From global to local

Without leaving a global vision, since my transfer to our diocese in Aklan, and since there are limited internet services, I have gone local. Blog time is not easy to find and together with the difficulty to find computers with on line connection, I am contented with local issues and dedicate more real time with people.

I started to write however about local issues that affects our work. I missed blogging but I am enjoying “blogging” face to face. All the best to you my friends in cyberspace. Merry Christmas!

Jesus the Teacher

Homily (Dec. 14, 2007, Sto. Nino Seminary)

Seminary Feast Day

Today is our feast day of the Sto. Nino. Last Sunday was our recollection with the parents. Yesterday was our grace-filled concert preceded with the investiture of our 1^st year college seminarians, after the mass we will have a Christmas party. We have done all this for the Sto. Nino who was born of a virgin. In this seminary, we have not evicted our patron from our celebrations.

In a world where it is now possible to celebrate Christmas without Jesus, we as members, in one way or another, of the SNS community are very much aware that Christmas without Christ, makes Christmas our novena, concert, party, devoid of meaning.

Last Sunday’s recollection made us aware that we are partners in educating your sons, a product of post modernism and therefore have needs and exigencies of their own. Jesus, the God who became man however, is always the same, yesterday today and tomorrow. It is therefore good to have first of all a good, long and loving look at him this Christmas to go ahead educating our seminarians.

There is a statement made by Jesus in the gospel that causes us to stop and think and that can shed light on education in the family. It says: “You have one teacher, and you are all students” (Mt 23:8).

For Jesus there is only one teacher: he himself.

This does not mean that Jesus is denying the authority of parents. He is saying that this role should be carried out as a service and not as means to domineer or exert power. Because in serving, which is the same as loving, it is not only the human being who acts; rather it is Christ, and therefore Christ is truly the first teacher.

If Jesus is the teacher then Christian parents and the teachers have the duty to look to him in order to learn how to educate.

But what kind of teacher was Jesus?

There are several important characteristics that come to mind when looking at Jesus in his role as teacher. Let me offer some:

First of all, Jesus teaches by example. He incarnates his doctrine in his very person. He does not impose burdens on others that he has not carried first: “Woe also to you lawyers! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them” (Lk 11:46). Jesus puts into practice what he then asks of others.

With Jesus as our model we realize that the first method in educating, also for parents, should not simply be setting out to instruct or correct, but to live out one’s Christianity radically. Parents must first put into practice themselves what they ask of their children. Do they ask for sincerity, commitment, loyalty, obedience, charity toward their brothers and sisters, chastity, patience, forgiveness? Then their children should be able to find all these qualities first of all in them.

Mothers and fathers, priests and teachers must be indisputable models that their children can always refer to.

Jesus leaves us free to take responsibility and make decisions. We see this in his encounter with the rich young man (see Mt 19:16 ff.).

We must never impose our ideas, but rather offer them with love, as an expression of love.

Children are first of all sons and daughters of God and not ours. Therefore, they should not be treated as our possessions, but as people who have been entrusted to our care.

When necessary, Jesus does not hesitate to rebuke with firmness and strength. To Peter, who wanted to stop him from facing his passion, he says: “Get behind me, Satan!… You are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things” (Mt 16:23).

Yes, discipline is also necessary. It is an integral part of education. In fact, in the book of Proverbs (13:24) it is written: “Those who love them (their children) are diligent to discipline them.” God, father and teacher, formed the Jewish people and educated them using instruction and discipline.

Woe to those who do not exert discipline! What an omission they will be responsible for!

A statement made by the prophet Ezekiel is quite strong in this regard: “If… you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand” (Ez 33:8).

Therefore, it is the our duty to discipline their children. If admonishment is given with peace, calm, and detachment it will make an impression upon the children’s sense of responsibility and they will remember it.

In the marvelous parable of the prodigal son, Jesus shows us the Father’s mercy – and therefore also his – toward those who repent and return to doing good.

Parents should treat their children as God treats us.

In a family, the mercy shown by the mother and father must reach the point of knowing how to forget and to “bear all things” (1 Cor 13:7), in conformity with God’s love.

Jesus, in educating the people around him, does not hesitate in turning the existing value system upside down. This is evident when he announces the Beatitudes (see Mt 5:2 ff.). In fact, he calls blessed those who do not appear to be so. He presents a path that is difficult to travel and that goes against the current of the one offered by the world.

We too must have the courage to proclaim what really matters in life.

We should not fool ourselves into thinking that if we present a feeble Christianity, a Christ that does not exist, our proposals will be more readily accepted. God makes himself known in the hearts of our children. They react positively only to the truth. But it must be presented in a way that is both accessible and acceptable, presented by parents who, before teaching, have made the effort to understand and share the true needs and desires of the new generations.

The gospel shows us a Jesus who speaks “as one having authority” (Mt 7:29).

Parents need to trust in the grace they have been given as parents and should never shrink from their task as educators. Deep down this is what they need and what they asked from us. In fact, it often happens that children will judge their parents, at times mercilessly, for not having had the courage to tell them the truth.

Jesus educates his disciples by passing on to them “his” typical teaching: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12). By specifying that “as I have loved you,” he indicates that he is the “teacher” of this love.

It is the teaching par excellence, the gospel in a nutshell, which parents must pass on to their sons.

In putting this teaching into practice, priests formators, teachers and parents must imitate Jesus so well that they can repeat to their children that commandment as if it were their own: My little children, love one another as I have loved you.

Therefore, imitate Jesus.

Imitate him as teacher.

Imitate Jesus, or better still, allow him to live in us.

Yes, it would be best that he himself take his place within us.

If he lives in us, our performance as teachers will be irreproachable. If we introduce him as educator into our families, then perhaps this years Christmas would me more meaningful. Again Merry Christmas and I hope you enjoy each other’s presence today.

Youth of Aklan, Unite!

What is happening in our province of Aklan? On the recent election of SK Federation, the value of the sacred vote, respect of the freedom to choose seems to be systematically being eroded. Freedom, which is the very core of the existence of the young, is being intentionally murdered.

Scripted nominations, synchronized “I second the motion’s” “I close the nomination’s” which appear to be earlier instructed and dictated, conspired votes based on partisan affiliations, manipulation of numbers, secret lodging and “housing” of SK chairmen seemed to be the rule of the week-end. It is still early to say that this is also true in the national level, but certainly reports have been arriving that in our beloved province of Aklan that these are happening here and there as modus operandi of our “mature” leaders and make them believe that it is the only way to change our province?

This is very dangerous, not only on the aspect of its objectively evil act – both on the manipulator and the consent of the manipulated – but also because it has become organized, systemic, malicious and is blatantly continuously being performed with arrogance of power and money. Where have we gone?

Did our hearts become calloused by a life which curses powerlessness, poverty and the seeming loss of our dignity? Did we put aside our faith that Christ, the God who became man is journeying with us in our hardships as Aklanons? Are our leaders blinded by power and the lust for money?

We could be imparting to our youth a false value: that the only may to change is to affiliate with the powerful, the moneyed and the strong who trusts more and more their power and defends it with “gifts” or by withdrawing it. This way leads more to injustice and inequality, it a way that leads to more abuses, disrespect of basic human rights and dignity. It is a way that will never make us free! It entertains an idol – the golden calf – and does not adore the true God who saves and liberates us through love, service in freedom and in a sincere gift of self.

Youth of Aklan, unite against this evil that excludes love and powerlessness, humility and service as the way for change. Our Lord has taught us that he who loves, serves in truth and last – the servant of all- is the one who reigns. You could change Aklan not through domination and being associated with these arrogant powerful leaders, but by building among yourselves a culture of love, respect of the freedom of choice and defend it. Christ has given us an example. He loved, He served, He offered, His life. He also suffered, He was poor, but he transformed suffering and poverty into more love, more service, more respect. He did not associate Himself with the powerful, but with those who are lowly. He never manipulated others nor allow Himself to be manipulated but loved each man and woman until the end.

Illusions of power, fame and money in false and “rigged” leadership are simply illusions. They will crumble sooner or later. They only corrupt many and destroy good values of your fellow youth.

Unite with Christ, your Teacher, not with our corrupt leaders who pretend and panicky in defending the right of suffrage (to vote) but at the same time insults the basic freedom of choice dear to the youth.

Remove your chains! Be free! Only the truth of Christ could set you free!

On the SK Federation

Recently, the SK (Sanggunian Kabataan) federation in Aklan would like to choose its leaders. (SK is a part of a govermental body in the Philippines, part the smallest unity of which is called barangays) The voters are elected by the SK chairmen who won in the last barangay elections. A formandee in our institutional formative school is one of them. I came to know of this election of the Federation the night before the election itself. If I could not have asked him, I could have no other way of knowing his intention to vote. (Due to some circumstances, he seemed not to succeed to express it to me).

To vote is a right – right of suffrage and it is constitutional. I am happy that some concerned leaders of the province of Aklan are very conscious of this right. Surely they would say that the vote is sacred and it expresses the dignity of man especially the right of choose. This has to be absolutely respected and defended until the end.

Though suffrage is a right, it is not however an obligation. All citizens of this country have also the right to waive this right if he feels that by doing his very vote would not be respected. This was true when during the time of Marcos this sacred right was out rightly violated since there were rampant switching of ballot boxes, intimidation, violence, etc, so much so that even the CBCP declared it was not credible.

In the last local elections, not only vote buying was a modus operandi of the candidates but also vote selling became a way of life of the voters especially the poor. Any sensible person in our province have noticed this once covert phenomena.

We ask ourselves Do we really defend the right of suffrage and the sanctity of the vote by allowing its manipulation? Do we really respect the freedom of choice when before elections we count the votes according to partisan affiliation and figure who would win and thus diminishing this freedom of choice? This would be a good way of asking ourselves of our intention to respect the right of suffrage.

With our good leaders, we will continue to defend the sanctity of the ballot, on the one hand and we will continue to denounce any manipulation of the vote, on the other, since it is an insult to the right of suffrage which all of us are defending.

We will continue to respect the right of suffrage and the right to waive it if the votes are not respected and are used in a vicious manipulative manner.

We will continue together with men of good will to impart to our youth honesty, freedom to choose, respect for the constitution and the right to expression, integrity, authenticity, love of God and love of country!

A light from the Synod of the Diocese of Kalibo

The Synod of the Diocese of Kalibo decreed that anybody who have responsibility in the church parish structures need to resign when he runs for public office. This is the guiding light when the administration of a formative school in the Diocese of Kalibo recommended to one of its formandees not to run for public office like the SK. (SK is a part of a govermental body in the Philippines, part the smallest unity of which is called barangays) Against its advices, however and beyond of limited knowledge of the administration, he nevertheless ran and won. This shows that there is a leadership capacity and a desire among the youth of his locality for a reform since, accordingly, they choose him because of his affiliation to the said institution. However, his decision was in effect, a disregard to the advices of the administration of this institution, an act which just could come from a miscomprehension of the situation. This is understandable.

To help him better serve the youth of the locality and to make him more free to perform his duties, the institution recommended that he will continue to a school of his choice. Its clear that since he ran for office of service, he needs all the possibility and help to implement that good desire. However, he wanted to stay and continue the formative process which in the light of the Synod necessarily requires resignation from his office. In a sense the synod gave an either-or situation: either to resign from the elected office and continue his role in the church, or to resign from his obligation in the church and continue to serve his elected office. (This was the same light which was used when Fr. Panlilio ran for office – he has to be suspended from his ministry).

It was agreed that he will instead just make a leave of absence after his oath of office so that his formative process will not go uninterrupted by the obligations of his new office. It was nice that the renumeration which he could have received from the same office, (if there is any), would go, as he intended well, to the projects of Missionaries of Charity in the same diocese.

We believe that this is a win-win situation since our formandee is a graduating one and he greatly desires to be with our community. After his graduation, as the case maybe, he could continue to serve the youth in his community who have loved and chosen him.

We will continue to encourage the youth, when they are prepared to serve other youth, in freedom and authenticy for the future of Aklan. We will continue impart good Christian values to these young people who needs good witnesses from the part of our government leaders for good governance. We will continue to do it in the best lights of the Synod of the Diocese of Kalibo while respecting particular situations of the persons involved for the good of all.