Author: dotheartfrarlon

• 1 Peter 2:11-19
• John 16:16-22

Today, we are in the 3rd Sunday after Easter. Let us continue to be empowered by the risen Lord to glorify our loving God through good works and continuous rejoicing Easter people.

The epistle, from the first letter of Peter, reminds us of our personal calling to holiness, which is essential to be genuine witnesses of Christ participating in our mission. We too are reminded to take advantage of the abundant blessings and the necessity of obedience. Obedience is necessary to do good in order to persevere in our Christian life. Through our obedience, we are protected from anything that destroys our body and spirit. We must always recognize the Lord, who guides and illuminates us with His eternal light to show the path to moral uprightness, in both our personal and public lives, all for the good and glory of God. It is imperative that, as believers, we live lives that express inherent goodness of God’s children; therefore, we must live consistently faithful and willing to renew ourselves by the challenge of the Sacrament of Confession. To keep our conduct excellent is to live in complete obedience to Jesus’ teachings and words and to emulate His purity, kindness, mercy, and love.

In the gospel today Jesus uttered a puzzling statement when he said, “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” I would like to reflect on these words of Jesus so that we have a better understanding of His words.

First, Jesus repeats a portion of His thought maybe to put weight on something. His disciples struggle to comprehend what He was talking about. They wanted to ask Him what He meant, but Jesus doesn’t precisely answer their question. However, “a little while and you will not see Me,” refers to His impending death. These words were uttered by Jesus before His crucifixion. His words. “You will not see Me,” brought intense sorrow to the disciples for it provides details of what they will experience in the time ahead.

Second, Jesus is planning to surprise them, and He said, “Big things are coming for you in the days ahead.” What does this mean? It is true that the Jewish religious leaders are planning to eliminate Jesus who will be put to death because the power of darkness manifests through the betrayal of Judas. These religious leaders, Pharisees and Scribes walk and exist and ordered a state of enmity which exists against God through the rule of Satan.

Third, Jesus says, “Trust Me, when they come, you will be delighted beyond measure! But the world will rejoice.” This must be taken to mean that those who came against Christ would rejoice which has been the outcome thinking that they defeated Him. The wickedness permeates the world under Satan, and that evil prevails gaining control is another lie of Satan. However, Jesus Christ the Messiah. is the Light of the world, and He has the over-all and permanent control of everything that even darkness and sin won’t succeed. The Risen Christ‘s presence in our midst expresses in a new and profound way for us to rejoice forever.

St. Paul gives us encouraging words, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col 1:27) It is for us believers that we keep Christ’s promise and to remember what the resurrection of Jesus means to us. Without God, we have no purpose and God has never lost control. Rather, He is in complete control.

Our greatest desire and concern should not be to live to please the world, but to be pleasing before God and see how God sees. This is our goal and our mission.

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

• Acts 3:13-15, 17-19
• Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9
• 1 John 2:1-5a
• Luke 24:13-35

Today is the 3rd Sunday of Easter. We started our Easter journey three weeks ago, and we will continue to travel to our “Road to Emmaus.” In every celebration of the mass we heard the word of God, “Were not our hearts burning within us?” He is speaking to us in scriptures, and we meditate to understand the message.

We heard the first reading taken from the Acts of the Apostles. Peter was recollecting the events of the past and moving through the present to face their future. Then Peter made a blatant comment that hit all listeners hard as they were responsible for the death of the servant, Jesus. However, Jesus was raised from the dead as the Father’s servant with his concluding comment that you can repent and have your sins wiped away and follow Jesus, who was the lovingly obedient anointed Son of God.

The second reading from the first letter of St. John reminded his readers of the trait of this merciful God if we keep His commandments. If we claim we know God and never keep His commandments, our own identity doesn’t make any sense. We can be the worst liars. When we are not honest and we disobey God, we miss the opportunity to see how God would work through us. We must be obedient in our own seeking of transformation and conversion. To remain in sin doesn’t help us see better, even in darkness. It is important to remember that a crucial part of obeying God is trusting Him and counting on Him. Trust is the foundational command so that all our obedience is to flow out is active, alive, and present.

The gospel today is one of my favorite passages in the scripture. Two disciples who had been traumatized by the death of Jesus were returning to the safety of Emmaus. Let us accompany them in their journey with open heart and mind to fully understand ourselves better.

First, the two disciples were exiting from the worst week of their lives, knowing that Jesus was tortured and put to death by crucifixion without the people’s knowledge about Jesus being the true Messiah. These two disciples wanted to escape from their experience of brokenness and heavy hearts because of what had happened to Jesus, their Master. We, like the disciples, have our hurts, disappointments, and even doubts, and so we want to sit on the side of the road to question, to ponder and retrospect. To escape from those hurtful feelings is not advisable, but rather confront them with confidence and faith.

Second, Jesus reviews the scriptures with them, which announce His truth, and they then recognize Him in the proclamation of the word. Jesus explained well about the events as revealed in the scriptures. The two disciples’ hearts were burning with joy, so they invited Jesus to stay with them in the inn because it was already dark. While the two disciples and Jesus were at the table, something familiar happened, that is, the “breaking of bread.” At that moment, Jesus shared a meal with them, and by doing so, He extended a deep relationship with His disciples, which surprised them, with the mystery of His bodily resurrection appearance.

Third, then Jesus vanishes, but their hearts were so flooded with joy that they decided to return and reveal to others what they had experienced. Their encounter with the risen Lord gave them encouragement and mission. Thus, Jesus has risen to keep us rising, that is, to encounter His presence, to remember His encouraging words and teachings, to extend peace and reconciliation, and to make us understand our mission to accomplish.

Oftentimes, in our spiritual exercises, like attending Mass and personal reading of scriptures and meditations, the Risen Lord becomes available to us. He intimately speaks to us in silence and even walks with us. Intimacy invites us into mystery, into adventure, and into deeper experiences of life. Jesus invites His intimate friends to go out and be with Him in the so called “Eucharistic presence.” Then, we find comfort through His healing power and are lifted as a person. He gives peace and joy for our community and for the world.

God bless everyone! He is Risen! Alleluia!

Fr. Arlon, osa

——————————-

El Dictado del Corazón
Tercer Domingo de Pascua, Año B.

• Hechos 3:13-15, 17-19
• Salmo 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9
• 1 Juan 2:1-5a
• Lucas 24:35-48Hoy es el tercer domingo de Pascua. Continuamos nuestra Jornada de Pascua y continuaremos recorriendo nuestro “Camino a Emaús”. En cada celebración de la misa escuchábamos la palabra de Dios y aquellas palabras “¿No ardía nuestro corazón?” Él nos está hablando en las Escrituras y meditamos para comprender el mensaje.

  Escuchamos la primera lectura tomada de los Hechos de los Apóstoles. Pedro estaba recordando los acontecimientos del pasado y avanzando por el presente para afrontar su futuro. Entonces Pedro hizo un comentario audaz golpeando duramente a todos los oyentes que fueron responsables de la muerte de Jesús. Sin embargo, Jesús resucitó de entre los muertos como el siervo del Padre con su comentario final: puedes arrepentirte y borrar tus pecados y seguir a Jesús, quien es Hijo ungido de Dios amorosamente obediente.

  La segunda lectura de la primera carta de San Juan recordó a sus lectores el rasgo de este Dios misericordioso, si guardamos sus mandamientos. Si afirmamos que conocemos a Dios y nunca guardamos Sus mandamientos, nuestra propia identidad no tiene ningún sentido. Podemos ser los peores mentirosos. Cuando no somos honestos y desobedecemos a Dios, perdemos la oportunidad de ver cómo Él obraría a través de nosotros. Debemos ser obedientes en nuestra búsqueda de transformación y conversión. Permanecer en pecado no nos ayuda a ver mejor ni siquiera en la oscuridad. Es importante recordar que una parte crucial de obedecer a Dios es confiar en Él y contar con Él. La confianza es el mandato fundamental para que toda nuestra obediencia fluya de la confianza en que Él está activo, vivo y presente.

  El evangelio de hoy es uno de mis pasajes favoritos de las Escrituras. Los dos discípulos habían quedado traumatizados por la muerte de Jesús y por eso regresaban a la seguridad de Emaús, así que acompañémoslos en su camino con el corazón y la mente abiertos para comprendernos mejor a nosotros mismos.

  Primero, los dos discípulos habían estado saliendo de la peor semana de sus vidas sabiendo que Jesús fue torturado y ejecutado mediante crucifixión, sin que la gente supiera que Jesús era el verdadero Mesías. Estos dos discípulos querían escapar de su experiencia de quebrantamiento y pesar por lo que le había sucedido a Jesús, su maestro. Nosotros, al igual que los discípulos, tenemos nuestras heridas, decepciones e incluso dudas, y por eso queremos sentarnos a un lado del camino para preguntar, reflexionar y mirar en retrospectiva. No es aconsejable escapar de esos sentimientos hirientes, sino afrontarlos con confianza y fe.

  En segundo lugar, Jesús repasa con ellos las Escrituras que anuncian su verdad y luego lo reconocen en la proclamación de la palabra. Jesús explicó bien los acontecimientos tal como se revelan en las Escrituras. El corazón de los dos discípulos ardía de alegría, así que invitaron a Jesús a quedarse con ellos en la posada porque ya era de noche. Mientras los dos discípulos y Jesús estaban en la mesa sucedió algo familiar, es decir, la “fracción del pan”. En ese momento, Jesús compartió el pan con ellos, al hacerlo extendió una relación profunda con sus discípulos que los sorprendió con el misterio de su aparición corporal resucitada.

  En tercer lugar, Jesús desapareció, pero sus corazones estaban tan inundados de alegría que decidieron regresar y revelar a los demás lo que habían experimentado. Su encuentro con el Señor resucitado les dio aliento y misión. Jesús ha resucitado para mantenernos en ascenso, es decir, para encontrarnos con Su presencia, para recordar Sus palabras y enseñanzas alentadoras, para extender la paz y la reconciliación y para hacernos comprender nuestra misión a cumplir.

  A menudo, en nuestros ejercicios espirituales, como asistir a Misa, leer personalmente las Escrituras y meditar, el Señor Resucitado se vuelve disponible para nosotros. Nos habla íntimamente en silencio e incluso camina con nosotros. La intimidad nos invita al misterio, a la aventura, a experiencias de vida más profundas. Jesús invita a sus amigos íntimos a salir y estar con Él en la “presencia eucarística”. Luego, encontramos consuelo a través de Su poder sanador y somos elevados como persona. Él da paz y alegría a nuestra comunidad y al mundo.

  ¡Dios los bendiga a todos! ¡Él ha resucitado! ¡Aleluya!

  P. Arlón, osa

• 1 Peter 2:21-25
• John 10:11-16

Today is the 2nd Sunday after Easter. We are invited to make the most of the beautiful readings provided to us today which always lead to nourish and to feed our hungry souls with these Words of God.

Today’s epistle, taken from the first letter of St. Peter, explains to us what is meant by discipleship. Our simple understanding of this word is to follow the Lord. We must prayerfully and thoughtfully develop a simple suggestion from St. Peter. As followers of the Lord, we are open to accept sufferings for doing good, not evil, and we connect with the example of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd. For this, we are called to influence our fellow believers in the community and to pursue others by doing good in allegiance to the Lord. In this epistle, Peter provides his community with an example that, in believing Jesus, they have hope because He suffered for us. Jesus did not retaliate when He was maligned, and He did not respond with revenge. After all, Jesus suffered not only as an example for himself, but also on our behalf. Therefore, we must be converted to turn ourselves “back to the shepherd and bishop of your soul.”

Today’s gospel talks about Jesus as the Good Shepherd, which is one of the most familiar ways of portraying our Lord. This particular gospel is read every 4th Sunday of Easter for the Novus Ordo, but for the Traditional Mass, we jump from post-resurrection stories to a common description about Jesus being the Good Shepherd. I guess we are more advanced in mind thinking about the future. So, let us decipher some of the most important points in this gospel pericope:

First, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (v.1) I am grateful to Jesus for offering Himself to be our Shepherd. It is true that we desire for someone to lead us, to protect us, to guide us, and to care for us always. We are a blessed flock of sheep who can rely on Him. The world, our community, our family, and friends search for someone to rely on. In this period of deception, we must listen to Jesus, who carefully distinguishes false shepherds or hirelings. Many would be coming to deceive us, but the significant character of our Good Shepherd is His commitment and readiness to lay down His life for us, for Jesus has preceded us on this perilous road.

Second, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. (vv. 14,15) In this verse, we agree that His complete knowledge about His sheep refers to us, His flock. He likes us to be together under His care and guidance, as the fact is that He knows each one of us. It is also for our own safety that He tends to spend a lot of time with us for our benefit. In like manner, He spent time with His Father in prayer. In addition, He knows us better than we know ourselves.

Third, the last point of Jesus expresses this, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So, there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (v.16) Personally, I believe the sacred intention of our Lord is to gather all people in the world as “one flock and one shepherd.” To rightly interpret these words of Jesus, we need to find its rationale for this scriptural text which refers us to the fact that Jesus of history preached to the fold of God’s chosen people, Israel. While Jesus’ earthly ministry served the Jewish people almost exclusively, His great commission to the Apostles before His ascension was to send them all into the world to preach, baptize, and thus unite His believers in one-fold. (Mt. 27:19) Here the “other sheep” refers to Gentiles willing to obey and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, these righteous Gentiles heard the gospel from the lips of His disciples, sought conversion, and they became followers of Jesus. I believe that we are considered Gentiles, which means outside the fold of the chosen people of Israel. Thus, it is not proper for other denominations and religions claiming to justify their existence as being the “other sheep.” Such interpretation is wrong! Our understanding of the “other sheep” as the Gentiles who would come to believe in Christ is the natural understanding of the passage.

From our own catechism, we have learned that “Salvation History” started from the experience of our Jewish brethren which unfolded God’s love in the Old Testament through to the New Testament. Jesus was born through the cooperation of the Blessed Mother Mary and St. Joseph. Jesus lived in human history, preaching and calling His apostles. Then St. Paul wrote the epistles, and the four evangelists did the same as well. Jesus, after His passion, death, and resurrection, continues to be with us gathering other sheep to be counted among His flock. God shows His overflowing grace to establish the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, and that is the Holy Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is open and welcoming to those people of no faith and those who belong to other faiths as part of the continuous mission of the Church by offering her grace of Salvation through Jesus Christ.

In the midst, of all confusing and competing voices, the sheep would hear their true Shepherd’s voice and follow Him. Let us walk together, listening together, and participating in the mission actively. Let the sheep live in relationships with the Shepherd and others. Let us be positive in a Synodal Church where we are willing to indulge in Communion, Participation, Mission!

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

• 1 Corinthians 5:7-8
• Mark 16:1-7

Alleluia, Happy Easter!

Today is the feast of all feasts of the Holy Church, Easter Sunday, remembering Jesus’ victory over death and sin. It is our happiest day of the year because of God’s promise of salvation for us, who believe by doing His divine Will.

Today’s epistle from the letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians encourages the people to celebrate by becoming new creations in Christ Jesus, that is, Christ has already died to sanctify and make us holy, and St. Paul is reminding us of our own calling as holy ones of God. When St. Paul says, “purge out of the old leaven,” this old leaven represents sin, and it means that we must get rid of all our sinfulness and return to God.

Sometimes we are skeptical to accept the truth that by the power of Christ’s resurrection, we will never free ourselves completely and totally of sin because cleansing our lives of sin is a lifetime struggle and process. However, we need to cooperate with God’s grace to fully strive to conform to the image of Jesus Christ, which is indeed possible. Many sinners converted to the Lord and became Saints because they were open to take that path to holiness and completely turn themselves to God. Though we are constantly in battle against Satan, we must wage a spiritual warfare by being close and faithful to God throughout our lives. Our weakness and failures can be removed for ourselves to be revived from our old selves by being united in the paschal mystery of Jesus.

The gospel today summarizes the story about Mary Magdalene and other disciples who went to where Jesus was buried with the intention of anointing the body in the morning on the first day of the week. They were surprised that the big stone that covers the tomb, had already been rolled back. Jesus’s body was not found inside the sepulcher. Let us discover other interesting parts of this Easter gospel pericope:

First, there was an appearance of this angel, “who they saw as a young man sitting on the right side” which utterly amazed these women upon entering the tomb. As we would think and believe, the absence of Jesus’ body in the tomb contributed much to their belief in Jesus’ promise that He would rise again, and this first reaction of anxiety and confusion slowly disappeared.

Second, the presumed angel said to them, “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; He is not here,” an explanation of what happened to Jesus’ body. They sought Jesus but He was not there. Maybe they were seeking the crucified Jesus, who had been buried a few days before, but they should be seeking the risen Jesus! Since they were slow to believe the promise of His resurrection, which they shouldn’t have, the angel thus stresses that the promise had indeed been fulfilled.

Third, the angel in conclusion told them, “But go and tell his disciples and Peter, He is going before you to Galilee, there you will see Him, as he told you.” And now the angel gives these women a divine commissioning to be the first witnesses to tell others about the resurrection of Christ, something else they surely did not expect! Despite their fear, St. Mark doesn’t in any way indicate that these women themselves were disbelieving. In fact, one can only conclude that it was their faith that overcame their fear and eventually led them to go and tell the others what they had seen and heard.

What can we learn from their example and witnessing? Well, perhaps you have been afraid to tell others about the risen Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps you have even begun to doubt your own faith at times. Just know this, that being afraid doesn’t mean you have no faith, even if it may indicate a weak faith. The real question for you is this: Will you allow your fears to conquer your faith, or will your faith win out in the end? The Risen Jesus calls to us: Do not be afraid. Die with me, so that with me you may have life!

(For those who come to the baptismal waters tonight, Jesus truly makes them one with Him, in His dying and rising. Because Baptism is our participation in not just the death of Jesus Christ, but also His resurrection. Baptism is not just our participation in His burial, into the waters of death, but also our participation in His resurrection from the waters of death through the power of the Holy Spirit.)

For those who renew their baptismal promises, Jesus promises that we can grow deeper still, into union with him. When we were baptized into Christ, we die to our old ways, die to our old selves, to that “leaven life” mentioned by St. Paul in the first epistle today. Then we are blessed to be His new creation becoming adopted sons and daughters of God.

Imagine how differently we would act to believe in the “empty tomb” which we have found in the written gospel of Jesus. Today, the risen Lord is speaking with us! If we remember and live out His words, then we welcome a renewed relationship with Him. How differently we would then treat our parents, our children, our spouse, our classmates, our friends, and our enemies. How differently we would treat the people who sit beside us in the pew, the people we see in the church every week but to whom we never talk, the people who don’t look, act, or think the way we do. How differently we would treat the poor and the homeless. Each time we speak with one another, we “see” Christ, we “hear” Jesus. How different our world would be.

We are all on the journey to Easter Sunday together! We have the promise of our rising again to new life with Christ Jesus! Our new and eternal life with Christ Jesus doesn’t begin after we die our earthly death; it begins the moment we are baptized.

This life-changing encounter with the risen Lord ought not to be thought of as the privilege of the few, but an invitation to all. We are invited to renew our personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter us.

On this Easter Sunday, let us desire to join with the many who have not seen, but have believed, because they have encountered Jesus. Let us be genuine witnesses of the Resurrection! Let us enjoy the celebration of life in faith that is being renewed, celebrated, and shared, with such joy.

Happy Easter!

Fr. Arlon, osa

 

• Romans 6:3-11
• Mark 16:1-7

I pray for wisdom to reflect and contemplate on the readings tonight. I anticipate hearing the joyful news tonight that we will have an everlasting life through our goodness and baptism in Jesus.

We are here for this Easter Vigil celebration which is the feast of all feasts. The Easter Vigil celebration is a full and rich presentation of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as it fits into a grand plan of God. It’s from the moment God called a people to Him (the Israelites), through the main figures of the Jewish Bible (messengers and prophets), to this very moment in history when a New People are formed by their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. For us, we align ourselves with God’s plan in Jesus.

What a blessing! What a gift! How blessed are we in Christ Jesus, both God and man, here on earth for us. Let us rejoice and be glad for such blessings. The Easter season has begun, and we are given this joy and salvation because of a loving and merciful God. Let us respond with gladness and rejoicing hearts for God’s incredible goodness in the person of Jesus, our Savior.

Many of us cannot help but be thrilled in beholding the Easter candle’s flame, spreading from candle to candle, filling and flooding with light the place in which we gather on this holy night. This quiet, but dramatic, gesture reminds us that there are to be no spectators tonight, only participants, all sharing in the blessed Light and the blessed Life, that is Jesus, who has risen from the dead.

St. Paul’s language puts this so boldly and moves us to confess clearly that the Resurrection is not an event “out there,” something which happened merely to someone else. It is meant to be our experience. But how does this happen? The resurrection experience happens only for those who have grown into union with Him, with Jesus, through a death like His. We cannot make this happen; we can only receive it, though, with and in Jesus.

The Liturgy of the Word describes celebrating the story of our salvation. While we wait there this night, we hear the story again – from Genesis to the Exodus story, from the Prophets to the Letter of Paul to the Romans. Each reading has a joyful Psalm of its own and each set, reading and psalm, concludes with a wonderful prayer which gathers what we just heard and sang into a prayer. All this prepares us for the Gospel story of the Resurrection.

The gospel today summarizes the story about Mary Magdalene and other disciples who went to where Jesus was buried with the intention of anointing the body in the morning on the first day of the week. They were surprised that the big stone that covers the tomb, had already been rolled back. Jesus’s body was not found inside the sepulcher. Let us discover other interesting parts of this Easter gospel pericope:

First, there was an appearance of this angel, “who they saw as a young man sitting on the right side” which utterly amazed these women upon entering the tomb. As we would think and believe, the absence of Jesus’ body in the tomb contributed much to their belief in Jesus’ promise that He would rise again, and this first reaction of anxiety and confusion slowly disappeared.

Second, the presumed angel said to them, “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; He is not here,” an explanation of what happened to Jesus’ body. They sought Jesus but He was not there. Maybe they were seeking the crucified Jesus, who had been buried a few days before, but they should be seeking the risen Jesus! Since they were slow to believe the promise of His resurrection, which they shouldn’t have, the angel thus stresses that the promise had indeed been fulfilled.

Third, the angel in conclusion told them, “But go and tell his disciples and Peter, He is going before you to Galilee, there you will see Him, as he told you.” And now the angel gives these women a divine commissioning to be the first witnesses to tell others about the resurrection of Christ, something else they surely did not expect! Despite their fear, St. Mark doesn’t in any way indicate that these women themselves were disbelieving. In fact, one can only conclude that it was their faith that overcame their fear and eventually led them to go and tell the others what they had seen and heard.

What can we learn from their example and witnessing? Well, perhaps you have even been afraid to tell others about the risen Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps you have even begun to doubt your own faith at times. Just know this, that being afraid doesn’t mean you have no faith, even if it may indicate a weak faith. The real question for you is this: Will you allow your fears to conquer your faith, or will your faith win out in the end? The Risen Jesus calls to us: Do not be afraid. Die with me, so that with me you may have life!

For those who come to the baptismal waters tonight, Jesus truly makes them one with Him, in His dying and rising. This is because Baptism is our participation in not just the death of Jesus Christ, but also His resurrection. Baptism is not just our participation in His burial into the waters of death, but also our participation in His resurrection from the waters of death through the power of the Holy Spirit.

For those who renew their baptismal promises, Jesus promises that we can grow deeper still, into union with him. When we were baptized into Christ, we die to our old ways, die to our old selves, and then we can become a new creation, becoming adopted sons and daughters of God.

Imagine how differently we would act to believe in the “empty tomb” which we have found in the written gospel of Jesus. He is speaking to us! If we remember and live out His words, then we will have a renewed relationship. How differently we would treat our parents, our children, our spouse, our classmates, our friends and our enemies. How differently we would treat the people who sit beside us in the pew, the people we see in the church every week but to whom we never talk, and the people who don’t look, act, or think the way we do. How differently we would treat the poor and the homeless. If each time we speak with one another, we “see” Christ, we “hear” Jesus, how different our world would be.

We are all on the journey to Easter Sunday together! We have the promise of our rising again to new life with Christ Jesus! Our new and eternal life with Christ Jesus doesn’t begin after our earthly death; it begins the moment we are baptized.

This life-changing encounter with the risen Lord ought not to be thought of as the privilege of the few, but an invitation to all. We are invited to renew our personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least have an openness to letting him encounter us.

On this Easter Vigil night, let us desire to join with the many who have not seen, but have believed, because they have encountered Jesus. Let us be genuine witnesses of the Resurrection! Let us enjoy the celebration of life in faith that is being renewed, celebrated, and shared with such joy.

Happy Easter!

Fr. Arlon, osa

—————————-

El Dictado del Corazón Vigilia Pascual, Año B

• Romanos 6:3-11
• Marcos 16:1-7

Pedí sabiduría para reflexionar y contemplar las lecturas de esta noche. Anticipo escuchar la gozosa noticia esta noche de que tendremos vida eterna a través de nuestro bautismo en Jesús.

Estamos aquí para esta celebración de la Vigilia Pascual, que es la fiesta de todas las fiestas. La celebración de la Vigilia Pascual es una presentación completa de la vida, muerte y resurrección de Jesús, tal como encaja en el gran plan de Dios. Es desde el momento en que Dios llamó a su pueblo hacia Él (los israelitas), pasando por las principales figuras de la Biblia judía (mensajeros y profetas), hasta este mismo momento de la historia cuando se forma un Nuevo Pueblo por fe en Jesús como Señor y Salvador. Para nosotros, nos alineamos con el plan de Dios en Jesús.

¡Que bendición! ¡Qué regalo! ¿Cuán benditos somos en Cristo Jesús, Dios y hombre, aquí en la tierra por nosotros? Alegrémonos y estemos contentos por tales bendiciones. El tiempo pascual ha comenzado y recibimos este gozo y salvación gracias a un Dios amoroso y misericordioso. Respondamos con alegría y corazones regocijados por la increíble bondad de Dios en la persona de Jesús, nuestro Salvador.

Muchos de nosotros no podemos evitar sentirnos emocionados al contemplar la llama del cirio pascual, extendiéndose de vela en vela, llenando e inundando de luz el lugar en el que nos reunimos esta noche santa. Este gesto tranquilo, pero dramático, nos recuerda que esta noche no habrá espectadores, sólo participantes, todos compartiendo la Luz bendita y la Vida bendita, que es Jesús, que ha resucitado de entre los muertos.

El lenguaje de San Pablo expresa esto con tanta audacia y nos mueve a confesar que la Resurrección no es un evento “ahí afuera”, algo que le sucedió simplemente a otra persona. Está destinada a ser nuestra experiencia. Pero ¿cómo sucede esto? La resurrección ocurre sólo para aquellos que han crecido en unión con Él, con Jesús. A través de una muerte como la suya. Esto no lo podemos hacer por nosotros mismos, sólo se puede recibir, a través de Él y en Él, Jesús.

La Liturgia describe la celebración de nuestra salvación. Escuchamos la historia nuevamente: desde el Génesis hasta la historia del Éxodo, desde los Profetas hasta la Carta de Pablo a los Romanos. Cada lectura tiene un Salmo gozoso y concluye con una maravillosa oración, que reúne lo que acabamos de escuchar y cantar. Todo esto nos prepara para la historia evangélica de la Resurrección.

El evangelio de hoy resume la historia de María Magdalena y algunos de los discípulos; Muy de madrugada, el primer día de la semana, se dirigían al lugar del sepulcro para ungir el cuerpo de Jesus. Se sorprendieron al ver que la enorme piedra que cubría el sepulcro ya había sido quitada. El cuerpo de Jesús no fue encontrado dentro del sepulcro. Descubramos otras partes interesantes del evangelio pascual:

Primero, hubo la aparición del ángel, “al cual vieron como un joven sentado al lado derecho” lo que asombró a estas mujeres al entrar al sepulcro. La ausencia del cuerpo de Jesús en la tumba contribuyó mucho a su creencia en la promesa de Jesús de que resucitaría, y esta primera reacción de ansiedad y confusión desapareció lentamente.

En segundo lugar, el presunto ángel les dijo: “No se espanten. Buscan a Jesús de Nazaret, el que fue crucificado. No está aquí; ha resucitado.” Tal vez buscaban a Jesús crucificado, que había sido sepultado unos días antes, ¡pero debieron haber buscar a Jesús resucitado! Como tardaron en creer la promesa de Su resurrección, el ángel enfatiza que la promesa efectivamente se había cumplido.

En tercer lugar, el ángel finalmente les dijo: “Ahora vayan a decirles a sus discípulos y a Pedro: ‘Él irá delante de ustedes a Galilea. Allá lo verán, como él les dijo”. Y ahora el ángel les da a estas mujeres la comisión divina de ser los primeros testigos para contarles a otros sobre la resurrección de Cristo, ¡algo más que seguramente no esperaban! A pesar de su miedo, San Marcos no indica de ninguna manera que estas mujeres mismas fueran incrédulas. De hecho, sólo se puede concluir que fue su fe la que venció su miedo y finalmente los llevó a ir y contar a los demás lo que habían visto y oído.

¿Qué podemos aprender de su ejemplo y testimonio? Bueno, tal vez hayas tenido miedo de contarles a otros de la resurrección del Salvador, nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Quizás hayas comenzado a dudar de tu fe en ocasiones. Sólo debes saber esto: tener miedo no significa que no tengas fe, tal vez es porque se tiene una fe débil. La verdadera pregunta es: ¿Permitirá que sus miedos conquisten su fe, o su fe vencerá al final? Jesús resucitado nos llama: no tengas miedo. ¡Muere conmigo, para que conmigo tengas vida!

Para aquellos que vienen a las aguas bautismales esta noche, Jesús verdaderamente nos hace uno con Él, no es sólo una participación en Su sepultura, sino también en Su resurrección por el poder del Espíritu Santo.

Para aquellos que renuevan sus promesas bautismales, Jesús promete que podemos profundizar a un más cuando estamos en unión con él. Cuando somos bautizados en Cristo, mueren nuestras viejas costumbres, nuestro viejo yo, y luego podemos llegar a ser una nueva creación, convirtiéndonos en hijos e hijas de Dios.

Imagínense cuán diferente actuaríamos si creyéramos en la “tumba vacía” que hemos encontrado en el evangelio. ¡Él nos está hablando! Si recordamos y vivimos Sus palabras, entonces tendremos una relación renovada. ¿Cuán diferente trataríamos a nuestros padres, nuestros hijos, nuestro cónyuge, nuestros compañeros de clase, nuestros amigos y nuestros enemigos? Cuán diferente trataríamos a las personas que se sientan a nuestro lado en el banco, a las personas que vemos en la iglesia todas las semanas, pero con las que nunca hablamos, y a las personas que no se ven, no actúan ni piensan como nosotros. ¿Cuán diferente trataríamos a los pobres y a las personas sin hogar? Si cada vez que hablamos unos con otros “vemos” a Cristo, “oímos” a Jesús, qué diferente sería nuestro mundo.

¡Estamos todos juntos en el camino hacia el Domingo de Pascua! ¡Tenemos la promesa de resucitar a una nueva vida con Cristo Jesús! Nuestra vida nueva y eterna con Cristo Jesús no comienza después de nuestra muerte terrenal; comienza en el momento en que somos bautizados.

Este encuentro transformador de vidas con el Señor resucitado no debe considerarse como un privilegio de unos pocos, sino como una invitación a todos. Estamos invitados a renovar nuestro encuentro con Jesucristo, o al menos a estar abiertos a dejar que Él nos encuentre.

En esta noche de Vigilia Pascual, deseemos unirnos a los muchos que no han visto, pero han creído porque han encontrado a Jesús. ¡Seamos auténticos testigos de la Resurrección! Disfrutemos de la celebración de la vida en la fe que se renueva, celebra y comparte con tanta alegría.

¡Felices Pascuas!

P. Arlón, osa

 

• Isaiah 52:13–53:12
• Psalms 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25
• Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
• John 18:1–19:42

Today is the second day of our Triduum celebrations which we enter in prayer in the liturgical year. Good Friday draws us close to Christ’s suffering and to the suffering of others as well. Let us try to emerge into the whole liturgy of the Word, praying for the needs of the Church, with veneration and Holy Communion.

“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit,”are the last words of Jesus on the Cross in the gospel of Luke 23:46. At the darkest moment of fulfilling His mission for the salvation of men, He has chosen to enter into the deepest human uncertainty, and Jesus sharing our humanity cried out with surrender, trust and hope.

We believe that for Jesus, death is not the end. He promised us that He will rise, and indeed His glory comes in the Resurrection!

Brothers and Sisters, what do we want to surrender into God’s hands today?

First, we may find ourselves in a similar spiritual place as Jesus’ disciples on that Good Friday. Some were at the foot of the Cross, but the rest hid themselves out of fear and being anxious about who would be the next to be killed. Their future is uncertain without their master. How did they live as followers of Christ with that reality of death and forgetting His promise? I do believe that these disciples worked hard to re-learn to trust God, to understand every word they heard from Jesus. We are not far from the reality of the reaction of Christ’s disciples. Today we surrender to God our doubts and anxieties and re-discover our utmost love and trust of God.

Second, we may find ourselves lukewarm in our prayer or conversations with God. How often do we take the time to talk to God and ask for his help? How comfortable are we in praying? We need to have no fear in approaching the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace when we are in need of help. Jesus, even hanging on the Cross, has comforting words for us. I am afraid that many of us neglect our prayer life and stop talking to God. Are we afraid to ask for God’s help? Do we not realize that God wants to hear what is bothering us, to walk with us and bring us joy? God wants to know, so he can bestow His mercy, kindness, and grace on us, ease our burdens and make us better Christians. Let us deepen our prayer life throughout the year. We need to make it a habit to set aside 10, 15, or 20 minutes of quiet moments with God.

Third, today we focus on renewing and strengthening our faith, but we need to continue that effort beyond Easter. Equally as important is to thank Him for His endless love and being at our side, each and every day.

Today, I come to realize that Jesus’ suffering and death are God’s own entry into all that we suffer. Jesus fully understands and is in oneness with us as He continues to save and to change us.

As we “behold the wood of the cross, on which hung the Savior of the world,” we too embrace the whole mystery of love that the cross represents: First, the cross is about my personal infidelity and sins, my own selfishness. Secondly, we are the ones who have been guilty of transgressions and are now forgiven and loved. At the foot of the Cross is the mercy and compassion of God.

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa

————————————

El Dictado del Corazón:

Viernes Santo de la Pasión del Señor, Año A

• Isaías 52:13–53:12
• Salmos 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25
• Hebreos 4:14-16; 5:7-9
• Juan 18:1–19:42

Hoy es el segundo día de nuestras celebraciones del Triduo al que entramos en oración en el año litúrgico. El Viernes Santo nos acerca al sufrimiento de Cristo y también al sufrimiento de los demás. Procuremos emerger en toda la liturgia de la Palabra, orando por las necesidades de la Iglesia, con veneración y la Sagrada Comunión.

“Padre, en tus manos encomiendo mi espíritu”, son las últimas palabras de Jesús en la Cruz en el evangelio de Lucas 23:46. En el momento más oscuro del cumplimiento de su misión para la salvación de los hombres, ha elegido adentrarse en la más profunda incertidumbre humana, y Jesús compartiendo nuestra humanidad clama con entrega, confianza y esperanza.

Creemos que para Jesús, la muerte no es el final. ¡Él nos prometió que resucitaría y ciertamente Su gloria viene en la Resurrección!
Hermanos y hermanas, ¿qué queremos entregar hoy en las manos de Dios?

Primero, podemos encontrarnos en un lugar espiritual similar al de los discípulos de Jesús en ese Viernes Santo. Algunos estaban al pie de la Cruz, pero otros se escondieron por miedo y por la ansiedad de quién sería el próximo en ser asesinado. Su futuro era incierto sin su Maestro. ¿Cómo vivieron como seguidores de Cristo con esa realidad de muerte y olvido de su promesa? Creo que estos discípulos trabajaron duro para volver a aprender a confiar en Dios y entender cada palabra que escucharon de Jesús. No estamos lejos de la realidad de la reacción de los discípulos de Cristo. Hoy entregamos a Dios nuestras dudas y angustias y redescubrimos nuestro máximo amor y confianza en Dios.

Segundo, podemos encontrarnos tibios en nuestras oraciones o conversaciones con Dios. ¿Con qué frecuencia nos tomamos el tiempo para hablar con Dios y pedir su ayuda? ¿Qué tan cómodos nos sentimos al orar? No debemos tener miedo de acercarnos al trono de la gracia para recibir misericordia y hallar gracia cuando necesitamos ayuda. Jesús, aun colgado en la Cruz, tiene palabras de consuelo para nosotros. Me temo que muchos de nosotros descuidamos nuestra vida de oración y dejamos de hablar con Dios. ¿Tenemos miedo de pedir la ayuda de Dios? ¿No nos damos cuenta de que Dios quiere escuchar lo que nos molesta, caminar con nosotros y traernos alegría? Dios quiere saber, para poder derramar Su misericordia, bondad y gracia sobre nosotros, aliviar nuestras cargas y hacernos mejores cristianos. Profundicemos nuestra vida de oración a lo largo del año. Necesitamos hacer que sea un hábito apartar 10, 15 o 20 minutos de momentos de tranquilidad con Dios.

Tercero, hoy nos enfocamos en renovar y fortalecer nuestra fe, pero necesitamos continuar ese esfuerzo más allá de la Pascua. Igual de importante es agradecerle por su amor infinito y por estar a nuestro lado todos los días.

Hoy me doy cuenta de que el sufrimiento y la muerte de Jesús son la entrada de Dios en todos los que sufrimos. Jesús comprende completamente y está en unidad con nosotros mientras continúa salvándonos y cambiándonos.

Al “contemplar el madero de la cruz, sobre el cual colgaba el Salvador del mundo”, abrazamos también todo el misterio de amor que representa la cruz:

Primero, la cruz se trata de mi infidelidad y mis pecados, mi egoísmo.

En segundo lugar, somos nosotros los que hemos sido culpables de transgresiones y ahora somos perdonados y amados.

Al pie de la Cruz está la misericordia y la compasión de Dios.

Dios los bendiga.

Padre Arlón, osa

• Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
• Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18
• 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
• John 13:1-15

Today, we begin the “Sacrum Triduum” which means three holy days before the celebration of Easter. All over the world the Church normally celebrates in the morning a solemn mass in all dioceses commonly called the “Chrism Mass” with the local bishop presiding at the Blessing of Sacred Oils and the Renewal of the Priestly Promises. This has been a normal activity for Holy Thursday morning. Some dioceses, because of distance, hold the Chrism Mass a week in advance. What are the significant reasons which liturgically connect this Holy Chrism Mass with the local bishops and with the presence of both the diocesan and religious priests.

The word “Chrism” is an oil with aromatic odor signifying the sweetness and the odor of Christ. The blessing of three oils, namely, the Oil of Catechumen, Oil of the Sick and Oil of Chrism are sacramental signs and symbols for anointing at life’s important events recognizing the presence of God who embraces us when we receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders. We need to understand that by virtue of our baptism, we are all anointed to be a Priest, King, and Prophet, for we all share in the same commitment and calling as disciples of the Lord. We were anointed to carry on all that we have been taught as His disciples in whatever path we choose, for the Spirit of the Lord is upon us because we have been anointed. However, in the Church, we have the so called “Ministerial Priesthood” which the Lord has called all those bathed in Him in Baptism to respond to a special ministry of service to give their lives fully to Him and to His Church, but only few are willing to commit to this vocation. We call them priests of the church whose lives are completely shared, broken, and committed to a loving service and sacrifice. This Chrism Mass event is the time of renewal of our Priestly vows and appreciation for the gift of the Priesthood that we, the priests, all receive from Jesus.

In tonight’s’ three readings, the focus is on the Eucharist which is instituted during the “Last Supper” of our Lord. Holy Thursday reminds us of Jesus celebrating with His disciples all about the past. When the chosen people journeyed with Moses, they endured through their struggles because God had been so faithful to be with them in their flight. Passover of the past was a celebration when faithful Jews recalled how Yahweh saved them from slavery and led them through the desert to their promised land. This time, Jesus is setting a scene of a new Passover meal for them, a new covenant of sharing His Body and Blood before He died. That event prefigures what Jesus is about to do for us all in this paschal mystery of salvation we are celebrating. St. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, wants us to cherish in our hearts and minds that Jesus’ words, being spoken for the first time during the last supper with the apostles, fill us with gratitude and reverence.
However, I am wondering why in the gospel today from John 13:1-15, our attention is drawn to reflect Jesus washing the feet of His disciples when He formally prepares and celebrates the Passover meal which is the institution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist? This is something on which we must meditate that by giving Jesus’ Body and Blood for our physical and spiritual nourishment, we also need to value the giving of His very Self to manifest His humility and total service. A teaching moment of washing their feet before the meal is what St. Paul refers to in Philippians 2:5 that we should imitate our messiah who did not depend on his divinity, but came among us as a servant, even to the point of dying on the cross. Jesus, being the host, teaches His disciples and all of us that we need to serve others and not use our power and authority to lord it over them. It was only after this humble service of Jesus before the meal that Jesus then instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist which is the sacrament of life, love and perpetual presence of Jesus with us.
Jesus says, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” Jesus must do the washing of their feet because Jesus’ love for his disciples humbles them. Why is Peter so reluctant to have his feet washed? Why does he resist? The other disciples waited, maybe a little awkwardly, while their Master, Jesus, stripped off his outer cloak and knelt on the floor. Jesus took their feet gently into his hands, and after a loving look, he washed them, drying them with the towel at his waist. Then he gets to reluctant Peter who later agrees and wants to include his head and his hands in the washing. Jesus response was “Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over, so you are clean, but not all.” It is true not all of us are clean. We are all sinners who need to be washed. Before partaking of His Body and Blood, we must take away our fears, unforgiveness, doubts and weaknesses and accept our willingness to die for all things that separate us from the Lord. Jesus offers life which conquers all death in Him who has promised new life for all eternity. We are invited to eat His flesh and drink His blood, to be cleansed and to be renewed.

What makes any of us pull back our feet when it comes to accepting the responsibility of being a follower of Jesus? Jesus is clear in his message: If I have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet.

Tonight, we take part in the memorial ritual of the washing of the feet. A potentially humbling experience for all concerned. Am I called to wash another’s feet or to allow another to wash my feet? Can I allow the presence of Jesus to come in order to touch my life? Yet Jesus insists. Jesus’ love humbles me. Let us share His story and do what He has done with care in service to others. Christ’s way is the only way. We are grateful for God’s loving fidelity.

God bless you.

Fr. Arlon, osa