March 27, 2013
Holy Wednesday – Year of Faith – Lenten
Seasons
Holy Week
by Rev. Fr. Joel Jason (Dean, Graduate School of
Theology San Carlos Seminary)
12;15PM Mass at Megamall, Chapel of
the Eucharistic Lord
The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, That I
might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after
morning he opens my ear that I may hear; And I have not rebelled, have not
turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who
plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let him confront me. See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong?
The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let him confront me. See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong?
R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother’s sons,
because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak,
I looked for sympathy, but there was none;
for consolers, not one could I find.
Rather they put gall in my food,
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving:
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother’s sons,
because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak,
I looked for sympathy, but there was none;
for consolers, not one could I find.
Rather they put gall in my food,
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving:
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to
the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over
to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked
for an opportunity to hand him over.
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The teacher says, My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.”‘“ The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover.
When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” He said in reply, “He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have said so.”
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The teacher says, My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.”‘“ The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover.
When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” He said in reply, “He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have said so.”
HOMILY
Magandang tanghali po sa inyong
lahat.
Alam ko hong naikwento ko na sa inyo
ito minsan, but let me share it with you once again, because it is a very good
time to repeat the story, and make it a starting point for my reflection this
afternoon.
Minsan po merong isang babaeng
nag-abroad, nakakita siya ng very expensive na diamond necklace worth
US$10,000. Ang ginawa niya, tinext niya 'yong asawa niya na nasa Pilipinas.
Sabi niya, "Honey, nakakita ako ng necklace, US$10,000. Bibilhin ko ba sa
credit card mo? And then sumagot 'yong asawa niya, "No, price is too high
dear."
So pag-uwi no'ng babae, nagmamadali
siya, nagpunta do'n sa asawa niya, "Honey, narito na 'yong diamond
necklace na pinabili mo." Sabi no'ng lalaki, "Hindi ba sabi ko sa
'yo, huwag mong bilhin?" So ang sabi ng babae, "Hindi, ito nga 'yong
text mo, o." And then pinakita niya 'yong text at ang nakasulat, "No
price is too high dear." Nakalimutan niya 'yong comma after the word 'no'.
Kaya naiba ang meaning ng kanyang sinabi. Ang ibig sabihin ay walang
mahal.
Alam n'yo sa istoryang 'yan,
mayroong dalawang nagtatalong attitudes. Ano 'yong dalawang nagtatalong
attitudes dito? 'Yong tinatawag nating the 'spirit of calculation' and the
'spirit of evaluation'. Maraming mga tao, they always calculate. Laging
nagbibilang, laging nagtatantiya. Pag nakakita ng presyo, laging ang recount
niya, "No, price is too high dear." Pero 'yong mga taong nabubuhay sa
spirit of evaluation, ano 'yon? 'Yon 'yong mga taong hindi masyadong
nagbibilang. Kasi pinapahalagahan nila ang value ng mga bagay-bagay. Kaya para
sa isang taong nagmamahal, ano'ng sinasabi niya, "No price is too high
dear."
Sa ating Ebanghelyo, makikita natin
itong dalawang nagtatalong attitudes na ito. Si Hudas, ano 'yong kanyang
attitude? Para sa kanya, lagi siyang nabubuhay sa spirit of calculation. Nakita
niya ang Panginoon, at ano ang naisip niya agad? 'Naku, maraming naghahanap
dito sa aking Panginoon. Siguro pag ibinenta ko ang aking Panginoon, malaki ang
makukuha ko dito.' Spirit of calculation. Pag nakakita ng isang bagay,
pinepresyuhan agad.
Actually 'yong kwento ni Hudas,
nagsimula pa noong nakaraang Lunes. Nagsimba po ba kayo noong nakaraang Lunes?
Ano 'yong Ebanghelyo natin noong nakaraang Lunes? Si Maria, tinanggap si Hesus
sa kanyang bahay. At no'ng nandoon ang ating Panginoon, nakakita siya ng
mamahaling pabango. Ginamit niya 'yong pabango para hugasan ang paa ng ating
Panginoon. Noong makita ni Hudas 'yon, ano'ng sabi niya? 'Ang mahal naman ng
pabangong 'yan. Kung ibebenta natin 'yang pabangong 'yan, malaki ang makukuha
natin. Bakit ginamit lang para kay Hesus?' The spirit of calculation. Ang
nakikita lang niya ay 'yong nabibilang.
When we are led by the spirit of
calculation, we can only see those things that can be counted. 'Yong mga
pwedeng bilangin, 'yong mga pwedeng presyuhan. At ito 'yong dahilan kung bakit
si Hudas, maging ang ating Panginoon, ay pinresyuhan. 'Magkano kaya ang
matatanggap ko kapag ipinagkanulo ko ang aking Panginoon?'
But we are being called to live in
the opposite spirit, and that is the spirit of evaluation. Hindi tayo
nagbibilang. Ang tinitingnan natin ay 'yong value, 'yong kahalagahan ng mga
bagay. Kaya ang Holy Week, ano'ng tawag natin dito? Mga Mahal na Araw. Bakit
Mahal na Araw? Kasi tinitingnan natin dito na mahal ang iginugol ng Diyos para
tubusin tayo sa ating mga kasalanan at makamtan natin ang kaligtasan. Mga Mahal
na Araw.
Kaya lang ano'ng problema? Minsan
pagdating sa Diyos, binabarat natin ang Diyos. Lagi tayong nagbibilang. Lagi
tayong nagtatantiya. Basta para sa atin, hindi tayo nagbibilang. Pero basta
para sa Diyos, para sa buhay na espirituwal, ayan nagbibilang tayo. 'Ang tagal
naman ng Homily ng paring 'yan, tatlong minuto na, may gagawin pa ako.' Minsan
nagsisimula pa lamang mag-Homily ang pari, tumitingin na tayo sa ating relo.
Nagbibilang kaagad tayo. Pero pag nanonood tayo ng teleseryeng 'Please be
Careful With My Heart', (laughs) naku kahit na marathon hindi natin nabibilang
ang oras. Mayroon akong isang kaibigan, sabi niya, "Ay Father alam n'yo
ngayong Holy Week, hiniram ko ang lahat ng DVD ng 'Please Be Careful with My
Heart', magma-marathon movie ako. (laughs) Ayan hindi tayo nagbibilang,
pagdating sa mga bagay na 'yan. Pero pagdating sa Diyos, ayan palagi tayong
nagbibilang.
Merong kwento ng isang Nanay, meron
daw siyang apat na anak. 'Yong una niyang anak na lalaki, guwapong guwapo. Sabi
niya, "Ay anak mag-artista ka." 'Yong pangalawang anak niya ay
matalino. Sabi niya, "Ay anak, mag-ano ka....Presidente ng Pilipinas. O
kaya naman ay maging scientist ka." 'Yong pangalawang anak niya, medyo
sabihin nating magaling kumanta. Sabi niya, "Ah...mag-singer ka anak.
Pumasok ka sa showbusiness." 'Yong pang-apat na anak niya, pangit. And he
is also a weakling. Sabi niya, "Ay anak, mag-pari ka na lang." (loud
laughs).
Bakit tayo may ganyang attitude na
pag pangit, magpari ka. (laughs) Basta pangit, para sa Diyos. Hindi ba dapat
'yong pinaka-guwapo, 'yong ang dapat para sa Diyos? Kaya noong isang araw,
tuwang tuwa ako eh. Meron akong natanggap sa Facebook. Sabi doon, "Hindi
lahat ng guwapo at magaling kumanta ay nag-a-artista. Ang iba ay nagpapari. Oh,
di ba? (laughs and soft cheers) Nakalagay doon, 'Like if you agree'. Eh di like
like like ako ano. (laughs) Kasi kahit paano maganda 'yong attitude. Pag
maganda, aba'y ialay natin sa Panginoon. Kaya lang minsan ang ating attitude,
basta maganda, basta mahal, ay para sa 'kin 'yan. 'Yong pangit, 'yong
mumurahin, 'yan - 'yan na lang ang ibigay natin para sa Diyos. The spirit of
calculation. Si Hudas, ganoon ang kanyang attitude. 'Ah...mahal ang
makukuha ko dito. Ito para sa akin.' Pero pagdating sa buhay espirituwal, ayan
hindi niya binigyan ng pagpapahalaga.
Ngayong mga Mahal na Araw...ano ang tawag
sa atin ng Holy Week? Let us not be very calculating. And let us pay
attention, not only to those things that can be counted, but more importantly,
to those things that truly count. When you live by the spirit of
calculation, ang nakikita mo lang ay 'yong mga bagay na nabibilang, na
nakukuwenta. But when you live by the spirit of evaluation, you begin to see
those things that truly count, those things that are truly valuable. At ito
'yong dahilan kung bakit tayo mayroong tinatawag na mga Mahal na Araw.
After this mass, we have a
recollection. Ang aking invitation, kung wala naman kayong gagawin, at kung
kayo'y libre naman, it is good if you can spend the afternoon attending
the recollection. Bakit? Kasi ito 'yong panahon para pagtuunan natin ng pansin
'yong ating buhay espiritu. 'Yong ating buhay espirituwal. 'Yong mga bagay ng
ating buhay na hindi nabibilang, pero mahalaga. The spirit of evaluation.
As we continue with this Holy Mass,
let that be the grace that we will ask from the Lord. Na huwag nating gawing
mura ang mga Mahal na Araw. Bigyan natin ng atensiyon ang ating ugnayan sa
Diyos. Bigyan natin ng atensiyon ang ating buhay espirituwal. Amen.
