Entering the Holy Week

Entering the Holy Week

Christian B. Pajutan

Lenten Message

Dear Friends in faith,

Few more days to go, we will be entering the important scenes of God's great love, the Passion of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Week. Are we prepared enough to enter this Holy Week?

As we enter the week that changes the world, I invite you to pause for a while and pray. Pray with faith, courage and hope. Remember that praying is one of the most important act that we can do as we prepare to Jesus' Resurrection. Before Jesus condemned unto death, He prayed on the garden of Getsemani and surrender Himself to the Father's will. Let us all surrender ourselves to God's will, especially in times of problems and challenges. Through praying, we trust God, we ask His guidance and we acknowledge that life is nothing without Him.

Entering the Holy Week

Second, start carrying your cross. Everyone of us were given our own cross. Having our cross motivates us to reach a particular goal, and carrying our own cross leads us to the finish line where we can find the heaven. Remember, the cross of Jesus shows a love which is unconditional, a love for you, for me and for us. Meaning to say, carrying our own cross is not all about our selves, but it is also about your brothers and sisters in Christ. In accordance of carrying your cross, you are also offering your life for others through apostolate and charity. Lent is a special moment of sacrifices, because through this sacrifices we are becoming in one of the sacrifices that Christ did, and the most important we become a part of Jesus life.

Lastly, continue the Holiness. Lent is all about bringing ourselves back to God's Home. To be in God's Home is all about a life of Holiness, a life of Godliness. Fasting, Abstinence and Alms giving taught us to have the unconditional love not just for the season of Lent but also unto the end of our existence here on earth. My dear friends, after Lent doesn't mean that our practice of doing good is finish, so we must continue those act of kindness and never get tired on being a holy one until we reach the Father's Kingdom.
Remember, when Jesus Ascended unto Heaven, His mission here on earth doesn't stop there, and it continues until today through our hands and hearts.

May we all realize the importance of this Holy Week. And may we prepare ourselves upon entering the Holy Week, the start of carrying the cross, the start of holiness and the start of being in one of Christ. Amen.

St. Augustine Parish Bay, Laguna - March 20, 2013

Chair of the Next Pope

February 8, 2013: Friday of the Third Week of Lent

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 12:28-34.

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, «Which is the first of all the commandments?»
Jesus replied, "The first is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'
The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, 'He is One and there is no other than he.'
And 'to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself' is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that (he) answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Reflection: Love

Araw araw, sa aking pagninilay sa mabuting balita, iba't ibang aral ang aking natatagpuan, iba't ibang katotohonan ang aking napapagtanto at iba't ibang pakiramdam ang aking nararanasan. Ngunit sa dami ng laman ng bibliya na mga batas, turo at aral, alin nga ba dito ang pinakamahalaga? At sa araw na ito, ibinigay ni Hesus ang higit na mahalaga sa lahat ng ito, ang magmahal, magmahal sa isang Diyos at magmahal sa kapwa. If you know how to love then you already know what is the message of the whole bible. Because my dear brothers and sisters the bible is the love letter of God to His people. And all the lessons, stories and teachings there is all about love. And maybe this is the message of Lent, that it is not just about sacrifice but it is all about love. A love that elaborates that God is ready to accept you, us in His kingdom no matter what happen. Kaya mga kapatid, itanong natin sa ating sarili, bukod sa pagfafasting, pagaabstinensya, naiparamdam ba natin sa ating kapawa na mahal natin sila, sa mga mahihirap, mga walang makain, walang tirahan, naiparamdam mo ba sa kanila ang pagmamahal? Sapagkat sa pagpaparamdam natin ng pagmamahal sa kanila, ipinararamdam na rin natin sa Diyos kung gaano natin siya kamahal. Amen.

March 7, 2013: Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11:14-23. 

Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.

Some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons."
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that (I) drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Reflection:

"Whoever is not with me is against me." This reminds us that Jesus is inviting us to come to Him and be in His side, so that we are far from His enemy, we are strong to fight in the battle of temptation. My dear brothers and sisters, Jesus reminds us that God is stronger than the evil one because He is the God. So we must not be afraid if we are with God, for we have His protection and spirit, but in accordance of having Him in our life, let us also help other people who doesn't want to be with God's side. Let us help them in realizing that in the side of God, the enemy or the evil one can't make any changes in their lives. Amen.

March 6, 2013: Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5:17-19.

Jesus said to his disciples: «Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Reflection:

The Gospel for this day allows us to understand the rules of obeying God, and that is all about love. Natatandaan ko po nitong nakaraang linggo, second mass sa aming parokya, ako po ay nagserve sa altar bilang sakristan, hawak ko na po ang libro sa harapan ng aking ura paroko, ng bigla niya akong pinalabas at pinakuha sa akin ang projector at laptop sapagkat walang magooperate ng powerpoint presentation ng misa sa oras na iyon. Napagalitan pa ako sapagkat dapat alam ko na daw na kapag walang magooperate ay ako nalang ang pumalit. Samang sama ang loob ko papalabas sa likod ng altar, kinuha ko ang projector at laptop, lahat ng kasalubong ko, di ko pinapansin at tinitingnan ko ng masama. Sumama ang loob ko sapagkat hindi ko siya naintindihan kung bakit kailangan pa niya akong paalisin sa altar at palipatin sa ibang gawain at napagalitan pa ngayong di ko naman kasalanan na walang magooperate. Ganito tayo mga kapatid, may mga bagay tayong hindi naiintindihan, na minsan akala natin sinisira ng Diyos ang sariling batas ng ating sariling buhay, pakiramdam natin against ang Diyos sa mga gusto natin sapagkat meron tayong mga plano para sa sa ating sarili. Kaya naman sa araw na ito, pinaalala ni Hesus: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill." Nangangahulugang hindi nais ng Panginoon na sirain ang ating mga plano at kagustuhan, hindi niya plano na sirain tayo, bagkus ang nais niya ay mas magandang kinabukasan para sa atin, at tutuparin niya ang ating nais, sa ibang paraan at pagkakataon, sapagkat ang lahat sa kaniya, ang ating mga plano ay kailangang matupad ng may pagmamahal.

Makalipas ang ilang oras noong araw na iyon, napagnilayan ko, na ang inisip lang ng aming kura paroko ay ang kapakanan ng tao, at wala dapat akong ikasama ng loob sapagkat ang inutos niya naman sakin ay para sa mas magandang pag - unlad na paglilingkod sa Diyos. Mga kapatid, sa araw na ito, tayo'y iniimbitahan na magtiwala sa plano ng Diyos, sapagkat ito ay hindi basta plano lang, bagkus ito ay isang plano ng pag - ibig, plano na punong puno ng pagmamahal. Amen.

March 5, 2013: Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 18:21-35.

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, «Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?»

Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.'Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, 'Pay back what you owe.'
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?' Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart."

Reflection: I Forgive because He forgives

Sa araw na ito, pinapalalahanan tayo ng Ebanghelyo ni San Mateo kung paano nga ba dapat tayong maging mapagkumbaba at mapagpatawad. Sa pagtatanong ni San Pedro kung ilang beses ba niya dapat patawarin ang kaniyang kapatid na nagkasala, ang sagot ni Hesus ay "Seventy - seven times" Isang paalala na kailangan laging bukas ang ating puso sa pagpapatawad. Mga kapatid, kung mananatiling sarado ang ating puso sa mga taong nagkasala sa atin, mananatiling sarado ang kalangitan para sa atin. Nawa patuloy nating maalala, na sa lahat ng pagkakamali natin, patuloy tayng pinapatawad ng Diyos. At maaaring sabihin natin na siya Diyos kaya naman nagagawa niyang magpatawad. Ngunit mga kapatid, kahit hindi tayo ang Diyos, dapat mailagay natin sa ating isip na, bumaba ang Diyos sa lupa at nagkatawang tao, si Hesus, para lang iparamdam sa atin, na kung ano ang nararamdaman natin ay nararamdaman din niya sapagkat tayo ay kaisa niya.Ating tandaan na sa tuwing pinanatili natin ang galit sa ating mga puso, patuloy nating kinakadenahan ang ating sarili, patuloy tayong nagbubuhat ng isang mabigat na bato. Ngunit kung matututo tayong magpatawad, parang inihagis natin ang kadena na nakagapos sa ating puso, at muling naging malaya na magmahal at maging anak ng Diyos. Kaya naman, magpatawad tayo, bilang kaisa ng Diyos, magpatawad tayo bilang mga  at kaakibat ng pagpapatawad, magmahalan tayo bilang unang minahal ng Panginoon! Amen.