Gospel Reflection: January 25, 2013

Go to the world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.

This is a call of vocation to all of us. It pertains for us Christians that it is our vocation to do such. It is calling to we have to live in our daily existence. This is our missionary advocacy in leading our fellows and serving the Lord. As an evangelizer of the gospel doesn't mean to really be an apostle of Christ because we can do such in our own little way.

Our living example is the living legacy of what we would like to tell to other people about our mission, our motives, our intentions, our way of life, which we can boil down how God works in us for them. The way we talk to people is the way we live out God in them.

Faith. We all know that it is unfathomable in a sense. We cannot measure how it works in us. We cannot assess how other person treats it. But why settle for something we cannot. Why try to those we can. We can fell our faith not just by our emotion but the totality of our rationality. I believe faith without reason is useless. I believe because we know I am convinced of its existence, of its being in me. There are so many instance in my life that I myself could testify that my faith really on its own essence.

Hope. Everything might loss but I will never allow myself to loss my hope. Despair can equate to the loss of hope. Despair will loosen one’s mind to stupidity. I see hope in everything that others might inspire also to do so. Acceptance of change is the first thing to do. Just accept that everything will just come and go. You have this and that today but we do not know if we will have that or this again tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. With hope, no matter what happen in your life you have to be optimistic in a way your decision will be on a right tract.

Faith and hope guide me towards the life God wants be to be and to become. He never left me and I am convinced of that. Living this simple life I had is a way already of proclaiming His gospel. I believe that everything comes from him and later in my life I will return all these. He might ask what I did to this life; I will just say I live on the ways of faith and hope.

To all of us, we are God’s children, His loving children. In our simple way of living our life can inspire others to do the same. Set your life with Him so you can proclaim His gospel, the good news for our salvation. Amen.

GOSPEL REFLECTION: January 21, 2013

Good day my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Technically, our Gospel today made me struggle for many days. This is because it is so hard to fathom its meaning with the limited capacity I have  especially the historical and cultural background of it which I am not familiar with. Interpreting it in my own understanding would lead to misconception either. I think the best to do to avoid misinterpretation is to reflect where I am now and ask things which I myself can relate and can be associated with this gospel reading.

My dear brothers, I had already in 2 years in the formation. For the years I had stayed there, many realizations I have come to think of and many struggles and crises I have encountered. Though, how hard it was and it will be, I can say that seminary formation is no other to compare with.

Embracing the seminary formation for the years I had t here, is one of the best thing in my life and I could say it is the real world in this small world of seminary vicinity.  My daily memories were really worth remembering with fervour and vehement spirit. The way I embraced it is the way I embraced Christ and his Church, our Church. The image of the “bridegroom” in the gospel is important because Jesus is often portrayed as coming to humanity as a bridegroom, with the Christian church then portrayed as the bride. As children of God, we are challenged to carry out the life of Christ, our model, our God. The way He committed Himself to love us as His church,   we can do the same. In our simple ways of embracing seminary formation, of accepting God’s invitation to become his disciple in proclaiming His Word and carrying out our salvific mission are great things in serving the Church.

On the other hand, I am struck also with the word FASTING. Fasting is a very ancient practice, practiced by practically all religions. Jesus himself practiced it during forty days (Mt 4, 2). But he does not insist with his disciples so that they do the same thing. He leaves them free. This is why the disciples of John the Baptist and those of the Pharisees, who were obliged to fast, want to know why Jesus does not insist on fasting. What I can remember there in seminary a simple observance of fasting. By the way, was there any? Can we take it? Somehow, not that much (hehehe). But, I can still remember, we ate champorado as a form of fasting in one of our tradition. I think, that happened once. Seriously, fasting there in seminary made me to realize that it not just a mere tradition, an act determined by norms but a self-sacrifice, an expression of love and sincerity in doing such.

Jesus‘ parable of garments and wine is quite relevant to how I live my life today. It is often perceived as saying that new ideas should be put into new social structures. Jesus eats well, even with sinners, instead of fasting like holy men are expected to because he brings new ideas about God that won’t fit in with old assumptions or structures. Talking of structure, I am convinced that I live on that way. It is not just here inside the seminary formation but even in our home, in school, in the bus, in the market as well. The do’s and don’ts will perpetuate the structure within. Jesus wants me to embrace the new structure which He thinks for my own good. It is not necessary to want to change what is new and brought by seminary formation, for old customs I have had. If I am used to do bad things before, it shouldn’t be combined to the new kind of formation I have now. I couldn’t be one who called disciple of Christ and at the same time doing opposite to what I am expected to be. The same thing in the formation, I could be a foolish one who tried to live out formation while doing things against to it.

My dear brothers and sisters, I am still young but it is not an excuse to settle in mediocrity, in low level maturity. I am not that mature enough but I tried to be one. Let us try to ask ourselves on how we live in the formation of life, for four years, for three years, for two years or even for number of months, if a new piece of cloth on an old cloak, new wine in old skins does this exist in my life, in your life, in our life?

Together, we have recognized for ourselves, and put our faith in, the love God has for us. Amen