Alam and Kilala

One of the characteristics, according Raymond Brown, of Jesus Christ as a good shepherd is his knowledge about his sheep.  It means that the good shepherd possesses not only a particular knowledge about his sheep but most importantly he has an intimate knowledge of his flock.   This knowledge is not only an “alam” rather it is a “kilala” knowledge.

In Filipino, the word  “alam” pertains to some degree of familiarity.  If you have “alam” about someone you probably know some information about the person.   Maybe you know the person’s name, address, age and other personal information about him or her.  Or maybe you are familiar with the person’s hobby, interests, and likes.  However, “alam” would not be enough if you really want to know the person better.  The Filipino word for this knowledge is “kilala”.   “Kilala” entails a degree not of familiarity but of a deeper and an intimate knowledge about the person.    It is not only about the facts and data about the person but, again, the being of the person.  “Kilala” is much concern of a deeper relationship with the person.  When someone will say “kilalanin” it takes some effort to know really the person. It also takes time to build a good rapport and trust.   If you make “kilala” the person it means you want to build a lasting relationship to him or her compared to “alam” which very transient and shallow.

The good shepherd willingly lays his life for his sheep because, I believe that, his knowledge and his relationship about his flock is deeper.   He knows intimately about his sheep unlike the hirelings who just shear the sheep because of his job but the good shepherd go beyond what is only expected on him – to really care and tend his sheep with love.

As good shepherds, we are challenge, to know our flock well.  To know them is to deepen not only our knowledge about them but most importantly deepen our relationship with them.  It is phrased beautifully in Filipino regarding the challenge to really the person  – “kilalanin ang kanyang pagkatao” than “alamin kung sino ang tao”.

I think to be a good shepherd like Jesus Christ we should get to know the being-ness of the person than knowing only something about the person.  “Kilalanin natin ang pagkatao ng tao at hindi lamang ang kanyang katauhan”

manny amanence, sj

Who is this Paraclete

              In the gospel of John, the Holy Spirit is named as the “Paraclete” –  which means “to call to one’s side”.  It is used mostly in juridical or courtroom contexts when in outside the New Testament.   Raymond Brown states, “the Paraclete is an Advocate like a counselor who supports a defendant at a trial.  The Spirit will be the great defender of the disciples.”  Here the “Paraclete” is “another Advocate” (John 14:16), implying that Jesus was the first “Advocate.”  With this, the “Paraclete” does many things as Jesus said and did.  Besides being an advocate, the Paraclete is also an intercessor, helper, comforter, or counselor.

                Moreover, the gospel of John describe the “Paraclete” has several roles.  The first role is a ‘companion’ – the one who will be with the disciples forever, after Jesus is gone,   “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.”  In this passage, Jesus prepares and promises that another one who will stand as an “Advocate” to be with His disciples after his departure.  

                The second role is a teacher – who reminds the disciples of Jesus’ own words and teachings.  As a teacher the Paraclete will continue doing what Jesus has began to do.  Alan Culpeper phrases it, “the Paraclete teach the disciples all things and remind them of all that Jesus said.”

               The third role of the Paraclete is a legal witness – who will give testimony to the disciples and world about Jesus.   John 15:26, the Paraclete testifies on Jesus behalf, “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf.”

                The fourth role of the Paraclete is a judge – who will convict the world about the sin and righteousness and Judgment.   Another role of the Advocate of Jesus is a revealer – who will guide the disciples to the truth about God and Jesus.

Abide in Love

The allegory of the Vine and the Branches (Jn 15,1-8), followed by the exhortation to abide in the love of Jesus (Jn 15,9-17), is an invitation to each priests to remember that, “Christ is the true Vine.”[1] The vine is the source of nutrition and life of the braches; apart from it the branches will wither and die. Jesus is now the vine “transmitting life to the branches.” As branches withers if detached from the vine, “Jesus declares that life depends on abiding in Him.”[2] It is this intimate oneness and union with the Vine, that is an inexhaustible source of formation especially for priests.[3]

Pastors should always remember that they are participating in the eternal mission of Christ. Thus, each priest is always called to have an intimate relationship with Jesus as, “there is an intrinsic communion with God in which one shares the life of God, which constitutes the true nature of being a disciple.”[4] In his Apostolic Exhortation, Pastores Dabo Vobis, Blessed John Paul said that, “the Church knows that Jesus Christ himself is the living, supreme and definitive fulfillment of God’s promise: ‘I am the good shepherd.’[5] It is the condition in which we can see again that priesthood is always grounded and connected in Christ. Without this essential and innate connectedness, priesthood is nothing, irrelevant, and insignificant.

This connectedness and grounded-ness of the priest in Christ does not remain abstract. Abiding in Jesus means sharing with and in his very life and ministry. The call to abide in His love, is the call to imitate His love. And this very expression of love from a priest is a constitutive element of abiding in Christ. If Christ loves to the full, the priests tries even though how hard it is to truly love amidst a world that is filled with hatred and pride. Oneness with the vine means fruitfulness, for one is filled with the love, one could not just but be fruitful. The superabundance a priest receives from his relationship with God, is overflowing and concretely manifested in the love he offers to people. Thus, pastors are called to share the love and compassion of Jesus for sinners, and His constant care for ordinary people, the laity. (Coke Prieto)

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[1] Pope John Paul II,(1992),  Letter of the Holy Father John Paul II to Priests for Holy Thursday 1992, (http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_19920329_priests_en.html), Retrieved February 26, 2013.

[2] R. Alan Culpepper, The Gospel and Letters of John, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998), p. 215.

[3] Pope John Paul II,(1992),  Letter of the Holy Father John Paul II to Priests for Holy Thursday 1992, (http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_19920329_priests_en.html), Retrieved February 26, 2013.

[4] Rekham M.Chennatu, Johannine Discipleship as a Covenant Relationship, (Peabody, MA : Hendrickson, 2006), p. 115.

[5] Pastores Dabo Vobis, 1.

ANG MABUTING PASTOL

JOHN 10:1-21

One best description of the Good Shepherd that R. Alan Culpepper gave us in his commentary on the Gospel of John is that, “the Good Shepherd ‘knows’ his sheep, and they know him.” He lays down his life for the sheep and he cares for the sheep and does not run away when he sees the wolf coming.

The recent event on the election of the new pope amazes me so much, which drives me to connect the character of the new pope to the character of the Good Shepherd. I listed below ten important things that we should know about the pope, which I got from the social media. I believe these are the characteristics that we are looking for in a Good Shepherd.

1. Earlier, in February 2005, He chose to celebrate the Mass for Holy Thursday in a maternity hospital in Buenos Aires, where he washed the feet of 12 expectant and new mothers. Before he washed their feet, he told them that “Some of you are holding your babies in your arms. Others of you are carrying them in your womb. All of you are women who have chosen life. I, as a priest, am going to repeat the act of Jesus, and carry out a concrete act of service for women who have said yes to life. In washing your feet, I am washing those of all mothers, and of my mother, who felt me in her womb.”
2. In 2008, on the Holy Thursday, he washed the feet of 12 recovering drug addicts at a rehabilitation center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He showed compassion for the victims of HIV-AIDS and in 2001, visited a hospice to kiss and wash the feet of 12 AIDS patients.
3. His episcopal motto: When he became a bishop in 1992, He chose as his motto miserando atque eligendo, “lowly and yet chosen.” The phrase comes from a homily of the Venerable Bede reflecting on the Call of Matthew. Matthew knew himself to be unworthy (read: “human”) yet Jesus chose him, not despite but because of, his humanity. These words signal humility, and may also reflect a common formulation of Jesuit identity: “What is it to be a Jesuit? It is to know that one is a sinner; yet called to be a companion of Jesus.”
4. His reputation for simplicity: Media outlets have already reported that he leads a simple life. He lived in a small apartment instead of the bishop’s palace, prepared his own meals, and took public transportation to work. (The past tense in all of these verbs is deliberate, because as pope, that degree of simplicity will likely be impossible. Unless, that is, we can reclassify the Popemobile as a kind of public transportation…) Still, all accounts suggest that Pope Francis’s simplicity is authentic and not limited to externals, and it will be exciting to see how it shapes his papacy.
5. His clothing: All the popes from (at least) Pius XI up to Benedict XVI opted to don the traditional red shoulder cape (a mozzetta) when they first appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. Pope Francis did not. This could be for any number of reasons, but one fact remains
6. His first speech: NPR has this quick translation of Pope Francis’s first Urbi et Orbi message. Reading that message now, after hearing it, consoles me. Two notes: first, the pope led us in prayer. In his first words therefore, Francis united the throngs of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square, to speak with one voice. Second, the pope asked for the blessing of the entire People of God, bowing before them as a servant (or a servus servorum) bows before the one served
7. Tomorrow: It’s no easier to predict the trajectory of a papacy than the election of a pope. His biography, though, suggests that his ministry will be learned. Before he showed up on the balcony, even before he was a priest, he was a student of high intellectual curiosity. He has degrees in chemistry, philosophy, and theology, and has taught all of these (and literature and psychology as well) as a Jesuit. In addition to his formal teaching assignments, he also served (twice) as a superior for Jesuits in formation. A hunger for learning – as a teacher and a student – has been central to Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s life so far. indisputable: today, the world met a pope who could not possibly have dressed any more simply.
8. Dolan also noted that Francis declined a chauffeured limousine that was prepared to take him back to the group’s accommodations for the evening. “He got back on the bus with us, like he had been doing for the whole conclave,” he said. “Those are little signs that send signals.”
9. This is a man of dynamic orthodoxy, genuine missionary fervor. He could be very appealing to young people,” said George Weigel, a frequent commentator on Catholicism and a biographer of Pope John Paul II. “This is a man who knows that there’s a lot that needs fixing in the central machinery of the church here in Rome, and I think he will go about fixing it very quickly.”
10. The Holy Father left as he had arrived, with a minimal escort and entourage. He was accompanied by Archbishop Georg Ganswein and Msgr. Leonardo Sapienza, S.C.I., respectively prefect and regent of the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household. Along the way, however, he surprised everyone by first sending an affectionate greeting to children from a nearby school and then by asking his driver to stop by the Domus Internationalis “Paulus VI” near Piazza Navona where he had stayed before entering the Conclave. The Pope greeted those working there, gathered his belongings, and paid his bill. [From the Vatican News Service].

Pope Francis is indeed an alter Christus, a true disciple of God, and a true follower of the Good Shepherd. We continue to pray for him and his pontificate.

JAMES B. ABELLA (San Jose Seminary)

DAHIL UNA MO AKONG MINAHAL

 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, but whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”

JOHN 3:16-18

According to our dear friend R. Alan Culpepper, “the verse explains the giving of eternal life, another important element of Johanine thought, as a result of God’s love for the world, through the revelation of God in Jesus.”

Ito nanaman po tayo sa usapang pagmamahal. Subalit gusto kong tingnan ang pagmamahal na ito sa mata ng isang disipulo. As disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to be persons for others, making sacrifices for them. Love is a form of self sacrifice which demands us to give, not just the things we possess but of ourselves, our time and our talents. For instance, we bear witness to Christ when we study hard, we work hard for the Church we love and whom we will soon serve as priests. Another example are parents who labor tirelessly everyday to feed their families, nursing their sick children and counseling them when they are confused. Facing up these commitments may be hard and costly as it is a long uphill struggle with many setbacks, but in doing so they are guaranteed to find God and happiness.  Wherever there is love, there is God. This is a message that is to be preached by word and example. The most effective way of communicating this love must surely be to treat everyone as a friend, giving them the respect they deserve. Love…love… yes love is the best key to eternal life.

God’s love for us surpasses anything we can ever imagine. Each one of us is loved individually and intimately. We do not deserve God’s love and we cannot earn it by ourselves.

In moments of trials and distress, when people are hostile and we feel the pull of bitter resentment in our hearts,  it is important to remember the magnanimous love of God. Let us fix our thoughts on the wonder of God’s love for us, which invites us to share in his divine life. Fulfilling the commandment of love draws us into the family of God. In the evening of our life, we will not be judged by our weaknesses or our faults but on the amount of love we have shown. Therefore let us love another.

JAMES B. ABELLA (San Jose Seminary)

KASAMA KA

John 6:1-15

The feeding of the five thousand shows the remarkable generosity of God. At present, we surely have our own unique stories of God’s faithfulness in our lives. I could not help but recall some of the many significant events that happened to me here in San Jose.

The first time I entered San Jose…with the typical probinsyano in me… I was so afraid because I didn’t know anybody and the place was new to me. From the very beginning, I was so intimidated because I knew halos lahat ng tao dito matatalino, may iba’t-ibang kultura, at may ibat ibang personalidad.  I knew nothing except one thing, “My God brought me here and I know di Nya ako pababayaan.” Yun lang ang pinanghawakan ko nun.

I remember my experience in the apostolate area in Navotas, during the first weekends of my apostolate.  I already have prior experiences of apostolate but not as worse compared to this one, in terms of the place. Nakatira ako sa isang pamilya na nakatirik ang bahay sa dagat gamit ang mga kawayang sinlaki lang ng braso ko. Sa laki kong ito syempre nakakatakot kasi baka bigla na lang bumagsak at magswimming kami sa dagat ng basura. Mas malaki pa nga siguro ang kwarto ko dito sa San Jose. Pagsapit ng gabi bawal ng lumabas kasi baka mahulog nga sa dagat sa kipot at kitid ng daan gawa sa pinagdugtong-dugtong na kawayan at syempre baka magripohan pa ng ice-pick sa tagiliran sa dami ng drug addict at mga nag-iinuman. Kailangan na naming ilatag ang karton na higaan para pagkasyahin kaming walong tao sa loob. Syempre kailangan pa ng divider para magkaroon ng master’s bedroom. May mga pagkakataon na magigising ako dahil sa mainit na ang pakiramdam ko, umihi na pala ang nakababata kong kapatid. Nagswimming na pala kami sa ihi ng kapatid ko. Kung minsan din kapag may bagyo naman, minsan natutulog ako habang hinahampas ang likod mo ng alon. Madalas din pag gabi di makatulog ng maayos dahil sa mga nagtatakbuhang daga. Ginawa na nilang playground ang katawan ko. Sa laki ng mga ito di ko na alam kung alin ang daga at pusa. Pagkagising sa umaga kailangan na naming iconvert ulit ang master’s bedroom para gawing kusina at kainan. Pag magmorning rituals pasensya na sa mga batang naliligo sa dagat kasi ang cr namin ay drecho na sa dagat. Kailangan limitado ang tubig kasi mahal. Kape lang ang breakfast para lang mainitan ang sikmura. Minsan napapatanong ako, pano kaya ang nutrisyon ng mga bata ito? Nakakahiyang sumakay sa bus pauwi kasi dumidikit ang masangsang na amoy sa aming mga damit. Nakakapandiri. Ang dumi. Ang baho. Such experience caused me so much discomfort, but one thing I was sure then, God was there with me every step of the way. He was there sharing in all the discomforts I was experiencing. If God were not faithful to me during those times, I would have never overcome all those challenges.

Minsan nagtrabaho din ako bilang isang janitor. 36 floors na building ang nililinis ko araw-araw. Kailangang kong apakan ang pride ko wag lang patulan ang matataray na maids na umaastang parang mga amo. Minsan napapatanong nalang ako. What sustains me? Who sustains me?

These are just some of the many experiences I had here in San Jose. Baka kasi abutin tayo ng siyam-siyam kung isa-isahin ko pa lahat. In every experience we have, God continues to surprise us. He is always there every step of the way.  So whatever and wherever life take us, I know we have a great God who is forever faithful.

Don’t you worry when it seems everything is falling apart. Don’t worry when you feel like being persecuted by words and in actions. Don’t you worry when it seems nobody wants to listen to you. Don’t you worry when you feel so alone. When you feel everybody is against you. Don’t be afraid owning your decisions. Don’t be afraid to experience pain. Don’t be afraid to cry.  He meets us wherever we are. Yes even there. Even in the darkest and most lonely part of us. He is always there beside us, ready to help us and pick us up. Let us just continue to seek Him in our life. For nobody could be more generous and loving than Him

“Lord, you satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts and you feed us with the finest of wheat (Ps 81:16). Fill me with gratitude and give me a generous heart that I may freely share with others what you have given to me.”

JAMES B. ABELLA (San Jose Seminary)

The Bread of LIfe: The Fount and Strength of Christian Life

In John 6:22-71, which is commonly known as the “Bread of Life Discourse” we can observe a very Johannine style of writing, which are conversational and the answers of Jesus in a glance seems so illogical and has nothing to do with the question of the Jews. Yet, as Culpepper would put it, Jesus raises the conversation to a deeper level. In this occasion, prior to this text is the feeding of the five thousand, and according to Culpepper the people were just focused on the material food that Jesus had given, yet now, Jesus raised up the discussion and their understanding, that more than ordinary bread that satisfies physical hunger, there is a great hunger in the life of the person that needs to be fed and nurtured and that is the hunger for eternal life (cf. Jn 3:16). Jesus offered to them now, the “Bread of Life” which comes down from heaven.

Using the schema of discussion made by Culpepper, this part of the Gospel could be divided into three parts. First, Jesus emphasized to the crowd that the manna of their ancestors did not come from Moses, but it came from God. Yet, as the manna their ancestors ate, satisfied their hunger, Jesus offered to the people, a bread that could satisfy their ultimate hunger, for the eternal life; the bread of life, that is sent by God.

Second, in response to the request of the Jews for that bread that could satisfy their ultimate hunger, Jesus introduced that as He is the “Bread of Life”, the source and fount of eternal life. And, one can only approach fully Jesus and understand Him if he/she is called by the Father. As Bultmann would say that it is through God’s initiative that we could go near Jesus. Thus, faith and believing in Jesus as the “Bread of Life” is a response to God’s invitation.  This part of the Gospel, echoes that of the theme of “being born again” in the third chapter of John. For truly, it is only through God’s initiative, “if we are born from above”, that we could truly understand Jesus’ words, and believe that Jesus is truly the “Bread of Life”.

Thirdly, it is only when we eat the flesh, and drink the blood of Jesus that we can attain eternal life. Now, Jesus equates the bread to his own body. For the Jews this is so absurd, and they did not even think about eating human flesh at all. Their misunderstanding created division and discouragement within the followers of Jesus. Because of this, many left Jesus and went their own ways. As Jesus asked His disciples of their decision, Peter gave a testimony, that truly, Jesus is the source of life, and aside from Him there is no other. At the end, Jesus’ use of “eating the flesh and drinking the blood” is on a metaphorical sense. Culpepper would say, that “eating” the flesh and in this case also “drinking” the blood means receiving Jesus and the life he offers.

The hunger and thirst the people had experience before did not cease as history unfolds. Today, much ever there is a deep hunger and thirst people are experiencing. There is the reality of an existential emptiness, that there is something lacking within. Today we try to fill in this emptiness with so many things, and even study this experiential reality for it to be understood and hopefully filled in. Yet, as philosophers would tell us, this existential emptiness that we experience is a constitutive reality of being human. Part of being human is to experience emptiness, loneliness, disconnectedness. The problem in this modern world is that the search for meaning and fullness of life has shifted its course and was enveloped by the culture of consumerism and “instantism.” People tries to fill in this emptiness with material possession, power, relationships that led to an inordinate attachment to them, and they want this to happen instantly. This became the very ground of their own identity as a human person.

This excerpt of the Gospel of John reminds us of a primordial reality, of who we truly are, children of God. Thus, it is only God that can fill in that emptiness within us. Spiritual writers and even some psychologist would call this existential longing as God’s hole, where only God can fill in. Thus, we see that Jesus in the Gospel offers us his very self to be the food and drink that could quench the thirst and fill the hunger that we experience. Truly, it is Jesus ever present in the Holy Eucharist in the form of bread and wine that gives life to us, and sustains the life in us as we continue to journey towards eternal life. Many writers and theologians said that the Eucharist is the meal that sustains us in our journey as pilgrims in this world, which gives us strength to truly focus our lives to that of Jesus. May we truly see the great reality of God ever present and continuously offering himself for us to be whole and to have an abundance of life through and in him. (Coke Prieto)

ANAK NG TINAPAY

“I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

I have so many happy memories with bread. The Gospel on the Bread of Life perfectly reminds me of these memories.

When I was in my elementary years, I used to join the workers in our bakery in making breads during my free times. I have to have a customized apron and cap made of sackcloth. I used to bring breads to our school too. I share it with my friends as we happily share lousy stories and fantasize the superheroes we wanted to become. Nevertheless, I gained more friends. I even won the student council head post. Daanin ba naman sa tinapay.

When weekends come, I was super excited to be on my cashier mode. Early in the morning, I usually join the delivery boys in delivering and selling the breads to the nearby barangays. It was fun. That time, I felt like a superhero on the rescue of hungry people waiting for their hearty and fresh breakfast. I learned a lot. I became street wise. I also earned from the commission we were getting which was 10 percent from the total sales. But more importantly, I gained more friends.

Then comes Sunday afternoon. Here comes our family time together. If not feeding the animals or cooking some delicious food, we bond over making breads for our personal consumption. I could clearly remember that the very first mix we had was close to failure. We forgot to put some yeast and salt. Thank God the real bakers were just around the corner to save us.

In this particular experience I have seen how bread has been a particular relational element. I gained friends. I developed a closer bond with my family. When we break bread with others we also build relationships with them. When God offered His only Son to be our Living Bread, it was not just a simple giving; it was a kind of giving that is life giving.  He wants to build relationship with us. He wants to be closer to us. Maybe we are also being challenged by the same message. We can ask ourselves how are our relationships (with the people around us, our friends, our families and God)? We are called to be life-giving to our brothers and sisters especially those who are in need.

He is the bread of life. Whoever eats his body shall live forever. In the Eucharist we line up to receive the Bread of Life, the Body of Christ. May we continue to hunger for him for the rest of our lives. May we allow God to fill our lives with His love and we will never be hungry forever.

JAMES B. ABELLA (San Jose Seminary)

TULAD MO NA MAY PUSONG BATO

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. (John 8:3-8)

Fr. Jett Villarin, SJ in his newly written book “Startle” wrote, “Interestingly enough, it is not the sinlessness but the sin of others that brings us to our senses and to a confession of our own sinfulness.”

During my Spiritual Pastoral Formation Year (SPFY) there were many psycho dynamics —be it sexual, emotional, and spiritual— that awed me and helped me come face to face with myself and my personal issues. I came across with the words “projection,” “mirroring,” “displacement,” “transference,” etc.

Too much introspection allowed me to have a very strong self-awareness. Then after SPFY, one of the famous lines that usually enter my mind or even come out of my mouth was “where is it coming from?” It has caused some form of paranoia.

I often ask questions like: Why is it hard for one to ask for forgiveness? Where is it coming from? Is it maybe because that person already thinks that it will be very hard for the other person to forgive? Does he have difficulty in forgiving himself?

Why are we so afraid to be criticized? Where is it coming from? Maybe because we already have an experience of criticizing others and how it felt to criticize and be criticized. We have a terrible experience of criticizing others and we do not want that to happen to us.

Why do people separate after years of happy engagement? Where is it coming from? Maybe they realized they were just pressured and they really do not love each other.

Sometimes I do understand. Sometimes I find it hard to understand. Sometimes I really do not understand at all.

In the gospel we have seen the anger of the people towards the adulterous woman. In effect they wanted to stone her to death yet did not pursue it. Where was it coming from? Maybe they also realized how sinful they were, they withdrew from her.

I realize, that maybe the sober awareness of the self and sinfulness is grace. For when God pours out His grace, He opens doors for us, the doors of mercy and compassion.  When we recognize our own sinfulness the power of Christ becomes available to enrich us, so that we can offer ourselves to God, faults and all. The discovery of our spiritual poverty opens our souls to receive God offering and awakens us to an awareness of his call.

The challenge facing all of us is to detect the voice of God in our lives and to have the courage and generosity to answer promptly. God expects us to share in his work of spreading his love and mercy. May we continue to be vessels of mercy and compassion of God to other people.

JAMES B. ABELLA (San Jose Seminary)

A Shepherd formed in the Heart of the Good Shepherd

Jesus in the Gospel of John said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (Jn 10,14-15) Culpepper commented on this section of the Gospel and highlighted the key elements of recognition and relationship.[1] The Good Shepherd did not lay down His life for just anyone, but the whole humanity whom He loves dearly. As the shepherd knows his sheep, Jesus intimately knew His flock.

The Good Shepherd did not just lay down His life for His flock. He searches for those who are “not of His fold” and bring them together, so that they may be one flock and one Shepherd. (Jn 10,16) Bultmann stated that this verse is of ecclesiastical interest at it prophesized the mission and nature of the universal Church.[2] Deeper than prophesy, is the imagery of Jesus’ own mission of bringing the whole humanity into unity with God. This signifies the dynamic and active presence of Jesus in the lives of His disciples in fulfilling the mission of bring the whole humanity one with God, so that there will be one flock under one shepherd, i.e. one Church under Jesus loving shepherding.[3]

Starting yesterday, almost all media stations both local and international focused their news on the ongoing conclave. Millions of people are eagerly waiting for the white smoke to come out that will announce that we have a pope. With this scenario vividly captured all over the world, I believe many are hopefully waiting for a good shepherd that will usher the Church in this trying times of Her history. We learn from Jesus, and we beg from Him, that He may grant us a pastor that is rooted and continuously formed by His heart.

As pastor in the modern times, one is called to follow in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd; to know and care for the people, to feel for them and be with them. The world needs a shepherd, who could be able to feel and empathized with the various cultures of the world, who could understand and appreciate the beauty of diversity and its power to usher unity in the Church. We need a pastor that could be able to enflame the hearts of the people, especially the young to go back to the embrace of the Church, rather than strict and stern with laws that will drive away believers from the embrace of the Church. We need a pontiff that could bring theology one with culture and modern science, rather than condemnation.

There is a great work ahead for the new pontiff, yet we trust in God’s love and compassion for us His people. We continue to pray for our cardinal-electors that they may be guided by the Holy Spirit to choose a pastor that will be able to guide the whole Church in this time. (Coke Prieto)

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[1] R. Alan Culpepper, The Gospel and Letters of John, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998), p. 181.

[2] Rudolf Karl Bultmann, The Gospel of John: A Commentary, Trans. G. R. Beasley-Murray, (Philadelphia: Westminster press, 1971), p. 383.

[3] Ibid, 384.