Opinion

For the third time Jesus reveals his imminent passion and death to his apostles as they make their way to Jerusalem. The apostles’ reaction remains the same. They still do not understand what Jesus is telling them or perhaps they simply do not want to. All they have in their head is the glory that awaits them when Jesus, the Messiah, will finally establish his kingdom in Jerusalem.James and John are quick to upstage the other apostles in securing their position by sneaking and asking Jesus to allow them to sit one on his right and the other on his left in the kingdom. The other ten are of course furious at being cheated (na-isahan) by the two scheming brothers.Once again Jesus patiently takes the occasion to teach the apostles how the kingdom of God is diametrically opposed to the ...

(I thank Fr. Marvin Labasan for gracing my column this Sunday with his insightful homily.)What is a “suitable partner”?In our culture, which idolizes the concept of “the one” and “the Mr. or Mrs. Right,” we simply equate the idea of a suitable partner with someone who shares our interests, makes us feel good, or seems perfect for us.But what does it mean to have a “suitable partner”?Our first reading today tells us that God found it is not good for man to be alone. Despite the beauty and richness of the garden, with its animals and plants, nobody seemed suitable for him. This is why the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and from one of his ribs, He made a woman. Fr. Lana says that Eve was not made out of Adam’s head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be t...

When Joshua asks Moses to stop Eldad and Medad from prophesying because they were not present at the bestowing of the Spirit, Moses replies, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets!” Likewise, when John complains that somebody, who is an outsider, is casting out demons using Jesus’ name, the Lord responds, “Do not prevent him… for whoever is not against us is for us.”It may help to remember that earlier, the apostles were unable to drive a mute spirit that possessed a boy. (Mk 9:14-29) Hence, their jealousy and resentment at the success of an unaccredited exorcist is only understandable.Jealousy is an ugly thing that has been with us since Cain and Abel (since Adam and Eve, actually). It diminishes us and renders us petty and bitter, “actin...

In today’s gospel, Jesus speaks of his passion, death and resurrection for the second time. Again, the apostles fail to grasp the meaning and gravity of his words. It may also be that they are reluctant, if not unwilling, to accept Jesus’ message because it contradicts and frustrates their own expectations. That is why even in their lack of understanding, they do not dare to ask Jesus, lest he reveals more plainly what they dread to hear. They would rather hold on to their traditional idea of the Messiah and hope to take their coveted place once the new kingdom is established in Jerusalem.And so, when Jesus inquires what they were discussing on the road, they remain awkwardly silent. They were arguing who was the greatest among them. They were positioning themselves and jockeying for p...

Today’s reading indicates a turning point in Mark’s gospel. For some time now, the disciples have been faithfully following Jesus as an extraordinary preacher and a powerful healer. Although they do not yet know him fully, they have an inkling that he must be more than just a great prophet. At the calming of the storm in the lake, they are awestruck and ask each other, “Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.”When Jesus asks his disciples at Caesarea Philippi who they say he is (after hearing what others say of him), Peter replies in their name, “You are the Christ (Messiah).” This is the moment of truth for the disciples, a moment of clarification about their hesitant guesses, and a moment of confirmation of their long suspicion that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. With Jesu...

While Jesus performs many of his miracles with a simple word or touch, in today’s gospel, Jesus heals the man with a speech impediment in a most graphic and dramatic way. Sensitive to the man’s condition, Jesus pulls him away from the crowd in order to spare him from embarrassment and humiliation. Then he puts his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touches his tongue. The gesture poignantly shows how Jesus identifies physically with the man’s infirmity to awaken faith in him. Looking up to heaven, he groans and utters the word, “Ephphatha,” which finally opens the man’s ears and loosens his tongue.Pope Benedict XVI gives an insightful comment that the word, “ephphatha - be opened”, sums up Christ’s whole message and all his work. The context of the event confirms the idea. Note ...

With a little over a month before the filing of certificates of candidacy for the 2025 elections, talks are rife on how  the final line-up in Bacolod City will look like?The El-Bee poster circulating on social media points to Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran who is on his third and last term in his post and is rumored to be running for the congressional seat and Mayor Albee Benitez who will seek re-election for the chief executive position.The congressional post is open with third termer Rep. Greg Gasataya stepping down.El Cid acknowledged that those came from his supporters but that there are no final talks yet. However, in the past few months, El Cid who belongs to another political camp has been visible in Albee’s circle and this has prompted the talks that perhaps, he migh...

Our readings this Sunday are about the Law or the Torah. Literally, the Torah means law, guidance or directive, and pertains to God’s revealed teaching for humankind. In its restricted sense, it refers to the first five books of the Old Testament (Pentateuch) which are traditionally ascribed to Moses, the recipient of God’s revelation on Mt. Sinai.The Torah is the source of Israel’s national pride. The Israelites are aware that they are just a small nation and cannot boast of great political power, like Rome, or philosophical and artistic brilliance, like Greece. Nevertheless, they see themselves standing above all other nations. “For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and d...

Last week brought in family members from Manila and elsewhere who wanted to take advantage of the long weekend.Little did they know of course that about that same time, the power transformer in Alijis would cause outages in several parts in the city, though not in our home thankfully. However, our brother’s family were among those affected and though they checked in in one of the local resorts here on the first night, they transferred to our home after they were informed that it would take a couple of weeks for power to normalize.Thankfully too, my sister Inday, who was with her son, Commie, and his family, rented a home for the long weekend in one of the villages in town that was not affected by the power outage and so we had enough room for everybody to sleep in.First order o...

In the first reading, Joshua summoned the people of Israel and asked them to decide whether to serve God or the idols of their pagan neighbors. Sensing his imminent death, he wanted the people to make a solemn recommitment to the covenant for he was aware of the real danger and temptation of idolatry surrounding them. In response, the people unanimously chose to serve God.The gospel presents a parallel scene wherein Jesus also made his disciples decide whether to believe in him or to leave him. This happened at the end of his long discourse on the Bread of Life in Capernaum. Many of his disciples found his words too hard to accept. First, he claimed that he was the bread that came down from heaven. “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother?” Then he de...