August 01, 2010

The Deadly Root

Lk 12:13-21

A big store decided to conduct a big sale to bring in more shoppers. It announced huge discounts to early customers. On the day of the sale, people were already lined up at the store’s front door as early as 5:00 in the morning. Just minutes before the opening of the store, an ordinary little guy walked towards the front of the line. The people angrily shouted at him and pushed him back. But the little man went back to the head of the line again. Once again, he was pushed to the back, but this time with a few beatings from the angry and impatient crowd. Shaking his head, the little man walked to one side of the line and said: “If you won’t let me come near the door, I cannot open the store today!”

This scene is too familiar to us, especially in these times of rabid materialism and consumerism. Sadly, it has time and again produced deadly results. Here is a caption of a news item on Saturday, 29^th of November 2008: “A Wal-Mart discount store worker was killed yesterday when “out-of-control” shoppers desperate for bargains broke down the doors at a 5am sale. Other workers were trampled as they tried to rescue the man, and customers shouted angrily and kept shopping when store officials said they were closing because of the death, police and witnesses said. Shoppers stepped over the man on the ground and streamed into the store. When told to leave, they complained that they had been in line since Thursday morning.”

Here is another one: “A stampede happened at the PhilSports Stadium (also known as the ULTRA) in Pasig City, Metro Manila in the Philippines on February 4, 2006. It killed 78 people and injured about 400. About 30,000 people had been gathered outside the stadium waiting to participate in the first anniversary episode of the television variety show Wowowee hoping to win the promised huge cash prizes.”

Countless examples like these illustrate how deadly greed can be. That is why in the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus gave us a strong and serious warning: “Take care to guard against all greed.” Greed, also known as avarice or covetousness, is an inordinate desire to acquire or possess more than one needs or deserves, especially pertaining to material wealth. It is a direct violation of the commandment “Thou shall not covet thy neighbors’ goods.” It is one of the capital sins being the cause of many other sins. Like lust and gluttony, greed is a sin of excess. However, greed specifically applies to a very excessive or insatiable desire and pursuit of wealth, status, and power.

St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that greed is “a sin against God, just as all mortal sins, inasmuch as man condemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things.” In other words, the greedy person chooses material and temporal things over and above God. It is idolatry, pure and simple – worshipping, not God, but creatures, particularly money. Jesus warned us, “You cannot serve both God and money.” If we are for money, then we will eventually reject the true God. This idolatry has been the cause of so much sufferings and misery in the world. Pope John Paul II wrote: “The greatest misfortune of this age is that people consider money as the highest good.” By hook or by crook, they have to acquire wealth. A person who is greedy can easily fall into the sins of disloyalty, deliberate betrayal, treason or even murder, all for personal gain. Scavenging and hoarding of materials or objects, simony, theft and robbery, especially by means of violence, deception, or manipulation of authority are the bitter fruits of greed. So we can definitely say that greed is the root of many evils in society. Everywhere we can see greed ingrained in every fabric of our society.

One dark night, a robber came up from behind a well-dressed man and stuck a gun in his side. “Give me your money,” he demanded. Surprisingly, the man kept his composure and arrogantly sneered at him saying, “You can’t do this! Don’t you know who I am? I’m the congressman of this district!” In that case,” replied the robber, “give me my money!”

In the parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus pointed out that greed is the ultimate kind of foolishness. It was not said that the rich man was bad, or that he used unjust and immoral means to get rich. In fact he was a competent businessman. His decision to tear down his old storage and replace it with a bigger one was a wise business decision. Nevertheless, Jesus called him a fool. Why? In the first place, it was because he thought only of himself. The welfare of his neighbors never crossed his mind. He was only thinking about how he can acquire more wealth, believing this will give him more security in life. Second, the present life was his only concern. It never occurred to him that he would eventually die, or that there is life hereafter. And the worst is, he did not think about God. He has placed his future entirely on his hoarded wealth, not realizing that all these can be wiped out in a second. He has fallen into the trap of idolatry.

Let the Gospel lesson today help us firmly resolve to avoid greed in all its forms. May we realize that greed does not only make us fools; it also puts us in extreme danger of death, physically and spiritually. Instead, let us develop the true sense of security – a security based on our faith and trust in the loving and providential God.

Just as fever is just a symptom of a more serious ailment, so also greed, a feverish desire for more wealth, power and position, is just a symptom of a soul in serious peril – a soul that is spiritually starving and deprived of the grace of God, a soul that is immobilized by the chains of materialism and selfishness, a soul that is blinded by pride and ambition. Jesus now invites us: “Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you.” Jesus is the only answer to all the desires and the deepest longings of our heart. Let us learn from St. Augustine who rightfully realized, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

Fr. Mike Lagrimas
St. Teresa Church
New York, NY 10002

The artist behind the famous painting Hapag ng Pag-Asa and other works depicting Christ in everyday Filipino life passed away last July 20 from a fatal heart attack.  This was posted on his website.

It is with deep sadness that we share the news of our dear friend, Joey Velasco’s recent passing. He suffered from a heart attack and seizures a few days ago. Kindly offer prayers for the eternal rest of his soul. May perpetual light shine upon him.  Let us derive comfort from Joey’s own words, and from the words that have inspired him…

Everyone knows he’s going to die, but nobody seems to be completely and absolutely prepared for it. Nobody lives each day ready to die; life should be lived to the full each day.  This is why I have nothing but respect and awe for the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi:   ”Each night when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.”

p.20, “The Niche of Nene,” They Have Jesus by Joey A. Velasco

Here are other links about Joey Velasco.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/07/20/10/heartist-painter-velasco-passes-away

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=536187&publicationSubCategoryId=70

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20080204-116572/Joey-Velascos-journey-in-art-and-life

360-degree Images of St. Peter’s Basilica, Sistine Chapel, St. John Lateran, and St. Paul’s

St. Patrick’s Basilica

Sistine Chapel

St. John Lateran

St. Paul’s Outside the Walls

The oldest Bible, Codes Sinaiticus, believed to be written over 1600 years ago is available online.  According to a Time’s article, the site hosting the images of the Sinaiticus has already had 96.4 million hits in the first 48 hours of being available online.

Time has a list of 10 interesting facts about the world’s oldest Bible.

July 25, 2010

We Are Cordially Invited!

Lk 11:1-13

A man had a minor heart attack, and was rushed to the nearest hospital for immediate coronary surgery. The hospital was run by the Sisters of Charity. The operation was successful, and the next day, the nun visited him in his room. “Mr. Jones, you’re doing just fine,” the nun said with a big smile as she gently patted his hand. “But we have to know who will pay for your medical bills. Do you have a medical insurance?” “No, I don’t have,” the man said in a weak voice. “Are you going to pay in cash, then?” “I don’t think I can, Sister. I have no money.” “Do you have a family or any close relatives around here?” “Yes, I have. But she is an old maid, a spinster nun assigned in Florida,” said the man. The nun’s smile vanished, and quickly corrected him, “I beg to disagree, sir. Nuns are not spinsters. They are married to Jesus.” The man’s face brightened up and said, “Really? Then, you may send the bill to my brother-in-law!”

This story reveals a profound truth. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he started with the word “Abba”, which, in the English language, is equivalent to how a child would call his father, as in “Daddy” or “Papa”. Jesus is telling us that we are closely related to God. He is not just our brother-in-law. He is our loving Father!

In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus is not merely giving us a formula of prayer that is easy to memorize and recite. Rather, in giving us the prayer “Our Father”, Jesus is offering a three-fold invitation to us. In the first place, he is inviting us to enter into an intimate relationship with God. St. John pointed it out in his letter: “See what love the Father has bestowed on us in letting us be called children of God. Yet that is what we are.” Hence, we are reminded that when we pray, our only and best disposition is to be like little children. That is why Jesus insisted, “Unless you become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.” God wants us to relate to Him as a child relates to his own father – with love, trust, honesty, humility and total dependence.

Many times, when parishioners come to me asking for prayers, they would invariably say, “Father, please pray for my intention. I know you are close to God and you are an expert in praying.” I am not even sure if this is a compliment. Contrary to popular belief, praying is not the monopoly of priests. It is supposed to be the main priority in the life of every follower of Christ. In the Gospel last Sunday, Jesus told Martha: “Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her.”

Prayer is the lifeblood of our soul. Saint Padre Pio calls it the “oxygen of our soul”. We cannot live without it. All of us need and are expected to pray. And if we love God, we will find time to pray. Prayer is an expression of our relationship with God. We pray, not because we are close to God. Rather, we are close to God, and so we pray. A child who does not have close relationship with his father will not talk to him in an intimate way. Prayer is the fruit of our relationship with God. The more we love God, the better our prayer will be. Therefore, there are no experts in prayer, but only true lovers of God. Likewise, seniority has no value in prayer, but only the ability to become like little children.

Secondly, in teaching the “Our Father”, Jesus also invites us to enter into a more meaningful relationship with him and with one another. If we call God “Father”, then Jesus is our Brother. Perhaps, nobody among us here will object to that. But Jesus has identified himself with our fellowmen, especially those considered the least, the lost and the last. In the parable on the Last Judgment, Jesus concluded: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me.” He demands that we also accept his brothers and sisters as our own. That is why the prayer starts with the first person pronoun “our”. It is never “My Father”. A selfish person has no right to pray the “Our Father”.

In his book “Jesus of Nazareth”, Pope Benedict XVI said: “Only within the ‘we’ of the disciples can we call God ‘Father’, because only through communion with Jesus do we truly become ‘children of God.’ In this sense, the word our is really demanding: It requires that we step out of the closed circle of our ‘I.’ It requires that we surrender ourselves to communion with the other children of God. It requires that we accept the others – that we open our ears and our hearts to them. When we say the word our, we say Yes to the living Church in which the Lord wanted to gather his new family…The Our Father overcomes all boundaries and makes us one family.”

Finally, in teaching us the “Our Father”, Jesus is inviting us to share his vision of this world. The Lord’s Prayer is not as simple as it looks. It is radical and revolutionary: it is a prayer that demands a fundamental change of the world – from being a world of injustice, selfishness and misery, into a world of justice, peace and happiness. It is a prayer that impels us to obey God’s will so that we can be instruments for the transformation of this world into becoming God’s kingdom on earth: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is heaven.”

In the Our Father, Jesus is offering us his threefold invitation: to become God’s children, to become brothers and sisters of Jesus and of one another, and to become instruments for the coming of God’s kingdom on earth. There is an RSVP attached to this invitation. Our reply is needed and it should be: “Amen!”

Fr. Mike Lagrimas
St. Teresa Church
New York, NY 10002

Passing along this wonderful image of the celebration of  the Mass in the Extra Ordinary Form (Latin Rite).  H/T to Fr. Dwight Longenecker and New Liturgical Movement blog.

Fr. Mike Lagrimas shares with us some information about several vital issues in liturgy.  “Liturgy Matters” for it talks about matters in liturgy, and it is also an acknowledgment that meaningful and faithful liturgical celebrations truly matter in our life as Christians.

Maiden post is about the Extraordinary Ministers of the Holy Communion.

July 18, 2010

First Things First

Lk 10:38-42

Three nuns were cleaning the chapel. The topic of their conversation was on how to serve God. The first nun said: “I want to be like these candles so that I can always accompany Jesus with my light.” The second said, “I wish to be like these flowers so that I can give my beauty and fragrance to the Lord.” The third one said, “I want to be the white cloth that covers the altar.” The other two were puzzled. “And what does the cloth have to do with serving the Lord?” With a twinkle in her eyes, the nun said, “So that Father can kiss me everyday before and after Mass!”

Like these nuns, the sisters Martha and Mary had their own ideas about serving the Lord. Martha went directly to the kitchen and hurriedly prepared food for her special guests. She was frantic and nervous because she was doing everything by herself and was running out of time. On the other hand, Mary was not concerned about the work in the kitchen. She sat down at the feet of Jesus and listened to his every word.

Martha represents the active apostolate, while Mary the contemplative apostolate. Which of the two was favored by Jesus? When Martha barged in to complain that her sister was not helping her, Jesus gently reprimanded her: “Martha, Martha, you are so worried and anxious about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Does this mean Jesus regarded contemplative life more important than the active life? Definitely not. Both are important in the life of every Christian. However, Jesus made sure that we set our priorities right: first things first. When asked about what the greatest commandment is, Jesus made it very clear: “Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” God first, neighbors next.

Mary has chosen the better part, not that Martha chose the wrong one. Rather, Mary had the right priority. She sat down and listened to the words of the Lord. Before doing anything, she made sure she had the guidance and inspiration of the Lord. On the other hand, Martha was “anxious and worried about many things” because she rushed right into her work without seeking the wisdom and strength from the Lord.

It was, therefore, not a question of which of the two is more important. Work and prayer are both important. It is more a question of which of the two should come first. The Gospel is telling us that it is prayer that should come first so that our work will have the guidance and inspiration from God. A quotation says, “When man works, it is only man who works. But when man prays, God works.” This reminds us of the Scripture passage, “If the Lord does not build the house, in vain does the workman labor; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil.” Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Apart from me, you can do nothing.” Ultimately, it is God who makes things possible, who makes our work fruitful.

There is a story about two woodcutters. The first woodcutter works eight hours a day. The second works only for five hours. But both of them have equal number of logs cut with their axe. Asked about the secret of his productivity, the second woodcutter said, “It is because take time to rest and recharge my body. And while resting, I sharpen my axe.”

Nowadays, people have to be reminded of this lesson. Too many among us have the disease called STD – stress, tension and depression. We work so hard to make ends meet. We rush to meet deadlines, to catch the train, and to come on time for our appointments. At the end of the day, we are exhausted, wasted, dull and empty. And this happens everyday for years. It is summer time, vacation time. But many consider taking vacation as luxury. It has become too expensive, and we cannot even think of taking some time off from work. Worst of all, many of us say that we have no time even to go to Church or to pray. We are just too busy. The Lord is now telling us: “Martha, Martha, you are so worried and anxious about so many things! Relax. Come to me, and I will give you rest!” We need to come to Jesus to get some rest and lots of sharpening.

Remember: Jesus is the tree; we are the branches. A branch cannot bear fruit if it is not connected to the tree. We are powerless and lifeless if we are not connected to Jesus. We have lots of work to do and many obligations to fulfill. Yes, we have to work hard. But first, let us make sure we find time to sit down at the feet of Jesus and listen to his words, be inspired by his spirit and be strengthened by his grace. Then the work becomes light, the fruits of our labors become sweet and abundant. Let us take home the motto of Saint Benedict: “Ora et labora.” Pray and work. Not vice versa.

Fr. Mike Lagrimas
St. Teresa Church
New York, NY 10002



Archbishop Socrates Villegas plays “Paolo’s Journey.”

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) announced the launch of a new video game on Friday which has a “catechetical value” for kids. St. Paul is the protagonist in the three-dimensional game promoted by the bishops.

The introduction of the video game was so novel that even the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano picked up on the CBCPnews report announcing the initiative, which was created for the Filipino bishops’ Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education.  Continue reading here.

Rome Reports

I found this wonderful Documentary on the Life of St. Dominic De Guzman & the Dominican Family in the Philippines.  Click here to download.