God's Word and Daily Life

By Bernard Holzer, aa

This greatest celebration of the year for millions of Chinese, Vietnamese and other Asian peoples, is an occasion to pray for peace and harmony in the Asian continent.

We pray especially for the people of Myanmar on the1st anniversary of the military coup. We pray for the dead, the hundreds of thousands of displaced families, the people without access to basic services, those detained or tried, including the hundreds sentenced to death.

 It’s a time for family and friends, a time to rejoice, to give thanks and to exchange wishes and gifts. A time to love.

 Let us find time to meditate on the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians (4: 4-8), the Second Reading of the Mass on the 1^st day of the Lunar New Year: 

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” 

And let us pray:

“Merciful and compassionate God, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, we give you thanks and praise. Grant that all of us will in this year grow in peace, health, and holiness so that we can enjoy your abundant blessings. We ask this through Christ our Lord.”

By Mel Jasmin

On January 30, we celebrate the National Bible Sunday. Let us reflect on the relevance of God’s Word in our life.

The Bible stands there and says what it says and I have to deal with it. If I get my priorities out of whack I can try to manipulate what it says to suit my ears but cherry picking Greek glosses and lexicons or by coming up with some obscure interpretation. But if I am humble enough to let God’s Word change me rather than me change it I will experience something powerful in its study. It is like getting a letter from a friend about a problem. You can’t argue back with a letter. You have to take it all in first and read what is there, even re-read it.

Because the text is living, breathing, and sharp (Heb 4:12, 2 Tim 3:16) and because my life isn’t static, the Bible often encounters me at different times in life in different ways that it ever has before. I certainly read the Gospel of John differently now than when I was 13. Knowing the themes, the signs, the theology, purpose, and where John is taking the reader the text has become so much richer for me than it used to be and things now seem obvious that were buried for the 13-year-old version of myself. I love the richness that brings to the text as the words on the page are the same but the conversation changes as our maturity and readiness to hear what it is saying changes.

We are looking back on what many looked forward to and so we take much for granted. 1 Peter 1:12 tells us that the Gospel that has been revealed to us was concealed even from the angels much less those who went before the church and ministry of Christ. So there is much to be appreciated about being the recipients of the complete message of God/Christ through the Gospels and letters of the New Testament but also through the Old Testament (more on that another time). This gives us a privileged perspective of faith resulting in great responsibility. For instance, when Mary and Martha are upset with Jesus for not getting to Bethany to heal Lazarus any faster we know he is going to raise him from the dead. They don’t. That doesn’t mean we don’t have any faith struggles because our picture of God can be more informed than those who just had this piece or that. But it is still a blessing nevertheless!

By Mel Jasmin

The issue under conflict on the Sabbath brings out relevant ideas. The question of Pharisees on the act of Jesus’ disciples picking ear of corn justified in the right examples.

“Remember to keep holy the Sabbath” is an idolized and ancient law of Moses. And we would hardly think of disputing it. The religious leaders of the people in the Old Testament had defined the precise limitations which one should not transgress, in order to keep the Sabbath rest. Jesus breaks the law and allows his disciples to do the same. The reason: He had a different, a higher law to follow. Jesus gave the example of David who worked on a Sabbath day and did what was necessary. Jesus gives approval of what David did, even though he had technically broken the law by doing what was prohibited on the Sabbath. Hence it is a conflict between two extreme thoughts whether to follow the law or to show emphasis on human needs.

For Jesus, human need was important than the written law. Since the law came from God originally, Jesus tells the Pharisees they had not interpreted the law properly. They might be literal and superficial. In reference to King David, Jesus shows the older interpretation was right one. That is why Jesus said the Sabbath was made for the good of man; man was not made for the Sabbath. For Jesus, as for us, the real priority is not to be slave to the law but to use the law, in the best way possible, to ease for human needs. In other words, human life has to be the measure of everything but not the law. In the same way religion is for man and not man for religion. If our religion does not enable us to do good to men, it is useless. If the laws and observances do not help a man and meaningless to observe them, better keep them aside. Because they are not justified to the human will.

By Father Bernard Holzer, aa

         Last Monday, January 10, during the traditional ceremony of greetings addressed to the ambassadors of 183 states accredited by the Holy See, Pope Francis drew up a vast state of the world. He shared with them his concerns of the world. Among them: vaccines, migrants, and the possession of weapons. He urged them vigorously to act in the critical context of the pandemic and called them to dialogue and fraternity.

             Through these ambassadors who represent us, Pope Francis also extends his personal wishes to us:

“The prophet Jeremiah tells us that God has “plans for [our] welfare and not for evil, to give [us] a future and a hope” (29:11). We should be unafraid, then, to make room for peace in our lives by cultivating dialogue and fraternity among one another. The gift of peace is “contagious”; it radiates from the hearts of those who long for it and aspire to share it, and spreads throughout the whole world. To each of you, your families and the peoples you represent, I renew my blessing and offer my heartfelt good wishes for a year of serenity and peace.”

            In this time of electoral campaign, let us meditate on Pope Francis' address to the nations, which we can find on the website of the Holy See.

             He is giving us some criteria of discernment for good governance and for a wise vote.

           https://www.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html

To the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See

By Fr. Bernard Holzer, aa

We enter into a new year, a year of challenges, a year of choices, a year of elections.

Did we make some resolutions? Pope Francis is inviting us to build peace in us and around us.

“Peace is a gift from on high, but peace is also our commitment: it asks us to take the first step, it demands concrete actions. It is built by being attentive to the least, by promoting justice, with the courage to forgive thus extinguishing the fire of hatred. And it needs a positive outlook as well, one that always sees, in the Church as well as in society, not the evil that divides us, but the good that unites us! Getting depressed or complaining is useless. We need to roll up our sleeves to build peace. At the beginning of this year, may the Mother of God, the Queen of Peace, obtain harmony in our hearts and in the entire world.” – Angelus, January 1, 2022.

Let us think: peace! Because we need peace. Let's build peace!

Good wishes to you all! Happy New Year! Take care of you, and of others!

By Mel Jasmin

The New Year is an opportunity to reflect on the year gone by and to approach the year ahead with purpose and intention. A lot of emphasis is placed on this being a time to make big changes in our lives and while this can prove to be a useful motivator for many, it is also important to recognize that meaningful transitions and milestones are happening all year round.

Our efforts in forging forward with life, or as the case may be, with recovery, are meaningful and valuable regardless of when they occur. Taking the pressure off of becoming new and improved versions of ourselves as soon as January 1^st rolls around allows us space to grow, learn and move forward at our own pace, in our own way, and on our own time line. For some, the distinct marking of a New Year may be an inspiration for positive change. If the energy of a New Year gives them the inner fire needed to make those changes, then I say all the power to them! However, even if we cannot maintain the full steam ahead attitude we began the year with, or if we find ourselves falling back on old habits, we can still be compassionate and kind to ourselves and give ourselves grace by doing the next right thing. This concept has helped me tremendously in my own recovery journey. By doing the next right thing, we are declaring that we hold the power inside ourselves to make changes when it makes sense for us and in the ways that make sense for us.

By Mel Jasmin

The shopping is done, all the presents are bought and wrapped, the house is clean and the tree with all its decoration is shining brightly. So, what has all this hectic busyness been about?

When we have a birthday in our own family, what do we do? We gather around the person whose birthday it is and as a family, then we do two things. We remember and we celebrate. We remember the time and date the person was born. We look back and remember the day they came in to our family. We might look at photographs of them and recall how they looked when they were young. We tell stories about them when they were young; we remember their first words, the first days at a school and other significant events in their early life. Then we celebrate with them. We give thanks and celebrate the difference they have made and continue to make to our family.

This is exactly what we on Christmas Day; we remember and we celebrate. We recall and tell the story of how and when Jesus was born. We tell the story of Mary and Joseph being turned away from the inn, we remember that the angels appeared with good news and we remember how shepherds and the kings visited the stable. Then we celebrate the difference Jesus has made not only to the world, but to our personal lives.

May we take time to share what we have with those who became victims of the recent typhoon Odette. Let us pray and share our material gifts with them. Merry Christmas!

By Fr. Bernard Holzer, aa

“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” (Matthew 3:3) 

During this time of Advent, the voices of the prophet Isaiah and of the prophet John the Baptist resonate in the liturgy. They invite us to conversion, to change our ways of thinking and acting.

On December 10, Maria Ressa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. It is another prophetic voice in this Advent Season. She is inviting us to reflect and commit ourselves to a new world. Let us let ourselves be challenged by this voice: it is a meaningful preparation for Christmas.

 « We are standing on the rubble of the world that was, and we must have the foresight and courage to imagine what might happen if we don’t act now, and instead, create the world as it should be - more compassionate, more equal, more sustainable.

To do that, please ask yourself the same question my team and I had to confront 5 years ago: what are you willing to sacrifice for the truth?

 You have to know what values you are fighting for, and you have to draw the lines early—but if you haven’t done so, do it now: where this side you’re good, and this side, you’re evil.

 What are YOU willing to sacrifice for the truth?

 Now it’s time to build—to create the world we want.  

Now, please, with me, close your eyes. And imagine the world as it should be. A world of peace, trust and empathy, bringing out the best that we can be.

Now let’s go and make it happen. Let’s hold the line. Together.”

You can read the full transcript of Maria Ressa's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1w3rRRBoq8

By Fr. Bernard Holzer, aa