Monday, November 10, 2008

ANG SIMBAHAN

Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome
November 8, 2008


Today we celebrate the dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, which took place in 324 AD, 1,684 years ago.  This Basilica was the first permanent public place of worship for Christians in the world.  It was built 300 years after the death of Jesus because until that time the power and might of the Roman Empire was determined to utterly destroy the Christian Religion.  first Christian refused to worship the the pagan gods, and so they were considered the enemy of the state.  They were arrested, imprisoned, tortured and cruelly executed when they wouldn't burn incense to Caesar.  Waves of violent persecution  crashed against the church for 300 years, creating a steady stream of martyrs.  only when emperor Constantine legalized christianity in 312 was the church free to breath a sigh of relief, and with that breath, they built the Lateran Basilica.  Ever since, it has been a symbol of that first great victory of the Church, which showed the whole world that this new temple, the mystical body of Christ, was indestructible.

Three points.

1. We are the Church
2. Church as the house of God
3. The church us Indestructible

The most concrete example of church is the family...our domestic churches.  The church symbolizes unity..us being one.  The family is being attack at all sides, no matter what, the family will always be victorious because it is the Mystical body of Christ.

Dios te Bendiga




Sunday, November 2, 2008

Kamatayan at Purgatoryo

DEATH AND PURGATORY
Homily inspired by epriest.com resources
November 2, 2008
All Souls Day
31st Sunday In Ordinary Time
6:45 am and 5:00 pm Mass St. Joachim's Catholic Church Madera, CA


Introduction

Yesterday, All Saints Day we praised God for His masterpieces: The saints, those Christians who reach spiritual maturity in this life, and so entered heaven immediately after death.

Today the world's one billion catholics are joining together to pray for the eternal repose of the souls of our many brothers and sisters who died in friendship with Christ, but who hadn't yet reached spiritual maturity.

Two points:
1. Death
2. Purgatory

Death:
Illustration:  A Pastor passionately preached in one of his homilies in his parish; Someday every member of this parish will die! Everyone in the congregation was stunned except one man who started laughing and yelled back, "I don't belong to this parish".

- Human Mortality rate is still at steady 100%
- We will all die
- we are all afraid of dying, ironically speaking this is the surest way to meet God.
-Jesus in the Gospels talked about the four last things: Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell

If we die in Friendship with Him, we will spend eternity with Him in heaven, though we need to pass through Purgatory, first; to cleanse any left over selfish tendencies that didn't get purified during our earthly life.

Purgatory:

- God's spiritual Hospital, purification stage, purifying and healing all the wounds cause by sins we committed here on earth.

Through our PRAYERS, the militant church, we are speeding up that painful process and hastening our departed brothers and sisters full entrance into heaven, this is the main reason why we have the exciting and rich tradition whom we call All Saints Day, Dia de los Muertos for our Hispanic brethren, and Araw ng mga Patay for us Filipinos and the list goes on and on.

All Christians believe in four last things but not all Christians like us Catholics believe in Purgatory let me convince you my dear brothers and sisters.

THREE PROOFS THAT PURGATORY EXISTS

1. common sense - there's no selfishness in heaven, God is pure love, unselfish, we die completely not free of selfishness and so we need to be clean-up, where purgatory enters into the picture, purgatio-cleansing, purifying.

2. History speaks clearly - Christians prayed for the dead since the very first century.  Catacomb's markings will testify on that. 190 AD there was this special request made by Abercius written on his tomb to please pray for him, St. Augustine's mother and St. John Chrisostom did the same.  Praying for the dead is not an invention, in fact NOT PRAYING FOR THE DEAD is the invention by Martin Luther in 1500 when he led a revolt against the Catholic Church.

3. Bible don't Lie - although the word itself doesn't appear, various passages are interpreted for it.  Mt. 5:26 and Lk. 12:59 speak of sinners being kept until they paid the last penny - purification. 1 Cor. 3:15 St. Paul says that some people will be saved but only "as through fire"
and in Maccabees 12: 14-45 speaks of Praises offering prayers for the dead.

Conclusion:

Death is real, that purification after death exists whom we believe as Purgatory and this involves some kind of pain but assisted by our PRAYERS we can hasten their entry into God's kingdom.

Why wait for the purgatory if we can purify ourselves here on earth, our sufferings here on earth makes us unselfish and worthy to inherit the kingdom of God.

Dios te Bendiga



Monday, October 27, 2008

Dis...funk.....syonal......

Pansin ko lang lahat dito sa Amerika Organisado as in sobrang organisado....ang batas lalo na ang batas trapiko, ang mga manners ng mga tao, pag nagpatakbo sila ng event, pag nag apply ka for services sa government as in lahat ok, pati yung oras nila sobrang organisado sa november first law dito sa california na magbabawas ng isang oras kasi ala syete na nang umaga ang dilim dilim pa kaya simultaneous yon lahat magbabawas, tapos lahat by appointment...as in sobrang organisado kaso lang eto ka..........kung lahat lahat dito organisado isa lang ang hindi organisado.....ANG PAMILYA.

Lahat ng amerikanong sinabihan ko nito isa lang ang reaction.....your damn right father!!!

haaayyy nung isang araw may isang case dito yung kuya kagagaling lang ng iraq dala pa sa bahay yung service assault riple nya tapos nagkaroon lang ng konting mis understanding tungkol sa celfon....as in tungkol sa celfon......ayon binaril yung kapatid....dead! as in dead.

eto mas matindi wag na lang ipagkakalat.....at warning not for minors....gabayan ang mga batang magbabasa.....may isang nanay nagselos sa baby dahil yung tatay eh puro na lang sa baby yung attention......yon isang araw umuwi si tatay sa bahay at dinatnan si mommy na may nilutong napakasarap na putahe at eto ka ang putahe...si baby as in si baby na pinagseselosan nya ay inilagay sa microwave at syang inihain kay daddy.....sabi ni daddy...wow...delicious what is this.....sabi ni mommy...your favorite baby......pagkatapos ang nangyari si daddy eh nasiraan ng bait tapos si mommy eh of course nakulong ang hatol eh life imprisonment without the possibility of parole haaaaayyyyyy 

kaya lessons:
1. napakahalaga ng buo ang pamilya...na organisado ang pamilya
2. sa pamilya nagmumula ang karanasan ng unang simbahan....domestic church
3. patuloy nating ipagdasal ang kasagraduhan ng pamilya at labanan ang mga sumisira dito....amen??? amen!!!


Saturday, October 25, 2008

Unconditional Love

Matthew 22, 34-40
30th Sunday In Ordinary Time
October 26, 2008

for: 9 am mass at St. Anne's Chapel at Raymond's and 6:30 pm Spanish Mass at St. Joachim's Madera, CA
note: partly inspired by Fr. Gerry Orbos, SVD homily column in the PDI

A scene from a marriage counseling session with a Priest.

Priest: So, may I know your names and where do you live.
Husband: Yes Father, this is my wife Lupita and she is my Calvary.
Wife: Yes Father, this is my husband Joe and he is my Purgatory.
Husband and Wife: And we live in hell, you know "go to hell" "what the hell is that?"

In today's Gospel, Jesus sums up all the commandments into two: Love of God and Love of neighbor.  With Love we can overcome all our calvaries and purgatories and we can get out of hell.

Two Points:
1. THEY SAY MONEY MAKES THE WORLD GO AROUND, NOT TRUE, IT IS LOVE THAT MAKES THE WORLD GOES AROUND.

According to a latest research there are three things inside our head, three things that we think always, three things that make our world goes around.  Money, money, money.

Money is very superficial; the happiness that we will get from money in a blink of an eye disappears.  We may have all the latest gadgets in the world, the hottest car, the coziest home, the coolest cell phone and everything but just after a few months they are not hot, cozy and cool anymore.  Love makes the world goes around, maybe not as fast as the way money makes it, but slowly and surely.  Love is eternal.

We like people with lots of money, but the moment they loose their money, we don't love them anymore.  Our catholic values and virtues tells us that we value more people who are willing to sacrifice for others, people who are willing to go the extra mile, people who stand up for what they believe is true, people who continues to do what is noble and right while the rest are doing the opposite, people who are willing to stand up and will guard the sanctity of marriage that come election time will vote Yes on Proposition 8.

These are the kinds of people who are willing to love and to make their world goes around happy and contented, slowly but surely.  The world is not a hopeless situation after all.

People who are still willing to love are everywhere, and we are all here every Sunday, some of us everyday, telling the Lord we love Him more than anyone else.  When money dwindles, we panic.  All the more if love dwindles.  90% who jumped at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco committed suicide not because they don't have money but because they don't feel loved.

2. WHAT IS THE GREATEST EXPRESSION OF LOVE

Mother Theresa once said: "It's not what you do in life, but how much love you put into it that matters."

We can be the greatest person in the world in terms of power, possession and position but if we don't put love into the equation everything will be futile.  Power without responsibility, Possession without Christian Stewardship and Position without Accountability will be of service to oneself and not for the greater glory and greater love of God and neighbor.

Most of the time we love because we expect something in return and this is human nature. The Law of Reciprocity. Giving without getting anything in return is vague for us.  Every time we love, we expect love in return.  Yes, this is true because the culture we are living in right now promotes radical individualism.  We are told to think of ourselves first, and to act always in our own best interest.  Jesus' challenge of loving God and loving our neighbor contradicts radical individualism.  Yes we need to love ourselves, but it must not end in that situation.  The calling is loud and clear that we also need to love our neighbors like we love ourselves.

Jesus showed us the true meaning of loving when he died on the cross for our sins and for our salvation.  The ultimate expression of Unconditional Love.

So the question is, what is the greatest expression of Love?  Jesus Christ dying on the cross, his unconditional love for the Father and the Father's unconditional Love for us.

Let me end this sharing on a personal note.

A friend of mine a couple of years ago found out that the baby she was carrying in her womb is not normal.  The doctor suggested many things for the baby including abortion. My friend asks me what to do?

If you will be asked my dear brothers and sisters what will you say?

I told her, love is all about sacrifice, love is all about giving life and love is all unconditional no matter what.  She kept the baby.

May this Sunday and the rest of our days be an assurance that as God loves us unconditionally we will also love him unconditionally and our neighbors as well.

Dios te bendiga!

Friday, October 24, 2008

sa wakas.......

sa wakas nakapasa din hehehe....

ang sarap talaga pag pinag hirapan mo, there is no such thing as free lunch here in america.

sa pilipinas nung nag apply ako ng drivers license....ganito ang mga pangyayari.

punta ako sa officer in charge of course todo porma ng pampari, success agad kasi nahalata agad ni manong na pari ako so ang mga sumunod na pangyayari ay di ko na ikinagulat.....ang sabi ni manong  "uuuyyy father, mag aaply po ba kayo ng driver's license.....ang sagot ko naman...with pabanal effect...."opo po sana kaso nalilito po ako kung papa-ano" ang sagot ni manong, "nako father wag kayong mag alala, at napakadali lang, upo kayo dito father" upo naman ang pari sabay sabi...."nako Sir, nakakahiya naman at ang daming nakapila sa labas"....sagot ni sir, nako father ok lang yan pari naman kayo.......dyaaaarrrrraaaannn....walang ilang minuto may license na ko hehehehe!!!! big time.

ganito naman ang mga pangyayari dito sa amerika.....

hanap sa internet ang DMV, department of motor vehicle! ok one click tapos set ng appointment, ayos din one click then print ng appointment.   Araw ng pag aaply....kontodo bihis ulit ako ng pampari.....pagdating sa DMV.....wa-epek ang damit na pang pari....parang walang nakahalata.....meron pala...masama ang tingin nung iba kasi ang mga pari dito sa amerika ang tingin ng iba eh mga rapist, child molester at sex addict.  So, pila si Father Rafael......parang wala lang di na lang sana nakapag damit ng pari hehehehe...then sa pila kuha ng number....tapos intay bago matawag...tapos punta sa window....tapos investigation ba? daming tanong....daming hinihinging papeles tapos daming verification....haaaayyy nako tapos...tinanong pa kung bakit father, anong ibig sabihin ng priest......anong ginagawa sa america haaaaayyyyyyy.....ok then bayad di nakalibre..........then kuha ng exam....then are ke....BAGSAK! 

sa exam 1-36 dapat 6 and below lang ang mistakes....sa unang exam ang mistakes ko eh 9....so sabi ko sa sarili ko, 9......3 right answers lang pwede na...so sabi ko sa amerikana sa table....pa slang effect...can i take another exam....sabi ng amerikana sure you have three chances.   Ok.

so kuha naman ako ng exam....ayon to make the story short...bagsak na ulit...tapos ito pa ang masakit.....11 mistakes naman ngayon nadagdagan pa....haaayyyy so sabi ko sa amerikana....I think I need to study first.......ok we have over there a free manual....so kuha ako sabay uwi ng masama ang loob huhuhuhuhuh.

pag kalipas ng isang buwan.........pagkatapos gumana ang "pilipino connections", pagkatapos magsunog ng kilay sa pag aaral ng manual at mga test papers na galing sa mga pinoy, kasama na rin yung mga kanin at tuyo at adobo na kasama ng mga test papers.....kanina kumuha ulit ako ng exam....kabado pa rin at di na naka damit na pampari at wah effect din.....sabi sa akin ng amerikana.....whooooooo no mistakes at all 36/36......haaaayyyyy sa wakas.....tapos set nang appointment para sa hands-on naman, actual driving exam na.......ok ibang kwento na ulit ito...abangan na lang.

ito mga natutunan ko:
1. there is no such thing as free lunch dito sa amerika
2. lahat dito pantay pantay pwera na lang kung girlfriend mo si paris hilton o boyfriend mo si kobe bryant...pwede rito kasi pwede same sex marriage hehehe
3. ang sarap ng pakiramdam dahil pinaghirapan ko yung exam
4. si Lord talaga eh very good in giving second chances...third...4th...5th
5. kailangan kong mag practice ng actual driving kasi kabaliktaran lahat ng natutunan ko sa pilipinas


ok geh geh pagdasal nyo ko para makapasa ko sa actual driving exam dios te bendiga!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

teka...wag masyadong excited hehehe

teka wag masyadong excited...simula pa lemeng.....magbibigay muna ko ng mga guidelines sa mga friends na interesadong magbasa ng pinaka-swabeng blog sa buong mundo hehehe

1. kung magbabasa ka ng blog ko siguraduhing gagawin itong parte ng buhay, dahil mahalaga na ang salita ng Diyos ay laging nasa ating isip, puso at lalo't higit sa ating pang araw araw na buhay...to be a living gospel ba!

2. babasahin ang blog ko ng may malinis na intensyon...hindi para i-tsismis ako sa iba...dahil magkwekwento rin ako dito ng mga nahahaling sa akin dito sa madera, dine sa parish ko sa california hehehe, tapos makakabasa kayo dito ng mga adventures ng isang pari na malayo sa kanyang bayang sinilangan, maraming challenges at maraming experiences na kakaibaba hehehe....

3. may mga guide/reflective questions akong ipopost at siguraduhing babasahin at gagawan ng action...amen....amen!!!!

4. mangangakong ipapalaganap ang blog sa nakakararaming mga kabataan para magkaroon din sila ng pagkakataon na mapalaganapan ng salita ng Diyos

5. at syiempre mag cocoment kahit nakakasakit sa blogger para mas lalo pang mapagyaman ang misyon....amen...amen!!!!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Thankful to be here in Madera

Pope Benedict says in his message for the 82nd Celebration of the World Mission Sunday, Mission is a gift of Love. I'm here in Madera because I love God, my church, my congregation, my priesthood and I'm beginning to Love the Church of Madera.