In observance of the Paschal Triduum (and also to save energy), I would limit my use of the Internet--or would not use it at all--as my personal act of reparation to Jesus Christ in remembrance to His greatest act of love to the world. My regular surfing would be on Easter Sunday. For now, this is Ian Riñon, over and out.

Never Too Late for Second Chances

First Reading: Is. 50:4-7
Responsorial Psalm: My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? (Ps. 22: 8-9; 17-18; 19-20; 23-24)
Second Reading: Phil. 2:6-11
Gospel: Lk. 22:14--23:56 or 23:1-49

When the hour came,
Jesus took his place at table with the apostles.
He said to them,
“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer,
for, I tell you, I shall not eat it again
until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said,
“Take this and share it among yourselves;
for I tell you that from this time on
I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine
until the kingdom of God comes.”
Then he took the bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them, saying,
“This is my body, which will be given for you;
do this in memory of me.”
And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
which will be shed for you.

“And yet behold, the hand of the one who is to betray me
is with me on the table;
for the Son of Man indeed goes as it has been determined;
but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed.”
And they began to debate among themselves
who among them would do such a deed.

Then an argument broke out among them
about which of them should be regarded as the greatest.
He said to them,
“The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them
and those in authority over them are addressed as ‘Benefactors’;
but among you it shall not be so.
Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest,
and the leader as the servant.
For who is greater:
the one seated at table or the one who serves?
Is it not the one seated at table?
I am among you as the one who serves.
It is you who have stood by me in my trials;
and I confer a kingdom on you,
just as my Father has conferred one on me,
that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom;
and you will sit on thrones
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

“Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded
to sift all of you like wheat,
but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail;
and once you have turned back,
you must strengthen your brothers.”
He said to him,
“Lord, I am prepared to go to prison and to die with you.”
But he replied,
“I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows this day,
you will deny three times that you know me.”

He said to them,
“When I sent you forth without a money bag or a sack or sandals,
were you in need of anything?”
“No, nothing, “ they replied.
He said to them,
“But now one who has a money bag should take it,
and likewise a sack,
and one who does not have a sword
should sell his cloak and buy one.
For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me,
namely, He was counted among the wicked;
and indeed what is written about me is coming to fulfillment.”
Then they said,
“Lord, look, there are two swords here.”
But he replied, “It is enough!”

Then going out, he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives,
and the disciples followed him.
When he arrived at the place he said to them,
“Pray that you may not undergo the test.”
After withdrawing about a stone’s throw from them and kneeling,
he prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing,
take this cup away from me;
still, not my will but yours be done.”
And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him.
He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently
that his sweat became like drops of blood
falling on the ground.
When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples,
he found them sleeping from grief.
He said to them, “Why are you sleeping?
Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test.”

While he was still speaking, a crowd approached
and in front was one of the Twelve, a man named Judas.
He went up to Jesus to kiss him.
Jesus said to him,
“Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
His disciples realized what was about to happen, and they asked,
“Lord, shall we strike with a sword?”
And one of them struck the high priest’s servant
and cut off his right ear.
But Jesus said in reply,
“Stop, no more of this!”
Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed him.
And Jesus said to the chief priests and temple guards
and elders who had come for him,
“Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?
Day after day I was with you in the temple area,
and you did not seize me;
but this is your hour, the time for the power of darkness.”

After arresting him they led him away
and took him into the house of the high priest;
Peter was following at a distance.
They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it,
and Peter sat down with them.
When a maid saw him seated in the light,
she looked intently at him and said,
“This man too was with him.”
But he denied it saying,
“Woman, I do not know him.”
A short while later someone else saw him and said,
“You too are one of them”;
but Peter answered, “My friend, I am not.”
About an hour later, still another insisted,
“Assuredly, this man too was with him,
for he also is a Galilean.”
But Peter said,
“My friend, I do not know what you are talking about.”
Just as he was saying this, the cock crowed,
and the Lord turned and looked at Peter;
and Peter remembered the word of the Lord,
how he had said to him,
“Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.”
He went out and began to weep bitterly.
The men who held Jesus in custody were ridiculing and beating him.
They blindfolded him and questioned him, saying,
“Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?”
And they reviled him in saying many other things against him.

When day came the council of elders of the people met,
both chief priests and scribes,
and they brought him before their Sanhedrin.
They said, “If you are the Christ, tell us, “
but he replied to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe,
and if I question, you will not respond.
But from this time on the Son of Man will be seated
at the right hand of the power of God.”
They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?”
He replied to them, “You say that I am.”
Then they said, “What further need have we for testimony?
We have heard it from his own mouth.”

Then the whole assembly of them arose and brought him before Pilate.
They brought charges against him, saying,
“We found this man misleading our people;
he opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar
and maintains that he is the Christ, a king.”
Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
He said to him in reply, “You say so.”
Pilate then addressed the chief priests and the crowds,
“I find this man not guilty.”
But they were adamant and said,
“He is inciting the people with his teaching throughout all Judea,
from Galilee where he began even to here.”

On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean;
and upon learning that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction,
he sent him to Herod who was in Jerusalem at that time.
Herod was very glad to see Jesus;
he had been wanting to see him for a long time,
for he had heard about him
and had been hoping to see him perform some sign.
He questioned him at length,
but he gave him no answer.
The chief priests and scribes, meanwhile,
stood by accusing him harshly.
Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously and mocked him,
and after clothing him in resplendent garb,
he sent him back to Pilate.
Herod and Pilate became friends that very day,
even though they had been enemies formerly.
Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the rulers, and the people
and said to them, “You brought this man to me
and accused him of inciting the people to revolt.
I have conducted my investigation in your presence
and have not found this man guilty
of the charges you have brought against him,
nor did Herod, for he sent him back to us.
So no capital crime has been committed by him.
Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.”

But all together they shouted out,
“Away with this man!
Release Barabbas to us.”
— Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a rebellion
that had taken place in the city and for murder. —
Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus,
but they continued their shouting,
“Crucify him! Crucify him!”
Pilate addressed them a third time,
“What evil has this man done?
I found him guilty of no capital crime.
Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.”
With loud shouts, however,
they persisted in calling for his crucifixion,
and their voices prevailed.
The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted.
So he released the man who had been imprisoned
for rebellion and murder, for whom they asked,
and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished.

As they led him away
they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian,
who was coming in from the country;
and after laying the cross on him,
they made him carry it behind Jesus.
A large crowd of people followed Jesus,
including many women who mourned and lamented him.
Jesus turned to them and said,
“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me;
weep instead for yourselves and for your children
for indeed, the days are coming when people will say,
‘Blessed are the barren,
the wombs that never bore
and the breasts that never nursed.’
At that time people will say to the mountains,
‘Fall upon us!’
and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’
for if these things are done when the wood is green
what will happen when it is dry?”
Now two others, both criminals,
were led away with him to be executed.

When they came to the place called the Skull,
they crucified him and the criminals there,
one on his right, the other on his left.
Then Jesus said,
“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”
They divided his garments by casting lots.
The people stood by and watched;
the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said,
“He saved others, let him save himself
if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God.”
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
“If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.”
Above him there was an inscription that read,
“This is the King of the Jews.”

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
“Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us.”
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
“Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal.”
Then he said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
He replied to him,
“Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.”

It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon
because of an eclipse of the sun.
Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.
Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”;
and when he had said this he breathed his last.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said,
“This man was innocent beyond doubt.”
When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened,
they returned home beating their breasts;
but all his acquaintances stood at a distance,
including the women who had followed him from Galilee
and saw these events.
Now there was a virtuous and righteous man named Joseph who,
though he was a member of the council,
had not consented to their plan of action.
He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea
and was awaiting the kingdom of God.
He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
After he had taken the body down,
he wrapped it in a linen cloth
and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb
in which no one had yet been buried.
It was the day of preparation,
and the sabbath was about to begin.
The women who had come from Galilee with him followed behind,
and when they had seen the tomb
and the way in which his body was laid in it,
they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils.
Then they rested on the sabbath according to the commandment.

or

The elders of the people, chief priests and scribes,
arose and brought Jesus before Pilate.
They brought charges against him, saying,
“We found this man misleading our people;
he opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar
and maintains that he is the Christ, a king.”
Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
He said to him in reply, “You say so.”
Pilate then addressed the chief priests and the crowds,
“I find this man not guilty.”
But they were adamant and said,
“He is inciting the people with his teaching throughout all Judea,
from Galilee where he began even to here.”

On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean;
and upon learning that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction,
he sent him to Herod who was in Jerusalem at that time.
Herod was very glad to see Jesus;
he had been wanting to see him for a long time,
for he had heard about him
and had been hoping to see him perform some sign.
He questioned him at length,
but he gave him no answer.
The chief priests and scribes, meanwhile,
stood by accusing him harshly.
Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously and mocked him,
and after clothing him in resplendent garb,
he sent him back to Pilate.
Herod and Pilate became friends that very day,
even though they had been enemies formerly.
Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the rulers, and the people
and said to them, “You brought this man to me
and accused him of inciting the people to revolt.
I have conducted my investigation in your presence
and have not found this man guilty
of the charges you have brought against him,
nor did Herod, for he sent him back to us.
So no capital crime has been committed by him.
Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.”

But all together they shouted out,
“Away with this man!
Release Barabbas to us.”
— Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a rebellion
that had taken place in the city and for murder. —
Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus,
but they continued their shouting,
“Crucify him! Crucify him!”
Pilate addressed them a third time,
“What evil has this man done?
I found him guilty of no capital crime.
Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.”
With loud shouts, however,
they persisted in calling for his crucifixion,
and their voices prevailed.
The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted.
So he released the man who had been imprisoned
for rebellion and murder, for whom they asked,
and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished.

As they led him away
they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian,
who was coming in from the country;
and after laying the cross on him,
they made him carry it behind Jesus.
A large crowd of people followed Jesus,
including many women who mourned and lamented him.
Jesus turned to them and said,
“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me;
weep instead for yourselves and for your children
for indeed, the days are coming when people will say,
‘Blessed are the barren,
the wombs that never bore
and the breasts that never nursed.’
At that time people will say to the mountains,
‘Fall upon us!’
and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’
for if these things are done when the wood is green
what will happen when it is dry?”
Now two others, both criminals,
were led away with him to be executed.

When they came to the place called the Skull,
they crucified him and the criminals there,
one on his right, the other on his left.
Then Jesus said,
“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”
They divided his garments by casting lots.
The people stood by and watched;
the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said,
“He saved others, let him save himself
if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God.”
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
“If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.”
Above him there was an inscription that read,
“This is the King of the Jews.”

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
“Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us.”
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
“Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal.”
Then he said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
He replied to him,
“Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.”

It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon
because of an eclipse of the sun.
Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.
Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”;
and when he had said this he breathed his last.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said,
“This man was innocent beyond doubt.”
When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle
saw what had happened,
they returned home beating their breasts;
but all his acquaintances stood at a distance,
including the women who had followed him from Galilee
and saw these events.

Information:

Palm Sunday is also called "Passion Sunday" due to its Gospel, which is mentioned above. It is a custom in the Near East to cover the path taken by someone who is worthy of honor: in this case, Jesus Christ. This was prefigured when Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, was on his way to Jerusalem ("At once each took his garment, spread it under Jehu on the bare steps, blew the trumpet, and cried out, 'Jehu is king!'" 2 Kings 9:13 NAB), although there are conflicts as the Canonical Gospels mentioned that people used palm fronds instead of cloth. At the same way, and fulfilling the scriptures, Christ entered Jerusalem, not in a chariot as Jehu did, but in a donkey, the symbol of humility and lowliness ("Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your King shall come to you; a just Savior is He, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; The warrior's bow shall be banished, and He shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth." Zechariah 9:9-10). In the Bible, palms are depicted as the symbol of victory, of triumph; thus, Jesus' entry to Jerusalem days before He is condemned was a triumphant one--a very different reception compared to His way to Calvary.

Reflection:

Every time I hear the Taize song "Jesus, Remember Me" (by the way, Taize would be a different topic), I always remember the thief who asked for Christ's forgiveness in His final hours.

At times, we would be in a situation where an "epic fail" would happen. So we ask ourselves, "Is it too late?" In Christ, it is never too late for He is not subject to time and space. It is us who gets old, but the loving mercy of God has no beginning nor end. Thus, it is never too late for second chances.

Get Ready....

Holy Week officially starts tomorrow, and I am glad I'm free from all the the craziness of the real world...for now.

If I were you, I would have planned to do the following:

-reduce time surfing the net to give way to more participation in the liturgies;
-not to open/avoid opening social networking sites i.e. Facebook to blog more about your reflections for Semana Santa (NOT YOUR VACATION ON SOME BEACH RESORT!!!);
-if you're a Communication student like me, reflect on how deep is our relationship with God the Father and how we use the only Medium to connect with Him, His Son; and
-PRAY AND PARTICIPATE IN LITURGIES: this is if you really want to feel the greatest act of love He manifested.

Maybe, that's just a few suggestions from yours truly. Have a blessed week ahead and may God bless you all!!!

In Christ through Mary, San Lorenzo Ruiz and Saint Thomas Aquinas,
Ian Rinon

Reflection-Reaction Reformat

For next week, February 14, 2010, and, if ever, also on the 21st, I would not be posting my Sunday Reactions on this blog in lieu of our final examinations. But when I return on the 28th, the format of my Sunday reflections would be different, because my latest reaction is my last.... Get ready for the new and improved Sunday Reflect and React on the 28th of March!!! Until then, This is Ian Riñon, temporarily signing off....

The Burning Bush and the Fig Tree: Symbols of God’s Greatness and Man’s Sinfulness

Synopsis: Lk. 13:1-9

At that time some people who were present there told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on the—do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!"

And he told them this parable: "There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, 'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. (So) cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?' He said to him in reply, 'Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.'"

Homily of the Celebrant: Fr. Doroteo “Teody” Andres

The homily started with the rundown of the last two weeks’ Gospels—of Jesus’ temptation, and of the Transfiguration.

Then, he made the point about the First Reading (Ex. 3:1-15), where Moses was called by God being the Burning Bush and revealing His Name: “I AM WHO AM”—no past, nor present, nor future. The Gospel, on the other hand, the people who are listening to Jesus are asking if the people who were slain by Pilate and were crushed by the falling tower of Siloam were sinners. Jesus may say they are, but they are not (Point: not because someone is in a situation where catastrophe and turmoil is relevant and imminent, it does not mean that those who died are deserving to die—IJR). On the contrary, if we continue the book of Exodus, we would clearly see that there are some Israelites that were not following Moses at all, and they deserted him, in Filipino, reklamo sila ng reklamo. One example of this argument was the Haiti and Chile quakes; the priest said, were they sinful? Not necessarily. In fact, it helps us to get closer to God. There comes a time that we become frustrated that we come to a time we abuse our lives (which is God’s gift for us), which leads to death; it much more resembles the story of the Prodigal Son. The celebrant concluded, man just have to renew his self spiritually, like an old watch that still ticks because of a new battery.

Reaction:

The Burning Bush and the Fig Tree: Symbols of God’s Greatness and Man’s Sinfulness

We say every time we have done something pleasing to our eyes, we say that our endeavors are “fruitful.” We also say whenever we will be experiencing an “epic fail,” we tend to go crazy until we see the situation crash and burn. My reaction for this situation is simple: the Holy Spirit is that fire coming down from the bush without consuming it. This means, God will put our hearts on fire—of passion for Truth, of courage to face the Truth and fight with it, and of love for Truth. His manifestation to Moses only reveals that He wants to be known as the God of second chances, which is substantiated in Jesus’ parable in that Gospel, where He represents the Gardener with His Father as Owner.

We see in the context of the Gospel that God lets us bear fruit so that we would be retained in His Garden. But if we dig deeper and analyze the message, He is doing everything we could ever imagine, and even beyond, just so we bear fruit. We should then do our part. We have been nourished by love and armored by truth; it is now our responsibility to fight as warriors of Christ, and for Christ, and serve Him rightly as His stewards.

By this end, I would like to conclude this with a hypothetical statement: If we are all fig trees, we should not wait for the Owner of the Garden, who planted us, to cut us down and wither with no remorse; before He even notices our counter-productivity, which He actually knows in the first place, we must take action and bear fruit for Him.

“How great it is for us to be here”: A Statement of Temptation and Awe

Synopsis: Lk. 9:28b-36

Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.

Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying.

While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.

Homily of the Celebrant: Fr. Emmanuel “Manny” Colmenar

There are times, the priest started, that we would be standing at the crossroads—the choices that would alter our lives for good. This is what Jesus has experienced every time He prayed (should I say talking heart-to-heart with the Father); Jesus was at the crossroads, with Moses and Elijah talking about His death—the greatest manifestation of God’s unending love for us (Somehow, this is peculiar; find out why at my reaction). At every prayer, Jesus passes through a crossroad. When He started His ministry, He prayed and fasted for forty days with the devil tempting Him. When He decided who would be His Apostles and after He have fed the five thousand, Jesus prayed to the Father very solemnly, and with longevity. The crossroads the celebrant emphasized were His prayer at Mount Tabor, where He talked with His servant-prophets, Moses and Elijah, and also at His last, heart-wrenching prayer with His Father at the garden of Gethsemane. Both reminded Jesus of His purpose—to save mankind from sin and its effects.

If Jesus, being true God and true man, pray for about a quarter of a day, the priest argued, what about us? How long do we pray? One example was the priest’s prayer time. He thought that he has nothing more to do for that day. But at the middle of his contemplation, thoughts about his burden as one of the three pastors of the parish disturbed him. He then realizes that the Enemy is using this tactic just so he would not communicate with God. Discerning this, he decided not to succumb to this temptation and continue praying. The point here is that the evil forces are felt most especially when we strive to get closer to God.

Another of the homilist’s points were the realization of the sweetest rewards that would only be experienced if we accepted the hardest of trials—ang pagtingin sa Krus bilang magandang halimbawa ng pagtitiis sa kabila ng pagpapasakit.

If we chose to suffer, we deny ourselves, and in turn, bring happiness to God and neighbor. Whenever we listen to His voice, He makes His presence felt, just as we feel Him as we carry our crosses, which is our source of grace.

One final example of this point is related to intimate relationships that lasts a lifetime. We do not grow tired f it if we love someone. This is what God wants us to feel—that He is never tired of loving us—hindi naiinip o nagsasawa. We should fell the same. Closing his homily, the priest emphasized that prayer is not a burden, but it is a way of encouragement in facing and defeating temptations and as an offering to the Lord.

Reaction:

“How great it is for us to be here”: A Statement of Temptation and Awe

Every time I encounter the verse “How great it is for us to be here…,” I remember my high school retreat when I was an outgoing senior. Our place of contemplation, Don Bosco Batulao, in Nasugbu, Batangas, was a very peaceful site; overlooking the so-called “Mountain of Salvation”, Mt. Batulao. Why do I feel nostalgic whenever I see that verse, which I never encountered for the longest time since then? Not only am I reminded of the Lord’s presence every time I contemplate, and, like Peter, have no idea of how beautiful was the situation I am.

For this week, I would make four points concerning the Gospel:

1. A supplementary of the homily;

2. How prayer presides over choices;

3. Why what Peter said was a cloaked temptation; and

4. So what if he said it.

The homily was all about crossroads, crosses, and prayers. We bear crosses in our pilgrimage to Heaven, and along the way, we come across diversions that would lead to God and to evil. If we continue to follow Him, no problem at all. If we choose not to follow Him, that would be the problem. No one wants that. Even announcing someone’s death; this was featured in the Gospel. Luckily, some of these roads have detours that would lead us back to the Way of Life. Through prayer, we may ease the carrying of our crosses, and in due time, we would not be carrying it further in Paradise.

Now, how does prayer preside over the choices we make? When we feel that there is something wrong, or that we feel anxious, confused, or we are losing hope, what do we do? We pray, right? We pray hat our decisions be for our benefit, and more likely, for the benefit of those we love. In short, we spontaneously ask the Lord for His guidance in the choices we make. All of the Church’s decisions—from promulgating an ordinance, to the clarifications and correct teachings of dogmas and doctrines, even to electing the successor of a deceased Pope—all of these became possible because the apostolic successors (the Pope, the cardinals, and the bishops) prayed very hard to the Holy Spirit for inspiration. And the rest is history.

Why, in the first place, did Peter said “How great it is for us to be here” (which is another version of the verse “Master, it is good that we are here”)? Of course, because of awe, Peter was amazed of Jesus’ glimpse of glory that he would want to stay there. But the Lord insisted otherwise for He has to fulfill His mission before the world may see His glory; thus, the reminder not to tell anyone what happened before He was put to death and rose again. There are things that we should not know for the moment so that we may fully appreciate it when the time comes for us to know so. Also, the reason for this is that because we would misunderstand the meaning that we take advantage of it: A temptation cloaked in human desire; a lion in sheep’s clothing. I myself want to know the things that made me curious about, though not at the right place and at the right time. This is what Peter, James, and John experienced.

Lastly, to substantiate further what I wrote on the previous paragraph, God wants us to understand first ourselves before we search for what fascinates us—that everyone should learn the basics first before stepping to the advanced, or going back to zero when we forgot the basics. Each Catholic must know first how to love and why do we have to pray before we go to the next level. Prayer, then, must be the fundamental communication with the Father, with the Son as the Medium, and the Holy Spirit as inspiration. Whether in awe or in sinfulness, therefore, we should not forget to praise and thank Him for His mercy and love.

Now, we may say that whenever we want to feel His greatness in our midst, it is fitting and proper to say: “Lord, how great it is for us to be here!”