November 25, 2010 THANKSGIVING DAY

Today is Thanksgiving Day ! Like most families in America, our family celebrated this special day with every member of the family enjoying roast turkey and a variety of goodies on the luncheon table. And the usual prayer of thanksgiving is said with much more fervor by each one before the sumptuous meal.

Our family Thanksgiving Day celebration was held in Bobby and Carla's home in Fremont. It was a most fitting place for the whole clan to be gathered since they had just finished the renovation of the house adding two rooms and enlarging the family room and kitchen. With the splendid contemporary look complete with brand-new appliances, we opt to enjoy Thanksgiving luncheon on the huge granite island in the spacious kitchen rather than in their formal dining room. To say that everyone thoroughly enjoyed the meal in such lavish surroundings would be an understatement!

While it is true that everyday we offer our gratitude to God for His many blessings and favor on us, still Thanksgiving Day is set aside for special prayers of thanks.

November 21,2010 - CHRIST, THE KING

The Solemnity of Christ, The King was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 because most of the people of the day had practically thrust Jesus Christ and His teachings out of their lives. There was a distinct effort to cast aside the Ten Commandments out of the social and political arena. Freedom was being interpreted to mean license in various fields of endeavor. At that time, despotic rulers and systems began to take hold in Europe: Hitler, Mussolini and Lenin. Pope Pius XI wanted to assure the people with a sense of security through the rule of Jesus Christ over the chaos of tyranny. He went on to claim " that as long as individuals and states refused the Rule of our Savior Jesus Christ, there would be no real prospect for lasting peace among nations." This critique could have been written today, 2010, where a most replicating scenario exists - the serious crimes of abortion, euthanasia, divorce and other forms of darkness. Our present world is indeed shrouded with darkness. A philosopher defines " Darkness is the inability of the human race to do what it ought and it continues to find itself doing what it ought not."


One of the tasks of the early Christians was to show that Jesus Christ was truly the fulfillment of the religious expectations of the Jewish people. They did this by placing Him squarely in the heart of Israel's major traditions - genealogy. The people had a tremendous respect for family roots. Through genealogy, they spoke consistently on the ancestry of Jesus which is traced back to David - a much admired and considered ideal king. Hence Jesus Christ is King by birth!


Today, Christ, The King Sunday reminds us that there is a Monarch, a King, Who is both Just and Merciful; Whose kingdom is in stark contrast with the systems of this world - a Kingdom which transcends the wordly darkness.


The Kingdom of God is real - not in what we see. " It exists in the hearts of everyone who give themselves over to the King of Kings. It exists in the hearts of men and women who give themselves over to peace. It is because of the peace of that Kingdom that we, here and now, can promote justice. It is because of that peace that we stand against the killing of innocents or elderly or genocide elsewhere in this planet. "


That is what the kingdom of God means - Light Against Darkness !


We have hope in the truth of the Biblical passage, " The Light shone and the darkness could not comprehend it, could not extinguish it. "


The Readings and Gospel today add Titles to Jesus:


1. God's Beloved Son
2. Image Of The Invisible God
3. Firstborn Of All Creation
4. Head Of The Church
5. Messiah Of God
6. Before All Things
7. Firstborn From The Dead


Yes, He is all these and much...much more!

October 31, 2010 - ZACCHAEUS

The Gospel today is about the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector who was eager to see Jesus of whom he has heard so much about. Being short in stature, he climbed a sycamore tree to get a better view of Jesus as He would pass by. Much to his surprise, Jesus looked up the tree and said , " Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." He came down quickly and received Jesus with joy. When the people saw this, they began to grumble because Jesus has gone to stay at the house of a sinner. But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I shall restore it four times over." And Jesus said to him, " Today, salvation has come to this house because this man, too, is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."

This Gospel story brings out some interesting facts we need to think about. Can you name one or two of them? Let me try:

1. The action of " Seeking " of finding out, searching for, knowing about or longing for, is present in both Jesus and Zacchaeus.

In Genesis, at the Garden of Eden, God asked, "Where are you?" as He looked for Adam. Since then God has been seeking man to love him, to care for him and to save him. And Jesus articulates it when He said that the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost. What about Zacchaeus? Being a man of position and of wealth, should he even be bothered by a lowly itinerant preacher? But Zacchaeus was different from the rest of his league, he was curious even desired to establish some contact with Jesus though only within the visual sense. Quite possibly, he wanted to know more of His teachings some of which he must have heard in the marketplace or elsewhere. So, Zacchaeus, too was seeking Jesus!

2. Being with Jesus brings unspeakable Joy !

Think of the times when you receive the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord in Holy Communion. Can you describe the joy and peace that reigns in your heart? How about the moments you spend with Jesus in silent Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament? Doesn't the joy of His Presence overflow you with unimaginable peace and contentment? Well, Zacchaeus was so overjoyed by the nearness of Jesus, both physically and spiritually in his heart that his generosity burst forth in torrents for the poor ( half of his possessions) and for those he may have overcharged or shortchanged in the exercise of his profession. The lesson here is crystal clear: Stay close to Jesus and you will experience joy in your heart - no matter what!

3. " Today," salvation has come to this house"

The Gospel passage speaks of "today" not tomorrow , not later or whenever when salvation can come into our lives. It is a sounding reminder for all of us that we make
our "today" a salvific experience with Jesus, that we never let 24 hours pass by without spending precious moments with our God. We should all be vigilant that our waking hours are not totally consumed by the busyness of our life though necessary they may be for daily existence thereby pushing asunder spiritual growth for ourselves and our young ones who need spiritual guidance at this time of their lives. The time for acknowledging Him as our Lord and Savior is now - Today !


4. The Sycamore Tree - An Encounter with Jesus

Pilgrimage sites are holy because of what happened there. For example, we have the Grotto of Lourdes, France where our Blessed Mother appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, Tepeyac in Mexico where She also showed herself to Juan Diego in 1531 and at 140 Rue de Bac, Paris, in the Chapel of the Daughters of Charity to Catherine Laboure in 1830. Mount Sinai is a pilgrimage site because it was the place where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and Mount Tabor, too, because of Jesus' appearance with Elijah and Moses at His Transfiguration. The Holy Land with Nazareth, Bethlehem and Jerusalem are places of pilgrimage because we encounter Jesus there. We might add to this list of holy places, the sycamore tree, because by climbing the sycamore tree in Jericho, Zacchaeus encountered Jesus which transformed him and saved him. Now who or what helps us encounter the living Jesus today? Who or what are our very own sycamore trees?

The Scriptures help us experience Jesus. Nature with its flora and fauna, the sky and the seas, the mountains and the rippling brooks and many more help us feel the Presence of Jesus. The saints and holy ones in heaven whose lives illumine us of God's grace and work in them so that we may respond gratefully and generously to God's blessings on us. They are the sycamore trees in our lives that help us encounter the living and transforming love of Jesus !