Easter Sunday
April 17, 2022
Responsorial Psalm: This is the day the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad.
On March 19, 2001, I stopped to bless a bloodied, unconscious person lying on the road; he had been involved in a motorcycle accident under the bridge in our town. As I was blessing him aloud, imagine my surprise when suddenly, he opened his eyes, looked at me, and said, “Fr. Henry? Fr. Henry Salditos? The one in the church?” That was one “resurrection moment” I will never forget. He whom I thought was dead was alive, and he knew me!
Today is Easter Sunday. Jesus is alive, and He knows us! In today’s Gospel (John 20: 1-9), Mary of Magdala, Peter, and John found an empty tomb. Jesus whom they buried was no longer there. He whom they thought was dead was alive. It must have been a perplexing, scary moment for them, but it was also a very personal and joyful moment for them. As He foretold, Jesus, the Christ, the Lord, has risen from the dead.
The Resurrection is not some event that happened 2,000 years ago, but an ongoing personal experience that holds us and moves us. Because of the Resurrection we live filled with confidence that death is not the end. Yes, because of the Resurrection we know that we are loved here and now till life everlasting.
To say that the Resurrection must be a personal treasure is not to say that it is exclusive. It must be shared! We must become agents of the Resurrection, not agents of death. Insofar as we give life, joy, hope, and love, we make the Resurrection a reality in our life and in other people’s lives. Ask yourself today: “Am I a life-giving, love-giving, hopeful and joyful person?”
Wherever or however we spent the Holy Week, hopefully, this Easter Sunday, we all feel better and are better because we underwent a spiritual “spa” or cleansing. As you and I know, no spa happens if we don’t take or make time for it, and if we don’t stay still. May the Holy Week remind us that life is not just about moving up or moving on, but also about staying simple and staying still.
After the Holy Week, how do we bring the Resurrection to our homes, our communities, and to our work places? It’s back to reality for most of us. However, let us not forget our mission to bring Christ to the realities around us. Along with the Resurrection is the mission to “go to the whole world and preach the Gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15)
The reality is that a lot of people are suffering around us. All the devotions and emotions we experienced in the Holy Week should lead us to more concrete and more real in loving and caring. Be warned of “spiritual gluttony” that focuses on spiritual highs, but does not trickle down to concrete loving in real life.
Someone tested me these beautiful Easter attitudes:
- “Always make your future greater than your past;”
- “Always make your contribution greater than your reward;”
- “Always make your gratitude greater than your success;”
- “Always see God greater than yourself.”
In other words, Easter should make us always see the “big picture”!
“Dum spiro, spero.” (While I breathe, I hope.) Hope is one of the basic messages of Easter. Yes, don’t give up on God, on others, and on yourself. We have all the reason to hope. And all our hoping is not baseless. It is all grounded on a God-man who, because of love, suffered so much, died and rose again so that we may have life to the fullest.
On a personal note, part of my Holy Week was spent cleaning my room and disposing of the “trash” I have accumulated through the years. It is not easy to part with the treasures and memories of yesteryear, but what made me do that with facility was when I raised the question: “Will this thing matter at all when I die?” Believe me, we don’t need much in this life, and we carry nothing with us when we die, except the love in our hearts.
Wishing you all a Happy Easter! Wishing you all strength and courage in whatever trials, and hope and joy in whatever problems; but most of all, peace and love in your hearts and in your homes and beyond. Fresh start, new beginnings. Thank God for Easter. Thank God for hope and meaning. Thank God for eternal life.
Lord, help me to live a beautiful life that proclaims that You are alive.
AMEN.
Feast of the Lord’s Baptism
January 9, 2022
With today’s celebration of the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, we culminate the holy season of Christmas. Today’s feast is considered the “second manifestation” of our Lord Jesus Christ. The first, which is the Epiphany of our Lord, was celebrated last Sunday.
If the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Jesus Christ emphasizes the revelation of the light of salvation who is Jesus our Lord, this “second manifestation” of our Lord Jesus Christ marks the beginning of His public ministry. There is, according to some Church fathers, a third manifestation. This is the first miracle performed by Jesus during the wedding feast at Cana. These Church fathers believe that Jesus’ miraculous deed revealed Jesus’ divinity.
The Baptism of the Lord has historically been associated with the celebration of Epiphany. Even today, the Feast of Theophany, celebrated on January 6th by the Greek Orthodox Church as a counterpart to the Roman Catholic Feast of the Epiphany, focuses primarily on the Baptism of the Lord as the revelation of God to man. Why do we remember the Baptism of Jesus? The church wants to stress through this liturgical feast the importance and significance of baptism in our Christian lives.
Through baptism, we not only become formal members of the institutional church, which makes baptism the Rite of Initiation. By virtue of our baptism, we also are given a mission to proclaim the Good News of Salvation to all. That is why many theologians today regard baptism as a sacrament of commissioning, that is, through this sacrament, we are being sent to the world to announce the goodness of our Lord. It is precisely because of this that Jesus willed that He be baptized by John the Baptist. He did not need cleansing. He simply wanted us to realize that like Him, we, too, are called to evangelize. This is our baptismal calling.
As we remember today, Jesus’ Baptism in the River Jordan, we call to mind our own baptism. We, too, have been called to proclaim the Good News of Salvation. May we all be faithful to that mission.
—Fr Henry P Salditos
New Year 2022 Message
“Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”
The first day of the New Year is dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God, who is with us every single day of the year. She is also our mother who loves us in an unlimited and unconditional way.
Today is also a day of World Peace. It is our fervent prayer that our world will take the road of harmony and peace and leave behind the road of violence and tyranny. May we learn to live as brothers and sisters; to reach and go beyond the conditions and limits we have set on each other. No more walls. No more wars. PEACE!
In today’s Gospel (Luke 2:16-21) we hear of the shepherds who visited Joseph, Mary, and the Infant in the manger. They were witnesses of the Divine Plan unfolding before their very eyes just as it had been foretold. Indeed, God is faithful. As we face the New Year ahead, let us be confident that there is someone in control and that this Someone is a faithful and loving God.
The Incarnation started with simple people of humble beginnings. Why? Perhaps God wanted to make sure that His plan would be carried out. In other words, God needs “obedient” rather than “efficient” people to carry out His plan. God has a hard time dealing with those who are big or who think of themselves as big.
It is not as if Mary was sure of everything happening. As the events of the Incarnation unfolded, she was constantly surprised and amazed, “reflecting on them in her heart.” Like Mary, may we continue to be tenacious in our belief that God has a plan, and that He makes all things beautiful in His time. There are many things we cannot explain or understand in this life. We just continue to believe.
As we start our journey in 2022, let us not forget to bring along with us “a prayer in our pockets, a smile on our faces, and love in our heart.” These are the most basic provisions we need as we journey on.
Please, remember too, that no matter what we do, 2022 will unfold one day at a time. So one basic rule is that we should stop pressing the fast-forward button and the rewind button. Let it play. Let it be. One day at a time.
Here’s a beautiful reminder for 2022: “Just for today, decide to be happy and to live with what is yours. If you can’t have what you want, maybe you can like what you have. Just for today, decide to be kind, cheerful, agreeable, and understanding. Be your best, talk kindly, be optimistic, and praise people. Try it! After all, it is just for a day. Who knows, you might like it, and do it again tomorrow!”
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those who helped make 2021 beautiful with their prayers, gifts, and messages. Thank you too, for those who criticized or corrected us. What matters is that we did what we did for love.
One thing we need to balance in our journey is that of getting things done and being someone. Let us not become so busy becoming “a somebody” with all our functions, that we forget to be “a someone” as a person. In other words, we must balance between being on call for our people and being online with God; being a missionary and being a religious.
The celebration of Christmas is not just a day. It is a spirit we carry with us all throughout the 365 days ahead of us. I’m wishing you all spirit-filled days all throughout the New Year. A happy and better New Year ahead, in all aspects, in Jesus’ name through Mary our Mother.
Ad Jesum per Mariam. Amen! – Fr. Henry P Salditos