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REFLECTION for 5th Sunday of Easter 2011

Posted by junix28 on May 21, 2011 in Homilies

JESUS the BEST of all best friends

All of us have at some stage in our lives found a friend who has become our best friend. We hang out together. We do things together. We enjoy each other’s company. We criticise each other. We correct each other. We just love more or less the same thing. We pursue more or less the same interests. And we both hope and wish the friendship does not end ever. Only because, we are best of friends.

But here’s the rub of life. Friends, no matter how strong and firm had to experience some break-ups and hiccups. For instance, my best friend and I had to part ways because he’s got married, moved to live in another place, and I had to enter the seminary. I felt so sad, as he was too, because that would mean for us not going to hang out together again, not enjoying each other’s company again, not doing more or less the same thing together, and just everything would never be same again for both of us. He moved on with his married life and I went on to join the seminary. It didn’t mean however, that our friendship was over. It only meant that our communication would be limited if not completely cut. And true indeed, since he married and I entered the seminary, we never had any communication for the reason that I don’t have his contact details, I don’t know whom to ask about him. And I could sense that this same reason would have hindered him to have any communication with me. It’s really unfortunate. I tried searching him in Facebook, but I couldn’t find him. I googled him, thinking that his name and address might appear in some ways, but nothing. Google and facebook are not the answer to everything because, not everyone has access to them.

Our Gospel today implies friendship. The disciples have formed a special friendship with Jesus, in a more real and intimate way. For them Jesus is their best friend. But here, according to St John, Jesus is still  delivering his message of “farewell” to his close disciples. This declaration saddened and troubled the friends of Jesus. But Jesus assured them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled… I am now going to prepare a place for you…[and] I shall return to take you with me; so that where I am you may be too.”

Here, Jesus showed us the ideal of friendship. A friend is someone who does not just look for his own self-interests but that of his friends. “I am going…but this is for you my friend”, seems to be Jesus saying this to us his friends.

But Jesus would not leave us clueless, wandering,  groping in the dark or leaving on our own until he comes again. He establishes a way of communicating with him, all the time. He said, ‘trust in him and his words’, ‘see him’ as the way; ‘believe in him as the truth; and ‘come to him as the life’ that sustains the friendship. But Jesus also knew that we couldn’t ‘tap’ all these means of communication if there is no direct connection to him. Therefore, he left us this great gift, THE means of communication which no technology on earth, no matter how advanced and complicated, can surpass or even equal- the Holy Spirit. This is his great gift that continues our communication with him our Lord and God, enlivens us  here and now as friends of Jesus, and sustains as we wait in joyful hope for his Second Coming  when he would take us all with him to his Father’s house.

As friends of Jesus, we are also called to be a friend to everyone around us. So we have in our First Reading today, the Apostles, who would not want to  neglect their Ministry or prayer and of Spreading the Word of Jesus- their way of communicating with him-  appointed the first 7 deacons or servants who would help in  taking care of the poor widows of the Greek converts.  In this way, Jesus is to be understood not only as friend to specific group or type of people but to everyone. And this is also a model of our human friendship.

And so, as we continue celebrating the season of Easter, let’s reflect on the way Jesus-the-best-of-our best friends, present to us how to be a friend of God and to everyone around us. Let’s continue the communication. Let’s lay our troubled hearts before him, our best friend, who never lets us down and who never stop communicating with us, even to the extent of laying down his life for us his friends.

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They have Jesus

Posted by junix28 on May 18, 2011 in F.Y.I. (For your Information)

The Stories of the Children of the Hapag

by Joey Velasco

This painting is Filipino-inspired one, depicting Jesus surrounded by  poor Filipino kids from the streets. The painter Joey Velasco conveys the message that each of this kid has a unique story to tell to Jesus on the table. Then as he was struggling to look for the appropriate title of the book which tells the story  of these poor children, a mentally-deranged woman enlightened him as he showed him this painting. “You know my friend, they are actually not poor…” the woman said to him. “What??? You’re the only one who said that.” Joey remarked. But the woman continued, “because they have Jesus.”

And what a treasure indeed! It is not a wishful thinking, because Jesus is really present in the lives of the poor. In fact he is more real there. 

Joey Velasco commented of Jesus in his painting.

“He was dead weary in that painting, that was why he was brought by the kids to sit and eat. He was served the  best food and they wanted Him to rest. Who among us approaches Christ with the desire to let Him rest a while? Usually we call on God because we want something. We are the ones who want rest. We are tired. There are pure and innocent people who might think this way. They want to give something to Him. Who among us will go to a church and kneel down  and change the God-I-need-something formula of prayer? Can we also say, God do you need something? Even if He doesn’t need anything because He is God. Is there anything I can do? I kneel down. Lord I’m here…[Is there anything I can do for you?] When  did you call a friend and say out of the blue. “How are you buddy? Can I do anything for you? You need anything? When was the last time we did that? In the meal, we are the ones served by God. When did we organize a meal that our only motivation was to celebrate it with God and serve God saying, “Lord, what can  I do for you?”

Junjun’s review of this book:

This is an amazing book, not a fiction but based on a real  story…with the author’s personal interview with each of those kids on the painting. I have read it, and shed not only few drop of tears but many. When I finished reading it….I was really convinced, “They have Jesus.”

TO PURCHASE THE BOOK:CLICK HERE…


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The Good Shepherd

Posted by junix28 on May 16, 2011 in Homilies

Two flocks of sheep shared the same pen at night. Early in the morning, one of the shepherds opened the pen, and cried ‘Marah’, which is the Arabic for ‘follow me’ and all of his sheep left the pen and followed him. Another man, watching this, was fascinated so he borrowed the other shepherd’s cloak and staff, and cried out ‘Marah’-and none of the sheep paid the slightest heed to him! He asked the shepherd if any of the sheep would ever follow someone else rather than him. ‘Yes’, said the shepherd, ‘Sometimes a sheep can be so sick that it will follow anyone!’ [J. Mcardle]

We are all sick in many ways, physically, mentally, morally and even spiritually. Because of these illnesses we tend to follow anyone else who is offering us for a seemingly “CURE”, but in reality just a “RELIEF”,  instead of following God who is speaking to us from within our hearts and can really heal us. Yes, experience tells us that, no amount of worldly things or wealth, or fame, or honour can make us completely and absolutely happy. It is because only God can give us this real and eternal happiness that we longed for. Some of us even deny God’s existence, or put God aside, or chose not to listen to our Good Shepherd who would lead to a greener pasture and refreshing waters of life. But no amount of denying God in our lives can ever disprove God’s presence, majesty and wonders, that he showed and shared with us.

Today, let’s look at our lives.

Let’s look at our world…

In what way or ways are we sick?

What are we following?

What are we doing?

Jesus our Good shepherd always calls us to him, we only have to keep still and listen to him, which is quite a big challenge for us now because of the many ‘noises’ around us that block us from listening to the voice of our Good Shepherd.

I am the good Shepherd; I know mine, and mine know me. They will heed my voice.’

‘Seldom have I seen a young person get into trouble without having being led there by someone else. Surely we must accept that the opposite is always true. Therefore, we all  have an obligation to give leadership.’‘[j.mcardle]



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Good Shepherd Sunday Homily 2011

Posted by junix28 on May 14, 2011 in Homilies

4th Sunday of Easter Reflection

This is one image of a good Shepherd that I really like the most, it is the image of a Shepherd looking for his lost sheep. After some times, he found his sheep on the edge of the cliff. With his left hand clinging on the tree trunk above him, he reached out his right hand to save his sheep from falling down the cliff. That image always moves me because, that was a great risk he took, risking his very life to save his beloved sheep. And that is a Good Shepherd, the one who would risk everything just to save his sheep.

Brothers and sisters, today our gospel speaks about Jesus as the Shepherd as well as the gate of the sheepfold. As a Shepherd, He took the risk of taking care of  the sheep from thieves and brigands. As a gate for his sheep, he took the risk of  preserving, protecting, and keeping them all together. He knows each of his sheep by name, that means that he cherishes and loves each of them equally, and parents could attest to this…loving your kids equally is a great risk…and you know the reason why…You just couldn’t show special and more affection to one and neglect the other otherwise the consequence is not good.

Today is also called a Good Shepherd Sunday. Seminarians in some parts of the world are at this time in the parishes, giving vocation talks and awareness, campaigning for vocations, encouraging people to pray for more vocations.

Yes, answering the call to the priesthood or religious life today is a great risk. This  can entail leaving your circle of friends, sacrificing the things that  you always love to do, doing the things that you don’t like to do. But this is also the same with the marriage. Both couple have to risk something just to get on alright. Just the same in all kinds of life we are living in. If we don’t risk, perhaps it’s worth checking if we are really and truly human beings.

But do we just have to take a risk all the time? Yes, but Jesus shows us the example to follow according to St Peter today in the Second Reading. Risking is not bad at all if we only allow Jesus to be with us, to walk with  us. True, it’s  a risk to listen to the call of Jesus today, because there are more attractive, appealing and persuasive calls that the world is calling us into. But then again, the words of Jesus in the gospel echoes more loudly, that “All others  who have come are thieves and brigands…The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.”

 SO as we continue our journey of Easter, let us keep in mind that Jesus is our life, our way, our resurrection (Easter Sunday), our Divine Mercy (2nd Sunday), our Lord and Saviour  (3rd  Sunday), and our  Good Shepherd (4th Sunday).

Let’s pray therefore, that in whatever vocations we are answering into now, let’s put our risk at rest in the company of  Jesus. And please pray for more vocations, to married life,  to the priesthood and religious life. And that we’ll become not only a SHEPHERD but really a GOOD one…Amen…

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