GOD’S TEMPLE

          “Are you not aware that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him.  For the temple of God is holy, and you are that temple.”  These are the words of St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians. (1Cor. 3:16) 

            It was on the Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran, November 9,  that the said epistle of St. Paul was read.  The Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome is regarded as the “Head and Mother” of all churches in the world.  Hence, this is a special Feast that is celebrated throughout the whole world.

            Reflecting on the reading made me realize the greatness of my being as a Temple of God.  While the Basilica of St. John Lateran may be magnificent in its architectural structure, it is still made of materials that would eventually yield to the law of nature for their deterioration.   But as for me,  I am wonderfully made to live forever (Ps. 139: 14 & Matt. 25:46)

           

            A challenging question for  me now is: ”If I am God’s temple, what should I do?

            The following answers came to my mind.

            First, I must ADORE GOD.  Adoring God means I must humbly acknowledge my complete dependence on Him.  Without Him I am nothing and can do nothing.

            Second, I must LOVE GOD.  Loving God means I must strive to be conscious of His Presence in me and have a personal relationship with Him.

            Third, I must OBEY GOD.  Obeying God means I must be ready to do whatever He wants me to do with my whole mind, my whole heart, and with all my strength.

            To be able to do the above mentioned actions,  I have to develop the following virtues:

1.     The virtue of HUMILITY.  Humility is said to be the Truth.  Hence,  I must nurture in my mind the Truth that my very existence is a Gift from God and I owe everything that I am and that I have from Him.

2.     The virtue of LOVE.  Love is unselfishness.  To love God I must develop an attitude of offering everything that I can do for God’s glory.   It is an attitude of total self-sacrifice without expecting anything in return.

3.     The virtue of OBEDIENCE.  Obedience is self-surrender to the Will of God.  Paramount goal in my life must be to ‘Do God’s Will’.  Hence, everything I do must be in conformity with the Will of God. 

In short,  paraphrasing  what St. Paul said in his epistle to the Galatians

( 2: 20),  “it must  no longer I that lives, but it is God Who lives and reigns in me.”

By: Buddy Cagurangan 

November 13, 2011

EQUALITY BEFORE GOD

          BEFORE GOD ALL MEN ARE EQUAL.   This is the gist of an article written by Rev. Fr. Oliver G. Dy, SJ, published in the SAMBUHAY, dated October 30, 2011.  He reflected on the Words of Christ in Matt. 23: 8-12 which reads: “As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’.  You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.  Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven.  Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ.  The greatest among you must be your servant.  Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

          Life in this world, however, is a string of relationships wherein some kind of authority or power is exercised by someone over another, either on a one-to one basis or on others depending on the extent of the authority vested on him.  Hence, Fr. Dy says: ”In the normal course of human interaction, a person in authority cannot but be a step higher than those under him. A power relationship is “asymmetrical”.  The master is above the slave, the jail warden above the detainee, the prison official above the convict, the parent above the child, the teacher above the student, the priest or pastor above the flock.  It is the nature of power to create, preserve, or reinforce a hierarchy.”

          In the Catholic Church there is such a HIERARCHY.  The Pope exercises power over the whole Church.  The Bishops together with some members of the clergy exercise power over a defined segment of the Church.  The clergy as a whole exercise power over the laity.  This exercise of power, however, should be seen as a gift to be used to perform a certain function, and not to make oneself higher in dignity than others.  In the Church we certainly have different functions, but we all have one and the same dignity – the dignity of being children of God.

          To further elaborate on this exercise of power Fr. Dy cited the example of St. Augustine of Hippo who said: “To you I am a bishop, but with you I am a Christian” The saint admitted to the fact that God had called him to be in ministerial power, but at the same time affirmed that he was a companion and friend with all the baptized.  It was his sense of “being-with” others that guided Augustine in the exercise of his Episcopal powers.  The ultimate meaning of power is, therefore, its possessor’s ability to actualize his personal “oneness” with the people over whom he exercises such power.  The one in power is called to be one with the people.

            Equality before God is based on the reality that all men owe their existence on God’s creative power,  without which they would simply be reduced to nothingness.  Hence, the statement of Fr. Dy: “Before God, one feels stripped of all power and is reduced to being just like any other.” struck me that when we stand before God we have to humbly acknowledge our nothingness and our oneness with all men as God’s creatures. Whatever I am and whatever I have all come from the Creator, and there is nothing that I can boast of. This realization makes me treat others as my EQUAL BEFORE GOD, for, indeed, all men are creatures of one the same God – the CREATOR of the UNIVERSE. 

By: Buddy Cagurangan 

November 6, 2011

A MEANINGFUL LIFE

               “STRIVE TO LIVE A MEANINGFUL LIFE AND NOT A COMFORTABLE LIFE”.

          This thought which I have been pondering in my mind for the past few days challenges me. Why? Because it has kept me doing everyday whatever I have to do with my whole mind, my whole heart, and with all my strength.

          As I sometimes experience physical weakness due perhaps to  being  83 years old, I tend to just take things easy and excuse myself from getting involved in commitments that require some sacrifices.  In short, I want to live a comfortable life.

          It seems that this desire to live a comfortable life is what everyone wants.  For this reason it is axiomatic that everyone, as he grows older, looks forward to a retirement plan wherein he could enjoy the rest of his life.

          Pondering on the challenge, I asked myself these questions: “What am I living for?”  “Am I here just to enjoy life?”  “What is the reason for my existence in this world?” These questions made me realize that there must be a purpose for my existence; that this purpose is what gives MEANING TO MY LIFE.  Hence, my life should be focused on this purpose in whatever situation I find myself.

          In general, the purpose of life is TO KNOW, LOVE & SERVE GOD. This is the Church teaching that is enunciated in catechism books.  I believe, however, that everyone has to make a concrete commitment on how to serve God in his own life. 

          In my case, the concrete commitment I have made is TO BRING CHRIST TO EVERY HOME WITHIN MY REACH because  I  believe that CHRIST is the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, that  HE IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. (John 14:6). 

          At present, in the City of Tuguegarao where I live, my way of  bringing Christ to every home is through  GOSPEL SHARING and the BLOCK ROSARY DEVOTION.  During this month of October,  conducting the Block Rosary Devotion every day in our barangay, Centro 07, I find that it has been a powerful way of making Christ Jesus and Mother Mary alive in the hearts of men.  Because of this I have in mind to propose to my co-lay leaders in our barangay to continue this para-liturgical practice throughout the whole year.  Hopefully this will lead towards the enduring formation of Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) which is the Trust of the Church in the Philippines today – this being the NEW WAY OF BEING CHURCH.

          Relying on the grace of God, I hope to have the courage to pursue this commitment despite all the sacrifices it may entail so as to make my LIFE really MEANINGFUL.

By: Buddy Cagurangan

October 30, 2011 

PASS IT ON

“PASS IT ON”.   This is the parting message of Most Rev. Jesse Mercado,D.D., the National Spiritual Director of LAIKO and the Chairman of CBCP-ECLA, at the Eucharistic Celebration on October 23, 2011, the culminating activity in the 17^th Biennial National Convention of the Sangguniang Laiko Ng. Pilipinas.

To stress the very significant importance of this message, he sang it and encouraged all present to sing it with him.

The lyrics of the song are as follows:

          It only takes a spark

          To get the FIRE going

          And soon all those around will

          Bind us in its glowing

          That’s how it is with God’s love

          Once you’ve experienced it

          You spread His love to everyone

          You want to  PASS IT ON.

Meditating on the song,  the following inspiring thoughts came to my mind:

1.    God created me and every human being in this world out of love.

2.    God’s love is unconditional and therefore, he loves everyone regardless of how he may be.

3.    God wants everyone to be a CHANNEL of HIS LOVE.

4.    As a channel, one must not keep this Love of God for himself but must PASS IT ON.

Reflecting on the thoughts,  I realized that this is my MISSION ON

 EARTH -  TO PASS ON THE LOVE OF GOD TO EVERYONE I MEET.  

I find it very essential to always remember the last lines: “ONCE

 YOU’VE EXPERIENCED IT, YOU SPREAD HIS LOVE TO EVERYONE, YOU WANT TO PASS IT ON”.

Why? Because as the saying goes: “One cannot give what he does not

 have”.   One, therefore, must first have a personal experience of this Love of God before he can share it.  It is for this reason that the basic aim of catechesis, as enunciated in the National Catechetical Directory of the Philippines (NCDP- No.77) is  “to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ” –the Son of God.  Hence, the ”heart of catechesis is not a doctrine, or a moral principle, or an act of worship, but a ‘PERSON’, the PERSON OF JESUS OF NAZARETH” 

In other words, one must first have experienced this love of God through an intimate personal relationship with Christ,  for as Christ Jesus said: “I AM  THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE; NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THRU ME”. (John 14:6).

By: Buddy Cagurangan

October 23, 2011

AN AUDIENCE WITH GOD

“AN AUDIENCE WITH GOD”.   This is the thought that filled my mind while I was serving at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass this morning of Tuesday, October 18, 2011. 

          I have read and heard so many viewpoints about the Holy Mass and have actually developed a great appreciation for it.  Hence, I have been a Daily Mass Go-er  for quite a number of years.   This new viewpoint, however, has filled me with awe during the sacred celebration.

           An AUDIENCE WITH GOD is, indeed, a very great privilege simply because it is an audience with the SUPREME BEING – THE CREATOR OF THE WHOLE UNIVERSE.  Hence, an Audience with God is beyond compare to an audience with any human being in this  world, no matter how prestigious may be his or her position.

 

          Looking at the number of those who were participating in the celebration, I asked myself the question:  “Why are there so few attending this Audience with God?”

          Searching for the answer to this question, I remembered an anecdote of two laborers who were doing a menial job.  When someone asked them what they were doing, one of them replied: “I am carrying this brick from this place to that place.”  The other one answered: “ I am building a Cathedral.”  The first one was just doing his work listlessly, while the second one was enjoying his work with a smile on his face.  So, I asked myself: What made the difference?   To my mind, the difference lies in one’s VISION.  The first one, I may say, had a myopic vision – seeing only the work of carrying the bricks.  The second one, on the other hand, has a grandiose vision – seeing a Great Cathedral in the making.

          The way we see things – OUR VISION – is, to my mind, of great importance in the way we act.   In other words: ACTION DEPENDS ON VISION.

          During the celebration of that HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS,  I envisioned the PRESENCE of GOD,  manifested by the LOVING SACRIFICE of the LORD JESUS CHRIST on the CROSS.  The Priest Celebrant stood there as the VISIBLE SIGN of GOD’S REALITY.  All the other participants in the celebration were there exhibiting in one way or the other their FAITH in God’s almighty power.  It was, indeed, an ACTUAL LIVING AUDIENCE WITH GOD.  GOD was there and the people were blessed by HIS LOVING PRESENCE.

          I believe that what I experienced was a GREAT GRACE from GOD.   After so many years of participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,  it is a grace that I am becoming more and more aware of how LOVING GOD IS -  making Himself present in a very special way in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Eucharistic Celebration, in order to enable us to have an AUDIENCE WITH GOD.

By: Buddy Caguragan 

Oct. 18, 2011

LOVE OF GOD AND NEIGHBOR

LOVE of GOD and LOVE of NEIGHBOR are the two greatest commandments that contain in a nutshell the Ten Commandments of God.  In Matthew 22: 36-40, when a lawyer asked Jesus “which is the greatest commandment in the Law” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it, Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets”.

          Meditating on the statement of our Lord Jesus Christ, the following questions came to my mind:

      1. Can a person love God without loving his neighbor?

                2. Can he love his neighbor without loving God?

          To answer these questions, I consulted the Catechism for Filipino Catholics (CFC) and found out that there are, indeed, some misconceptions or erroneous ideas about love of God and love of neighbor.

1.    First is, “Piety without Service”.

Many “pious” Christian Filipinos act as if their Church-going devotional piety takes care of loving both God and neighbor.  They don’t understand that their piety is authentically Christian only when it is united with loving service of others.

2.    Second is, “Service without Piety”.

A second type of rationalizing is becoming more common: “I love God by loving my neighbor.”  Therefore, no more need for prayer or going to Church.”  The ground, however, for our love for one another must be God.

3.    Third is, “seeing love of another as opposed to love of God”.  But all our true, authentic love is inspired by God.  God is never in competition with another  for our love.

4.    Another error is, “loving another only as a means for loving God.”  Since God directly loves and has intrinsically blessed each and every person, no human person can ever be “used” as a “means” for anything, even for loving God.  We can never make another person merely a stepping stone for our drawing closer to God.  Rather it is precisely in loving recognition of the intrinsic value of other persons that our love shares in God’s own love for them.  Thus, it is within a genuine, radical, unconditional love of persons who are loved for and in themselves, that true Christian love of God is exercised.

The CFC states that “There is  an  inner  connection  between   loving

 God and loving one’s neighbor. For without this dynamic unity, neither God and loving one’s neighbor can be truly Christian, that is, Christ-like.  “The commandment we have from him is this: whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:21)

By: Buddy Cagurangan

October 9, 2011

The Invisibility of God

               The Invisibility of God is the mystery that my mind has been grappling with in the past few days. Why is God invisible?  Would not everyone in this world bow or bend his knee if he sees the Greatness of the Supreme Being in this world?  We are told, of course, that God is a Spirit that is beyond man’s human capacity to grasp.

               In my attempt to try to understand God’s invisibility, the phenomenon of electricity gave me some points of comparison.  Electricity is defined in the dictionary as “a fundamental property of matter, associated with atomic particles whose movements, free or controlled, lead to the development of fields of force and the generation of kinetic or potential energy.”   It is invisible to the human eye.  It is, however, a powerful energy that has been harnessed by men to make this world a better place to live in.  Thomas Edison, for instance, invented the incandescent lamp in 1879, using the power of electricity.

               This characteristic of electricity as being invisible and yet a reality that has a tremendous power to provide energy is to me a phenomenon that can somehow allow us to get a glimpse of God’s invisibility.  In the Book of Exodus it is written that when Moses asked God to show him His face, God replied: “You cannot see My face, for no man can see My face and live!” (Exodus 33:20).  To me this means that God is so great a reality that no finite being can have the capacity to see Him in all His glory, He being an Infinite Being.  Nevertheless, His reality is something that  He  manifests in many different ways. 

               The Mystery of Christ’s Incarnation is actually the greatest manifestation of God’s reality for we read in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”  And in John 1:14 we read: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  Hence, through this Mystery of INCARNATION, God made Himself visible in the form of a MAN – JESUS CHRIST.

               Today, more than two thousand years have already elapsed, yet the world is still divided about the Divinity of  Christ.  About one third of the world’s population believe in Christ as God’s only begotten Son, and are called Christians.  The rest, however, still doubt and even make a mockery of Christ.  It was due to this unbelief that the Jewish authority then put Christ to death through crucifixion. For them,  Christ’s death on the Cross was proof that He was not God. For us, Christians, however, Christ’s Crucifixion became the Great Event that proved His Divinity, because on the third day after His crucifixion, HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD.  The RESURRECTION of CHRIST, is for us the Foundation of our Faith in Him.  Hence, it is considered the Greatest Celebration in our Liturgy. 

               Historically, God made Himself visible in this world thru His Son, Jesus Christ, who lived in the form of a Man for 33 years in the land of Israel.  When He rose from the dead,  the same Christ became invisible again, but  He said  “I will be with you till the end of the age” (Matt.28:20).   Since He is invisible, how can I get in touch with Him?  For me, the answer to this question is PRAYER.

               Prayer may be likened to the switch which we put on when we want to use the electric current.  In like manner we get connected to God through the Mystical Body of Christ when we pray.  Prayer can be done together with others or by oneself alone.  Praying  with others is known as Public Prayer, while praying alone is  Private Prayer.  While the Church invites everyone to join in her Official Prayer, which is called the Liturgy,  particularly in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we are, however, also advised to pray privately as we read in Matt. 6:6: “…when you pray, go into your inner room,..pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”  St. Paul also advises us “to pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:18)   

               God’s reality is a certainty.  Even the so-called atheists cannot but admit that there must be a Supreme Being who created this world.  How He manifests Himself in this world, however,  is a question of Faith because of His invisibility. In one way or another people from all walks of life have tried to get in touch with Him.  Thus we have different kinds of Religion, each one having its own way of reaching out to God.  We, Christians, who believe in JESUS CHRIST as the only begotten Son of God, who became Man to SET US FREE FROM SIN AND BE THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, have our special way of getting in touch with God – and that is through PRAYER IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, for He said: “I AM THE WAY, AND THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE; NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER, BUT THROUGH ME.” (John 14:6) 

               For me, therefore, PRAYER through JESUS CHRIST is my way of getting in touch with GOD who is INVISIBLE.

by: Buddy Cagurangan

October 2, 2011

BE GOD-ORIENTED

            “BE GOD-ORIENTED AND NOT SELF-CENTERED”.   This thought has been running in my mind and has led me to believe that it is God’s way of telling me that despite the feelings of weakness that I am sometimes experiencing, I should go on doing what has been entrusted to me as one of the servant-leaders in my community.

          Now and then, I have been considering the option of retiring from rendering services to the Church as a Lay Minister, particularly as an Extraordinary Minister of  Communion (EMC).  This thought comes especially when I experience the unpredictable attacks of “osteo-artritis” on my left knee which then could hardly sustain the weight of my body.   I fear that in case I am attacked while I am giving Holy Communion, I may not be able to safely hold  the ciborium that contains the Sacred Hosts. 

In today’s (September 11, 2011) Second Reading at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, however, St. Paul reminds me of the Lordship of Jesus in the following words:

“Brothers and Sisters: None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.  For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.  For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.”

          St. Paul’s statements made me reflect that my life should be fully oriented towards whatever God wants me to do.  And, in doing God’s Will I should depend not on what I feel capable of doing physically or mentally, but rather entrust everything on the GRACE that God gives to enable me to do His Will.

          This  September, God-Willing, I will be reaching the age of 83.  As St. Paul says: “If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord”.  Hence, for as long as God gives me more time to live here on earth, I should continue to serve Him in whatever tasks that will be entrusted to me, relying not on my strength and capabilities, but solely on the graces that come from the Divine Giver.  In other words, I should  always be  GOD-ORIENTED.

by: Buddy Cagurangan

September 25, 2011

GOD’S PRESENCE

             “I AM ONE OF GOD’S PRESENCE IN THIS WORLD”.  This thought came to me when I attended a funeral Mass for the repose of the soul of Kuya Jay-R Quimado, a PREX (Parish Renewal Experience) Graduate.

            At first I was reluctant to attend the funeral due to the time involved and the lined up activities I had to accomplish.  However, I had a feeling of awareness of God’s Will for me to be an instrument in showing His love to Jay-R, his family, relatives and friends who were grieving deeply especially as Jay-R was just 27 years old.

            This made me reflect further on how God makes Himself present in this world. I recalled that recently I wrote an article “Enjoy Your Life” wherein I acknowledged what spiritual writers say that God’s methods are people and events.  I realized the truth of that statement as I experienced in my daily life God’s love through the people I am living with in the present.  This time, however, I focused on the fact that God is using me as His instrument to manifest His love through my presence.  I realized I am very much a Channel of God’s love.  I felt this as I felt the deep appreciation and gratitude expressed especially by Jay-R’s sister “Ate” Abie and her mother.  It dawned on me that this is precisely what St. Francis of Assissi wanted to convey in the Prayer he composed which runs thus:

            Make me a channel of your peace,

            Where there is hatred let me bring your love;

            Where there is injury your pardon, Lord,

            Where there is doubt true faith in you.

            Make me a channel of your peace,

            Where there is despair in life let me bring your hope,

            Where there is darkness only light;

            And where there is sadness ever joy.

            Refrain: O Master, grant that I may never seek

                           So much to be consoled, as to console,

                          To be understood, as to understand,

                          To be loved as to love with all my soul.

            Make me a channel of your peace,

            It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

            In giving to all men that we receive; and

            In dying that we are born to eternal life.

            I now realize as I conclude that, indeed, I am one of God’s methods in making Himself present in this world.  Hence, I humbly pray that God will continue to enlighten me on how I should conduct myself so as to manifest His loving presence in whatever situation I find myself.  I more fully acknowledge the wisdom of getting involved as much as possible in projects or activities in my community which would redound to God’s Glory.

by: Buddy Cagurangan

September 11, 2011

WHERE IS HEAVEN?

“HEAVEN IS ALREADY HERE”. These were the words of Most Rev. Sergio L. Utleg in a homily he delivered during a Eucharistic Celebration at the Metropolitan Cathedral after his installation as the new Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao on August 12, 2011.

This made me ponder on what heaven really means. As has often been said, “meaning is in people”. Hence, ‘heaven’ can have different meanings as people have different viewpoints. Truth, they say, is the whole of reality, and only God knows the whole of reality. Whatever we, human beings, know is just a ‘point of view’.

In the Catechism For Filipinos, we read: “Filipinos usually speak of heaven as if it were a ‘place’, but only because, since we live in time and space, we imagine everything as a place. Actually, heaven means the state of ‘being with the Lord’ (cf. 1Thes. 4:17 living in Him in whom the blessed find the perfection of their identity and the perfect consummation of their earthly lives. We often call this state of seeing God “face to face” (cf. 1 Cor. 13:12) the “beatific vision” because it causes unspeakable joy and happiness in communion with all the saints.”

From the foregoing, I now consider heaven as ‘where God is’. To my mind, this presence of God is manifested in His Holy Will. Being the Supreme Being in this world, He certainly wants everything to be done according to His Will.

Christ Himself taught us to pray: “Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” He further stated during His agony in the garden of Gethsemane: “Not My Will but Your Will be done.” Therefore, of paramount importance to God is His Holy Will.

On the whole, for me then, the essence of heaven is “BEING WITH GOD”. I can think of no other better way to be with God than to earnestly strive to DO HIS HOLY WILL. I believe that when I, in all sincerity, place myself in God’s hands, depend on His indispensable grace and do all I can to carry out whatever He wants me to do under the concrete circumstances of my life, God is pleased with me and gives me joy. This to me is HEAVEN – simply DOING THE WILL OF GOD.

by: Buddy Cagurangan
September 4, 2011