Morning Voice

October 4, 2020   Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - A Readings:  IS 5:1-7 ;  PS 80:9, 12, 13-14, 15-16, 19-20 ;  PHIL 4:6-9 ;  MT 21:33-43 . A Senegalese proverb says, “What you give to others bears fruit for yourself.” And a Samoan proverb adds, “You shake in vain the branch that bears no fruit. You would better cut it off at the base.” The Lord God created us out of love. He created us as a marvelous and beautiful masterpiece of his creation. What he expects from us it that we bear fruits of justice, love, and righteousness. We are his personal possession. We are God’s vineyard and at the same time, he made of us tenants of the wider vineyard that is the whole creation. We are stewards of God’s love. Any failure on our side to give feedback on the love we receive from the Lord is an insult to his kindness and a crime against his love. And that failure won’t be forgiven to us. It is obvious, from listening to today’s readings, mostly, the first rea...

September 29, 2020   Feast of Saints  Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels Readings:   DN 7:9-10, 13-14 ;  PS 138:1-2AB, 2CDE-3, 4-5 ;  Rv 12:7-12ab ;  JN 1:47-51 . An Egyptian proverb says, “When the angels present themselves, the devils abscond.” And a Sicilian proverb adds, “Nothing can end favorably without heavenly guidance.” There has always been communication between heaven and earth. God shows to be continually at work and close to mankind and the whole creation. This divine communication is made manifest through the heavenly creatures, the Angels, and Archangels. Today, we are celebrating three of the most prominent heavenly creatures, the three Archangels who are mentioned namely in the Holy Scriptures: Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel. Their name itself speaks of their mission and specifies their role towards mankind. In that sense, Michael, “Who is like God”; he is the expression of the greatness of God, the Archangel who fought S...

September 27, 2020 Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings:  EZ 18:25-28 ;  PS 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 ;  PHIL 2:1-11 OR 2:1-5 ;  MT 21:28-32 . A Mexican proverb says, “Man must learn to increase his sense of responsibility and of the fact that everything he does will have its consequences.” And a Bambara proverb adds, “The child who loves freedom is the first victim of it.” When I was a formator in our seminaries, in Eastern Africa, in Kenya, as well as here in Easter Asia, in the Philippines, I had one motto, and those who have been my seminarians can recall it: “Freedom and Responsibility”. That is, you are free to do whatsoever you want, but be as well responsible to face the consequences of your actions. Speaking of consequences, it must be understood in its broad sense of advantages and inconveniences. To be free is what we all dream of. Freedom is the dearest word in every adolescent and youth conversation. We also speak of freedom in a social, economic, ...

September 20, 2020 Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - A Readings:   IS 55:6-9 ;  PS 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18 ;  PHIL1:20C-24, 27A ;  MT 20:1-16A . A Sicilian proverb says, “The justice of God is better than the justice of the world.” And a Congolese proverb adds, “Justice becomes injustice when it makes two wounds on a head which only deserves one.” Just like the day is opposed to the night, so is the way of God to our ways. Where man speaks of revenge and anger, God speaks of mercy and love. When mankind thinks justice as quantitative, God sees justice as qualitative. In all and for all, our ways are not the way of the Lord. Therefore, when we think him near, the farther we may feel him and when we think he is far, the nearer he manifests himself. God is far as near and near as far from mankind in terms of justice. Last week, we spoke of God’s mercy and forgiveness as an expression of his love that overlooks our evilness and opens us to new opportunities. Tod...

September 14, 2020 Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross READINGS:  NM 21:4B-9 ;  PS 78:1BC-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38 ;  PHIL 2:6-11 ;  JN 3:13-17 . An Igbo proverb says, “Until lions have their own historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter.” Another Malagasy proverb adds, “Crosses are ladders that lead to heaven.” There is no glory without suffering, no success without hardship, and no love without sacrifice. That which brings you tears when you do it procures you greater joy when you harvest. That is a basic truth of life. We are celebrating today a feast that defeats all our human conceptions and appreciations. The Cross, the instrument of humiliation has turned into an instrument of glory. The celebration of the Exaltation of the Cross reveals to our humanity the wisdom of God who transforms our tears into joy and the revelation of his Kingdom. The Catechism of the Catholic Church can state in its article 550, “The coming of God's kingdo...

September 13, 2020 Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - A. Readings:   SIR 27:30—28:7 ;  PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12 ;  ROM 14:7-9 ;  MT 18:21-35 . A Persian proverb says, “Forgiveness hides a pleasure that you can't get back from revenge.” And an Egyptian proverb adds, “If there were no wrongdoing, there would be no forgiveness.” “Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.” Forgiveness has never been an easy task. Because, to forgive means to overlook evil, recognize the rights of people to sin or their fallibility, and apply mercy as a suppletive of justice. Forgiveness or mercy does not destroy justice, neither constitutes approval to evil. Instead, it opens to a new opportunity, it gives a new chance because it sees the better and not the worst in the person. Forgiveness is the only medicine that not only heals the one who receives it, but does more good to the one who gives it. In this sense, it is the most...

September 8, 2020 Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Readings:  MI 5:1-4A ;  PS 13:6AB, 6C ;  Rom 8:28-30 ; MT 1:1-16, 18-23 OR 1:18-23 .   A Corsican proverb says, “People should be mourned at their birth, not at their death.” And a Jew proverb adds, “He that is of a merry heart has a continual feast.” One question that I always put to myself is, why do we celebrate our birthdays? Why celebrate a special day and not others or every day? Though I do not feel any attachment to birthday celebrations, I look with esteem those who hold special those moments. My philosophy is that everyday needs to be celebrated. For, every day reminds us of life and the very day that one started. Many people see in birthday celebrations a particular occasion of thanksgiving to God, to parents and friends for the gift of life and the events that surround that life. It is also an occasion, for loved ones, to show how much one counts for them and how loved he or she...