jOURNAL # 3: Jesus, Our Elder Brother

YOU are the younger brother.
JESUS, is your elder brother who gave up his life and left a trail of light for us so that we may find our way back home.

Even now, your father is waiting for you.

Thanks to Jesus, our Elder Brother, wherever we find ourselves in this world, there will always be light because Jesus, our Elder Brother, has been there.

Thanks to Him, our Elder Brother, God's first born, no place is so far or so dark that it falls beyond the love of God. Its time to go home. [1]

Points of Reflection:

• Go back to the story of the Parable of the Elder Brother. What struck you most in the story? What did you feel after hearing the story?
  Now, look into your own life, how is your relationship with your Elder Brother, Jesus? Had there been times when you somehow felt you are in the shoes of the younger brother? Bring this into prayer.


• How about your family? How's your relationship to your parents? To your siblings being an elder or younger brother/sister? The Elder Brother gave a perfect example how we must relate and show our love to our families. Are you willing enough to follow his example? If not what prevents you? Perhaps you may want to spend some time reflecting over these points in personal prayer.


• It is helpful to keep track of our prayer experiences by keeping a prayer journal. Note down all your feelings, significant movements, and the image of God you met after the prayer period.
  "Wherever I go, I will leave a lighted candle. So even if I don't find him, he will know I've been there. Should he get lost, he will find a trail of light that can lead him back home."
  
  - Elder Brother
  ____________________________
  
  [1] Go, Johnny C., SJ, The Parable of the Elder Brother, Jesuit Communications Foundation, Inc., 2006.

Good News Naman Please!

6 July 2008 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Zechariah 9, 9-10; Psalm 145; Romans 8, 9-13; Matthew 11, 2-30

25 At that time Jesus said in reply, “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

It’s been scary to read the newspaper lately. For how many days, it was all bad news. The recent typhoon Frank left the country devastated, killing hundreds of people and hundreds more homeless. World oil price soars to $145 a barrel last Thursday, the highest in history and gone up to more than 50% than its price last year. Last month, our inflation [1] rate hit 11.4%, the highest in 14 years. From one bad news to another (well, at least thanks to Pacquiao, who somehow made us forget the bad news for a little while) you may wonder, how long this will this last. Will it ever go to an end?

In today’s gospel, we hear Jesus’ consoling words …“Come to me all, who are burdened and I will give you rest”. Jesus knows how burdened people we are, because He shared our humanity and even embraced our poverty. During His time, His people were also burdened with poverty, heavy taxes to pay to the Romans and to the Jewish temples and violence is also everywhere. And so we believe that He understands how troubled we are, more than anyone else. Jesus’ clearly invites us today, to come to Him and rest in Him especially during these tough times. He invites us to trust Him even more by offering our difficulties, our sadness, pains and struggle so He can give us comfort and rest. And that I think is the good news, amidst all the bad things happening around us. That God, who is much bigger good news than all the bad news combined, is out there, sympathizing with us and will never leave us no matter what. We just have to keep the faith and pray even more.

And so let us continue to pray for one another, for our country and especially for our poor brothers and sisters who suffers most during this time.

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[1] Inflation measures how fast overall prices are rising over a specific period, usually a year. The higher the inflation, the faster the prices are rising, Inquirer Research, PDI, Sat. July 5, 2008

Journal # 2: Watcha' Still Looking For?

During Jesus’ time, His own people are very much troubled in their life. Like what we are experiencing today, they are living in a troubled world. There is so much poverty, corruption and taxes to pay! (They need to give taxes both to the Romans and the high priests of the temple). And so they are hoping for someone to save them. Perhaps a he is like a superhero, a spiderman or superman like figure. He could also be a king, or an influential person, or a soldier. A guy named, Prophet Isaiah even described this person as a “suffering servant”, but they are really not sure about his identity! But one thing is for certain, they call Him the Messiah – the Chosen One, as prophesized by the prophets of the old. Atlast, then came the Messiah, it is Jesus, the son of a carpenter named Joseph. No wonder they were not able to recognize Hiim because he came from a poor family, in a very simple and humble home. The Messiah has come, but sadly they were not able to recognize Him. And so they continue to become troubled and waiting, and still waiting for the One who already is with them.

Points of Reflection

• Reflect over God’s great love for us when He gave His only Son to us, Jesus, Who humbled himself to share our humanity and even our poverty.
• Had there been times when you yourself did not recognize Jesus present in your life? Say a prayer of thanksgiving to Jesus, who is our own superhero, our savior who came to the world to save and remind us of His great love you and for me.
• It is helpful to keep track of our prayer experiences by keeping a prayer journal. Note down all your feelings, significant movements, and the image of God you met after the prayer period.