Just recently, Ushers & Collectors Ministry (UCM) received a notice from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)Regional Office thru its Head, Mrs. Precy Escalante that the Hapag-asa, Hapagmamahal Feeding Program of UCM has already been accredited by the Department.
As an accredited partner of the DSWD, UCM will be receiving logistics and financial support from the NGO partner of DSWD for the feeding programs, the Kabisig ng Lahi Foundation including support and assistance from Unilever Philippines and Mead Jhonson Philippines for the entire 6 month duration of the program.
Under the program, 60 identified malnourished children under the level 1 and 2 classifications as validated and confirmed by the local social workers helping the UCM since last year shall be provided an everyday meal including milk supplements for 6 months. The beneficiaries has already been identified from key areas of the program like Garcia Subdivision, Faraon Subdivision and Umboy Riverside.
Mrs. Escalante revealed that the people from Kabisig and their partners from Unilever and MeadJohnson are very excited with the tie up with UCM considering that it will be the very first time in the history of the program that they will be working with a religious/parish based organization. Kabisig is expecting to launch the program in the parish this coming March 2009 and has already scheduled a visit to the Parish next week to meet the core group of UCM handling the program including the selected parents of the beneficiaries to ensure the effective and smooth implementation of the program.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
PARISH VISITA IGLESIA 2009-PRIMER II-ILOCOS NORTE
Brief History
Long before the coming of the Spaniards, there already existed an extensive region (consisting of the present provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra and La Union) renowned for its gold mines. Merchants from Japan and China would often visit the area to trade gold with beads, ceramics and silk. The inhabitants of the region, believed to be of Malay origin, called their place "samtoy", from "sao mi toy", which literally meant “our language.”
In 1591, when the Spanish conquistadors had Manila more or less under their control, they began looking for new sites to conquer. Legaspi's grandson, Juan De Salcedo, volunteered to lead one of these expeditions. Together with 8 armed boats and 45 men, the 22 year old voyager headed north. On June 13, 1572, Salcedo and his men landed in Vigan and then proceeded towards Laoag, Currimao and Badoc. As they sailed along the coast, they were surprised to see numerous sheltered coves ("looc") where the locals lived in harmony. As a result, they named the region “Ylocos” and its people “Ylocanos.”
As the Christianization of the region grew, so did the landscape of the area. Vast tracks of land were utilized for churches and bell towers in line with the Spanish mission of "bajo las campanas". In the town plaza, it was not uncommon to see garrisons under the church bells. The colonization process was slowly being carried out.
The Spanish colonization of the region, however, was never completely successful. Owing to the abusive practices of many Augustinian friars, a number of Ilocanos revolted against their colonizers. Noteworthy of these were the Dingras uprising (1589) and Pedro Almasan revolt (San Nicolas, 1660). In 1762, Diego Silang led a series of battles aimed at freeing the Ilocanos from the Spanish yoke. When he died from an assassin's bullet, his widow Gabriela continued the cause. Unfortunately, she too was captured and hanged. In 1807, the sugar cane ("basi") brewers of Piddig rose up in arms to protest the government's monopoly of the wine industry. In 1898, the church excommunicated Gregorio Aglipay for refusing to cut off ties with the revolutionary forces of Sen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Unperturbed, he established the "Iglesia Filipina Independiente". Aglipay’s movement and the nationalist sentiment it espoused helped restore the self-respect of many Filipinos.
In an effort to gain more political control and because of the increasing population of the region, a Royal Decree was signed on February 2, 1818 splitting Ilocos into two provinces: Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. Soon thereafter, the provinces of La Union and Abra likewise became independent.
Political Subdivision
Ilocos Norte has 22 municipalities namely: Adams, Badoc, Bacarra, Bangui, Batac, Burgos, Carasi, Currimao, Dingras, Dumalneg, Espiritu, Marcos, Nueva Era, Pagudpud, Paoay, Pasuquin, Piddig, Pinili, San Nicolas, Sarrat, Solsona and Vintar. Laoag converted into a city on June 19, 1965 under R.A. 4584, remains as capital. The municipalities and Laoag City are further subdivided into 550 barangays and 2 districts.
Climate
The province experiences dry season from November to April and wet season from May to October. Annual rainfall is 2,067.2 mm. while average temperature is 27.8oC. The province is occasionally visited by tropical cyclones and storms during the southwest monsoon season.
Population
Population of the province in 2000 was 514,241. This figure is projected to increase to 553,080 in 2005.
Language / Dialect
Ilocano (Iloko) is the major dialect. English and Filipino are the tools of instruction in schools.
People, Culture and Arts
“Ilocanos” comprise the overwhelming majority of the province’s inhabitants, although there are small communities of Isnegs and Tinguians in the eastern and southeastern fringes of the province. The people do not differ from other Ilocanos in customs, but as a result of the establishment of the Aglipayan Church, a majority of the population are members of the independent church.
Hundreds of years of Catholic preeminence had made Ilocos Norte home to many old Catholic Churches. Most famous is the Paoay Church which is a unique combination of baroque and Southeast Asian motifs blended into a distinct style called earthquake baroque. Another is The Cathedral of St. William the Hermit (San Guillermo) that possesses a unique two-storey façade held up by four pairs of coupled columns.
The province is also the birthplace of many important personalities whose ancestral homes had been converted to museums. The Juan Luna Shrine in Badoc, is a preserved brick-type house of the hero-painter and is a repository of his memorabilia, including replicas of his masterpieces. Another museum called Balay ti Ili (house of the people) is the ancestral home of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.
Major Industries
Agriculture is the main livelihood of the people. Garlic is the principal cash crop. Fishing and manufacturing are other industries. Cottage industries include weaving, pottery, blacksmithing and furniture-making.
Long before the coming of the Spaniards, there already existed an extensive region (consisting of the present provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra and La Union) renowned for its gold mines. Merchants from Japan and China would often visit the area to trade gold with beads, ceramics and silk. The inhabitants of the region, believed to be of Malay origin, called their place "samtoy", from "sao mi toy", which literally meant “our language.”
In 1591, when the Spanish conquistadors had Manila more or less under their control, they began looking for new sites to conquer. Legaspi's grandson, Juan De Salcedo, volunteered to lead one of these expeditions. Together with 8 armed boats and 45 men, the 22 year old voyager headed north. On June 13, 1572, Salcedo and his men landed in Vigan and then proceeded towards Laoag, Currimao and Badoc. As they sailed along the coast, they were surprised to see numerous sheltered coves ("looc") where the locals lived in harmony. As a result, they named the region “Ylocos” and its people “Ylocanos.”
As the Christianization of the region grew, so did the landscape of the area. Vast tracks of land were utilized for churches and bell towers in line with the Spanish mission of "bajo las campanas". In the town plaza, it was not uncommon to see garrisons under the church bells. The colonization process was slowly being carried out.
The Spanish colonization of the region, however, was never completely successful. Owing to the abusive practices of many Augustinian friars, a number of Ilocanos revolted against their colonizers. Noteworthy of these were the Dingras uprising (1589) and Pedro Almasan revolt (San Nicolas, 1660). In 1762, Diego Silang led a series of battles aimed at freeing the Ilocanos from the Spanish yoke. When he died from an assassin's bullet, his widow Gabriela continued the cause. Unfortunately, she too was captured and hanged. In 1807, the sugar cane ("basi") brewers of Piddig rose up in arms to protest the government's monopoly of the wine industry. In 1898, the church excommunicated Gregorio Aglipay for refusing to cut off ties with the revolutionary forces of Sen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Unperturbed, he established the "Iglesia Filipina Independiente". Aglipay’s movement and the nationalist sentiment it espoused helped restore the self-respect of many Filipinos.
In an effort to gain more political control and because of the increasing population of the region, a Royal Decree was signed on February 2, 1818 splitting Ilocos into two provinces: Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. Soon thereafter, the provinces of La Union and Abra likewise became independent.
Political Subdivision
Ilocos Norte has 22 municipalities namely: Adams, Badoc, Bacarra, Bangui, Batac, Burgos, Carasi, Currimao, Dingras, Dumalneg, Espiritu, Marcos, Nueva Era, Pagudpud, Paoay, Pasuquin, Piddig, Pinili, San Nicolas, Sarrat, Solsona and Vintar. Laoag converted into a city on June 19, 1965 under R.A. 4584, remains as capital. The municipalities and Laoag City are further subdivided into 550 barangays and 2 districts.
Climate
The province experiences dry season from November to April and wet season from May to October. Annual rainfall is 2,067.2 mm. while average temperature is 27.8oC. The province is occasionally visited by tropical cyclones and storms during the southwest monsoon season.
Population
Population of the province in 2000 was 514,241. This figure is projected to increase to 553,080 in 2005.
Language / Dialect
Ilocano (Iloko) is the major dialect. English and Filipino are the tools of instruction in schools.
People, Culture and Arts
“Ilocanos” comprise the overwhelming majority of the province’s inhabitants, although there are small communities of Isnegs and Tinguians in the eastern and southeastern fringes of the province. The people do not differ from other Ilocanos in customs, but as a result of the establishment of the Aglipayan Church, a majority of the population are members of the independent church.
Hundreds of years of Catholic preeminence had made Ilocos Norte home to many old Catholic Churches. Most famous is the Paoay Church which is a unique combination of baroque and Southeast Asian motifs blended into a distinct style called earthquake baroque. Another is The Cathedral of St. William the Hermit (San Guillermo) that possesses a unique two-storey façade held up by four pairs of coupled columns.
The province is also the birthplace of many important personalities whose ancestral homes had been converted to museums. The Juan Luna Shrine in Badoc, is a preserved brick-type house of the hero-painter and is a repository of his memorabilia, including replicas of his masterpieces. Another museum called Balay ti Ili (house of the people) is the ancestral home of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.
Major Industries
Agriculture is the main livelihood of the people. Garlic is the principal cash crop. Fishing and manufacturing are other industries. Cottage industries include weaving, pottery, blacksmithing and furniture-making.
PARISH VISITA IGLESIA 2009-PRIMER-ILOCOS SUR
The Visita Iglesia (Visit of the Churches) is one of the most pleasant traditions that Catholics observe during the Lenten season.
And by going to the right churches, Catholics can do two things at the same time: Offer a solemn prayer and immerse in culture kept alive within church walls.
For this year, the Parish has chosen the magnificent province of Ilocandia as this year's place of the Visita Iglesia. As a primer of the said activity, the site has decided to feature the province of Ilocos for the parishioners to have a better appreciation of the province and its culture.
ILOCOS SUR
Brief History
Before the advent of the Spanish Regime, settlements already existed along the coves or “looc” in the northern part of Luzon. These settlements called the “Ylocos” which extended from Bangui in the north to Namacpacan in the south were discovered during the expedition led by Juan de Salcedo in 1572.
Juan de Salcedo decided to establish his headquarters in a settlement along the Mestizo River, then named “Kabigaan” because of the “gabi” like plants abundantly growing by the bank of the river. Vigan also became the seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia and was called “Ciudad Fernandina” in honor of King Ferdinand. Vigan remains to be the capital city of Ilocos Sur.
On February 2, 1818, the Ylocos was divided into two provinces: Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte. At that time, Ilocos Sur encompassed what are now the northern towns of La Union up to Luna and Abra. Also annexed were Lepanto and Amburayan in Mt. Province. Act 2683 passed on March 1917 by the Philippine Legislature defined the present geographical boundaries of Ilocos Sur.
Geography
Ilocos Sur is located along the western coast of Northern Luzon It is bounded by Ilocos Sur Norte on the north, Abra on the northeast, Mt. Province on the east, Benguet on the southeast, La Union on the south and the China Sea on the west. Its area of 2,579.58 square kilometers occupies about 20.11 % of the total land area of Region 1.
The topography of Ilocos Sur is undulating to rolling with elevations ranging from 10 to 1,700 meters above sea level.
Political Subdivision
Ilocos Sur has 32 municipalities and 2 cities which are subdivided into 764 barangays. They are Alilem, Banayoyo, Bantay, Burgos, Cabugao, Caoayan, Cervantes, Galimuyod, Gregorio del Pilar, Lidlidda, Magsingal, Nagbukel, Narvacan, Quirino, Salcedo, San Emilio, San Esteban, San Ildefonso, San Juan, San Vicente, Santa, Santiago, Sta. Catalina, Sta. Cruz, Sta. Lucia, Sta. Maria, Sto. Domingo, Sigay, Sinait, Sugpon, Suyo, Tagudin. The cities include Candon City and Vigan City.
Climate
The climate is generally dry as defined by the Hernandez type of climate. Classification is characterized by more dry months usually from October to May. However, the southernmost portion (part of Cervantes) is observed to be humid and rain is even distributed throughout the year while the eastern part of Sugpon is dry with rain not sufficiently distributed. August has the most rainfall while January and February have the least. The mean temperature in the province is 27oC. January is the coldest.
Population
In the 2000 census, the population of Ilocos Sur was 594,206. Vigan City, the capital of Ilocos Sur, has a population of 45,143. The population in the province for year 2000 increased by 1.85% relative to the 1995 census.
Language / Dialect
Filipino and English are the basic tools of instruction in schools while Ilocano is the principal dialect. Kankanaey and Itneg are spoken in cultural communities.
Religion
Christianity is widely spread in the province. Approximately 85 percent of the total population professes Roman Catholicism, the prevailing religion in the province. The remaining percentage of the population professes to Protestantism, Buddhism, Iglesia ni Cristo, Aglipayan, Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Seventh Day Adventists.
Major Industries
The people are engaged in farming producing food crops mostly rice, corn, vegetable, rootcrops and fruits. Non-food crops include tobacco, cotton and tigergrass. Cottage industries include loomweaving, furniture making, jewelry making, ceramics, blacksmithing and food processing.
And by going to the right churches, Catholics can do two things at the same time: Offer a solemn prayer and immerse in culture kept alive within church walls.
For this year, the Parish has chosen the magnificent province of Ilocandia as this year's place of the Visita Iglesia. As a primer of the said activity, the site has decided to feature the province of Ilocos for the parishioners to have a better appreciation of the province and its culture.
ILOCOS SUR
Brief History
Before the advent of the Spanish Regime, settlements already existed along the coves or “looc” in the northern part of Luzon. These settlements called the “Ylocos” which extended from Bangui in the north to Namacpacan in the south were discovered during the expedition led by Juan de Salcedo in 1572.
Juan de Salcedo decided to establish his headquarters in a settlement along the Mestizo River, then named “Kabigaan” because of the “gabi” like plants abundantly growing by the bank of the river. Vigan also became the seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia and was called “Ciudad Fernandina” in honor of King Ferdinand. Vigan remains to be the capital city of Ilocos Sur.
On February 2, 1818, the Ylocos was divided into two provinces: Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte. At that time, Ilocos Sur encompassed what are now the northern towns of La Union up to Luna and Abra. Also annexed were Lepanto and Amburayan in Mt. Province. Act 2683 passed on March 1917 by the Philippine Legislature defined the present geographical boundaries of Ilocos Sur.
Geography
Ilocos Sur is located along the western coast of Northern Luzon It is bounded by Ilocos Sur Norte on the north, Abra on the northeast, Mt. Province on the east, Benguet on the southeast, La Union on the south and the China Sea on the west. Its area of 2,579.58 square kilometers occupies about 20.11 % of the total land area of Region 1.
The topography of Ilocos Sur is undulating to rolling with elevations ranging from 10 to 1,700 meters above sea level.
Political Subdivision
Ilocos Sur has 32 municipalities and 2 cities which are subdivided into 764 barangays. They are Alilem, Banayoyo, Bantay, Burgos, Cabugao, Caoayan, Cervantes, Galimuyod, Gregorio del Pilar, Lidlidda, Magsingal, Nagbukel, Narvacan, Quirino, Salcedo, San Emilio, San Esteban, San Ildefonso, San Juan, San Vicente, Santa, Santiago, Sta. Catalina, Sta. Cruz, Sta. Lucia, Sta. Maria, Sto. Domingo, Sigay, Sinait, Sugpon, Suyo, Tagudin. The cities include Candon City and Vigan City.
Climate
The climate is generally dry as defined by the Hernandez type of climate. Classification is characterized by more dry months usually from October to May. However, the southernmost portion (part of Cervantes) is observed to be humid and rain is even distributed throughout the year while the eastern part of Sugpon is dry with rain not sufficiently distributed. August has the most rainfall while January and February have the least. The mean temperature in the province is 27oC. January is the coldest.
Population
In the 2000 census, the population of Ilocos Sur was 594,206. Vigan City, the capital of Ilocos Sur, has a population of 45,143. The population in the province for year 2000 increased by 1.85% relative to the 1995 census.
Language / Dialect
Filipino and English are the basic tools of instruction in schools while Ilocano is the principal dialect. Kankanaey and Itneg are spoken in cultural communities.
Religion
Christianity is widely spread in the province. Approximately 85 percent of the total population professes Roman Catholicism, the prevailing religion in the province. The remaining percentage of the population professes to Protestantism, Buddhism, Iglesia ni Cristo, Aglipayan, Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Seventh Day Adventists.
Major Industries
The people are engaged in farming producing food crops mostly rice, corn, vegetable, rootcrops and fruits. Non-food crops include tobacco, cotton and tigergrass. Cottage industries include loomweaving, furniture making, jewelry making, ceramics, blacksmithing and food processing.
VISITA IGLESIA
Q: Why do people visit seven churches on Holy Thursday?
A: The custom goes back to the early Church when Christians would visit the seven great basilicas in Rome for adoration of the blessed sacrament after the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. The sacramentary, the official altar book of the Church, says that after this Mass, "The faithful should be encouraged to continue adoration before the blessed sacrament for a suitable period of time during the night, according to local circumstances, but there should be no solemn adoration after midnight."
Visita Iglesia is a practice in cities, where there are many churches, in countries as diverse as Malta, Poland, Ireland and The Philippines. Filipinos have brought it to places in North America that never had it before.
- Source: The Catholic Herald
A: The custom goes back to the early Church when Christians would visit the seven great basilicas in Rome for adoration of the blessed sacrament after the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. The sacramentary, the official altar book of the Church, says that after this Mass, "The faithful should be encouraged to continue adoration before the blessed sacrament for a suitable period of time during the night, according to local circumstances, but there should be no solemn adoration after midnight."
Visita Iglesia is a practice in cities, where there are many churches, in countries as diverse as Malta, Poland, Ireland and The Philippines. Filipinos have brought it to places in North America that never had it before.
- Source: The Catholic Herald
Friday, February 13, 2009
GOSPEL REFLECTION: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B
The Gospel for this Sunday is not just about leprosy otherwise it would be irrelevant to most of us here since we don’t have leprosy. Nevertheless, the message of the Gospel today, and also, of course, the message of the Church, is: Jesus can heal you. Jesus can make you clean.
But we have to stop thinking in terms of physical diseases. We have to go to the level of sin; that is really what Jesus came to take away. If he is not curing you or your loved one from some disease, or taking away some difficulty, it is because it is not his will to do so; it is not his will to intervene.
Leprosy has always been a clear image of sin. It is contagious, disfiguring, repulsive, cuts us off from the community, and causes death. We can see our bodies but we can’t see our souls. Leprosy we can see; sin remains invisible.
But God can see our soul. He can see whether it is diseased and ugly, dead or alive.
The Good News is that although Jesus, for the good of our soul, may delay healing us of disease, he is ‘dying’ to heal our soul from sin. How? Well, if it’s a matter of an everyday sin (a venial sin), Jesus has ALREADY relieved us of that burden during the Penitential Rite of the Mass. Indeed, every time we make a sincere act of sorrow our venial sins are forgiven. However, if it’s a matter of a grave sin (a mortal sin), we have only to come to the priest in Confession and acknowledge that sin to him. In Jesus’ name he will forgive that sin or those sins and relieve us instantly of that burden. What’s stopping us; what's stopping you? The leper in today’s Gospel was not allowed to approach Jesus but he did. What’s stopping you from approaching Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation where he is waiting, longing for you - to set you free?
*
Are you ashamed? Are you frightened? Are you proud?
*
Are you in denial about your sin? - I have no sin.
*
Are you uncertain about whether to confess to a priest?
To all of them I say “Well don't be!"
Don’t be ashamed. Don’t be frightened. Don’t be proud. Don’t be uncertain about whether Jesus wants to use a priest to forgive your sins. He sent lepers to the priests and he sends sinners to the priest.
I sit in that confessional every weekend but very few people come. Is that because no one commits mortal sin anymore? No. It is because today people deny they have mortal sin: I have no leprosy! This is certainly one of the grave evils in the Church today; the denial of mortal sin.
Are you not sure whether you have sin? Whether you are a leper? The priest will tell you .. don’t worry about that. In the Old Testament if people thought they might have leprosy they went to see the priest and if they thought they had been cured they went to see the priest. Jesus told the leper in today’s gospel to go and see the priest.
And what would I say? I would say what the Church says:
Using contraceptives because you want to avoid pregnancy? - you are in sin; had a tubal ligation, vasectomy? - you are in sin; sleeping with someone outside of marriage? - you are in sin; divorced and then remarried outside the Church? - you are in sin; consulting fortune tellers or mediums? - you are in sin; had an abortion, or advised someone to have an abortion? - you are in sin, grave sin; deliberately missing Mass on Sunday? you are in sin; going to Holy Communion without confessing grave sin? - you are in sin.
It does not matter to God whether we are in our Sunday best and going to Mass every Sunday because he can see our souls as plain as the nose on our face, and if we are in mortal sin we are to God as ugly as lepers, even uglier.
It does not matter to me if the church is filled to the brim with parishioners if they are not in communion with Jesus and his Church; in other words, not in the state of grace.
If you are in mortal sin there is something you must do first, you must go to confession.
Jesus can make you clean and Jesus wants to make you clean through the absolution given by the priest. What could be more simple?
Do you know that Jesus is so eager to take away our sins that he is willing to become a leper for us? Look at what happens in today’s Gospel: The man went away, but then started talking about it freely and telling the story everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer go openly into any town, but had to stay outside in places where nobody lived.
Jesus is willing to make himself a leper for us; what more could he do? So what’s keeping us? What’s keeping you?
But we have to stop thinking in terms of physical diseases. We have to go to the level of sin; that is really what Jesus came to take away. If he is not curing you or your loved one from some disease, or taking away some difficulty, it is because it is not his will to do so; it is not his will to intervene.
Leprosy has always been a clear image of sin. It is contagious, disfiguring, repulsive, cuts us off from the community, and causes death. We can see our bodies but we can’t see our souls. Leprosy we can see; sin remains invisible.
But God can see our soul. He can see whether it is diseased and ugly, dead or alive.
The Good News is that although Jesus, for the good of our soul, may delay healing us of disease, he is ‘dying’ to heal our soul from sin. How? Well, if it’s a matter of an everyday sin (a venial sin), Jesus has ALREADY relieved us of that burden during the Penitential Rite of the Mass. Indeed, every time we make a sincere act of sorrow our venial sins are forgiven. However, if it’s a matter of a grave sin (a mortal sin), we have only to come to the priest in Confession and acknowledge that sin to him. In Jesus’ name he will forgive that sin or those sins and relieve us instantly of that burden. What’s stopping us; what's stopping you? The leper in today’s Gospel was not allowed to approach Jesus but he did. What’s stopping you from approaching Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation where he is waiting, longing for you - to set you free?
*
Are you ashamed? Are you frightened? Are you proud?
*
Are you in denial about your sin? - I have no sin.
*
Are you uncertain about whether to confess to a priest?
To all of them I say “Well don't be!"
Don’t be ashamed. Don’t be frightened. Don’t be proud. Don’t be uncertain about whether Jesus wants to use a priest to forgive your sins. He sent lepers to the priests and he sends sinners to the priest.
I sit in that confessional every weekend but very few people come. Is that because no one commits mortal sin anymore? No. It is because today people deny they have mortal sin: I have no leprosy! This is certainly one of the grave evils in the Church today; the denial of mortal sin.
Are you not sure whether you have sin? Whether you are a leper? The priest will tell you .. don’t worry about that. In the Old Testament if people thought they might have leprosy they went to see the priest and if they thought they had been cured they went to see the priest. Jesus told the leper in today’s gospel to go and see the priest.
And what would I say? I would say what the Church says:
Using contraceptives because you want to avoid pregnancy? - you are in sin; had a tubal ligation, vasectomy? - you are in sin; sleeping with someone outside of marriage? - you are in sin; divorced and then remarried outside the Church? - you are in sin; consulting fortune tellers or mediums? - you are in sin; had an abortion, or advised someone to have an abortion? - you are in sin, grave sin; deliberately missing Mass on Sunday? you are in sin; going to Holy Communion without confessing grave sin? - you are in sin.
It does not matter to God whether we are in our Sunday best and going to Mass every Sunday because he can see our souls as plain as the nose on our face, and if we are in mortal sin we are to God as ugly as lepers, even uglier.
It does not matter to me if the church is filled to the brim with parishioners if they are not in communion with Jesus and his Church; in other words, not in the state of grace.
If you are in mortal sin there is something you must do first, you must go to confession.
Jesus can make you clean and Jesus wants to make you clean through the absolution given by the priest. What could be more simple?
Do you know that Jesus is so eager to take away our sins that he is willing to become a leper for us? Look at what happens in today’s Gospel: The man went away, but then started talking about it freely and telling the story everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer go openly into any town, but had to stay outside in places where nobody lived.
Jesus is willing to make himself a leper for us; what more could he do? So what’s keeping us? What’s keeping you?
Saturday, February 7, 2009
GOSPEL REFLECTION: 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B
Today is the 5th Sunday in Ordinary time and for the last three weeks the readings have been looking at the man Jesus setting out on his mission to preach the Good News of the Kingdom.
On the 2nd Sunday we saw Jesus inviting the disciples of John to follow him to ‘come and see’ where he lived. We see their excitement as they return home after spending only a day with him and announcing: We have found the Messiah!
Then on the 3rd Sunday we saw the attraction Jesus has for those seeking the truth. He calls four men to become his apostles and they follow without hesitation.
Last week, the 4th Sunday, we saw Jesus teaching in the synagogue and all were impressed by the authority of his teaching and astonished at the power of his word which could give orders even to unclean spirits.
And today we meet him once again in the Gospel. We see him at work; we watch him in action. We draw closer to him, trying to get to know him and understand him a little better.
So what do we see about Jesus in today’s Gospel?
*
We see a strong, energetic, busy Jesus, working hard to spread the Good News of the Kingdom. From the synagogue where he cast out the evil spirit from a possessed man he went straight to Simon’s house and cured his mother-in-law. Then crowds came and after sunset he is still working. Long before dawn he got up for prayer: let us go elsewhere (let us keep moving) … he went all through Galilee.
*
There is a sense of urgency, of mission, of energy, of driven-ness. Jesus is like the sower of seed who doesn’t stop to look back where the seed has fallen but one who goes on sowing.
*
We see a man of great simplicity and power. Jesus comes to the bed of Simon’s mother-in-law and takes her by the hand and helps her up – her illness now gone. The words of Jesus and the deeds of Jesus are one and the same thing, equally powerful. Simplicity and power!
*
We see a man of prayer, a man who keeps his priorities straight; his relationship to his Father stays in the first place. A man who refuses to let the busy routine dictate the terms of his life. A man who defends the spiritual from the practical, as well as from the temptation of popularity.
*
Finally, we see a man who is busy teaching us. Not only by what he says but by what he does.
This Gospel shows us one of the greatest and most significant aspects of what Jesus came to teach us. When he goes off to preach elsewhere and leaves behind all those who are not yet cured and who are still suffering he shows us that he did not come to take all this away. He could have gone on curing till there was no one left to cure but in moving on he showed us that he had not come to inaugurate a paradise on earth without illness or suffering.
Nor did he exempt himself from suffering.
Jesus came to show us by the example of his life and death that the way to happiness and eternal life was through the human situation – and not around it.
Jesus did not come to take away our suffering but to show us how to make it – in union with him – a vehicle to eternal life. He came to bring happiness IN our human condition – and not through exemption from it.
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Do we live our Christian life with a sense of urgency, with a sense that the day will come when it will end and that then it will be too late for all the things we need to accomplish?
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Are we simple and humble about how we deal with others or do we have lots of self interest? Are we simple about our good deeds?
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Are we people of prayer? Do we put energy into our prayer? Do we make time for prayer, even getting up early, like Jesus? Do we look for a time and a place, every day? If Christians are serious about their Christian life they will pray.
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Are we constantly praying for exemptions from suffering; for privileges, for favours? Or do we pray for the strength to remain happy and peace in these sufferings?
Our present life is a special time of grace, a time of favour. Let us set to work before it runs out.
On the 2nd Sunday we saw Jesus inviting the disciples of John to follow him to ‘come and see’ where he lived. We see their excitement as they return home after spending only a day with him and announcing: We have found the Messiah!
Then on the 3rd Sunday we saw the attraction Jesus has for those seeking the truth. He calls four men to become his apostles and they follow without hesitation.
Last week, the 4th Sunday, we saw Jesus teaching in the synagogue and all were impressed by the authority of his teaching and astonished at the power of his word which could give orders even to unclean spirits.
And today we meet him once again in the Gospel. We see him at work; we watch him in action. We draw closer to him, trying to get to know him and understand him a little better.
So what do we see about Jesus in today’s Gospel?
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We see a strong, energetic, busy Jesus, working hard to spread the Good News of the Kingdom. From the synagogue where he cast out the evil spirit from a possessed man he went straight to Simon’s house and cured his mother-in-law. Then crowds came and after sunset he is still working. Long before dawn he got up for prayer: let us go elsewhere (let us keep moving) … he went all through Galilee.
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There is a sense of urgency, of mission, of energy, of driven-ness. Jesus is like the sower of seed who doesn’t stop to look back where the seed has fallen but one who goes on sowing.
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We see a man of great simplicity and power. Jesus comes to the bed of Simon’s mother-in-law and takes her by the hand and helps her up – her illness now gone. The words of Jesus and the deeds of Jesus are one and the same thing, equally powerful. Simplicity and power!
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We see a man of prayer, a man who keeps his priorities straight; his relationship to his Father stays in the first place. A man who refuses to let the busy routine dictate the terms of his life. A man who defends the spiritual from the practical, as well as from the temptation of popularity.
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Finally, we see a man who is busy teaching us. Not only by what he says but by what he does.
This Gospel shows us one of the greatest and most significant aspects of what Jesus came to teach us. When he goes off to preach elsewhere and leaves behind all those who are not yet cured and who are still suffering he shows us that he did not come to take all this away. He could have gone on curing till there was no one left to cure but in moving on he showed us that he had not come to inaugurate a paradise on earth without illness or suffering.
Nor did he exempt himself from suffering.
Jesus came to show us by the example of his life and death that the way to happiness and eternal life was through the human situation – and not around it.
Jesus did not come to take away our suffering but to show us how to make it – in union with him – a vehicle to eternal life. He came to bring happiness IN our human condition – and not through exemption from it.
*
Do we live our Christian life with a sense of urgency, with a sense that the day will come when it will end and that then it will be too late for all the things we need to accomplish?
*
Are we simple and humble about how we deal with others or do we have lots of self interest? Are we simple about our good deeds?
*
Are we people of prayer? Do we put energy into our prayer? Do we make time for prayer, even getting up early, like Jesus? Do we look for a time and a place, every day? If Christians are serious about their Christian life they will pray.
*
Are we constantly praying for exemptions from suffering; for privileges, for favours? Or do we pray for the strength to remain happy and peace in these sufferings?
Our present life is a special time of grace, a time of favour. Let us set to work before it runs out.
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