May 20, 2012 - JESUS' ASCENSION

Today, May 20, 2012, we commemorate the Ascension of Jesus which marks the end of the Easter Season.The Church gives the same importance to this occasion as in the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It marks the end of the public ministry of Jesus and the beginning of the Church's ministry to the world. In this connection, this event is a paradox- "a thing or situation exhibiting an apparently contradictory nature. As Fr. Mike of St. Ignatius Church said," How can an ending be simultaneously be a new beginning?" In answer to his own question, he added, "Graduation from school or college are called Commencement Exercises because it marks the end on one chapter in a student's life and celebrates the beginning of a new one."

True to the paradox of an ending which is a new beginning, Jesus' incarnation into this world, His mission for being born has come into an end and with it, He commissions His apostles to go into the four corners of the world to preach the Good News. Thus, the Church  embarks into a new undertaking - its mission to make all men disciples of Christ!

In the last Discourse of John's Gospel, Jesus said to His apostles, "It is better for you that I go for if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send Him to you." The Advocate is the Holy Spirit! As you all know, Pentecost which we shall celebrate soon, marks the coming of the Holy Spirit.

In one of my blogs in 2010, I discussed quite lengthily, the Ascension of Jesus and my experiences at the Chapel of the Ascension in Jerusalem. How about reading it?

May 6, 2012 - "I AM THE TRUE VINE"

The Gospel today, May 6, 2012 is from John 15: 1-11 when Jesus after partaking of the Last Supper with His  apostles told them, "I am the true vine and my Father is the vine-dresser (gardener). Every branch in me that bears no fruit, he will take away and every branch that bears fruit, he will cleanse that it may bear more fruit. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remain on the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine and you are the branches. he who abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit: for apart from me, you can do nothing. If you abide in me and if my words abide in you, ask whatever you will and it shall be done to you. In this is my Father glorified."


Jesus' exhortation on the Vine and the Branches implies a relationship with Him which is not merely that of a teacher and his student. It is a relationship which is like that of air and man and of sun and human beings. Without air, man cannot possibly live. Likewise, without the sun, life cannot be sustained.


The expression, "abide in me" has the same meaning as being "aligned" with Him in a relationship of "dependence." As the branches, separated from the tree or parent stock, could produce no fruit and would wither and die. Those who are separated from Christ may flourish for a while in their chosen profession or lifestyle but in the end yield nothing. So also are Christians or men in general, separate from Christ could do nothing. Jesus said, "Without Me, you can do nothing," nothing that is spiritually good, be it little or great, easy or difficult, think a good thought, speak a good word or do a good action. John 1:4 says, "Jesus is the source of life." and in John 6:33, "Jesus gives life to the world." So, we need to always remember that we can do nothing without the spirit, grace, strength and presence of Christ. Recall St. Paul's declaration in Philippians 4: 13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." By the way, I often end my Morning Prayers with this quotation. It has become a "mantra" to me!


In this discourse, Jesus told the disciples that barren branches are cut away while those that bear fruit are "pruned." Pruning refers to the cleansing, the removal of imperfections. For the branches that bear fruit, it means that the vine-dresser removes the tiny insects, dead leaves, moss and other parasites so that they can bear more fruit. Since the branches signify us who are followers of Christ, pruning means cleaning us up, purifying us and removing the imperfections that lie hidden in our hearts as hate, jealousy, unforgiving nature, anger or revenge. Yes, it is in our hearts where God's cleansing and purifying takes place so that we can be fruitful for the Father.

May 2, 2012 - May 2nd Is Special

Today, May 2, 2012, is the ninth death anniversary of my husband, Rey. Thoughts of our more than four decades of marital union especially of the happy memories kept me from having my much-needed sleep. I decided to sit before my laptop and the result is the ff:

Dear  Papa,

Today is the ninth anniversary of your passing the pearly gates of heaven into God's welcome embrace. While a part of me rejoiced over your well-deserved rest to enjoy the glory of God, a greater portion of me languished over the grief and emptiness you left in my heart. The void has been irreplaceable and beyond cosmic repair through all these years! As a Christian, I have tried so many times to completely surrender, arms down, to the will of God in whatever comes my way. However, I have failed miserably, time after time, to do just that in regard to your passing- a loss which has remained woven into the fabric of my being. I must admit that for so long I have worn a mask of serene acceptance and total surrender before our family and relations alike. Only in times of my "alone-ness" have I shed off the mask of extreme grief and longing nestled in the innermost recesses of my heart. After a while, moved by the futility of it all and the culpable sin of not fully trusting God, I would resolve to be a better Christan in this particular aspect of my life. Through the passing years, this interplay of conflicting emotions and high resolve plagued me in almost sequential pattern. In every instance of its occurrence, I sought God's help only to be trapped within the tentacles of misery.

Then last Good Friday, in God's mysterious way and in His own time, I felt the "peace beyond human understanding" envelop me as I "let go" of this dimension of my life- your demise. I let go of the hurt and the sadness that had lain moored in my heart for years! I was endowed with a peace only the Holy Spirit can give! How true are the words of Blessed John Paul II when he said, "The Holy Spirit inspires, purifies and strengthens those noble longings by which we strive to make earthly life more human."

Papa, you have been a loving and sincere husband, a solicitous father and grandfather, a responsible  provider, a singer entertainer, a "jack-of-all trades," a man with a green thumb and most of all, a family chef, all rolled in one. What remarkable qualities few men can equal! In fact, the comments of relatives and close friends who have witnessed your versatile accomplishments attest to their admiration which sometimes had a tinge of envy. I know that I had many times expressed my appreciation and thanks to you but I feel that I had not adequately said nor done enough to drive home this fact more deeply. Therefore, here and now, I say, "Thank you so much for being the husband you had been to me and please forgive me for being less of the wife you would have wanted me to be." 

Today, I dedicate these lines to you:
                  
                  To  My  Husband

I celebrated the Liturgy today
In your honor to God I prayed,
"Thank you, Lord, for the wonderful life you 
           have given me
Largely due to my husband you sent from Thee.

To me, you personified the "man of all seasons"
Truly because of a multitude of reasons
First and foremost was your love so sincere and true
Which remained untarnished in all the years
           we had been through.

Like an invincible steel tower you stood upright
Against the gushing wind of temptation,
           beckoning sights
Empowered by a faith which you had held strong
Since your childhood as an orphan struggling along.

"Common traits and interests is good," said a sage,
"to achieve compatibility in marriage."
But God's sense of humor undefined such notion
He gave me a man of few words but one of action.

In your quiet, inimitable way
You put to naught and held at bay
Popular belief that a man of all trades
Could not be a "master" of any chosen shade.

But you proved to all beyond a shadow of doubt
You excelled in carpentry, gardening, electrical route
Car repair, in fact a handyman through and through
But above all these, an excellent cook, too!

A "Thank you, Lord," will always be on my lips
"For my husband, one of your magnanimous gifts."
Our marriage lasted for forty-seven years
Gold-encrusted despite occasional tears.

I know in your eternal home in heaven
You regale the Lord with your songs
          sometimes shaken
With a plea that God guide, protect and lead
          all of us
To you when "The End" comes to our earthly task.


I  LOVE  YOU !!!

Darling    (to you)

May 1, 2012 St. Joseph, The Worker

Today, May 1, 2012, is the solemnity of St. Joseph, The Worker in the liturgical calendar. He is also  venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and in the Anglican and Lutheran faiths. In 1870, he was declared Patron of the Universal Church. Pope Pius IX later attributed to him the honor of Patron Saint of Workers because of his qualities of patience. persistence and hard work. In addition, he is also invoked as the Patron of the Dying and Departed Souls. Many saints, like St Teresa of Avila and St. Andre Bassett of Canada had a strong devotion to St. Joseph for "healing" and did much to spread worldwide recognition and love for him. Numerous churches, hospitals, schools and religious organizations have been named in his honor. St. Joseph Oratory in Montreal is the largest church in Canada and was built through the efforts of the then Brother Andre Bassett whose St. Joseph's Oil effected thousands of healing.

 As depicted in the Bible, he was a man of integrity and character and was a "just" man. Considered a model for contemplation, he was a quiet man, one with very few words but rather a man of action. Tradition states that St. Joseph did not doubt the purity of Mary but doubted his worthiness in the Divine Plan. When an angel appeared to him in a dream, the angel gave Joseph the assurance that it was God's will. He did not question but totally put his trust and hope

 on God's Word. Neither did he question instructions he received for the immediate flight to Egypt in the middle of the night nor of the return of the family to

their hometown. He bore in silence the rigors of the trip and the problems of livelihood in a strange land.

 St. Joseph was the foster-father of Jesus. To fulfill his role, he must have carried Baby Jesus in his arms, fed him, clothed him and would have done the many things associated in caring of a child in his growing up years. He must have taught Jesus the satisfaction of doing work and the rudiments of his trade as a carpenter. He may have taken him to work even in Sepphoris, a nearby town which was a more industrialized place with a lot of construction work at that time. Lamentably, St. Joseph did not have the chance to see Jesus perform any of His miracles!

A traditional prayer to St. Joseph which has been used for more than a thousand years is the following:

"O St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the Throne of God, I place in you all my interest and desires. O St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son, all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, our Lord, so that having engaged here below your Heavenly power, I may offer my Thanksgiving and Homage to the most loving of fathers. O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while he reposes near your heart. Press him in my name and kiss His fine head for me, and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of Departing Souls, pray for us.

(Say for nine consecutive mornings for anything you may desire. It has seldom been known to fail.)

Fatherhood is a unique vocation that requires a lot of patience and discernment. Hence, I would definitely encourage all "fathers" to have a special devotion to St. Joseph !!!