Corpus Christi June 18, 2006 Alam niyo ba, na meron tayong ibat-ibang pamamaraan para ipakita natin

ang ating pagmamahal sa Diyos through devotional practices? Nariyan siyempre ang Holy Mass, at nariyan din ang opportunity sa pag-aadoration at benediction. Im sure na ang pinaka solemn na bahagi ng misa ay yung pagtinataas na ang ostia at ang kalis. Some of you nagsosolemn bow, yung iba sa inyo nakatingin doon sa ostia at kalis(nakatitig), yung iba sa inyo naglalagay ng kamay niya sa dibdib, yung iba naka open palms at even some of you cover their faces. Whatever those gestures suggest it tells us of one thing: we believe that at that moment, through the words of Jesus himself uttered by the priest, the bread and wine turns into the REAL body and blood of Jesus. You believe that that is JESUS himself. From time past, Jesus allowed some miracles to happen for us to really believe. Yet miracles are not what you see, but what you believe. The waters that flow out of the grotto may claim some miraculous healing, but what precedes it is the real faith that you believe in the prayers of the blessed mother. Before even looking or doing your gesture towards the host and chalice, you have that one thing that made you do it- faith. Whats the big difference between our practice of adoration to God, or even yung pagsisindi ng kandila with our active participation in the holy mass? In the adoration, most of the time its a SOLO act or a private act of worship. Sa pagsisindi ng kandila most of the time you pray for a need, and sometimes put much emphasis on the candle than your prayers. I am not saying you stop doing all these things, what I am driving at is the difference and which should come first in our priority as Catholic believers. The holy mass is a complete prayer of the person and of the churchwe do adoration during the mass, we do talk to him during the mass, we do receive his message for us, we do pray for one another, and most important of all we are given the chance to receive him body and soul in the holy communion; yun yon (thats the point!). That is why if we treat the mass as listening to the readings and homily alonewe call that bible service. If we focus on the communion alone that is only the liturgy of the Eucharist alone. Yet, the mass is not to be separated, to be dissected, to have a divided focus-Bakit? the mass is reliving the life of Jesus, from the entrance songremembering his entrance into humanity nung Christmas, and his entry into Jerusalem in order to face death for our salvation (symbolized by the altarfirst reading. Until the final blessing, which can be compared to his final words in the ascensionI will be with you till the end of time, thus blessing us in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. May iba sa atin, we treat the mass as parang CINE, papasok ka any time sa gusto mo. Parang CINE, any time na gusto mong umuwi, uuwi ka, kasi alam mo na ang ending nito. Parang CINE, na nagdadala ka ng newspaper, nagchew-chew ka ng bubble gum, at masyado kang one sided na you just wanted the priest or the liturgy itself to entertain you, without you giving your best.

We come to Mass, body and soul and that is why there is a need of full attention and participation. God is not the God only of your soul, but body and soul in one. What are the words that we utter before receiving Jesus, Lord I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word and I shall be healed. You know the context of this passage, a soldier asking Jesus to heal his son. Yet, before going to Jesus, I am very sure, as a Roman soldier, for sure he did mocked Jesus, he doubted his being, in short he sinned. That is why he confesses his sins to Jesus saying I am not worthyI firmly resolve to confess my sins to do penance and to amend my life The best way to love Jesus is to receive him in Holy Communion every mass. The purpose why Jesus instituted the Confession is exactly this, we may worthily receive him. Every time pala nagsisimba tayo, we have to receive communion provided wala kang kasalanang malaki o mabigat. Every time you go to mass, and you know you have a big, mortal sinconfess first your sins to the Lord in the confessional. If you truly love him, you will truly shun away even from small sins. Can you imagine receiving Jesus under the state of sin? My dear friends, we cannot receive God except as "God," that is, respecting all his holiness and majesty. We cannot domesticate God, we cannot create our own God to justify all our actions. Its easy to say, naiintindihan naman ako ng Diyos e. Pero, do you also try to understand him? Inuunawa mo rin ba ang Diyos? Let us love Jesus in the Holy Mass. Let us put value in the Mass. It is not a question whether the mass is dry, whether the songs are not well sung, whether you are not in the mood. Whether you have all these mood swings remember Jesus will always be present in his Word and in the Consecration, whatever state you are in.