Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 (First Sunday of Advent, November 29, 2015)

Gospel:

Jesus said to his disciples:

“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.

“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Gospel Trivia:

The language in the gospel passage is what we call apocalyptic -- the expressions conform with the language of the prophets when they announce important events that are about to happen.  These are referred to as apocalyptic metaphors, and not meant to be taken literally or as actual predictions.

Such expressions usually include a reference to the universe becoming "unhinged" by mentioning a cataclysmic events in the three great spaces in biblical times: the sea, the earth and sea.

The passage suggests an "end" of the world as we know it, which presages a radical transformation with the coming of Jesus.

divine become human - Jesus of Nazareth.

It is a fitting gospel in the first Sunday of advent because we are about to welcome the divine who has chosen to become human, just like one of us.  The line between the two realities has been blurred -- Jesus, our God, Lord and Savior, is from an earthly place called Nazareth.  This is how close God wants to be with us.  Emmanuel -- God with us.

Reference:

- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Manila: St. Paul Publications, 1988), pp. 383-385.

John 18:33-37 (Feast of Christ the King, November 22, 2015)

Gospel:

So Pilate went back to the praetorium and summoned Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?”

Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”

Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.” So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?”

Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

Gospel Trivia:

This conversation happens in the praetorium, which is the official residence of the Roman governor -- Pontius Pilate at this time.  Israel is a colony of Rome and while the Jews had their own king -- at this time it was Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, who was the king around the time of Jesus' birth -- the Jewish king is usually appointed by Rome.  The Jews do not enter the praetorium because Jewish law regarded that as making one unclean.  So the conversation happens only between Jesus and Pilate, absent the Jews.

In the conversation:

- Jesus asks Pilate whether the question about his kingship is based on a Roman perspective (which would mean that Jesus is declaring himself to be a rebel against Rome), or from the Jewish perspective (which would refer to the proclamation of the Kingdom of God).

- Clearly, Jesus says that his Kingdom "does not belong to this world", which means that Pilate need not be concerned.

- Pilate is concerned nevertheless because Jesus still refers to a "kingdom"; so he reiterates, "then you are a king" (but does not distinguish whether from a Roman or Jewish perspective).

- Then Jesus accepts Pilate's statement and follows with "for this I was born and for this I came into the world."

Jesus clearly distinguishes that the Kingdom he is referring to "does not belong to the world" -- it differs from the values of an earthly kingdom.  At the same time, the kingdom is the reason he "was born and came into the world."  

God's Kingdom takes its inspiration from Jesus' values and is intended, like a leaven, to influence the values of our world.  Christians do not shun the world, but embrace it to influence it.

When we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, we advocate our responsibility and participation in spreading Jesus' values of love, forgiveness and prayer in our places of family, work and community.

Reference:

- Nil Guillemette, SJ, Hungry No More (Makati: St. Paul's Publications, 1989), pp. 245-248.

Mark 13:24-32 (November 15, 2015 - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time)

Gospel:

Jesus said to his disciples:
“In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 

“And then they will see the ‘Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky. 

“Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 

“But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Gospel Trivia:

Firstly, this gospel is not meant to be taken literally -- it does not portend the end of the world.  Instead, it likely refers to actual historical events that reveal the triumph of Jesus' mission and which unfolded after his death and Resurrection.

The "sun will be darkened" is used to portend political catastrophes or disaster in a large scale. Cosmic phenomena is used in the traditional language of the prophets to describe the powerful intervention of God in human history.

This would refer to the eventual fall of Jerusalem to the Roman empire in 70 AD.  In response to the Jewish rebellion, Roman armies attacked and ransacked the city of Jerusalem and levelled it to the ground, except for the towers and walls that are now left standing (when tourists visit the city).

This actually led to Christianity radiating to other cities and town in Palestine and beyond, such that by the 5th century, Christians had grown so much in size and in strength that Constantine the Great recognized Christianity as an official religion of the Roman empire.

"The Son of Man" coming from the clouds is a symbolic way of referring to the next phase in world history after dominant powers have passed away.  In Christian theology, it is also the "reverse" -- the coming of humanity to heaven brought about by the Kingdom of God now on earth.

The budding of the fig tree is a sign that summer is near.  Thus, the fall of the temple is a sign that the triumph of Jesus mission -- to build the Kingdom of God -- is about to fully unfold.

Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Manila: St. Paul Publications, 1988), p. 97-98.

Mark 12:38-44 (32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 8, 2015)

Gospel:

In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds, “Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.” 

He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” 

Gospel Trivia:

There is a small trivia that makes a world of difference in appreciating this gospel: the poor widow gave TWO small coins.  This is significant because the widow could have kept one of the coin, and given the other.  Instead, she gave everything she had.

Widows are also often the poorest in society.  Without a husband to take of the family, the widow often has to fend for herself and her family.  Note also that scribes are not "paid" for exercising their profession, and relied on contributions from the members; yet some abused the generosity of some members, including that of widows.

Mark, the evangelist, paints the contrast between those who were possessed by material things, and the one who is detached and gave up all.  Such is the requirement from a disciple.

Reference:

A Kingdom for All, pages 94-95.
  

What or Where are Heaven, Hell and Purgatory? (Nov. 1, 2015, All Saints' Day)

Gospel Trivia:

In lieu of the feasts of All Saints and All Souls, this article will present explanations to better understand the notions of "heaven", "hell" and "purgatory."  These explanations are based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) and the Catechism for Filipino Catholics (CFC).

As Christians, we firmly believe that life does not end in death; that there is a reality after death.  Unfortunately, no one has returned from the world after death to tell us all about it.  We have a rough idea of what awaits us through the Resurrection of Jesus.  I say a "rough idea" because Jesus' disciples did not have a video camera at that time, but the gospels provide us clues as to what happened to Jesus after his death.

What happened in the Resurrection?

The Resurrection of Jesus is not just a resuscitation (as in the case of Lazarus, who eventually died), but that of transformation (Jesus lives forever).  Resurrection refers not only to a physically risen Jesus, but to a spiritually Risen Jesus.

Our Risen Lord was no longer bound by time and space. He could walk through walls. In the account of the “doubting Thomas” in John 20:19-29, the evangelist recounts that “the doors were locked” (stated twice, in fact); and yet Jesus suddenly appeared to them.

In the story of the two men on the way to Emmaus in Luke 24:1-53, we learn other aspects about our Risen Lord. We know that the tomb was empty and his body rose and changed (24:12). His body changed because when Jesus appeared to the two men on the road to Emmaus, he was not readily recognizable (24:32), and yet he could be seen and touched, and he ate bread and fish.  

I’m afraid that is as much as we can know about Jesus Resurrected presence.  But one thing we do know: Jesus was not just resuscitated; he was transformed to a glorious presence.

The closest analogy I can think of is that of a caterpillar that is transformed to a butterfly. It dies as a caterpillar and transforms to something totally new.

Heaven

Since we are creatures bound by time and place, we often think of heaven as a "place."  We imagine heaven as something out there, filled with clouds and perhaps angels singing and playing the harp.  

I believe this is such a limited view of what heaven could be. Scripture encourages us to extend our imagination and think of heaven as:

- instead of a place, a condition of being with the Lord (CFC 2068), or as the beatific vision, i.e. the vision that makes happy (CFC 2069);

- an eternal life, not in the simplistic sense of survival and living forever, but a new quality of life that we cannot even imagine; Scripture can only describe such a life in images that connotes and connects with what is dearest and most joyful to us, such as: a kingdom where God reigns, wedding feast, a new heaven and new earth, a perpetual light.  (CFC 2063, 2065)

This mystery of a condition of being with God is beyond all understanding (CCC 1027).  "No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor 2:9).

Because we communicate in human language, we are necessarily limited by the words and images we used.  We should therefore be conscious that the words that we use to describe "heaven" are, at most, feeble attempts to describe what it could really be.  

For example, when we say that heaven is where we see God face to face, we do not mean that we would be inches away from God's face. It suggests that if God is the powerful loving and merciful Father revealed to us by Scripture, then being intimately close to him must be such a special and overwhelming experience which would last for a long, long time.

I recall when I first saw Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square.  We were a good 50 meters away from him, but just seeing this man who is so close to God and whose holiness is almost palpable, filled me with awe, inspiration, a sense of humility, and realization of goodness in this world -- all rolled into one ball of such wonderful feeling.  Can you then imagine what it would be like when we "see God"? 

Hell

If heaven is a condition of being with God, then hell would be where God is totally absent.  If God is absolute and unconditional love, then hell is the absolute absence of love.  

God does not send someone to hell, for how can a loving God send his most loved creature to eternal fire?  God loves freely, and our Father loves so freely that he allows us to reject that love.  If someone chooses to live a self-serving, self-centered life that results in ultimate irrevocable self-exclusion from God and from all other creatures, then that person himself/herself chooses to go to hell.  

The fundamental choice that this person has taken in his/her life is a total rejection of God and of a life filled with love.  Thus, upon death, God allows that person to be where that person prefers to be -- in hell.

I mentioned "eternal fire" in the above.  Again, this is a product of our limited language and imagery.  No one knows that hell is filled with fire, but fire is a symbol of being consumed; so hell is a condition of one being totally consumed by one's self.

Finally, note that while the Church proclaims saints, that is, those that she is certain is definitely in heaven, our Church does not proclaim anyone to be definitely in hell. We do not judge, and we always leave room for the mercy of God.

Purgatory

Scripture provides only scant hints of purgatory, e.g. in 1 Corinthians 3:15: "He himself will be saved, but only ... through fire."  However, much of human tradition -- whether Christian or not -- have always included a "connection" with one's dearly departed in a condition that is neither heaven nor hell.  Ancient liturgical practices have also always included offering prayers for the dead.

Finally, the Council of Trent (mid-16th century), proclaimed the doctrine of purgatory and defined it as the "state of final purification." (CFC 2072)

We do not know exactly what, where, or how purgatory is (just as we do not know exactly what, where, or how heaven or hell is), but there is a condition that is neither heaven nor hell, and where one undergoes a purification prior to the condition of heaven.  

This doctrine was intended to achieve two things:

- to MODERATE the teaching of final judgment, i.e. to calm excessive anxiety among those who lived very generous and loving lives (CFC 2072).  In other words, "Do not be anxious if you make a mistake or two in your generally good life; you will not lose heaven, but you will have to undergo purification."

- but also to STRENGTHEN the teaching on final judgment, i.e. to gain heaven does not simply require a passing mark ("pwede na"), but a radical and total obedience to Jesus's command to love one another "AS I have loved you."  In other words, "Do not think you can just coast through life, avoiding major transgressions, and be qualified to experience heaven; if so, then there is still a final purification that you have to go through."