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Showing posts from November, 2015

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT, C

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HE WILL COME… It's advent again… and what a season! This is the season to wait. Practically, we are waiting for something exciting. We feel that Christmas is just around the corner and daily in Eat Bulaga noontime show, 3-year old Baeby Baste shouts the countdown: 46 days before Christmas! But Advent is not just waiting for a special day, a religious, cultural or family feast (which Christmas has become for many of us). Advent is waiting for Christ the Lord to come into our lives and into our world. today more than ever, we need Jesus to come and visit our world, to renew our shattered lives, to repair what was destroyed and to restore lost hope. Are you seriously waiting for Jesus? Or do you think you already have him in full that waiting is not needed?   Or do you feel that he has already conquered all so that waiting is just plain useless to you?   whatever you feel inside of you, the fact is many people are still waiting for Jesus… and they are w

UNANG LINGGO NG ADBIYENTO, K

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DARATING SIYA Eto na naman ang Adbiyento… ang panahon ng paghihintay! Naghihintay tayo sa isang kinagigiliwan.   Alam nating malapit na ang Pasko at araw-araw sa Eat Bulaga, ina-announce ni Baeby Baste: 46 days na lang Pasko na! Pero ang Adbiyento ay hindi lamang pananabik sa isang ispesyal na araw, isang araw na may kabuluhang relihiyoso, tradisyunal o pampamilya man.   Ang Adbiyento ay pananabik kay Kristo na Panginoon natin upang dumating muli sa ating buhay at sa ating daigdig. Ngayon higit sa lahat ng panahon, mas kailangan natin si Hesus na dumating upang ayusin nag ating buhay, buuin ang nawasak at ibalik ang ating pag-asa. Seryoso ka bang naghihintay kay Hesus? O sa tingin mo ay natagpuan mo na siya at hindi na kailangang maghintay pa? O naranasan mo na siya at dahil doon, walang kuwenta ang manabik pa sa kanya? Anuman ang iyong pakiramdam o iniisip, ang totoo ay maraming naghihintay… at naghihintay sila hindi sa gitna ng ginhawa kundi sa gitna n

SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING, B

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THE PROCESSION OF THE KING Every year, we run across the feast of Christ the King. It is an august moment in our country, with vigils, processions, Solemn Eucharist. Houses where the procession will pass are decorated with flags, flowers, altars and candles to honor the King who comes carried by the priest in the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament.   At least once a year, we remember who our king is, or who our king should be, so that we will not forget to give him the space in our heart he deserves. The Christ the King procession gives so much meaning to people as they witness the Blessed Sacrament, borne by the priest, pass through through the streets of the community. People feel blessed. They offer their prayers of thanks and petition. The Lord is passing by and his graces fall on those who are waiting for it. We Filipinos give much significance to this procession, as the highlight of the whole liturgical calendar. Coming at the end, it is the c

DAKILANG KAPISTAHAN NG KRISTONG HARI, B

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ANG PRUSISYON NG HARI Bawat taon, dumadaan tayo sa Kapistahan ng Kristong Hari. Maringal na okasyon ito sa ating bayan, na may kasamang mga dasal, prusisyon, bihilya, at Banal na Misa. Nakaayos ang mga bahay na dadaanan ng prusisyon, ng mga kandila, bandera, bulaklak at altar. Sa pagdaan ng pari, dala niya ang Hari na nasa Santissimo Sakramento. Minsan sa isang taon, natatandaan natin kung sino talaga ang hari at ang dapat maghari, upang huwag nating malimutan na bigyan siya ng puwang sa puso natin. Ang prusisyon ng Kristong Hari ay makabuluhan. Ramdam natin na tayo ay pinagpala. Nag-aalay tayo ng dasal ng pasasalamat at pamimintuho. Eto si Hesus sa ating mga lansangan at ang biyaya niya ay bumabagsak sa mga taong naghihintay sa Kanya. Ang prusisyong ito ay siyang pinakatampok sa dulo ng ating kalendaryo. Ito rin ang tulay patungo sa Adbiyento, sa mga pangako na darating nga ang Anak ng Diyos sa ating buhay. Ang mensahe ng prusisyong ito ay kas

PEOPLE OF FAITH, CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR PARIS… AND FOR THE WORLD!!!

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IKA-33 LINGGO NG KARANIWANG PANAHON, B

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TULOY PO KAYO, PANGINOON! Ang mabuting balita ngayon na halos nasa dulo na ng ating kalendaryo, ay tungkol sa pagbabalik ni Hesus sa kaluwalhatian. Ang una niyang pagdating sa mundo ay payak at simple. ang ikalawa ay magiging hayagan, maringal, at makapangyarihan. Maging mga Muslim ay naniniwala na si Hesus ang propetang magbabalik upang maging hudyat ng katapusan ng lahat. Kahit hindi sila naniniwalang si Hesus ay Diyos, si Hesus pa rin, hindi si Mohammad, o ibang propeta ang siyang magbabalik sa mundo.   Nakakamangha di ba? Sa marami sa atin, takot ang namamayani kapag naisip natin ang pagdating na ito ng Panginoon. Ayaw kasi natin ng katapusan. Ayaw nating matapos ang ating mga gawain, mga relasyon, mga plano. Gusto natin ay “forever” iyong walang katapusan, sabi nga ng Aldub. Subalit para sa mga nagmamahal kay Hesus, ang pagdating niya ay hindi katatakutan kundi kagalakan. Kung magbabalik siya upang makipagtagpo sa atin, hindi ba dapat lan

33RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, B

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WELCOME, LORD! The gospel today, read at the penultimate week of the liturgical calendar, foretells the return of Jesus in glory. His first coming in the world was through the humble state of an infant in the manger. His second coming will be public, grand, and powerful. Even Muslims believe that Jesus will be the prophet who will return to signal the end of all things. Though they do not believe in Jesus as God, isn’t it remarkable that for them, it is Jesus who will come again, not Mohammad or any other prophet? The image of Jesus’ coming inspires fear in the heart of many people. There is a fear of the end.   We do not want our activities, our relationships, and our projects to end. We want things to continue. If possible, we want to experience the proverbial Aldub wish of “forever.” However for those who love the Lord, his coming is not a frightening event, but a joyful encounter. If he will come to meet us, should we not rejoice in welcom

IKA-32 LINGGO SA KARANIWANG PANAHON, B

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ANG AKING DIYOS AY MAPAGBIGAY Nagulat ka ba sa Mabuting Balita? Pinapansin ni Hesus ang ating pagbibigay! Naupo siya sa isang sulok ng templo upang tingnan ang mga tao habang nag-aalay ng kanilang yaman para sa gawain tungkol sa kaharian ng Diyos, tungkol sa misyon ng Panginoon. Pero hind mahalaga kay Hesus kung “gaano kalaki” ang bigay nila. Sinisilip ni Hesus “kung paano” sila magbigay. Dahil dito, nakita niyang ang mga mayayaman ay nagbibigay dahil obligasyon o kaugalian nila ito, o para mapansin ng iba, o para patahimikin ang kanilang konsyensya, o para magmukhang mabuti sila pati sa kanilang sarili. Dito niya hinangaan ang isang dukhang biyuda na napakaliit ng ibinahagi. Nakita ng Panginoon na ibinigay niya “ang lahat” ng kanyang ikabubuhay, dahil nagbigay siya mula sa puso. Hindi bilang tungkulin kundi bilang paninindigan na lahat ng meron siya ay regalo ng Diyos. Nagbigay siyang tahimik at hindi kapansin-pansin. Nagbahagi siya kahit masakit sa pus

32ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, B

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MY GOD IS A GIVING GOD Jesus observes our giving! Isn’t that surprising? In the gospel, Jesus situated himself in a corner of the temple to take notice of people while they part with their riches for the work that pertains to God’s glory on earth, for the mission of the Kingdom. But Jesus does not look at “how much” people give. Jesus discerns “the way” people give. Because of this, he saw how many rich people give out of a sense of obligation only, or in order to be noticed, or in order to appease their conscience, or in order to feel good about themselves. He saw, and admired, the giving of a poor widow who had very little to share.   Jesus saw how this widow “gave everything” she had, because she gave from the heart.   She gave not out of obligation but out of conviction that everything she possessed was a gift received. She gave discreetly so as not to be seen. She gave even when it hurt because her donation was to be her food, her gas, her water, he