The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord originated in the Diocese of Lie’ge in 1246 as the feast of Corpus Christi. In the reforms  of Vatican II, the feast was joined with the Feast of the Precious Blood to become the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord.

The bread and wine blessed, broken and given by Christ that night in the Last Supper continues to be celebrated in our masses.  Our coming to the table of the Holy Eucharist in more than just reliving the memory of Christ’s great sacrifice for our salvation, in sharing his “body” in the bread of the Eucharist we re-enter into a new dimension of love of God who gives us “new life” in His son, the risen Lord, in drinking his “blood” in the wine of the Eucharist we take his life into the very core of our beings.

Since, the bread and wine we received are transformed by the Spirit into the Body and Blood of Jesus, this should transform us into being like Him – being sign of God’s presence to our families and communities.  St. Augustine said.  “If you have received worthily the body and blood of Jesus, you become what you have received”.  We become the Body of Christ.  We should be Eucharistic people willing to be given and shared to others – making the love of God real in our world today.  May we become the bread of His forgiveness and reconciliation and the wine of His love for all who are longing for God’s presence.

 -Fr. Henry Ferreras

Reflection

The book “The Road Less Traveled”, written by M. Scott Peck, begins with a thoughtful and wise statement: “Life is difficult.” Short as it is, it captures a truth and a wisdom that can save us from many unnecessary worries, vexatious whining and unending complaints about the most inconsequential inconveniences. He says further: “It is a great truth because once we really see this truth we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult, once we truly understand and accept it, then life is no longer difficult … the fact that life is difficult doesn’t really matter.”

We can paraphrase the quote above and apply it to Christian life and say: “Discipleship is difficult.” And it seems that the impulsive disciple Peter lost it again. Last week, he got the right answer to the question of Jesus, “Who do you say I am” when he proclaimed the identity of Jesus as the Christ, the son of the living God. But he did not yet understand what it entailed to confess that Jesus is Lord and savior. In the words of Jesus, it meant: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” When he heard Jesus say that he had to undergo the difficult process of suffering death, Peter, with all his good intentions, remonstrated with Jesus, telling him: “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” Once more, Peter was looking at things from the limited understanding of human reason and worldly thinking. He did see Jesus as his Lord and savior. And so, he thought they all should be exempted from any form of hardship and difficulty, much more, death on the cross. It’s part of the perks of the position of being the Messiah, the Son of God, or so Peter thought. What was Jesus response to his inaccurate idea? “Get behind me Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are not thinking as God does, but as human beings do.” We can get stuck with Jesus calling Peter “Satan” and forget that he asked him to “get behind me.” It is an invitation, not a rejection of Peter, to confess Jesus as Lord not only when things are going right but also to follow more closely, even cling to him, in trying times. We need to stop thinking that it is alright for others to have difficulties in life while we should be exempt from it. To get behind Jesus is to accept that discipleship is difficult.

Response

This doesn’t mean we have to look for suffering. That’s not discipleship. It’s masochism. Jesus himself requested that the cup of suffering be taken away from him, if possible. The point of carrying our crosses is not about us dying. Jesus has done that for us. For us, it is about having life to the fullest. Peter, who died by crucifixion himself, understood in the end what Jesus meant when he said: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds we have been healed.”

Reflection

The Christians during the time of St. Paul used the image of being asleep as a symbol for a sinful life, giving in to every form of selfish gratification. The opposite, therefore, to be awake, is to be faithful in one’s life to the commands of the Lord and living them out in faithful witness amidst opposition to the values of the gospel of Jesus. That is why St. Paul tells the Romans in our 2nd reading to be awake from their sleep because they not anymore a people living in darkness, without purpose or direction. They are a people who have received the light of Christ.

Response

As we begin another Advent season, we shall encounter biblical Advent personalities like the prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist and Mary, challenging us to keep awake and be ready and prepared. They all invite us to awake from the dark areas of our lives that we have overstayed and overslept in. Sometimes, we need a wake-up call from a deep, dark slumber.

The Advent season is that wake-up call we all need once in awhile because it reminds us of the important message of the coming of the Lord at the moment we least expect. The question is, are we ready for it or will we miss the chance again? When the great teacher, Jesus, says, “Finished or not, pass your papers,” will he find blank stares on our faces because we are not ready? Or will our readiness be at least a readiness to drop everything when the right time comes. The time of Advent gives us four weeks to prepare for a meaningful celebration of Christmas, the birth of Jesus in human time. Our lifetime on earth prepares us to be ready to be with God for eternity.

Reflection

Lost and found. It’s a familiar signage in many public places like malls, offices and even in churches. It’s not uncommon that people will come to the parish office looking for an umbrella that was left behind, a bag or wallet that was forgotten or even asking for directions on how get a Jeepney ride to a particular college or building in the university campus or get out of it. Sadder are announcements on the public address system of a mall saying about a lost child wearing a particular kind of dress. You could just imagine how frantic the parents or companions of that lost child is. And you can equally imagine the relief and joy they have once reunited with their lost child. But more so is the relief and joy from the lost child!

Jesus is an expert on lost and found. How many Gospel stories did he narrate in his parables about it? So many. Remember the story of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin? How about the Prodigal Son? We realize that Jesus is in the business of finding what was lost. The Gospel today is another case about lost and found. It is about a man named Zaccheus. He is the chief tax collector and therefore a rich man. That is also why he is considered lost.  He was rejected by his own people for enriching himself through the Roman occupation and collecting taxes for the enemy, keeping an ample amount for himself.  He hid behind his riches.  But he was a lost soul. One day he heard a crowd coming.  He inquired what the commotion was all about and was told Jesus, the messiah, was passing by. Initially, he was just curious about Jesus. He ran ahead, but being small in height, he climbed a tree to get a glimpse of the great man.  But then Jesus stopped under the tree and called him.  The Good Shepherd found the lost sheep.  Zacchaeus came down from the tree and pledged himself to God.  “Half of my belonging I give to the poor.  If I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay him back four fold.” With that declaration, the lost, little man was on the road not only of recovery but restoration and repentance. Jesus responds to his declaration of conversion and tells him, “Today, salvation has come to this house!” Zacchaeus was no longer lost. Jesus found him, and he responded. He now found himself in Jesus Christ.

A spiritual writer gives the following insight: “Perhaps some of us have had times that we have really been lost.  We go to Church every week, and that is a very good thing. 

But sometimes we are just going through the motions. We stand and sit and kneel and sing. The hardest times for us are often the quiet times. That is often a sure sign that something is very wrong. It is hard to hide non Christian behavior when it is only we and the Lord. Those are the times when our consciences are telling us: I’m lost.  Maybe, I shouldn’t even be here.” 

Response

We all come to Church to attend mass, pray and find peace. Some more regularly, others intermittently. When we do, we have taken the first step to see who Jesus is. Entering the Church is like climbing the sycamore tree Zaccheus did to get a glimpse of Jesus.  And we look, not only down but inside us, we find Jesus saying, “_________ (put your name in the blank space), come down from there.  I want to stay in your house and in your heart from now on.” What is our response? Do we want Him in our house and in our heart?  It is going to cost us.  We will have to let go of that which has no place in our house, in our lives. We don’t need an IQ of 120 to make the right decision.  Nothing can compare the tremendous joy of having Jesus in our lives. Remember, Jesus himself was once lost to Mary and Joseph but was found in his father’s house.

Reflection

Response

To those who think their faith is weak, remember you are never alone. We belong to a church that is a community of faith. If at times our faith is weak, the faith of other believers can strengthen us. Their faith can carry us through. To those of us who think our faith is so strong, remember what Jesus says in the Gospel. Have you moved a tree lately and planted in the ocean? In the end, what really matters is not whether our faith is strong or weak. What truly matters is we realize and believe deeply the love God has for us. He loves us whether our faith is weak or strong. He treasures us even if we have lost our faith! Such constancy, faithfulness and compassion do not depend on our limited perception of his being close or far. In fact it is because of these that the possibility of a lost faith can be found once more.

Reflection

What is love? If we look at popular culture we will find different answers to that question. Movies, books and love songs have tried to paint a portrait of what it is. “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” They are the famous lines from the book The Love Story by Eric Segal that was made into movie. Or the song of the Beatles that says “All you need is love.” There is no arguing that our world needs love. But what kind? Jesus agrees that we all do need love in our lives. But not only the love stories written and love songs sung kind of love. We hear in the Gospel today Jesus give his disciples a new commandment, different from the commandments they have been used to. His new commandment said: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Three things make Jesus’ kind of love new and different. First, he says don’t love the way the world loves. Let your kind of love not be what is popular and the fad. Jesus is saying do not love only with human love. Mind you, not everything about human love is wrong though. But many times it does not always work. But love the way Jesus loves. And how did Jesus love? He gave this commandment of love at a time when he was about to suffer on the cross and be put to death. It would show the ultimate sacrifice: offering one’s life out love for the heavenly Father and the people given to Jesus. His was a love empty of self-concern, conditions and expectations. Second, this is a new kind of love because he makes it an imperative, not just a request, for his disciples to follow. It is not a multiple choice kind of thing. It is not a cafeteria or turo-turo situation where you pick and point only what you want. It is a clear command of Jesus: “Love one another as I have loved you!” Even if it is a command, we are still free to reject it, be indifferent to it or respond and obey it. Third, if we do take seriously his imperative of love, it becomes the proof we are his disciples. It is the badge by which we are recognized as faithful to Jesus. It would be helpful to describe more in detail what this command of love that Jesus gives entail. In the Greek language, four words are used to describe it: Storges, philia, eros and agape. Storges is love for family members. Philia is love for friends. Eros is between a man and a woman. Agape is love not based on feelings or emotions but on willing what is best for the other. This is the love Jesus wants us to have that should guide thenother loves we have. That is why he can say “love your enemies” and “forgive seventy-times seven times.”

Response

As the command to love is the greatest commandment of Jesus, it also is the hardest and most difficult. It is a mandate that is now and forever, in season and out of season. It is the highest duty of any Christian faithful. The obligation of love seems contradictory because many believe you cannot force love. But love is also a decision that requires discipline and dedication. It needs to say I’m sorry.

A hero is well loved by many. People adore heroes. We have a strong attraction for them, giving them our applause and adulation. I’m sure you have your own personal heroes in your lives. They may be popular personalities like actors, politicians or other celebrities.  But I suspect for many of us, we just are admiring them from a distance and we would not be willing to put out our lives on the chopping board for them.

Isaiah, in the first reading, describes the true servant of God. He remains faithful to his mission even when persecuted. For he relies on God. The second reading is a hymn of the early church. Jesus humbles himself and becomes one among us to serve us even unto death. But God glorifies Him for His faithfulness. The gospel is the passion of Jesus. In His suffering, death and resurrection, Jesus overcomes death and sin and brings us fullness of life in God. He enters Jerusalem with the adulation of the people. They were waving their palm branches and shouting their Hosannas to him because they thought he would be their liberator from the occupying Roman forces. But he was not who they wanted and expected him to be. In the end, they abandoned and even wanted their supposed hero dead.

Is Jesus your hero? If so, how far are you willing follow Jesus? This is the challenged posed to us today as we recall the glorious entry of Jesus to Jerusalem. People were acclaiming Him as God’s messenger: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” A few days from now, on Good Friday, people will change their mind and stop following Jesus and even shout: “Crucify Him.” We can understand this better if we reflect on our own lives. We have some days of glorious happiness, of success and joy, but also sad days of contradiction and failure. Today we look at them in the light of the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection. With Him we live happy days, with Him we experience sad days, but whether sad or joyful, in all of them we remain with the Lord and follow Him till the end. Let us be one with Jesus in His suffering, that, we may share in His glorious victory.

Response

Place a crucifix or a cross in a visible place today, perhaps somewhere at work where you can easily see it. Each time you look at it, ask yourself: What kind of follower am I? How willing am I to walk behind Jesus and everything He stood for?

Remember. Memory. Reminder. All these words suggest recalling something that has been forgotten. They are asking to bring to mind again something important.  When we remember, we become aware of what has been forgotten. When we recall, we make present what is absent.  Good memories we want to remember. Bad memories we want to forget. I remember counseling someone who had painful memories of the past. It made her feel bad about herself because of the neglect she felt from her parents. On the other hand, if our memory of our past is about how much love and care we received, it’s a memory worth remembering and thinking about.

The Gospel story of the Transfiguration of Jesus is about remembering a particular memory. It is an event that will serve as a reminder for the disciples of Jesus – a reminder to them that when Jesus would be condemned to death, new life awaited; when he is crucified on the cross, victory is waiting; when he was buried in the tomb, it will become empty on the third day.

Jesus is a good student of human nature. He knew his disciples would become weak in faith once they see him suffer, be crucified and die on the cross. So he made sure they will remember him with a glorious event like the Transfiguration. He shows himself to them transfigured and even together with Moses and Elijah, two great figures of the Old Testament.

A remembered moment is a source of strength in times of weakness; a river of courage when overpowered by fear; a mountain of certainty when besieged by doubts. The Transfiguration of Jesus is their remembered moment that Jesus wanted them to recall time and time again.

In truth, Jesus gives us the same remembered moment. The Transfiguration of Jesus is not only for the apostles Peter, James and John but for all of us. We can easily complain that we don’t have many moments to recall the presence of Jesus. But in truth, we do. We simply fail to recognize such moments. It is just a matter of seeing and looking more intently.  It’s like having a third eye as it were, seeing with the soul. What we see influences and even changes our behavior.  We see something, which at first glance, we judge as unacceptable actions. But when we get to know the deeper reason for such actions, and realize the pain behind it, we change our way of seeing and judging events and people. It changes us and our behavior as well.  We do have our transfiguration moments with Jesus. We simply fail to see them.

Response

We must remember what this gospel is telling us. If God reveals Himself in the human face of Jesus, Jesus is also revealed in the human faces of those who touch us in love and we touch with love as well. WE need only to see in a new way, we need to remember the transfigured face of Jesus and we will be reminded of his presence in our life.

Reflection

If you’re new and you want to be accepted, they say you should seriously take the following advice. First, make a good first impression. Look rich, play the role of one who is successful and powerful. Second, never start in a place where people know you already. Being unknown and anonymous as you begin helps you create a good image. Third, try not to upset people. Refrain from making your opinions known. Just tell people what they want to hear. Lastly, do not put yourself out on the line. Don’t volunteer for any task or responsibility. Don’t be involved unless you’ll get something in return. Follow these pieces of advice and you will be assured of welcome and acceptance.

How about Jesus? How was he welcomed when he had his homecoming in Nazareth? How was he accepted by those who knew his background? There is one word to describe it: rejection. Jesus was not accepted by his own people. Why? Not only because He was known to them but more so because He did not measure up to their expectations. For them, t

Reflection

The picture of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is very familiar to many Filipino Catholic families. When we look at their stampitas or images, they seem to be so perfect and holy. Yet such depictions are far-off from how the gospel of St. Matthew pictures the birth of Jesus.

Joseph plays a central role in the story of the birth of Jesus. He was a man of action and humility. He takes Mary to be his wife although she was already with child. And when Jesus was born and his entire family was threatened by King Herod, he leads his family away from harm’s way going as far as Egypt. Even today if you go to a pilgrimage to Cairo in Egypt, the tradition of the place where the Holy Family lived as refugees is still there. After the threat to their life is over, they go back to Judea and to Nazareth.

Part of the Holy Family is their relatives on Mary’s side like Elizabeth, Zechariah and John. They all appear and reappear in the life of Jesus. His other relatives even thought Jesus was out of his mind so they came to take him away!

The point of this feast of the Holy Family is not about extolling families and family life only. It is more so to remind us that Jesus was part of a human family like most of us. Added to that, he was deeply affected and shaped by his family. This shows to us the importance of our family background. This is also a reminder for us how high a calling family life is. Those of you who are parents should check what kind of formative experiences you are providing in your own families. It is not enough to provide food on the table and roof over their heads although those are truly important. We must also, as a family, nurture their minds, hearts and souls. Lest we forget, it is in our families that children first discover who they are. To guide them in this discovery is holy work.

Today’s celebration invites us to appreciate and recognize the treasure which is the family. Perhaps this is a good time to see how well we are supporting and taking care of the treasure of being in a family. Even though not all our experiences of family are good and fulfilling, most of us see its importance and essential role in our community and the church. Unfortunately, many Filipino families today are broken families either by choice or painful circumstances. Some have either one or both parents working abroad, far from the children. The social impact of such arrangement is devastating. We are in fact already feeling and seeing its effects. Cases of teenage pregnancies, drug use, materialism, lack of focus, misplaced values and priorities, even suicides, are just some to name a few.

Response

We are challenged to care for the treasure we call the family. The message of Christmas is that we are given a savior who was born in a family. The family is the important place where real change, whether for good or bad, can take place. A Catholic family is called to create holy families. Because it is in the family that the gospel of Jesus begins.