Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Jesse M. Robredo, (May 27, 1958-Aug. 18, 2012)

Farewell to a great Filipino, an honest, simple and humble public servant. A model family man, a true man of God and of faith, a true man of the poor (Jessie M. Robredo, May 27, 1958-Aug. 18, 2012). 

Eternal rest grant unto him o Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

My Reflections for Sunday August 5, Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time John 6:24-35


Gospel:
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" Jesus answered them and said, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal." So they said to him, "What can we do to accomplish the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent." So they said to him, "What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.? So Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

So they said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst."
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My Reflections:
There’s a saint named Catherine of Siena, she was badly sick during the latter part of her life that she would spew out every kind of food that she swallowed. What sustained her during that crucial period of her life was her daily reception of Jesus through Holy Communion. She was sustained for a number of years by the Bread of Life until she eventually died.

Jesus in our gospel for this Sunday boldly tells us that He is our true bread of life that we must look for, the true bread of life that we must always hunger for. Why? Because once we find Jesus we will never hunger and thirst any longer for the material things of this world which in reality is very fleeting and can be taken away from  us anytime.

There are people who treat material possession, money, power, influence and the like as their own bread of life. However this is not the real bread of life but the bread of the world. There’s no satisfaction with this bread of this world because the more that we possess it the more that we crave for it. We will continuously hunger and thirst for this bread of the world until it completely possess and destroy us.

There’s a true story of a woman who complained about her pressure packed work. She grumbled that since her re- employment she is now often sick with high blood pressure, ulcer and other sickness caused by her pressure packed work. Her friend asked her why she keeps on working when she can comfortably live for the rest of her life  with her deposited money in the bank. 

Her curt reply was this: she wants to save some more because she will buy a much bigger house. This is always the scenario once we allow ourselves to be enslaved by the bread of this world: We will endlessly crave for things and possession even if we actually don’t need it anymore.

But what if we seek the true Bread of Life that is Jesus? We will be satisfied with whatever we have, we will not crave for material possession or wealth we will not experience so much pressure. We will instead be serene and peaceful because Jesus the true Bread of Life is with us.

Let us always hold close in our hearts this very powerful statement of Jesus: "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst." (John 6:35)