Missionaries of Jesus

Homily on the Sixth Sunday of Easter The other Sunday, we reflected on the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. Last Sunday, we reflected on Jesu...s being the True Vine and us being the branches that need to remain in him in order to bear much fruit. Today, we hear Jesus putting these two points together as he elevates the matter: As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. We are invited to remain in his love by keeping his commandment. Jesus says: This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. How did Jesus love us? By being the Good Shepherd: by laying down his life for our sake: No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. Now, the followers of Jesus are no longer referred to as sheep or slaves I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. Last Sunday, the conclusion of the Gospel tells us other thing: By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. Today, he calls his disciples in another category of relationship: he calls them friends. Those of you who have known us, the Missionaries of Jesus, must have been receiving our quarterly bulletin, Friends and Disciples. This bulletin narrates stories of our being friends and disciples of Jesus as we attempt every day and everywhere to follow the commandment of Jesus to remain in his love as we love one another as he loves us. We do not only tell our stories but also the stories of people with whom we work. We exert our efforts to make all these stories become part of the story of God. As disciples, we the Missionaries of Jesus, together with you, our friends and co-disciples, are expected to bear much fruit; to remain in Jesus, the true vine; to become good shepherds like Jesus. In our families, in our communities, in our parishes, in our works and in our mission we are always reminded by Jesus that: It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another. It is not easy to become friends and disciples at the same time on the same level. At times, we find it easier to become disciples than to become friends. It is easier to bear fruit as disciples than as friends. This is because discipleship is like our professional life while friendship is our personal life. We can be efficient and effective as disciples but clumsy and fruitless as friends. We can be so professional as teachers, nurses, doctors, dentist, engineers, architects, in finances, in organizing, in leadership, in evangelizing. But our friendship leaves so many rooms for improvement. Why? Because we tend to take for granted the parts of the gospel today that tells us to love one another as I love you. Consider the level of friendship or love we have with our co-workers, with our family members, with the members of the communities or parishes. Can we really make the saying of Jesus a reality in our families and communities: No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. We have heard preachers differentiating three kinds of love: First, the romantic love as in the love between Romeo and Juliet; second, the love of friendship as the kind of love present in genuinely close relationship between friends, husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters. And the third, as the kind of love offered to others without expecting anything in return the love of God to us, the love of Jesus to us, the love we are invited to imbibe and share. The first one is called eros, the second philia and the third agape. In the news this week are mothers in Thailand whose children were arrested for protesting. One mother shaved her hair as a protest and said this was only the beginning of her actions and would be willing to lay down her life for her son to free her son from captivity. As we celebrate Mother’s Day, this message and that of the gospel become striking. This is the agape we describe above. This is the kind of love our Father has shown us by sending his Begotten Son. This is the kind of love Jesus has shown us by dying on the cross to free us from the captivity of sins. This is the kind of love we are called to show, to share and to be willing to sacrifice for. Here is a story to inspire us on this 6th Sunday of Easter and on Mother’s Day from the website of UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) Canada: When her family members were killed during an outbreak of violence in Myanmar’s Buthidaung township, 18-year-old Rabiaa became both an orphan and a mother. Setting aside the grief of losing her family to the chaos, she set off with her two nieces, Umme and Noor, on a tough journey to safety. For 25 days, Rabiaa and her nieces made a grueling journey on foot to reach a UNHCR transit center in Bangladesh. With the immediate danger behind them, Rabiaa began to look forward at her new life as a mother: I am now playing the role of a mother, said Rabiaa. I will take care of [my nieces] for the rest of my life, even if it means that I don’t get married. I want to see them well-educated. Happy Mothers’ Day! May we learn from our mothers’ sacrifices to give, protect and enhance life. May we become friends to everyone, ready to lay down our life for the sake of others as mothers have been doing every day and everywhere. The heart of a mother must have been patterned after the heart of Jesus, our Good Shepherd, our True Vine and our True Friend having the kind of love that does not wait for reward. May we all have share agape with one another as Friends and Disciples of Jesus. Amen. - Fr. Melanio Viuya, MJ

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Homily on the 5th Sunday of Easter We know the importance of being connected. You may have a computer or a laptop, but if it is not connected to an internet, on...e can only do limited things. Worse, if it is not connected to a power source. You may have a cellphone but if it is not connected to an internet data, you can only call and text but you cannot navigate the web; you cannot send email; you cannot use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. In other words, your phone will not be fruitful according to the world standard nowadays. We may have AC system, but if it is not connected to the power grid, it will not help us escape the heat of summer. We may have a wireless microphone but if it is not connected to a sound system, it cannot help us amplify our voices. We may have a stove but if it is not connected to the electricity or to a gas source, it cannot help us prepare our daily food. I am sure you can add other examples of the need to be connected to a source in order to be fruitful. Last Sunday, we reflected on the relationship between a good shepherd and the sheep there is a mutual attachment or connection. I know my own and my own know me. Such intimate connection might entail laying down one’s life in order to protect and save the life of others. Today, we continue our reflection on such intimate connection that entails some sacrifices that are necessary to bear much fruit. The first reading begins with the arrival of Saul in Jerusalem and his attempt to join or to be connected to the disciples. Remember that Saul, also known as Paul, was persecuting the followers of Jesus. He was zealously attached to the old ways of the Jewish people. But his experience on the road to Damascus converted him and he detached himself from the old way and attached himself to Jesus and he became the apostle to the Gentiles. We all know how fruitful his mission was all because he was intimately connected to Jesus who revealed himself to him and opened his eyes. He had to cut his ties to the old belief and attach himself to the new way. The second reading invites us to connect our words or speeches with actions and truth: Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth. We have heard that it was said: Action speaks louder than words. St. Francis tells us that we have to preach the Gospel every day, and if it necessary, use some words. We preach the Gospel through our life. For some, the way we connect the Word of God with our life, might be the only Gospel they read. Thus, the second reading tells us to love not in word but in deeds and in truth. We need to attach our love with truth and actions. When we say, we love the poor this statement should be anchored in truth and in deeds. When we say, we want to help those who are less privileged and underserved in the society (children, women, indigenous, migrants, laborers) this pronouncement has to be attached to concrete actions, policies and in truth. The conclusion of the second reading emphasizes the need to attach ourselves with God and his commandments: Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he gave us. The Gospel gives us another imagery of our attachment or connection to our Father and to his Son Jesus: I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. In the Gospel today, we heard at least eight times the verb to remain. This Greek word can be translated as to remain, to abide, to stay and by extension, to be attached and to be connected. The community to whom John the Evangelist was addressing the Gospel might have similar situation to what we have nowadays albeit with different contexts. Some members of the Church were leaving the community disconnecting, detaching themselves either from the Church or from Jesus. They did not remain, abide or stay in the Church for one reason or another social, political, cultural, personal or even economics. I am sure, you know some people who do this. The exodus from the Catholic Church or from any other religion, Christian or other faith traditions, is not the invention of our time. People leave, people remain for various reasons. In a divided world, whatever the Church says or does, there will always be those who will be attracted to join and remain and those who will be disenchanted and leave. Jesus, in the Gospel of John, encourages those who are still in the Church to remain and abide. On another occasion, John tells the community that: They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us (1 John 2:19). This is part of the pruning the Gospel talks about: Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. Those who take care of plants vines or ornamental plants understand the necessity of pruning. We cut the wild branches of the plants in order to have better fruits or flowers. The wild branches suck the nutrients that could be used by the fruits and therefore they jeopardize a good harvest. What are the wild branches that need pruning in our life (personal, in our family, in our community)? In order to be properly connected, at times, we need to be disconnected and then reconnected. In order to be properly attached to Jesus, we have to experience some detachments from other things, ideas, practices, ideologies or people. Jesus also tells us that the reason to remain should not be political, social, cultural, personal or any other reason the only reason to remain and abide is Jesus himself who remains in the Father and the Father in him. We are invited to purify our motivations in remaining or in leaving the Church. Do you remain because you believe in Jesus that makes a difference in your life? Do you leave because you have found another savior that makes a difference in your life? Do you leave the Church or remain in the Church because of the bishops or the priests or the catechists? Do you remain in the Church because of the benefits you receive? Do you leave the Church and go to another Church because the pasture is greener? Those who remain, are expected to bear fruit in actions and in truth, not merely in words and beautiful speeches. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. What are kind of fruit does Jesus talk about? St Paul in his letter to the Galatians (5:22-23) enumerates some of these fruits: the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. We have already talked about the spiritual and the corporal works of mercy. These are the fruits we should bear. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2447) enumerates these works of mercy: The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God. Do we bear all these fruits? Then, we are really connected and attached to the Vine. If we do not bear these fruits, then we are not (yet) fully connected to the Vine. - Fr. Melanio Viuya, MJ

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Homily on 4th Sunday of Easter With this present pandemic that still disrupts many lives in many countries, some people have become creative and resourceful in ...helping the have less in life; and in giving those who have more in life opportunities to help. In the Philippines, the Community Pantries for the Poor have been sprouting in many places. The guiding principle is biblical and cultural: Get what you need. Give what you can. Those who can (rich and poor), give rice, vegetables, eggs, fish, fruit, water, soap, and other essential necessities. Those who have less get what they need for the day or week. It is biblical because read in this in Exodus regarding the manna people get what they need; they are not to hoard. We read this also in the description of the early Christian community where no one is in need because each one shares what they have. It is cultural because this is an extension of the Filipino bayanihan or Filipino solidarity. The simple formula makes it easy to be copied and improved. It has become an overnight success. Its success caught the attention of the military and now they those who organize the Community Pantries for the Poor are tagged as members or sympathizers of CPP the Communist Party of the Philippines. And in the Philippines, once you are tagged as communist, your life becomes complicated and difficult. They interrogate you; they ask you to fill up forms for several personal information. They ask who is behind all this. The first reading today confronts similar predicament. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, courageously addressed those who are interrogating them for doing something good (healing a sick person): Leaders of the people and elders: If we are being examined today about a good deed done then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead... He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. When one does something good for the constituents, those who are in power are disturbed and threatened. To preserve their power, they in disturb and threaten those who help the poor and the needy. We can glimpse a similarity in the Psalm today: The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone. It is better to take refuge in the LORD. than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. Archbishop Hélder Camara, who lived and served during the military dictatorship in Brazil, is famously quoted: When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist. He, like Archbishop Romero and countless church workers (priests, religious, catechists) in Latin America and in the Philippines led the people as true shepherds. This is what we hear in the Gospel today. Jesus said: I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me. Pope Francis has been reminding us to become like our Good Shepherd; to smell like the sheep; to become a church that always go out to encounter and to reach out to the flock where they live and work; to become a hospital-church that welcomes and heals the sick members of the flock. During this pandemic, we have seen many good shepherds in the hospitals, other health centers, in places of worship and in places that provide basic needs and services. They did not run away from their duties. And as mentioned above, these good shepherds keep on discovering new ways of tending the sheep as they inspire others to become good shepherds also. We are all invited to participate in this mission of the Good Shepherd. This mission has no fine prints. It has full disclosures. If we want to follow Jesus, we have to be ready to take up our cross every day because of the danger Peter, Archbishop Camara, Archbishop Romero and ordinary people keep facing for doing something good. We are discouraged to imitate the hired shepherd who runs away when the wolves come to attack. The second reading warns us about the danger as it consoles us. See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him. I read from this short anecdote from a preacher’s homily: Firefighters were putting out a fire in the forest when one of them found a charred bird in its nest. How weird! He thought. Why didn’t the bird escape the fire? Why didn't it fly away? After a closer investigation, he saw five hatchlings. The mother had protected them by dying so that they would have life. Jesus concludes in the Gospel today: I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. Lord, teach us to pray. However, teach us also to become like your Son Jesus, the Good Shepherd to become good; to protect people under my care; to guide them to the right path; to nurture them physically and spiritually; and to lay down my life for them in times of danger. As the second reading says: We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him. Amen. - Fr. Melanio Viuya, MJ