as a result- the members, to operate independently of the others. Rather, they should encourage and cultivate collaboration. The stewards must discard the tendency to place people in “boxes” that define members’ willingness, aptitudes and capabilities based on “snapshots” of past experience with them. Rather, they must affirm and upbuild the members, encouraging them to identify, use and unify their gifts for the work of ministry, and trusting them to be able to handle substantive community endeavors, communications and issues with spiritual maturity. Finally, the stewards must consistently model the servanthood of Christ by living up to their calling as stewards, rather than “governors” or leaders.
The coordinators and the members must accept and utilize their empowerment to actively perform the Lord’s work, for the praise and glory of the Father. With empowerment comes responsibility and accountability, both personal and communitarian. Personal responsibility entails the steadfast commitment to deepen one’s communion with the Lord and with His Church through prayer, Word, sacraments, ministry and community. Communitarian responsibility entails a persevering commitment to share the Lord’s love and blessings with the community, the Church and its mission field, to share in the God-given trust of stewarding the community towards its vision and mission.
Communion with the Church
The most important step we must take is to bring our community into alignment with the Church, so that we may realize what we have solemnly pledged in our Community Commitment and Community Covenant: submission to and full communion with the Church. As a vital part of the Church, we will living witnesses to the love and glory of God!
Several disciples recently approached us with the following questions: “why is it that we hear word of mouth talk about significant developments happening in the community, yet our leadership has not communicated anything to us about these things?” “Why are we being kept in benign ignorance?” “If we are truly a Christian community, shouldn’t there be more transparency than what we seem to be seeing right now?” These questions about the lack of transparency in the community surfaced for us the urgency of changing old paradigms that have outlived their usefulness, and of taking bold steps to transform our community culture.
The Lord’s Vision for Us
Our vision statement says that we are “a communion of families and a community of persons.” The word “communion” comes from the Latin cum unus which means “with one another.” This word implies a unity, a oneness, a bonding that can come only when barriers to communication, sharing and participation disappear. This unity requires the giving of oneself and one’s gifts without reservation to others who are part of the communion. Our vision is the result of a prayerful discernment of the Lord’s will for our community. Thus, we can say that the Lord’s plan is for us to become a real communion.
The Lord’s Example
The Lord does not expect us to do something that He Himself has not done for us. To reconcile us with His Father, the Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself totally to mankind by becoming man and by sacrificing His life for us. In so doing, He cleansed us of our sins and united us to Him. We have become the Body of Christ, who is our Head. To empower us to remain in communion with Him, He gave us His Holy Spirit to be our advocate and guide. To nourish us in this communion, He continues to offer Himself to us in the Eucharist- where He is really present body, blood, soul and divinity. Our communion with Christ and our participation in His life and love is total and substantial.
There is only one standard when we evaluate the quality and strength of our communion, and that is the standard established by Christ. For to the Lord, each one of us is vital and important to His Church. So vital that St. Paul exclaimed in Galatians 2:20 “I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me.” Therefore, every member of His community should recognize and bring to fruition the very vital role that he or she must play in the life and mission of God’s community. Everyone counts in the Lord’s community!
Our Current Situation
For everyone to matter, we must transform our community from its current patriarchal culture into a collaborative, participative, interdependent community. We can not remain self-absorbed, group-focused, internally-directed and beholden to friends and idols. We must, as our community’s name demand of us, be OPEN TO THE SPIRIT OF GOD, attentively and heedfully open to His promptings and direction. When He shows us the way, then we must follow. Let there be no doubt that when the Lord directs us individually or collectively to do His will, He also equips us.
When the Lord gave the Holy Spirit to each and everyone of us, He did not allocate Himself in portions. We received His Whole Being! This trustworthy belief should therefore give us the confidence that, in Him and through His gifts, each of us is capable of contributing to the common good. The Spirit’s gifts are not the monopoly of the community’s stewards and coordinators; therefore the life and work of the community do not depend exclusively on them.
Bold Steps Needed
The stewards have recognized this by empowering the body of coordinators to oversee the operations of the community, while they devote themselves to prayer, discernment, preaching, teaching, mentoring and enabling others. But the journey to the transformation of the community must go beyond such initial steps. The stewards must lead the way in dismantling the artificial, functional “barriers” that in the past caused each ministry, and as a result- the members, to operate independently of the others. Rather, they should encourage and cultivate collaboration. The stewards must discard the tendency to place people in “boxes” that define members’ willingness, aptitudes and capabilities based on “snapshots” of past experience with them. Rather, they must affirm and upbuild the members, encouraging them to identify, use and unify their gifts for the work of ministry, and trusting them to be able to handle substantive community endeavors, communications and issues with spiritual maturity. Finally, the stewards must consistently model the servanthood of Christ by living up to their calling as stewards, rather than “governors” or leaders.
The coordinators and the members must accept and utilize their empowerment to actively perform the Lord’s work, for the praise and glory of the Father. With empowerment comes responsibility and accountability, both personal and communitarian. Personal responsibility entails the steadfast commitment to deepen one’s communion with the Lord and with His Church through prayer, Word, sacraments, ministry and community. Communitarian responsibility entails a persevering commitment to share the Lord’s love and blessings with the community, the Church and its mission field, to share in the God-given trust of stewarding the community towards its vision and mission.
Communion with the Church
The most important step we must take is to bring our community into alignment with the Church, so that we may realize what we have solemnly pledged in our Community Commitment and Community Covenant: submission to and full communion with the Church. As a vital part of the Church, we will living witnesses to the love and glory of God!
On Collaboration
From "In the Spirit of Transparency"
July 13, 2001 (3 parts)
The Importance of Collaboration
“ There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.” 1 Cor 12:4-6
In their book Collaboration- Uniting Our Gifts in Ministry, Sofield and Juliano defined collaboration as “the identification, release and union of all the gifts in ministry for the sake of mission.” From this we can infer that: (1) every member is gifted, hence equipped to do God’s work; (2) every member should unite his/her gifts with other members’ gifts in shared ministry work; (3) the entire community should work together in partnership for the Lord’s mission.
How important is collaboration in our community? Consider these: we have about 1000 members in all age ranges who are members of 18 different ministries & apostolates. We worship, reflect on the Word and fellowship as a community every week. We conduct teachings twice a month. We hold different class reunions every month. We run more than a dozen weekend events every year. Our community calendar is further filled with weekly and monthly ministry meetings, DLC and DCS meetings, praise practices.
In addition to looking after the spiritual needs of our own growing community, we are actively engaged in mission work outside our community. We administer 7 smaller communities in both coasts which are in various stages of district formation. We have four mission programs, three of which are within the archdiocese, and the fourth being an annual medical mission to the Philippines.
The growing, complex demands of building communion and mission make collaboration among our members and ministries essential. The sacred trust that the Lord has given us to continue His work of building His kingdom for the glory of the Father makes collaboration mandatory. How well are we collaborating with one another?
According to Sofield and Juliano, there are four levels of collaboration:
• Co-existence – we are in this lowest level of collaboration when our ministries operate separately and independently from one another
• Communication – we are at least “communicating” when our ministries decide to interact and share information with one another
• Cooperation – we are cooperating when our ministries realize that while each is different and distinct, they have the same purpose and mission. Hence, they cooperate with one another
• Collaboration –we are collaborating when all our ministries live up to their common ownership of the community’s vision & mission by working interdependently with one another to achieve the community’s goals.
Where are we in our collaboration with one another?
“…that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If (one) part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.: 1 Cor 12:25-26
Prerequisites & Obstacles
“Luke is the only one with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is helpful to me in the ministry.”
2TM 4:11
When a few members were asked where they are in their collaboration with others, most of them indicated that they are between the co-existence and communication levels. This assessment seems to be borne out by recent difficulties in interaction among some ministries. It is of course part of the growing process for our members to encounter difficulties in our relationship with other members. We grow in spiritual maturity when we are able to overcome such difficulties through dialogue and forgiveness. Dialogue is essential to communication. Forgiveness is essential to reconciliation and unity. As we get to know and accept each other's gifts and role in community, we move to the higher levels of collaboration. We begin cooperating and eventually working interdependently with one another, becoming the community that God intended us to be.
What are some qualities of the heart that are necessary for collaboration?
First, we must relate with one another in trust, recognizing that each of us is the Lord’s son or daughter, and hence is motivated by the good of others and the glory of God. This requires that we must be comfortable with our identity in Christ so that we may not feel threatened by others.
Second, we must have self-giving hearts, to enable us to share ourselves as well as our faith with others. This requires a spirit of compassionate action, which allows us to understand others’ pain, to offer help and to share their burden.
Third, we must be prayerful, reflective and attentive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. This quality flows from a sense of personal responsibility for the work entrusted to us.
Finally, we must be imbued with the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation, which enables us to accept and learn from failure or mistakes, knowing that the Lord can be found even in them.
What are some of the obstacles to collaboration? Our own experience in community teaches us that the following work against collaborative ministry: refusal to dialogue, turf-mentality, insularity, unresolved conflicts, failure to provide fraternal correction, unforgiveness, pride, arrogance, perfectionism, suspicion, critical or negative spirit, judgmentalism, factions or cliques, etc.
How then do we address these obstacles? “The more an individual faces his or her shadow side, personal demons, or obstacles to collaboration, the more committed one will become…Difficult as it may be, surfacing obstacles is the single most important factor in facilitating a collaborative ministry.” (Sofield & Juliano- Collaboration, Uniting Our Gifts in Ministry)
“But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.” MK 16:20
Achieving Collaboration in the Community
“For we are God's co-workers; you are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor 3:5-11
What specific obstacles held us back from achieving true collaboration in the past? We can name four basic obstacles:
(1) coming from a patriarchal culture, we did not fully understand what collaboration means and entails;
(2) lacking in understanding, we were not convinced of its value and hence preferred the more expedient approach – going it alone;
(3) struggling in our conversion process, we did not regularly practice Christian speech, fraternal correction and handling conflicts; and
(4) learning experientially, we did not know how to provide the capability for collaboration.
“Yet with the Lord, we shall always be; the Lord has hold of our right hand; with His counsel, the Lord guided us” Ps 73:23-24.
Through our discipleship formation, we discovered that collaboration is essential to a sound community culture. The lessons we learned from our community’s growth pains and our past mistakes only reinforced its value. As a first step to achieving collaboration, we introduced empowerment to our ministries, although even this has taken time to be properly understood. To bring healing to broken relationships and guidance to those who are struggling, the Spirit led us to renew our efforts at reconciliation, pastoral care, discipling and intercession. Last but not least, we are implementing new ways to bring capacity for collaboration in community.
Among these are:
DLC Steering Committee- A facilitating team of five couples within the DLC tasked
with promoting collaboration and interdependence among the ministries. Through
the steering committee, the DLC will be more actively involved in overseeing the
community operations and in planning and leading the DLC meetings. This will allow
the DCS greater time for prayer, discernment, pastoral care, teaching, discipling and preaching.
Integrated Objectives- Our ministries and members will be aligned behind just two
community objectives. The communion objective is measured in terms members in worship; the mission objective is measured in terms of disciples in mission. Thus is collaboration achieved: Evangelization brings in new members to worship, Pastoral nurtures and guides members to worship, Formation forms members into worshipful and mission-ready disciples, Mission sends disciples to mission, and Management resources both communion and mission.
“Complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.” Phil 2
July 13, 2001 (3 parts)
The Importance of Collaboration
“ There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.” 1 Cor 12:4-6
In their book Collaboration- Uniting Our Gifts in Ministry, Sofield and Juliano defined collaboration as “the identification, release and union of all the gifts in ministry for the sake of mission.” From this we can infer that: (1) every member is gifted, hence equipped to do God’s work; (2) every member should unite his/her gifts with other members’ gifts in shared ministry work; (3) the entire community should work together in partnership for the Lord’s mission.
How important is collaboration in our community? Consider these: we have about 1000 members in all age ranges who are members of 18 different ministries & apostolates. We worship, reflect on the Word and fellowship as a community every week. We conduct teachings twice a month. We hold different class reunions every month. We run more than a dozen weekend events every year. Our community calendar is further filled with weekly and monthly ministry meetings, DLC and DCS meetings, praise practices.
In addition to looking after the spiritual needs of our own growing community, we are actively engaged in mission work outside our community. We administer 7 smaller communities in both coasts which are in various stages of district formation. We have four mission programs, three of which are within the archdiocese, and the fourth being an annual medical mission to the Philippines.
The growing, complex demands of building communion and mission make collaboration among our members and ministries essential. The sacred trust that the Lord has given us to continue His work of building His kingdom for the glory of the Father makes collaboration mandatory. How well are we collaborating with one another?
According to Sofield and Juliano, there are four levels of collaboration:
• Co-existence – we are in this lowest level of collaboration when our ministries operate separately and independently from one another
• Communication – we are at least “communicating” when our ministries decide to interact and share information with one another
• Cooperation – we are cooperating when our ministries realize that while each is different and distinct, they have the same purpose and mission. Hence, they cooperate with one another
• Collaboration –we are collaborating when all our ministries live up to their common ownership of the community’s vision & mission by working interdependently with one another to achieve the community’s goals.
Where are we in our collaboration with one another?
“…that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If (one) part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.: 1 Cor 12:25-26
Prerequisites & Obstacles
“Luke is the only one with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is helpful to me in the ministry.”
2TM 4:11
When a few members were asked where they are in their collaboration with others, most of them indicated that they are between the co-existence and communication levels. This assessment seems to be borne out by recent difficulties in interaction among some ministries. It is of course part of the growing process for our members to encounter difficulties in our relationship with other members. We grow in spiritual maturity when we are able to overcome such difficulties through dialogue and forgiveness. Dialogue is essential to communication. Forgiveness is essential to reconciliation and unity. As we get to know and accept each other's gifts and role in community, we move to the higher levels of collaboration. We begin cooperating and eventually working interdependently with one another, becoming the community that God intended us to be.
What are some qualities of the heart that are necessary for collaboration?
First, we must relate with one another in trust, recognizing that each of us is the Lord’s son or daughter, and hence is motivated by the good of others and the glory of God. This requires that we must be comfortable with our identity in Christ so that we may not feel threatened by others.
Second, we must have self-giving hearts, to enable us to share ourselves as well as our faith with others. This requires a spirit of compassionate action, which allows us to understand others’ pain, to offer help and to share their burden.
Third, we must be prayerful, reflective and attentive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. This quality flows from a sense of personal responsibility for the work entrusted to us.
Finally, we must be imbued with the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation, which enables us to accept and learn from failure or mistakes, knowing that the Lord can be found even in them.
What are some of the obstacles to collaboration? Our own experience in community teaches us that the following work against collaborative ministry: refusal to dialogue, turf-mentality, insularity, unresolved conflicts, failure to provide fraternal correction, unforgiveness, pride, arrogance, perfectionism, suspicion, critical or negative spirit, judgmentalism, factions or cliques, etc.
How then do we address these obstacles? “The more an individual faces his or her shadow side, personal demons, or obstacles to collaboration, the more committed one will become…Difficult as it may be, surfacing obstacles is the single most important factor in facilitating a collaborative ministry.” (Sofield & Juliano- Collaboration, Uniting Our Gifts in Ministry)
“But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.” MK 16:20
Achieving Collaboration in the Community
“For we are God's co-workers; you are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor 3:5-11
What specific obstacles held us back from achieving true collaboration in the past? We can name four basic obstacles:
(1) coming from a patriarchal culture, we did not fully understand what collaboration means and entails;
(2) lacking in understanding, we were not convinced of its value and hence preferred the more expedient approach – going it alone;
(3) struggling in our conversion process, we did not regularly practice Christian speech, fraternal correction and handling conflicts; and
(4) learning experientially, we did not know how to provide the capability for collaboration.
“Yet with the Lord, we shall always be; the Lord has hold of our right hand; with His counsel, the Lord guided us” Ps 73:23-24.
Through our discipleship formation, we discovered that collaboration is essential to a sound community culture. The lessons we learned from our community’s growth pains and our past mistakes only reinforced its value. As a first step to achieving collaboration, we introduced empowerment to our ministries, although even this has taken time to be properly understood. To bring healing to broken relationships and guidance to those who are struggling, the Spirit led us to renew our efforts at reconciliation, pastoral care, discipling and intercession. Last but not least, we are implementing new ways to bring capacity for collaboration in community.
Among these are:
DLC Steering Committee- A facilitating team of five couples within the DLC tasked
with promoting collaboration and interdependence among the ministries. Through
the steering committee, the DLC will be more actively involved in overseeing the
community operations and in planning and leading the DLC meetings. This will allow
the DCS greater time for prayer, discernment, pastoral care, teaching, discipling and preaching.
Integrated Objectives- Our ministries and members will be aligned behind just two
community objectives. The communion objective is measured in terms members in worship; the mission objective is measured in terms of disciples in mission. Thus is collaboration achieved: Evangelization brings in new members to worship, Pastoral nurtures and guides members to worship, Formation forms members into worshipful and mission-ready disciples, Mission sends disciples to mission, and Management resources both communion and mission.
“Complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.” Phil 2
On Commemorating 9/11
From "In the Spirit of Transparency" -September 13, 2002
Commemorating September 11 By Doing Good
One year ago, we stared at the raw, horrible face of evil when thousands of innocent people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania lost their lives due to some men’s despicable acts of violence. In the weeks and months that followed September 11, we deeply grieved the loss of these innocent victims of hate. We did not know the vast majority of these people, but through our shared sense of loss, our spontaneous pulling together as a nation, our unwavering faith in God, our compassionate embrace of the loved ones they left behind, and our common resolve to defeat evil- we became one family with them. And so did the world that recoiled at this evil and joined our resolve that such evil acts should not stand.
There are parallels to September 11 throughout human history, but one particular assault by evil on goodness stands out over the rest: the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, 2000 years ago. Jesus- the human and divine personification of the love of God, was sent to us by the Father to save us from sin. He was the truly innocent one- sinless, guileless, and perfect in goodness and holiness. Evil pounced on Him in a similarly treacherous and violent manner: They conspired against Him, arrested Him on false charges, tortured and executed Him in the most painful way. Yet evil can never triumph over good. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was raised up from the dead on the first Easter Sunday. He pulled together His fearful disciples and empowered them on Pentecost to be the foundation of His pillar of truth and goodness, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail.
The paramount lesson of Easter Sunday must continually be reinforced as we commemorate September 11: “Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good” (Rm 12:21). Evil will remain on earth until it is permanently consigned to hell on Judgment Day. Until then, we must resist, fight and conquer evil with the good that comes from God. There is no room for evil, whatever form it takes, in the household of God: greed, lies, hatred, intolerance, vindictiveness, violence and other immoralities. Rather, let us fill our hearts and lives with humility, love, forgiveness, truth, patience, and prayer. “Let the peace of Christ control our hearts, the peace into which we are also called in one body” (Col 3:15).
As a community, we will commemorate September 11 with prayer, fasting and acts of charity, such as almsgiving. We commemorate September 11 by acting in accord with the mind of Christ: by dying to self, fraternal correction, forgiveness, faith and obedience to God’s will. We commemorate September 11 by following the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Commemorating September 11 By Doing Good
One year ago, we stared at the raw, horrible face of evil when thousands of innocent people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania lost their lives due to some men’s despicable acts of violence. In the weeks and months that followed September 11, we deeply grieved the loss of these innocent victims of hate. We did not know the vast majority of these people, but through our shared sense of loss, our spontaneous pulling together as a nation, our unwavering faith in God, our compassionate embrace of the loved ones they left behind, and our common resolve to defeat evil- we became one family with them. And so did the world that recoiled at this evil and joined our resolve that such evil acts should not stand.
There are parallels to September 11 throughout human history, but one particular assault by evil on goodness stands out over the rest: the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, 2000 years ago. Jesus- the human and divine personification of the love of God, was sent to us by the Father to save us from sin. He was the truly innocent one- sinless, guileless, and perfect in goodness and holiness. Evil pounced on Him in a similarly treacherous and violent manner: They conspired against Him, arrested Him on false charges, tortured and executed Him in the most painful way. Yet evil can never triumph over good. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was raised up from the dead on the first Easter Sunday. He pulled together His fearful disciples and empowered them on Pentecost to be the foundation of His pillar of truth and goodness, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail.
The paramount lesson of Easter Sunday must continually be reinforced as we commemorate September 11: “Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good” (Rm 12:21). Evil will remain on earth until it is permanently consigned to hell on Judgment Day. Until then, we must resist, fight and conquer evil with the good that comes from God. There is no room for evil, whatever form it takes, in the household of God: greed, lies, hatred, intolerance, vindictiveness, violence and other immoralities. Rather, let us fill our hearts and lives with humility, love, forgiveness, truth, patience, and prayer. “Let the peace of Christ control our hearts, the peace into which we are also called in one body” (Col 3:15).
As a community, we will commemorate September 11 with prayer, fasting and acts of charity, such as almsgiving. We commemorate September 11 by acting in accord with the mind of Christ: by dying to self, fraternal correction, forgiveness, faith and obedience to God’s will. We commemorate September 11 by following the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ.
On Everlasting Light & Selfless Love
From "In the Spirit of Transparency" - November 6, 1998
Something truly beautiful has been happening to our community these past several weeks. In the whirl of intensifying preparations for the forthcoming presentation of Everlasting Light, coupled with a plethora of concurrent BLD activities, the Lord is fashioning a deeper sense of community and stronger bonds of friendships among our members- out of their blood, sweat and tears.
On Saturdays and Sundays, the 100 or so Everlasting Light cast & crew members and their families congregate St. Mary’s in Plainfield to rehearse their presentation, including the front act number. The other members work as hard in the background performing marketing, administrative, audio-visual and other responsibilities. Meanwhile, our regular pastoral and evangelical activities continue on at the same venue. The school, which was closed several years ago, has become alive with the vibrance and energy of the BLD family.
It is awesome to behold our members praising, learning, singing, dancing, playing, working, eating together on weekends. It is inspiring to see them jell into one cohesive unit focused on a single purpose- that of glorifying God through their work. It is fulfilling to hear their shouts of joy and exhilaration whenever their persistent practice is rewarded with achievement- hitting the right notes, making the right movements. Our young and old are witnessing to all what is true excellence in worship- for their personal offerings are an act of worship.
All these obviously come at a price. Sacrifices are being made at home, school, parish and work. Participants are tired and lacking sleep. Some have experienced oppressions. And there are still two weeks to go before the first show! Certainly, our own missions to the least of the brethren are feeling the impact. Fewer people come to minister to the elderly and infirm at our Lift ‘Em Up visitation program in Parkway Manor, and the Deanery 20 Saturday worship has been going acappella these past few weeks. This is the understandable outcome of the higher priority we gave to Everlasting Light. We hope these mission setbacks are temporary.
The continuous outpouring of love will make for a very successful Everlasting Light project. When all is said and done, our success will not be measured in terms of funds raised, but in how we channel our greater propensity to love. Will we have greater openness and increased willingness to minister to the least of the brethren? Will we bring the blessings of community to those whom God has given us to love and care for- the elderly and infirm, the poor? Christ’s love, channeled through our communal heart, is Everlasting Light to them.
Something truly beautiful has been happening to our community these past several weeks. In the whirl of intensifying preparations for the forthcoming presentation of Everlasting Light, coupled with a plethora of concurrent BLD activities, the Lord is fashioning a deeper sense of community and stronger bonds of friendships among our members- out of their blood, sweat and tears.
On Saturdays and Sundays, the 100 or so Everlasting Light cast & crew members and their families congregate St. Mary’s in Plainfield to rehearse their presentation, including the front act number. The other members work as hard in the background performing marketing, administrative, audio-visual and other responsibilities. Meanwhile, our regular pastoral and evangelical activities continue on at the same venue. The school, which was closed several years ago, has become alive with the vibrance and energy of the BLD family.
It is awesome to behold our members praising, learning, singing, dancing, playing, working, eating together on weekends. It is inspiring to see them jell into one cohesive unit focused on a single purpose- that of glorifying God through their work. It is fulfilling to hear their shouts of joy and exhilaration whenever their persistent practice is rewarded with achievement- hitting the right notes, making the right movements. Our young and old are witnessing to all what is true excellence in worship- for their personal offerings are an act of worship.
All these obviously come at a price. Sacrifices are being made at home, school, parish and work. Participants are tired and lacking sleep. Some have experienced oppressions. And there are still two weeks to go before the first show! Certainly, our own missions to the least of the brethren are feeling the impact. Fewer people come to minister to the elderly and infirm at our Lift ‘Em Up visitation program in Parkway Manor, and the Deanery 20 Saturday worship has been going acappella these past few weeks. This is the understandable outcome of the higher priority we gave to Everlasting Light. We hope these mission setbacks are temporary.
The continuous outpouring of love will make for a very successful Everlasting Light project. When all is said and done, our success will not be measured in terms of funds raised, but in how we channel our greater propensity to love. Will we have greater openness and increased willingness to minister to the least of the brethren? Will we bring the blessings of community to those whom God has given us to love and care for- the elderly and infirm, the poor? Christ’s love, channeled through our communal heart, is Everlasting Light to them.
On Trust
From "In the Spirit of Transparency"
March 23, 2001
During a past discipling session, a suggestion was made to reemphasize the critical importance of treating personal sharing in our Word Sharing Circles with absolute confidentiality. The concern could have been rooted in the rapid growth of our community: the more members we have, the more members we do not know well. Some of them may not be familiar with our circle promise on confidentiality. The hidden fear behind the concern was the risk that a breach of confidentiality may occur.
How important is building and keeping trust to our community? Trust is the cornerstone for the development any relationship; it is the cornerstone for the building up of our community. We are in this community because certain couples or persons made a decision to trust by their sharing of the Lord’s work in their lives during an encounter or LSS weekend. Their authentic witnessing of trust introduced us to a constantly growing relationship of love with God and with others in this community. As members of this community, our trust enables us to share the truth about ourselves with others and thus invite them in an authentic way to share our life of faith in Christ. Trust is clearly essential for our growth as persons and as a community.
During our ME weekend, we learned that the only way to trust is to trust. Like love, trust is a decision that entails risks. Through self-disclosure, a person makes himself or herself vulnerable to hurt due to judgment, ridicule, rejection, or exploitation. If a member’s self-disclosure is not received with respect and confidentiality, that member could very well withdraw from the community, physically or emotionally. Once a case of serious betrayal of trust occurs, other members will be hesitant to give trust as well. A community wherein there is no trust will stagnate and die. If trust is life-giving, the betrayal of trust is life-draining.
This is why it is critical for us to develop and safeguard a climate of trust in our community. For trust to thrive, every member must faithfully live the values of openness, sharing and acceptance. Openness is a quality needed in both sharer and listener. For the sharer, openness is the courage to risk being candid and to believe in the goodness of the other person. For the listener, openness is the willingness to listen attentively to and respect the sharer. Sharing is a quality of making oneself vulnerable and inviting trust through self-revelation. Acceptance is a quality in the listener that communicates respect and appreciation for the sharer regardless of what is shared. When trust is respected and honored, stronger interpersonal relationships and a stronger community will develop.
Let us therefore faithfully adhere to our circle promise of confidentiality: “I realize that much of what we share would be harmful to you who shared it, were it repeated in other company; therefore, personal matters stop here. I will confine our sharing of personal matters within our circle. I will say nothing outside the group that might be injurious or embarrassing for anyone of you.”
March 23, 2001
During a past discipling session, a suggestion was made to reemphasize the critical importance of treating personal sharing in our Word Sharing Circles with absolute confidentiality. The concern could have been rooted in the rapid growth of our community: the more members we have, the more members we do not know well. Some of them may not be familiar with our circle promise on confidentiality. The hidden fear behind the concern was the risk that a breach of confidentiality may occur.
How important is building and keeping trust to our community? Trust is the cornerstone for the development any relationship; it is the cornerstone for the building up of our community. We are in this community because certain couples or persons made a decision to trust by their sharing of the Lord’s work in their lives during an encounter or LSS weekend. Their authentic witnessing of trust introduced us to a constantly growing relationship of love with God and with others in this community. As members of this community, our trust enables us to share the truth about ourselves with others and thus invite them in an authentic way to share our life of faith in Christ. Trust is clearly essential for our growth as persons and as a community.
During our ME weekend, we learned that the only way to trust is to trust. Like love, trust is a decision that entails risks. Through self-disclosure, a person makes himself or herself vulnerable to hurt due to judgment, ridicule, rejection, or exploitation. If a member’s self-disclosure is not received with respect and confidentiality, that member could very well withdraw from the community, physically or emotionally. Once a case of serious betrayal of trust occurs, other members will be hesitant to give trust as well. A community wherein there is no trust will stagnate and die. If trust is life-giving, the betrayal of trust is life-draining.
This is why it is critical for us to develop and safeguard a climate of trust in our community. For trust to thrive, every member must faithfully live the values of openness, sharing and acceptance. Openness is a quality needed in both sharer and listener. For the sharer, openness is the courage to risk being candid and to believe in the goodness of the other person. For the listener, openness is the willingness to listen attentively to and respect the sharer. Sharing is a quality of making oneself vulnerable and inviting trust through self-revelation. Acceptance is a quality in the listener that communicates respect and appreciation for the sharer regardless of what is shared. When trust is respected and honored, stronger interpersonal relationships and a stronger community will develop.
Let us therefore faithfully adhere to our circle promise of confidentiality: “I realize that much of what we share would be harmful to you who shared it, were it repeated in other company; therefore, personal matters stop here. I will confine our sharing of personal matters within our circle. I will say nothing outside the group that might be injurious or embarrassing for anyone of you.”
On Piety
From "In the Spirit of Transparency"
September 11, 1998
“Keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary. I am the LORD” Leviticus 19:30.
Several of our brothers and sisters recently observed that our community does not consistently exhibit the sense of the sacred inside the church of our worship. They noted that many of us usually engage in social and community talk before as well as after our corporate worship, thereby creating noise and commotion that disturb the recitation of the rosary and the holding of intercessory prayers and Word Sharing Circles. Several times, the announcer had to exhort the assembly to silence, only to find his voice lost in the din. A class shepherd reported that a couple of new ME graduates were turned off by what they considered to be impious behavior inside the church that they stopped attending our worship.
“The church- the house of God- is the proper place for the liturgical prayer of the community and the privileged place for adoration of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament” (CCC 2691). The Blessed Sacrament resides in the Eucharistic tabernacle and therefore deserves the greatest honor and adoration from the faithful. Before, during and after our corporate worship, at all hours of the day and night, Christ in His Eucharistic presence remains in our midst. His Eucharistic presence symbolizes both His sacrificial death and His endless love for us. We must honor and respect the presence of the Lord.
The above observations underline the need for us to live up to our community norm of piety. Our Covenant of Communion defines the norm of piety in terms of its forms: daily prayer and Scripture reading, active sacramental life, faithful attendance of our corporate worship, Living Word Groups/Word Sharing Circles, teachings and community assemblies, Fasting for the Poor, submission to pastoral authority and care. But piety is more than form; it is an attitude of the heart.
Piety is of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2-3). It enables us to apprehend our rightful relationship to God: that He is our Creator and we are His creatures; that He is our Savior and we are His redeemed; that He is our Sovereign Lord and King, and we are His servants; that He is the Divine Providence, and we are the recipients of His blessings. The gift of piety develops and nourishes the attitude of the heart that enables us to reverence God and to obey His will, from which springs the gifts of worship and discipleship.
We request everyone to conduct themselves prayerfully from the moment we step into the house of the Lord until we depart from it for our community fellowship. Our ushers, praise ministry and announcers will call us to silence from time to time. Let us heed the call of the psalmist: “Praise the Lord in His sanctuary!” Psalm 150:1
September 11, 1998
“Keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary. I am the LORD” Leviticus 19:30.
Several of our brothers and sisters recently observed that our community does not consistently exhibit the sense of the sacred inside the church of our worship. They noted that many of us usually engage in social and community talk before as well as after our corporate worship, thereby creating noise and commotion that disturb the recitation of the rosary and the holding of intercessory prayers and Word Sharing Circles. Several times, the announcer had to exhort the assembly to silence, only to find his voice lost in the din. A class shepherd reported that a couple of new ME graduates were turned off by what they considered to be impious behavior inside the church that they stopped attending our worship.
“The church- the house of God- is the proper place for the liturgical prayer of the community and the privileged place for adoration of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament” (CCC 2691). The Blessed Sacrament resides in the Eucharistic tabernacle and therefore deserves the greatest honor and adoration from the faithful. Before, during and after our corporate worship, at all hours of the day and night, Christ in His Eucharistic presence remains in our midst. His Eucharistic presence symbolizes both His sacrificial death and His endless love for us. We must honor and respect the presence of the Lord.
The above observations underline the need for us to live up to our community norm of piety. Our Covenant of Communion defines the norm of piety in terms of its forms: daily prayer and Scripture reading, active sacramental life, faithful attendance of our corporate worship, Living Word Groups/Word Sharing Circles, teachings and community assemblies, Fasting for the Poor, submission to pastoral authority and care. But piety is more than form; it is an attitude of the heart.
Piety is of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2-3). It enables us to apprehend our rightful relationship to God: that He is our Creator and we are His creatures; that He is our Savior and we are His redeemed; that He is our Sovereign Lord and King, and we are His servants; that He is the Divine Providence, and we are the recipients of His blessings. The gift of piety develops and nourishes the attitude of the heart that enables us to reverence God and to obey His will, from which springs the gifts of worship and discipleship.
We request everyone to conduct themselves prayerfully from the moment we step into the house of the Lord until we depart from it for our community fellowship. Our ushers, praise ministry and announcers will call us to silence from time to time. Let us heed the call of the psalmist: “Praise the Lord in His sanctuary!” Psalm 150:1
On Community Rules
From "In the Spirit of Transparency"
October 30, 1998
The saying, “rules are made to be broken” may easily find legitimacy in secular circles but not so in a Christian community. The rules of Christian communities such as ours are predicated on the greatest commandments: the love of God and the love of our neighbors. If Christian love is the spirit that activates our rules, then we must exert every effort to live up to them.
The Holy Family gives us a good model to emulate in living up to the established rules: “When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth” (Luke 2:39). The Lord’s disciples and followers also provide examples of obedience to the guidelines from the Lord. Before feeding the five thousand, Jesus “ordered them (His disciples) to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties” (Mark 6:39-40).
If adherence to rules is required, why then do we allow certain exceptions to the rule? The law of love that demands disciplined observance of established rules is the same law of love that compels us to be open to the direction of the Holy Spirit. In such cases, our stewards would fact-find, consult, prayerfully discern the Spirit’s directions and confirm their discernment with the Council of Servant Leaders. Christian love requires that such care be exercised.
How do we show true Christian love to a couple in an invalid marriage? Is it by accepting them to the ME before they validate their marriage? Or is it by first helping them take the required steps leading to marriage validation, after which we admit them to the ME? One may argue that these two options constitute a process. Even so, we believe that starting with the latter option is best for the spiritual welfare of the couple. Other communities’ past experience with the first option bear this out: couples in invalid marriages who felt angry that they could not share in the Eucharistic communion; couples in similar situation who received communion anyway; validly married couples who were disillusioned to learn that the rules of admission were not uniformly applied to all.
We will never close the door to any candidate, but rather lead them to reconciliation with the Father and restoration to the sacramental life of the Church. We will do it by abiding by our rules and those of the Church, and through prayerful discernment of exception requests.
“Similarly, an athlete cannot receive the winner's crown except by competing according to the rules” (2 Tim. 2:5).
October 30, 1998
The saying, “rules are made to be broken” may easily find legitimacy in secular circles but not so in a Christian community. The rules of Christian communities such as ours are predicated on the greatest commandments: the love of God and the love of our neighbors. If Christian love is the spirit that activates our rules, then we must exert every effort to live up to them.
The Holy Family gives us a good model to emulate in living up to the established rules: “When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth” (Luke 2:39). The Lord’s disciples and followers also provide examples of obedience to the guidelines from the Lord. Before feeding the five thousand, Jesus “ordered them (His disciples) to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties” (Mark 6:39-40).
If adherence to rules is required, why then do we allow certain exceptions to the rule? The law of love that demands disciplined observance of established rules is the same law of love that compels us to be open to the direction of the Holy Spirit. In such cases, our stewards would fact-find, consult, prayerfully discern the Spirit’s directions and confirm their discernment with the Council of Servant Leaders. Christian love requires that such care be exercised.
How do we show true Christian love to a couple in an invalid marriage? Is it by accepting them to the ME before they validate their marriage? Or is it by first helping them take the required steps leading to marriage validation, after which we admit them to the ME? One may argue that these two options constitute a process. Even so, we believe that starting with the latter option is best for the spiritual welfare of the couple. Other communities’ past experience with the first option bear this out: couples in invalid marriages who felt angry that they could not share in the Eucharistic communion; couples in similar situation who received communion anyway; validly married couples who were disillusioned to learn that the rules of admission were not uniformly applied to all.
We will never close the door to any candidate, but rather lead them to reconciliation with the Father and restoration to the sacramental life of the Church. We will do it by abiding by our rules and those of the Church, and through prayerful discernment of exception requests.
“Similarly, an athlete cannot receive the winner's crown except by competing according to the rules” (2 Tim. 2:5).
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