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Sharing With the Poor by Fr. Lope C. Robredillo June 2, 2002 In his President's Page in Kilosbayan, Jovito Salonga, commenting on the Supreme Court decision in the case PCGG v. Cocofed et al
., that the coconut levy funds are prima facie public in character, says that "prima facie evidence is one that is good and sufficient on its face and which, if not rebutted and contradicted, will remain sufficient."
It may be noted that it took around 16 years to settle the issue of whether the funds are public or not, and for some, this is difficult to understand because the case was simple. As Neal Cruz puts it, "The levy was imposed and
collected by the government for public purposes to benefit coconut farmers. It is clear that it is a public fund. The clarity and simplicity of it is clear to the laymen; it is only lawyers who make it confusing." In an earlier
column, Cruz asserts: "Greed is still the top sin of Filipinos. And ironically, the richer they are, the greedier they become." Hence, "while there are billions of sequestered pesos and dollars still out there waiting…there
will always be 'commissioners' who will try to negotiate a compromise for a piece of action. Treasure hunting is a popular endeavor in the Philippines. It is easier to dream of instant riches than to work hard for it. And the coco
levy…[is] like the fabled Yamashita treasure that continues to boggle the imagination and whet the appetite of scores of treasure hunters." Greed is the exact opposite of what today's feast of
Corpus et Sanguis Christi implies — which is sharing so others might live. But that is going ahead of what should be noted first. Today's Gospel is the second part of Jesus' discourse on the bread of life (John
6:35-58). Whereas in the first part (vv 35-50), the nourishing heavenly bread is the teaching of Jesus, in this second one (vv 51-58), it is the Eucharist. Though both parts speak of giving life, they differ in that, while in the first part eternal life is given through belief, in the second it comes from feeding on the flesh, and drinking the blood of Jesus. Thus, this section has a Eucharistic theme, and exclusively so. Raymond Brown notes two impressive indications that the Eucharist is in mind. First, the narrative stresses the eating of Jesus flesh and the drinking of his blood — which cannot be taken as a metaphor or symbolically. Rather, if Jesus' words about eating his flesh and drinking his blood are to have any favorable meaning, they must refer to the Eucharist, reproducing the words of institution in the Synoptics. Second, what Jesus says in v 51 ("The bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the World") resembles the Lucan form of the words of institution ("This is my body that is given for you"), and most likely preserves the Johannine form of the words of institution. Thus, for John, eternal life is given to those who communicate the body and blood of Jesus.
The objection at the beginning of this section, "how can he give us his flesh to eat" (v 52) probably reflects the Jewish criticism of the Johannine Christian community ritual, since Jews were forbidden to eat meat
with blood (Lev
17:10-11). But as the whole section indicates, the eating of his body and drinking of his blood has nothing to do with cannibalism. Rather, they are about sacramental communion. After giving up himself in the sacrifice on the cross, he will give himself in the sacrament. And considering that in the Old Testament, "the body and blood" expresses human life, the Evangelist most likely implies that in the Eucharist the communicant receives the whole living Jesus. In other words, Jesus is totally present in the Eucharistic bread and wine that the believer receives. In the Sacramental communion, Jesus shares his very life with the communicating believer: "The man who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him" (v 56). No wonder, Paul declares to the Christians in Corinth, "Is not the cup of blessing we bless, a sharing in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread we break, a sharing in the body of Christ?" (1
Cor 10:16). For John, however, there is first of all a mutual indwelling in the Eucharist: Jesus remains in the Christian, and the Christian remains in Jesus. Moreover, just as the life of the Son and the Father is one (cf
John 14:10), so the man who receives the Eucharist shares the very life of God Himself. However, to receive the Eucharist is not only to be involved in the very life of God Himself. If one shares in the life of
the Son and the Father, he is joined to the whole body of believers. It is in this sense that Paul, in the Second Reading, speaks of the sharing in the body of Christ. "Because the loaf of bread is one, we, many though we are, are
one body, for we all partake of one loaf" (1 Cor
10:17). In receiving the Eucharist, Christians are joined to Christ and to one another. They are established as one community in which Christ is a communal possession. Consequently, Christians who receive the Eucharist cannot be greedy or engaged in monopoly, still less take what does not belong to them. On the contrary, by the very act of sharing in it, they commit themselves to share their life and possession with other members in the Christian community. The rich, for example, cannot continue receiving the life of God without sharing their wealth with the poor, for that would be anomalous.
A contemporary example of this implication can be found in the plan of the rich barangays in Makati to support the poor barangays, assuming of course this is done with Christian motivation. We are told that the Mayor
of Makati came up with a new budget sharing named "Paluwagan sa Barangay". It is reported (by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, 5/9/02) that under this scheme that responds to the appeal of the poorer barangays, each
barangay in Makati will submit its list of priority projects to the city council. But it will be the engineering and public works department that will select the projects, and the size of the budget allocated for
barangay-based projects will determine the number of projects to be approved. The cost of one project of a barangay is to be equally divided among the city's 32 barangays, including the rich ones. This is Makati's way of improving
on the current practice in which the budget of each barangay is determined by its real property tax share and internal revenue allotment (IRA), the poor barangays receiving small budget allocation. But if this new scheme is
implemented, the poor barangay will be spared from spending even a single centavo. by Fr. Lope C. Robredillo June 9, 2002 Even as some newspapers and magazines play up the sex scandals involving priests, the reaction of the
people who come to know of the issue are varied. Andrew Sullivan, in "They Still Don't Get It," Viewpoint, Time Magazine
(3/11/02), distinguishes the liberal from the conservative reactions: "Liberal Catholics see the scandal as another indicator of the sexual dysfunction at the heart of the Church. And they have a point. Celibacy is an onerous burden that can easily distort a person's psyche… But the conservatives are just as outraged. The abuse of children rightly provokes horror among traditional Catholics." Fr. James B. Reuter, S.J. was quoted to have said that while a scandal may cause some Catholics to "distance" themselves from the Church, this would eventually make the Church stronger. And as I write this (5/26/02), I have with me the full-page ad of the Couples for Christ (CFC) in the
Philippine Daily Inquirer
of a picture of a hundred priests in their cassock with the caption: "Errant priest comprise only 1% of the clergy. Let us support the majority of priests who are living holy and exemplary lives serving the people and doing their best to remain faithful to the commitment they swore to live out."
But what about the errant priests who are involved in the scandal? In the abovementioned column, Sullivan ends his piece by saying, "Until this evil is rooted out…it will surely be hard for American Catholics to trust
or love their Church again." The suggestion that the evil be rooted out, if this means weeding out the errant priests, immediately recalls the outlook of the Pharisees in the Gospel this Sunday. In their world view, it could be a
human convention, nay, a moral demand, that those who disregard accepted norms of behavior should be avoided. There should be no tolerance for people who defy social and religious norm. And for the Pharisees, a man of God could not
associate himself with those who disregarded what they thought was divine law. Jesus, however, was exactly the opposite of what they considered a prophet of God. To many good religious people of his time, the company he kept was so
bad that he earned the distinction of "a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners" (Matt
11:19). People shunned tax collectors because they defrauded their fellow Israelites. As for sinners, they were avoided probably not because they were guilty of big moral offenses, but most likely because their very profession constituted a violation of the law. And naturally, of course, the Pharisees avoided table fellowship with them.
Jesus, however, explained his behavior and lifestyle in three ways. First, he quoted the proverb, "People who are in good health do not need a doctor; sick people do" (Matt
9:12). Jesus saw himself not simply as a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Far from seeking their destruction or rooting them out, he sought to heal them, no matter whether they recognize their illness or not. It was his vocation to seek out sinners not because they were worthy of the kingdom, but in spite of it, because God is a God of graciousness. Second, in defending his table fellowship with tax collectors and sinners, he quoted Isaiah: "It is mercy I desire, not sacrifice" (
Hos 6:6; Matt
9:13). God is not only gracious; He is also loving and merciful. As Paul reminds us, even before we asked for it, God has already been merciful to us: "It is precisely in this that God proves His love for us: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (
Rom
5:8). When Jesus was engaged in table fellowship, it was his way of showing the mercy and love of God in action. It was an acted parable. Secondarily, Matthew may have in mind the Rabbi's teaching that, with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, works of mercy replaced the Temple sacrifice, and if mercy replaces sacrifices, how much more ritual laws on purity. Finally, the wellspring of his mission is the mercy of God: "I have come to call not the self-righteous, but sinners" (
Matt
9:13). As Jesus himself said in another connection to his disciples, the lost sheep of the house of Israel is the object of his mission. It is very likely that for him, the God of love and mercy, who causes His rain to shine on the good as well as the bad, loves the lost. Therefore, He cannot seek this destruction.
Going back to the discussion on the sex scandal on the Church, one might of course point out that justice must be given both to the victims of pedophilia as well as those who committed the crime. But one wonders
whether justice is the only approach that can be used in facing the scandal. One wonders whether healing can be achieved by pursuing only the angle of justice. In recent months, after the September 11, 2002 tragedy in New York and
Washington, the Holy Father has been speaking of the need for mercy and forgiveness. What is forgiveness? According to Pope John Paul II, in his World Day of Peace 2002 Message, it "is above all a personal choice, a decision of the
heart to go against the natural instinct to pay back evil with evil. The measure of such a decision is the love of God who draws us to Himself in spite of our sin. It has its perfect exemplar in the forgiveness of Christ, who on
the cross prayed, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do' (Luke
23:24)." And he adds: "All human beings cherish the hope of being able to start all over again, and not remain forever shut up in their own mistakes and guilt. They all want to raise their eyes to the future and to discover new possibilities of trust and commitment."
We sincerely believe that this applies to the current crisis. The Church is a Church of forgiveness, and their priests who are dispensers of God's mystery of forgiveness and love, need and deserve forgiveness. At
length, allow me to quote Bernard Haring in his book, Priesthood Imperiled: "I wish to encourage priests who failed in chastity, whatever the sin or abuse, by pointing out a few examples of saintly penitents who can serve as
models for them. Also, let us never forget that as terrible as sins against chastity are, there are other sins that are no less grave and no less damaging, which, in the main, should awaken and alert us all to the need of lifelong
conversions… All those priests, who in the eyes of many are perceived as nothing more than failures, God's gracious presence and strength are always offered them, should they resolve to accept these gifts and strive to become
saintly penitents. If they can honestly choose to make a radical decision to change their lives, and if, in the process, they are helped by a hope-inspiring friend, they may indeed succeed. Moreover, in their struggle for greater
wholeness, they convey to all of us the profound truth that the Church is holy only to the degree that her members are saintly penitents." by Fr. Lope C. Robredillo June 16, 2002 Martial law was very much in force when, in 1975, according to the account of Ma.
Ceres Doyo ("Urban Missionaries at 25," "Human Face," Philippine Daily Inquirer, 5/30/02), Church workers had their baptism of fire as they involved themselves, together with about 800 workers, in the La Tondeña
strike in protest of hiring on contractual basis. Though the military was all over the place, the strikers and their supporters refused to be cowed. Eventually, many Church workers, along with the strikers, were hauled off in a
Metrocom bus. This strike that had sealed the bond between labor and the Church militants, continued Doyo, helped, shape the beginnings of a special kind of militancy within the Church, with the formation of Urban
Missionaries (UM) in 1977. Many Church workers saw that urban poor workers and slum dwellers were bearing the brunt of the excesses of marital rule and the oppressive capitalist system, and they needed help. Thus, the Association
of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP) formed the UM in pursuit of a vision of "a society where workers, Church people and other sectors of society work together to build a community of people where there is peace,
freedom, justice and integrity of creation." Toward this end, some nuns and a priest, having given up convent comfort, were relieved of their institutional responsibilities from their congregations and allowed to adopt a different
lifestyle that could be more responsive to the call of the times and the needs of the poor. Thus the UM, which celebrates its 25th anniversary, was born. Such a phenomenon is nothing new, of course. On the contrary, it
seems to reflect what Jesus did, as recounted in the Gospel today. The sight of workers striking at La Tondeña, with the military all over the place, and tension between the law enforcers and the workers rising, with the latter
refusing to be cowed, easily recalls the image of God's people tired, leaderless and neglected, since no one cared for them: "I see all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord saying, 'These
have no master!' (1 Kings
22:17). And why were they worn out and without master? Because their leaders did not pasture them: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves. Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep? You have fed off their milk, worn their wool, and slaughtered the fatlings, but the sheep you have not pastured. You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost, but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered for lack of shepherd and became food for wild animals" (
Ezek 34:2b-5a). In Ezekiel's time, the Prophet saw how the government leaders neglected the poor. Far from serving them, they exploited them. But God is a God of compassion. Therefore, Jesus, seeing the crowds who were
harassed and torn apart, like sheep without a shepherd, had pity for them. It is interesting to note that the Greek word for "to have pity" is splagchnizomai, which is derived from splagchnon, which means entrails,
heart, intestines. In others, the core of Jesus' being was affected when he saw the condition of the crowds tormented and almost totally exhausted, and neglected by careless shepherds. He pitied them, knowing how they had been
misled and abandoned. It is probably the same emotional response that was evoked when the Church workers saw the strikers at La Tondeña being arrested and hauled off while fighting for their rights, because, according to Doyo, it
"sealed the bond between labor and the Church militants." This sight of leaderless people moved Jesus to think of a mission: "The harvest is good, but the laborers are scarce. Beg the harvest master to send laborers to gather his
harvest" (Matt 9:38). Christologically, of course, Matthew presents Jesus as the shepherd who fulfills the prophecy of Ezekiel about God Himself pasturing His own people (Ezek
34:14). It is even possible that Matthew portrays Jesus as the promised David. But the context need not be interpreted eschatologically; it could simply mean that Jesus saw that the task before him was too immense; hence, there was a need for cooperation by men. Of course, from Matthew's point of view, it is God who is ultimately responsible in the accomplishment of the mission; hence, the need to pray to Him to supply the cooperators in the service of the Kingdom.
The establishment of the Twelve, it would then appear, derives from the compassion of Jesus. Though he was the true shepherd, he would form a group of disciples that embodies the shepherding. The group would liberate the people
from self-serving leaders. In other words, it is the group that actualizes the compassion of Jesus. The Twelve would become partners in the work of renewing Israel. This is probably the pattern to serve the leaderless poor, so the
UM was meant to serve the slum dwellers and the urban poor who suffered from the effects of martial rule and the system that defended the interest of the few who maintained it. (Of course, one may observe that this is how religious
orders arise — someone sees a need, and forms a group of missionaries to answer that need.) But on the basis of the principle that one cannot give what he does not have, it may be assumed that the group that serves must itself be
a model of true shepherding. It must itself be a symbol of renewal. It is not therefore fortuitous that the number of the apostles was twelve, for this number represents the renewed Israel. In contrast with the old Israel that
refused to heed the call to conversion, this one itself embodies the new life it proposes to people. Its mission is to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" since it is precisely the opposite of what being lost implies. No
wonder, the UM, for instance, is a group of people who, according to Doyo "refused to buckle under an oppressive system and instead sought ways to give dignity to those whose wounded hands move the economy and create wealth for
this nation." In other words, the missionaries that Jesus sends do not only bring the good news of salvation, nor simply make things happen, even as Jesus' disciples shared in the power to heal and cast out demons. Even more
important, they are the Gospel itself — their way of life is the Gospel message they themselves bring. by Fr. Lope C. Robredillo June 23, 2002 In an early morning police operation on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on May 18, 1995, 11 suspected
members of the Kuratong Baleleng group, allegedly the syndicate behind bank robberies in Metro Manila, were killed. The operation was reportedly conducted by elements of the Anti-Bank Robbery and Intelligence Group, composed of
officers from the Traffic Management Command, the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission-Task Force Habagat, Central Police District Command and the Criminal Investigation Command. In their account, lawmen described
the operation as a shootout, but four days later, it was reported that SPO2 Eduardo de los Reyes had claimed that it was a summary execution. The case went to the Senate, which concluded that it was a rubout, which the PNP tried to
cover up. On November 21, 1995, the Sandiganbayan filed a murder case against the law enforcers but Panfilo Lacson questioned its jurisdiction. The case was transferred to the Quezon City Regional Trial Court under Judge Wenceslao
Agnir that eventually dismissed the charges against the 26 officers on March 31, 1999. When new witnesses surfaced, alleging the incident was a rubout, the Department of Justice ordered the reopening of the case, and only recently,
the Supreme Court ruled that the case be brought back to the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. Now, two witnesses who recanted their testimonies to lead anonymous lives, according to the report of TJ Burgonio and Cristina Arzadon (
Philippine Daily Inauirer, 6/1/02), are now in fear for their safety. Understandably, the PDI headlined: "Kuratong witnesses fear for their lives."
Today's Gospel, however, exhorts us not to fear: "Do not let them intimidate you" (Matt
10:26). Jesus gave this exhortation in the context of the mission that he entrusted to his disciples in last Sunday's Gospel: "Go after the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this announcement: 'The reign of God is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, heal the leprous, expel demons. The gift you have received, give as a gift" (
Matt
10:7-8). In our reflection last Sunday, we noted that Jesus wanted to renew Israel. But his program of renewal would encounter opposition. Of course, this is true of anything that rocks the boat; those in the establishment will always resist change. How much more from the people who profit from the current order! No wonder, the Matthean Jesus predicted that his disciples would be brought before courts and suffer the punishment of scourging; they would even be dealt with by Roman governors and Herodian kings. But when they stand accused before secular authorities, they would be able to witness to Jesus and his cause, and they would have the opportunity to give an amazing testimony of what God has been doing in Jesus (
Matt 10:17-18). Even members of their own families or households would resist them. Indeed, they would be hated by all men (Matt
10:21). In doing this, they would be assisted by the Holy Spirit, their Advocate, who would protect and defend them against their accusers, inspiring them with words they would have to utter (Matt 10:19-20). In pursuing
this mission, Jesus told his disciples not to fear. They ought to proclaim the renewal of Israel. After all, this is the reason for Jesus' coming, to reveal the plan of God for His people. The hidden plan of God will eventually be
revealed, no matter how much man may frustrate it. In the end, the plan of God will triumph. Just like truth. No matter how much people try to conceal it, truth will come out. Whether the fateful morning that claimed the lives of
11 members of the Kuratong Baleleng was an encounter or a rubout, the truth about it cannot be suppressed. It may not be proven in the courts, but it will be plain for all to see and judge. Similarly, God's plan will prevail. And
rather than wait for its revelation, the disciples, to whom the secrets of the Kingdom have been revealed, must make them known. Hence, what Jesus said privately to his disciples, the latter are to speak out. What he taught them in
his public ministry, they are to proclaim them after the resurrection. Many things are assumed here, of course. Since their very life is at stake, the disciples must first of all listen to Jesus; they ought to have an intimate
relationship with him. They are able to penetrate the heart of Jesus, even as Jesus is able to penetrate theirs. Only in knowing what lies at the heart of the Lord will they be able to reveal the secrets of the Kingdom. Hence, a
disciple must be a man of prayer. It is in prayer that he will be able to understand what has been hidden from men. Only such a man will be fearless in what Jesus taught. His experience with Jesus will enable him to go through
persecutions, because he has discovered his real worth before God. Consequently, a man who fears to testify the truth has not yet come to terms with his own true worth. He may cower before powers-that-be because he is scared of
losing his life. The problem of testifying to the truth in the case of the Kuratong Baleleng, for example, is basically related to the value one gives to earthly life. When his life was once more brought to the limelight when the
Supreme Court remanded the Kuratong Baleleng case to a Quezon city court, former tabloid reporter Armando Capili, one of those witnesses who corroborated Eduardo de los Reyes that the 11 suspects were executed without a fight and
who eventually recanted his testimony, was reported to be in danger of losing his "peace of mind" and sense of security. Ever since he started giving interviews on the case, he claimed that suspicious-looking men have been
loitering outside his home. That is, of course, a scary experience, and one would never want to be drag into the controversy again. But a disciple who proclaims Jesus' message knows that his enemies may attack his earthly life,
but he cannot destroy his true worth before God. He may be harassed, persecuted and executed for the sake of the Gospel, but his death has nothing to do with the loss of eternal life. As Jesus puts it, "Do not fear those who
deprive the body of life but cannot destroy the soul" (Matt
10:28). Having been able to penetrate the heart of Jesus and therefore that of the Father, he knows how caring the Father is. He knows that the Father who cares for sparrows does care for him even more. That is why God knows even the number of his hair. He is not afraid because he is on the Father's lap. This does not mean, of course, that the disciple who knows the heart of the Father will not undergo suffering. Even Jesus had to suffer. He knows, however, that being with the Father is an experience of eternal life that is more valuable than any earthly life.
by Fr. Lope C. Robredillo June 30, 2002 Informed by a congressman that deposed president Joseph Estrada, head of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino, had already convinced Fernando Poe Jr. to run for president in the
forthcoming national elections, the Philippine Daily Inquirer (6/17/02) sub-headlined its banner story "Erap eyes FPJ for 2004" with "'Ang Panday' to battle 'Ang Pandak.'" To moviegoers, 'Ang Panday' is
easily identified with Poe, who played the role of a blacksmith in the movie series, while "Ang Pandak" refers to Ms. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who stands 4'11" and is most likely running for reelection in 2004. Readers
reacted to the sub-headline. Susan Tagle, Poe's longtime spokesperson, said it was "in bad taste." Mike Arroyo, the First Gentleman, wrote Isagani Yambot, the Inquirer publisher: "We all have our own imperfections. I'm sure
that you will agree that to play with anybody's imperfection in pursuit of vested interest is a disrespect at the very least and no one would want to be subjected to it. For a newspaper of your stature, shame on you. Despite her
imperfections, the fact remains that President Arroyo is the Chief Executive who is entitled to all the respect from every Filipino." Mr. Arroyo is right. The President is entitled to all the respect of every Filipino. Similarly,
God's envoy must be received as His representative. But not only in terms of respect. This is clear from today's Gospel (Matt
10:37-42). Of course, the Gospel is not solely about the reception of God's representative. It actually embraces three units. The first one, which concerns the cost of discipleship, is a warning on the break-up of families as a consequence of following Jesus. The second is likewise related to discipleship, since following Jesus involves taking up the cross. The last unit covers three sayings on the acceptance of the messenger. It is this that our reflection focuses on, because the second saying (v 41) in this unit is what is distinctive of Matthew. The others could be found in Mark, Luke and John, just like the two sayings on discipleship. Moreover, this seems to reflect the theme of the first reading (2
Kgs 4:8-11.14-16). Briefly, what does Matthew say on welcoming God's envoy? It has been noted that these three sayings reflect the structure of the Matthean Church. They indicate that in Matthew's Church,
there were apostles, prophets, prominent men (righteous ones) and the ordinary members (little ones). This is not surprising because the Gospel was written about 80-90 AD, and by this time the Church order was already pronounced.
For the present purpose, though, we may underline the leaders in the Church: apostles, prophets and righteous men. How do we receive them? Jesus says: "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one
who sent me" (Matt
10:40). Here, Jesus lays down the principle on which his messengers are to be received. The apostles have been sent by Jesus himself to proclaim the Kingdom of God; they are his representatives who teach in his authority. To receive them is to receive Jesus himself. What underlies this is the
shaliah conception of ancient Jewish law. A shaliah is empowered to act for the one who sent him. According to the Mishnah, "a shaliah of a man is like to himself" (Berakoth
5:5). One scholar has noted that this is an equivalent to Paul's "in Christ." The apostle is identified with Christ. This probably bears up Paul's assertion: "You did not show disdain or contempt because of the trial caused you by my physical condition, but rather you receive me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus" (
Gal
4:14). But the text even goes further than the Jewish law, for to accept Jesus is to accept the Father, too. Ultimately, then, in receiving the apostles, one accepts God Himself. The same principle governs the saying on the prophet and the righteous man (vv 41). And since God rewards those who work for His vineyard, those who receive the prophet and the righteous man will receive a reward similar or proportionate to theirs. The first reading illustrates this. When Elisha came to Shunem, a woman of influence lavished him with care. As a reward for her generosity, Elisha promised her a son, even though they had been getting on in years. The following year, she gave birth to a son. And when, later, the boy died, the prophet resuscitated him (2
Kings 4:9-37). What does reception mean? As the first reading indicates, it is about extending hospitality to the messenger. Thus, in the early Church, we know that the wandering prophets were accorded hospitality anywhere
they went because they were Christ's representatives (Didache
11:3-6). But it seems that what is to be welcomed is not only the prophet. The verb "receive" can also mean accepting the message that the prophet preaches. Following the principle above, we dare say that what the envoy brings is not only his message, but also the message of Christ himself, and therefore, the believer is not free to reject it without rejecting the sender himself, who is Jesus. The message is not a human word, but God's. This recalls the word of Paul: "We thank God constantly that in receiving His message from us you took it, not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God at working within you who believe" (1
Thess 2:13b). In recent months, the media exposed that some members of the clergy have been involved in sex scandals. But whatever their imperfections, they are still entitled to the respect of the believers.
To be sure, Catholics who really know and live their faith do not see the scandal as an excuse for being discourteous to God's ministers. Amid the scandals that the Church faces, people of faith have never uttered words of
condemnation. They know that human as God's ministers are, they are capable of mistakes, but they do not cease to be envoys of Christ; the Gospel they preach remains God's. They understand that priests are just God's instruments,
weak at that, but useful just the same. They are simply earthen vessels. What is significant is that instead of condemning them, they pray for their priests. Of course, the President of the Philippines may be diminutive, but that
is not a reason to poke fun at her height. Whatever her physical imperfections, she remains the President of the Philippines, and as such, she deserves respect. Of course, men of God have an obligation to live up to their calling,
and so they have to be morally upright and mend their ways. They have an obligation to study the word of God, preach a good homily, give a sound lecture, update themselves in theology and Scripture studies, but still, we must give
room for imperfections. |
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