June 30, 2013
Sunday – Year of Faith – Ordinary Time
by
His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio "Chito" Gokim Tagle
Archbishop
of Manila & Cardinal-Priest of the Ttitular Church of San Felice da
Cantalice a Centocelle in Rome
2:30PM
Mass on the blessing of the newly built Mary Mother of Hope Chapel (Landmark
Chapel), Makati
Reading 1 1 Kgs 19:16b, 19-21
The
LORD said to Elijah: “You shall anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah,
as prophet to succeed you.”
Elijah
set out and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve
yoke of oxen; he was following the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw
his cloak over him. Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please,
let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and I will follow you.” Elijah
answered, “Go back! Have I done anything to you?” Elisha left him, and taking
the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them; he used the plowing equipment for fuel to
boil their flesh, and gave it to his people to eat. Then Elisha left and
followed Elijah as his attendant.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
R. (cf.
5a) You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep
me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say
to the LORD, “My Lord are you.
O LORD,
my allotted portion and my cup,
you it
is who hold fast my lot.”
R. You
are my inheritance, O Lord.
I bless
the LORD who counsels me;
even in
the night my heart exhorts me.
I set
the LORD ever before me;
with him
at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You
are my inheritance, O Lord.
Therefore
my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my
body, too, abides in confidence
because
you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor
will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. You
are my inheritance, O Lord.
You
will show me the path to life,
fullness
of joys in your presence,
the
delights at your right hand forever.
R. You
are my inheritance, O Lord.
Reading 2 Gal 5:1, 13-18
Brothers
and sisters: For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit
again to the yoke of slavery.
For you
were called for freedom, brothers and sisters. But do not use this freedom as
an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love. For the
whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, You shall love your neighbor
as yourself. But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you
are not consumed by one another.
I say,
then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the
flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the
flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.
But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Gospel Lk 9:51-62
When
the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to
journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they
would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was
Jerusalem. When the disciples James and
John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?” Jesus turned and
rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.
As they
were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “I will follow you
wherever you go.” Jesus answered him,
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has
nowhere to rest his head.”
And to
another he said, “Follow me.” But he
replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their
dead. But you, go and proclaim the
kingdom of God.” And another said, “I
will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at
home.” To him Jesus said, “No one who
sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the
kingdom of God.”
HOMILY
Today is a day of rejoicing. First
of all, it is a Sunday. And every Sunday, the Christian community gathers in
order to give thanks to God for the gift of the risen Lord who took us to new
life - a life of freedom, freedom from sin, freedom from death. Every Sunday,
we redeem ourselves as the fruit of Christ's resurrection.
And this day is made more
significant, made more special by the blessing of this new chapel dedicated for
the glory of God, and also through our Lady under the title of Our Mother of
Hope. We would like to thank Bishop Bernardino Cortez, our Auxiliary Bishop
here in Manila, for gracing this occasion. We thank our brother priests; we do
not know if their parishes will have masses this afternoon (laughs) because
they're all here to share with our joy.
The blessing of this chapel is an
indication to us - what is the chapel all about? What is this house of God all
about? Is this just a space that is reserved for some purpose? In one sense,
yes. This place has been reserved for a religious purpose. This place will now
be reserved for the work of God, especially through the proclamation of the
Word, especially through the very moments of prayer, adoration and devotion,
and most especially through the celebration of the Eucharist. This Chapel will
be devoted to the work of God under the Archdiocese of Manila.
And this chapel - the Mary Mother of
Hope Chapel - will be in tandem with the Mother Chapel, the Greenbelt Chapel.
We do not want Sto. Nino and the Mother...to fight. (laughs) Mother and Son
should not fight. Mother and Son are always together, working for God's glory.
And to ensure that Mother and Son will work harmoniously, we assigned a
supervisor for the Mother and the Son. (laughs) One supervisor - si
Father Jun Sescon. (loud applause) He will take charge in coordinating the
schedule of the masses and other sacraments. In other words, we are the one
body of Christ, who is the King of Kings. And we are all children of the one
Mother, who we call Our Lady of Hope. We hope that in this area, amid the
continuing commercial business, in the midst of all the buzz, there will be the
never ending grace of God, who is the source of all life. (applause)....What
does that mean? (referring to the clapping) Uupo na po ba ako? Pinatitigil na
po yata ako. (laughs)
This brings us to a consideration of
the Readings for today. if this Chapel is the house of God, if this Chapel is
devoted to the Word of God, if this Chapel nurtures the community as the body
of Christ, if this Chapel helps in the strengthening of the bonds of Christians
being temples of the Holy Spirit, then the Readings for today give us a
wonderful description of one of the missions of this Chapel, which is to form
and to continuously form disciples of Christ. True, genuine, sincere disciples
of Christ.
There are many characteristics of a
disciple of Christ. And in the Readings for today, one important element is
described, and it is freedom - freedom in the spirit. St. Paul, in the Second
Reading, in his letter to the Galatians, said that Christ has freed us. Christ
has set us free. But St. Paul quickly describes it as freedom based on the
power of the Holy Spirit. It is spiritual freedom, which is quite different
from freedom according to the flesh.
And what is freedom according to the
flesh? Freedom according to flesh is this - I will do what I want to do. I am
free, so I can do what I want to do. I do not care. Nobody can stop me. I am
free, I can do what I want to do. That's the freedom that is more palatable to
our very worldly place. And that is the freedom that many people want to
exercise.
I see some of our children (in the
kids' room). Naririnig din tayo ng mga bata, at nakikita nila tayo sa TV
screen. Mga bata....sorry ha...baka tulog na kayo diyan. (laughs)
But you are part this community, huh....hindi kayo hiwalay. Mga bata - o
halimbawa, pag sinabi ng inyong mga magulang, "O, mag-aral ka na, may
pasok bukas. Puro ka TV at computer games." O huwag mong
sasabihin, "Mommy, I am free. I can do what I want to do. Kung
gusto kong mag-aral, mag-aaral ako. Kung gusto kong mag-TV magti-TV ako.
This is a free country." (laughs) Is that freedom?
Kayong mga nandito, paggising n'yo
sa umaga, check kaagad kayo kung may
message kayo sa cellphone. Habang nag-aalmusal, nagse-cellphone pa
rin. Habang nagsa-shower, nandoon pa rin (laughs) kasama ang
case. Habang nagtuturo ang teacher ninyo, 'yon pa rin,
chine-check n'yo pa rin. And then people will ask you, "Ano ka
ba, bakit puro ka cellphone?" And then sasabihin n'yo,
"Well, am I not free?"....Are you free? Are you really free, or are
you already a slave of such a gadget? Ang liit-liit niyan, ang laki-laki mo.
(laughs) Napapasunod ka niyan. Nag-ring lang, nagtatatakbo ka na.
(laughs) Who is the slave? Who is free? Who is unfree?
Kinuwento ko nga kanina, na minsan
may lumapit sa akin na dalaga, ang sabi niya,
"You know Bishop, I am physically attracted to one of your priests."
(loud laughs) Ano kaya 'yon? Humihingi kaya siya ng permiso? (laughs)
Was she expecting a blessing from me? (loud laughs) O ok, ok....oh..mamili
ka....(loud laughs) Biniro ko na lang. Sabi ko, "Huh? Sa akin?"
(laughs) But of course, the conversation did not progress, but then again, if
that woman, for example, will tell me, "Well, what can I do? Gusto ko
siya, eh." Is that freedom?
'Yong mga may asawa na dito. May
nakita kayong...wow....parang napakagandang
dalaga. Will you say, "Ay hayaan mo na 'yang misis ko.....maganda
siya dati, eh. (loud laughs) I am free, I can choose anyone I want. Is that
freedom?
St. Paul is telling us - if you
are a true disciple of Christ, you will know what true freedom is. It is
freedom coming from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And the law that is
supposed to help us maintain true freedom is love which comes from the Spirit. If
you love God, if you are totally available for God, if you love your neighbor,
you will not allow anything - especially evil things - to block your freedom to
be kind, to be good, to be compassionate.
That's why St. Paul says, if you
keep on fighting each other, you are not free. Because you are not loving; you
are devouring one another. Sabi niya, sa kaa-away n'yo, baka maubos kayo. Oo
nga, kakagatin mo 'yong isa. Ubos. Ubusan ng lahi. (laughs) Is that
freedom? No. According to St. Paul, that's not freedom. That is slavery to the
world.
And we hope in this Chapel, through
the Word of God, through the Eucharist, may we all become children of God,
disciples of Christ, a true temple of the Holy Spirit known for their freedom
coming from God, inspired by the Holy Spirit.
But let us expect Jesus to challenge
us, to form us. Just like in the Gospel. Someone said, "I will follow
You." And Jesus says, aha....you will follow Me. I am going to Jerusalem
to face My death. Will you follow Me? Ang daling sabihin, "I will
follow You." Parang kanta 'yon. Ano na nga'ng kanta 'yon? (laughs) 'Yong
sa 'Sister Act'. Do we have some sisters here\/ (Cardinal saw a nun.)
Sister, can you sing it for us? (loud laughs)
I will follow You....pero baka
kung papunta kayo ng Jerusalem, I will not follow You. And so Jesus told
them that birds have nests, and foxes have dens, but the Son of Man has nowhere
to lay His head. If you will follow Me, it is not a life of comfort. And then
Jesus invites another person to follow Him and the man said, 'Let me bury my
father first'. And the other one said, 'May I say goodbye to my parents?' And
Jesus said, if you are really focused on the Kingdom of God, you don't look
back. Move forward.
Now, Jesus is not being inhuman
here. What Jesus is trying to point out is - even if there are other good
and important things, nothing should compete with your following of Christ.
Nothing should hinder you from pursuing the Kingdom of God. Not because the
others are not good, huh? They may be good. But seek ye first the Kingdom of
God, and you shall be totally free for God. Totally free.
Pag nagko-confirmation ako, tinatanong ko 'yong mga bata to test
their freedom. I ask them after their confirmation. What will be your priority
- TV or studies? Studies po. Natutuwa ako. Focused na sila. Ano ang
mas mahalaga - pagbubulakbol o pagdarasal? Pagdarasal po. (laughs) Wow ayan
ha, talagang totally free for Christ. Ano ang mas importante - misa o 30
million dollars? 30 million dollars po. (loud laughs) Unfree na naman.
Kunsabagay, sayang din 'yon. (laughs) Pero ganyan ang isip natin eh.
We say we want to follow Jesus, but the moment something is dangled
before us, will we be free to say, 'No, I don't want to be distracted. I follow
Jesus.'...'Yong iba sa inyo ngayon, nakikita ko, tumatango-tango pa.
(laughs) Tingnan ko lang. (loud laughs) Ha...mahirap 'yan.
So we ask for this grace. And St.
Paul says we should be vigilant. We do not know. We think we're still free but
then, we realize that upon closer investigation, we are no longer free. We are
not. Mga bata, are you free, or are you a slave of your games? Kayong
mga teenagers, are you free, or maybe you are already slaves of how you
should look? Kaya kung anu-ano ang nilalagay ninyo sa mukha ninyo. Di na
kayo nakuntento. Binigay ng Diyos 'yan. 'Yang mukhang 'yan. (laughs) And it
is good. If it comes from God, it is good. Bakit mo ire-retoke? (laughs)
That is unfreedom. You are pretending to be the Creator....And look at what
happened. (loud laughs) Sa kagagalaw mo sa mukha mo, ano'ng nangyari?
Abstract painting. (loud laughs) Mabuti pa 'yong gawa ng Diyos. You are
a slave of all these things - the cult of ageless beauty, the cult of kailangang
maging maputi. Bakit kailangang maputi? Ha? Bakit? Slavery. Ang dami
niyan.
So we hope that this Chapel through
our service of the Word, through sacraments, through silent prayer, through
communion and adoration, we may all hear Jesus say, 'Come follow Me. Are you
totally free before Me? Or do you have other gods dictating on you? You may
hear them more than you hear Me.' The freedom to follow Jesus.
So this Chapel, and the Greenbelt
Chapel, in a busy commercial district, are a testament to that freedom. It is
good to work. It is good to shop. It is good to recreate. But we should remain
free to follow the Lord. This Chapel is a reminder to all of us to be vigilant,
to instill worship and recognize the true Lord - or have we replaced Him with
other lords who dictate on us and make us helpless?
Kapag mayroon pong isang bagong
gadget na lumabas, parang nag-iinvite, buy me (laughs)....come to me...buy
me...Eto tayo, 'Lord I come to do Your will.' (laughs) Pero si Hesus, tawag
nang tawag. Forgive one another. Ano? Love your enemies. Ano? So, who is our
real Lord? Are we truly free?
Let this Chapel, through the
guidance of Our Lady of Hope, lead us to freedom. For there will be hope in the
world - hope in families, hope in our personal lives, if there is true
and lasting freedom. Despair, frustration - these are all fruits of the lack of
freedom. When we are unfree, we become desperate. So we hope Our Lady will lead
us to true discipleship, freedom and hope.
Let us pause and be part of the
significance of today's celebration and let us heed the invitation to be true
disciples of Christ, in freedom and love.
