Sunday, August 28, 2011

22nd Sunday (A): Pangasinan Reflection

Si Jeremias so sakey a propitan tinawag na Dios ed panaon na kaugsan diad Israel. Ed saraman ya panaon, saray totooy Dios so unaarawi la rad Katawan. Kanian, imbaki na Dios si Jeremias ed Jerusalem. Imbaga toy salitay Dios ed sikara. Balet imbes na maliket dan inawat so ibabaga nen Jeremias, diman da pinairap, “niludlurey tan inelek-elekan da” ya anggad si Jeremias so manakis ed kairapan to. “Agko la nayarian, Katawan!” kuan nen Jeremias. “ Masyado layan kairapan. Agko la nayarian.”

Pamilyar yan liliknaen nen Jeremias para sikatayo.
Siopa ed sikatayo so agto ni akalikna na problema, sakit, kairapan ed bilay to? Siopa ed sikatayo so andi nin balot nanpaga? Nanaburido? Nanairapan ed nantutumboken a problema na bilay? Ya asabi-sabi panaon ya inkuan tayo ed say Katawan: “Masyado lay irap ko! Agko la nayarian!” Insan tayo tepeten ed say Dios ya onkekerew na paliwawa: “Akin et siak ni, Katawan?”

Akin et siak ni Katawan so mansasakit? Akin et siak ni ni maniirap ed sarayan agnasumsumpal a problema? Akin et aliwan samay kaabay mi? Akin et aliwan samay kabosol ko? AKIN ET SIAK NI?

Anto so kabaliksan to yan tepet?

No say kuan tayo ed say Katawan: Akin Katawan, siak ni? Aliling toy kekerewen tayo ed say Katawan ya agtayo kanepegan ya mansakit! Agtayo kanepegan so manproblema! Agtayo kanepegan so walad kairapan. Say ilalo tayo ya lanang: say bilay ya walad inawa tan ligliwa! Tan saya ingen so pirpirawat tayo ya lanang.

Ta say bilay na too et nantekepan na ligliwa, inawa, liket tan kairapan. Nen sikatayo so niyanak, tampol ya sikatayo so inmakis pian makasongap tayo na dagem pian sikatayo so nabilay! Onya so bilay tayo: natekepen so irap tan ligliwa, akis tan imis.

Mainomay ya natalusan so ligliwa tan inawa na bilay. Mainomay tayon naibaga ya tanday panangaro na Dios ed sikatayo iraya. Balet say irap tan krus ed bilay? Panangaro na Dios ni raya kasi?
Anggapo so awit kon malinew ya pangipatalus so kabaliksan na saray kairapan na bilay tayo. Balet, wala labat so naistoryak tan lapud saya, nabirbir tayo ya sarayan kairapan et walay kabaliksan to ed say pikakasakey tayo ed say Dios a Katawan.

Si Pope John Paul II nen sikato so apili ya magmaliw a Santo Papa nen 1978 et apanopanoy kabiskegan. Singa ag balot mansakit. Aktibo a pisikal a too! Balet abalang iyan amin nen 1981 nen sikato so pinaltog da. Nanlapud saman ya anggad inpatey nen Pope John Paul II ed sayan taon -- duamplo tan apat a taon, si John Paul II so nanirap ya maong. Nanengneng tayo ya nen 1981, ontan lad matek tan maksil tan malongob so panagsalita to. Nen sikato so inatey, agla natalusan so bosis da, abokot la tan mangiwgiw la. Ontan lan baleg so inpanirap na sayan Santo Papa tayo. Balet, diad kapegleyan na kairapan to, diman met alikna, abirbir tan aneng-neng so inkasanto to! Tan say kuan na dakerakel: lapud say kabaleg tan kabelat na inpanirap to, ontan la so inbiskeg na inkasanto!

Akin? Agtayon balot nangel ed si John Paull II so salitan: Akin et siak ni Katawan? Sayan Santo Papa met so tinawag a “Mercy Pope” lapud diad kapegleyan na kairapan to, diman to met inter so balbaleg a talek to ed say Panangasi na Katawan. Diad kairapan to, nalmo to so dalan ya mamaarap ed masanton panagbilay!

Sirin, diad kapegleyan na sarayan kairapan tan sakit tayo, say pikasi tayo aliwan say naekal ya amin so problema tayo, ta ag balot nasumpal itan ya kerew, no ingen say kerew tayo et say ibiskeg na panmatalek tayo ed say Panangasi na Katawan. Tan diad sayan panmamatalek tayo ed say Katawan, onaasinger tayo ed sikatayo. Diad satan ya iaasinger tayod Katawan, say kasantosan a manlalapud Dios so onbulaslas ed sikatayo. Tan anggan antoy onsabi, walay inawan naiter na Katawan ed sikatayo. Agtayo manbobokbokor. Kaiba tayo so Sankasantosan tan Sankamapangasian a Dios.
Itilan manmatalek ed say Panangasi to. Ontan la komon.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (A): Pangasinan Reflection

Say ebat nen Pedro ed samay tepet nen Jesus: Siopa ak ed para sikayo? makabaliksan ed si Pedro tan saray kapara ton disipulo nen Jesus. Sikato so sentro na say pananisia nen Pedro ed si Jesus.

Si Jesus so Kristo, Anak na Dios!

Say salitan “Kristo” so salitay Griego ya say kabaliksan to ed Hebrew et “Messias” odino samay alagden na saray Judio ya apilin Manangilaban! Kanian nen inbalikas nen Pedro a si Jesus et sikato so Kristo, say Messiah, bibirbiren to ya si Jesus et Dios, tan sikato so alagdan da lan abayag ya Manangialaban.

Tan lapud sikatayo so sakey a disipulo nen Jesus a Kristo ontan met so pananisia tayo nipaakar ed si Jesus. Sikato so Kristo tayo, say saksakey a Manangilaban tayo, saksakey a Katawan tayo!
Kasumpal ya inbalikas yan pananisia nen Pedro ed si Jesus, anggaman dakel ni kakulangan nen Pedro, ya singa bilbilang et inkaindan ton amitlo, diad sampot, anggapo lay arum ya tinumbok to ya anggad patey, tan anggapo lay arum ya binirbir ton manangilaban to no ingen et si Jesus labat.

Kanian, no bibirbiren tayo ya si Jesus so Kristo ya Anak na Dios, sikato labat, anggapo lay arum, so anapen tayon sirin a Manangilaban tayo. Diad irap tan gonigon tayo, diad saray dakerakel ya pirpirawat, diad anapen tayon aliguas tan kareenan na bilay tayo, anggapo lay arum ya nakaukolan tayo no ag ingen et si Jesus a Kristo, say Manangilaban tayo.

Ilaban to itayo ed saray kairapan tayo; ilaban to itayo ed saray sakit tayo; ilaban to itayo ed saray bakal, tan guloy mundon nanaimatonan tayo; ilaban to itayo ed amin ya kaugsan ya walad kaliber-liber tayo; ilaban to itayo ed anton kasalanan ya walad sikatayo tan diad bilay tayo!

Walay sakey ya Drugstore ya say naynay ton ibabaga: "Nakasisiguro gamot ay laging bago!" Ibabalikas ton SIGURADO ya say tambal da et balon amin. Ontan met ya tua so anapen tayo, say PAKASIGURADOAN tayo. Sigurista tayon amin.

Say tua ontan met komon so pananisia tayo ed si Jesus! Diad si Jesus, akasiguro tayo ed amin. Anggapoy kakanaan na saray anting-anting tayo; anggapoy kabaliksan na swerten numero; say ibabagay horoscope; anggapo so maong tan makapoy ya agew. Anggapoy pakapanyari na andeket ya pusa, polka dots ya kawes, no ikumpara irayan say amta tayon mangilaban tan mangiter na “swerte” ed sikatayo ed si Jesus a bokor to so Kristo tan Manangilaban tayo!

Kanian, no anapen tayo so sigurado, dia tayo la ed si Kristo, ya Anak na Dios ya Manangilaban tayo. Ontan la komon.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A): Pangasinan Reflection

"Mabisbiskeg so pananisiam! Nagaway kekerewen mo."

Say Ibanghilyo tayo nipaakar ed say sakey ya biin taga Canaan onkekerew na panangasi ed say Katawan lapud samay anak to so mansasakit. Anggaman, diad gapu ag inasikaso na saray apostol na Katawan, tan say Katawan mismo, sayan bii, ag tinmonda ya maneyag ya manpipikasi ed say Katawan. Diad sampot, say pikakasi so dinengel na Katawan. "Mabisbiskeg so pananisiam! Nagaway kekerewen mo”, inkuay Katawan ed sikato.

Agay lay palar to yan bii, kuantayo. Say pikakasi to so dinengel na Katawan. Akin et siak, ey? tepet tayo ya mabetbet. Akin et saray pikakasi tayo et ag iraya lanang ya nanaawat tayo? Aliwan tampol no maminsan, a singa samay bii ed ibanghilyo?

Lapud kasi aliwa tayo maaro ya maong, odino aliwa tayon mapaabeba, odino melmelag so pananisia tayo?

No maminsan, saraya so rason. Odino, no maminsan onaasingger tayo ed say Katawan tan ialiling tayon singa griepo so Dios: no labay tayon walay danum, ilukas labat so griepo, tan tampol ya walay danum ya onagos. Anggan anton panaon, anggan anton rason, anggan anton kipapasen.

Balet, no maminsan et ilukas tayo so griepo tan anggapo so danum ya pinmaway, manpasnok tayo. Maningongot tayo. Tan say kuan tayo ya man-complain: manbabayar ak met? odino, inpeyes ko met?

Kanian, say amta tayo no mandasal tayo na Ave Maria, Ama mi tan ontalikor, mimisa odino man-novena, iter na Dios so exacto ya kekerewen tayo: no antoman, no kapigan, no anton panaon.

No aliwan saman so nagawa, a say twa et mabetbet, naekalan tayo na ilalo. Ombarong tayo ed Dios. Insan, nagonoyan agtayo la mandasal. Mananap la na arum ya piolopan.

Balet, andi komon.

Ta say twa, say Dios eebatan ton balang sinansakey so pikakasi tayo, lapud sikato so twan maaron Ama. Aman mabonlok, aliwan masiblet. Aman say pankamungan na anak to so walad puso to ya lanang.

Tan onya so ebat na Dios ed amin ya pikakasi tayo: Onebat na tampol ya ON ed dasal tayo. Odino, aliwa nin natan, manalagar kan apanoy ilalo. Tan, andi ed satay kerew mo balet walay mas maong ya iter kod sika. Ta say Dios amta to no anto so nakaukolan tayo tan say pankamongan tayo.

No agtayo naawat ya tampol odino agtayo naawat so pikakasi tayo, ag labay ton ibaga ya say Dios et agto dedengelen so dasal tayo. Say labay ton ibaga et walay plano na Dios ya iter ed sikatayo ya mas maong nen samay kekerewen tayo.

Ta say Dios et aliwan singa griepo, no ingen sakey ya makabat, maaro tan mapangasin Ama. Ontan pa komon. Amen.

Saturday, August 06, 2011

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A): Pangasinan Reflection

Wala ra so panaon ya asabid bilay tayo nen sikatayo so walad abebeba ya kipapasen, lapud kairapan, kaermenan, a singa anggapo la so nagawaan, anggapo la so ilalo, tan sipaparaan tayo lan “man-surrender”. Diad sarayan kipapasen, naalmo tayo komun so kabiskegan na pananisia tayo a manlalapud say Katawan.

Diad say ibanghilyo tayo, nadngelan tayo no panon a nan-akar so Katawan ed danum, tan no pano ya inkerew met nen Pedro ya manakar met ed danum. “Gala!” kuay Katawan. Balet nen manaakar lad danum si Pedro, ataktakot ed kabaleg na daluyon, kanyan sikato so nalelegep. Siningkat na Katawan tan inlaban tod patey.

Diad kultura na totoo nen saman, say dayat so pasen na kaugsan, say panarian na patey ya manataktakot ed amin a totoo. Kanian, nen si Jesus so “nanakar ed danum”, ibabaga na Katawan ya tinalo to la so kaugsan tan say pakapanyari ran manederal ed say too.

Ag naandi iray bagyo ed bilay tayo. Bagyo na problema, saray dakerakel ya panpapagaan tayo, saray pakatatakotan tayo, problema ed pamilya, diad trabaho, diad inagey-agew ya bilay tayo. Balet, diad sarayan kapegleyan na amin walay Jesus ya inpanengneng to para sikatayo ya tinalo to irayan amin ya bagyo tan kasil na dagem ed bilay tayo nen sikato so “nanakar ed danum”.

Diad inpanawag nen Jesus ed si Pedro ya manakar met ed danum, ipapanengneng nen Jesus ya walay pakapanyari nen Pedro ya taloen tan saragen irayan amin ya problema. Ag ira naandi ed bilay, balet saraya et naitdan na balon kabaliksan diad panamegley na Katawan.

Akin balet et nalelegep si Pedro nen sikato so manaakar ed danum. Say twa et ag linmad danum si Pedro no ag tinawag na Katawan. Sayan tawag na Katawan et sakey ya sipan ya diad kapegleyan na sarayan dagem tan bagyo na bilay, kaiba tayo si Jesus tan ag-mapaga ta anggapo so pakayari da iraya ed saray kaugsan.

Kanian, no tepeten tayo: akin et nalelegep si Pedro nen sikato so manaakar la ed danum? Say ebat. Lapud, imbes na si Jesus so nengnengen to, say ninengneng to et say daluyen na dayat tan kasil na dagem. Nakal so linawa to. Nakal so sebeg to. Nakal so biskeg na pananisia to ed say Katawan. Tan ataktakot. Say takot et kabaliksan na kakulangan na talek ed say Dios.

Balet, agitayo paolyan na Katawan anggaman no maminsan naekalan tayo na ilalo tan talek ed sikato. Tinmawag si Pedro ed si Jesus: “Katawan, ilaban yo ak!” Tan inyonat nen Jesus so taklay to tan inagwat toy Pedro.

Ag itayo paolyan na Katawan ya nalegep ed kaugsan, kairapan, kaermenan tan kasalanan. No singa tayo si Pedro ya onkerew na panangasi ed Katawan. Onkerew na grasya na Katawan. Say inpag-awat na Katawan et aliling toy grasya na panamerdona, grasya na pananisia, grasya na ilalo ya nakaukolan tayo ed kapegleyan na saray bagyo na bilay tayo.

Kanian, diad bilay tayo: siopa so sankanengneng tayo ya lanang? No nabebelatan tayo ed saray kasalanan tan kaugsan ed bilay tayo, aaboloyan tayo kasi so Katawan ya agwaten to itayo? Si Jesus so mapangasin Manangilaban tayo, anggapo lay arum ya anapen tayo. Ontan pa komon. Amen.

Friday, August 05, 2011

The Glory and the Grace of the Priesthood

Homily shared during the Clergy Retreat, 2 August 2011, 6PM at the Good Shepherd Spiritual Center, Antipolo City.

During Fr. Dexter's thanksgiving mass, there was a SOPA, or the State of the Priesthood Address.  But let me share with you my SIGA: the State In God's Grace Address. Or even the State in God's Glory Address (SIGA). Maging Siga!

The gospel tells us about Jesus AND Peter walking on the water. What is most amazing is not that Jesus walked on the water. If He can feed the 5,000, He can walk on water. What is most amazing is Peter, walking on the the stormy waters, even if only for a moment. But Peter did walk on the water. And how did it all begin?
Jesus was walking on the water when the apostles saw him. According to the Gospel, Jesus calmed the disicples' fears, when he said, "Do not be afraid. Take courage. It is I". And Peter answered: Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you walking on the water». Jesus said to him, «Come». And Peter got out of the boat, walking on the water to go to Jesus.

For God's Glory

Fr. Jim Ferry reflected with us about the priesthood this morning. He said, "The priesthood is a grace to be lived out in faithful service to Jesus to manifest God's glory".

God's Glory, and the grace of being a priest are so much intertwined: One is forever shining, the other called to manifest it even if sometimes, it clouds it.

When we go to the Barangays, when we travel several kilometers to celebrate the mass, give the sacrament to the sick; when we even facilitate a fund raising campaign, like "mission:143+44", "100 days to 7", "pepe 128", when we preside meetings, or even "Run for LIfe", we need to ask ourselves, as Fr. Ferry asks us to do: who are we manifesting? Whose glory are we showing? Are these for God, really?

When there is a "sick call", instead of asking "saan?", we ask, "malakas pa ba?" or "malapit na ba?" instead of "malapit ba?" Hoping that that the one calling us will change his mind, and we can go on with what we like, and are doing at the moment.

The point is this: in the Gospel, Peter would really LIKE to walk on the water like Jesus. He would really LIKE to experience for once how to walk on the water. Instead, of swimming in the water. Remember, he was a fisherman. But note how he asked the Lord. He did not say, "Lord, let me walk on the water with you." Instead, he said, "Lord, command me." Command me to come to you. Command me to walk on the water like you do. I am not going to jump on the water unless you like me to, unless you command me. Because if Peter jumped on the water without the command of Jesus to do so, he would be glorifying himself, and not Jesus.
We so much like to do so many things. Our ministry has endless possibilities. So many what we want and like to do. But Peter's acceptance of God's command reminds us that we cannot be doers and actors for our own glory. We will be able to proclaim God's glory through endless parish activities and programs and ministerial services, only if these are what God has commanded us to do and live. If this is what Jesus has commanded us, then this is what we will do, not because we like it nor we desire it, not because we are comfortable with it. Beyond this commandment is not God's glory, but our own.

Priesthood is a Grace

Grace. I have always wondered how we continue to be priests with our imperfections and many moments of temptations and sins. There are so many temptations, and so many sins: we are just supposed to collect, but we take a dip and keep. Just supposed to look, but we do more and sing "sometimes when we touch"; just supposed to take a bite, but we chew and swallow; only take a sip, but we gulp; only a nap, but we oversleep. We are intolerable, how can God tolerate us? Grace.

To proclaim God's glory, we need God's grace. And where do we find God's grace? In times of joy and moments of pain. As priests, let us learn that we can also find God's grace in our moments of weakness and sinfulness. The other name of God is MERCY. And his mercy is his grace for us.

Moments of Grace, Moments of God's Mercy

I hope that our sins and our failures would make us open more to God's grace, and not away from Him. The greater the sin, the greater the mercy of God. It is a realization that without God's mercy and his grace, we cannot fully manifest God in his glory in our humanity.

Our fears, like the Apostles, are moments of grace for us to trust in God's mercy: have courage, says the Lord. Then we proclaim God's mercy and He is glorified. Through us.

Our selfishness and lack of availability to our people should be moments of grace for us for God to uplift us. Then we manifest God's compassion, and He is glorified. Through us.

Our lack of honesty should lead us to moments of grace to learn to live simple, contented life of a good steward. Only for the Lord. Then we proclaim God's richness and generosity, and He is glorified. Through us.
In our loneliness, we open ourselves to God and pray. Then we proclaim God's loving presence. He is glorified. Through us.

Barats, Ining, Allan Abuan, Ayong, Father Soc, all of us, with our humanity, can manifest God's glory only when in our weakness, we open ourselves to God's mercy and His grace.

For as St. Paul had said, "It is when I am weak that I am strong. Your grace is sufficient for me", or to that effect.

God's glory is God's grace alive in our humanity. We await only God's command, even in the most unexpected places and moments in our ministry. Be a SIGA in the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan or a LIGGA. Living in the Grace of our priesthood for God's glory. Amen.