Trinity Sunday (B)

Short Reflection for the Trinity Sunday (B)

Readings: Deuteronomy 4: 32-34. 39-40; Roman 8: 14-17; Matthew 28: 16-20

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 19-20)

Trinity Sunday reminds us that we are “sealed” by our baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  This “seal” is manifested in our common FELLOWSHIP and COMMUNION with the Trinity by our baptism – regardless of color, race, belief, language and gender.

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Beware of the Yeast of the Pharisees

Beware of the YEAST of the Pharisees….

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, * but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.' (Matthew 7: 21 – 23)

When our words are, indeed, BOLD… yet our deeds ARE LACKING, we are partaking of the yeast of the Pharisees. BEWARE….!

Fr. Jun Mercado, OMI

Pentecost Sunday (B)

Short Reflection for Pentecost Sunday (B)

Readings: Acts 2: 1-11; 1 Corinthians 12: 12: 3-7; John 20: 19-23

Selected Passage: “Jesus breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (John 20: 22-23)

Reflection: We have not received the Spirit of slavery and live in fear, but the Holy Spirit that makes us sons and daughters of God and empowers us to call God – Abba (Father)!

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The Ascension of the Lord

Short Reflection for the Solemnity of the Ascension (B)

Readings: Acts. 1: 1-11; Ephesians 1: 17-23; Mark 16: 15-20

Selected Passage: “These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents (with their hands), and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mark 16: 17-18)

Reflection:  The gospel speaks of signs accompanying the believers. What are the new signs that must accompany our following of Christ today?

·       FELLOWSHIP in his name regardless of color, race, belief, language and gender;

·       It is our FELLOWSHIP with the poor and the excluded; and

·       It is our capacity to do the “extra mile” and to give away our extra coat as well.

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Call to Inter-Faith Dialogue

Dear Friends of the Badaliyya,

This month of May we focus our attention on Inter-faith Dialogue. This theme is close to the Friends of Louis Massignon.  On several occasions, this subject sparks a provocative discussion of "dialogue" with its current successes and failures despite good intentions.

This theme is responded to by several other authors and all included their understanding of the uniqueness of Louis Massignon on this issue. Here are two translations of his writings on dialogue among cultures and between Muslims and Christians:

On the reciprocal knowledge and decentering - "We understand the other by mentally substituting ourselves for the other, by entering into the place inhabited by the other, by mirroring the structure of thought in the other within ourselves".

Without relativism or syncretism - "I am not one of those who think that we succeed if we look for common comparisons and common denominators... I believe that it is in that which is most authentic in the originality (uniqueness) of each religion that we must try to find convergence".

As each person in our prayer group reads aloud what they have found meaningful in their search for understanding and compassion we are struck at how there are thoughts from all three Abrahamic traditions, a reading from Isaiah, a reading from the Vatican II documents, and a reading from Karen Armstrong's "Muhammad: a biography of the Prophet".

In the midst of our difficult journey we continue our prayer this month holding out hope for peaceful reconciliation and compassionate listening for all our brothers and sisters in the Southern Philippines, the Middle East and the Holy Land. May we always be mindful that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters, we do for God in Christ.

Pax et Bonun!

Bapa Eliseo ‘Jun’ Mercado, OMI

Badaliyya Philippines

May 09, 2015

Dome of the Rock

6th Sunday of Easter (B)

Dhikr for the 6th Sunday of Easter (B)

Selected Passage: “I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.” (John 15: 15)

Reflection: Among the many names given to the followers of Jesus, the title: “FRIENDS of Jesus” is, no doubt, the closest to the heart of discipleship. Jesus calls us friends and he offered his life for his friends… Yes, Jesus is our FRIEND and we are his…!

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May is the Month of Compassion

Badaliyya Philippines

Cotabato City

May 2015

Dear Friends of the Badaliyya,

Our Badaliyya Prayer group dedicates the month of May 2015 to pray for PEACE and RECONCILIATION amidst the cruelties and extremism now raging in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world… Please join us in spirit as we pray for peace and reconciliation, particularly in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East.

Our theme this month is "compassion" since it was so key to Fr. Massignon's understanding of the Badaliyya and substitution as a call to intercessory prayer, action and inter-religious relationship.

In his twenties, in 1908, Fr. Massignon had a profound experience of what he later described as "God breaking into his life" and as his "conversion experience". From this beginning he recognized the compassionate caring and prayer for him by others, including Charles de Foucauld and the Muslim Alussy family in Baghdad.

Deeply affected by his correspondence with Foucauld, his understanding of compassion became a center piece of his spirituality and a vital component of his experience of authentic relationship with God and others. As we explore the meaning of compassion in our lives, and pray with and for those suffering in our world, hear the words of Fr. Louis Massignon:

"As long as God leaves us absorbed in our own suffering we remain sterile, nailed to ourselves. As soon as compassion brings us beyond, to another's suffering other than our own, we enter into the science of compassion experientially, we discover wisdom in it; in the immortal company of all creatures purified by angelic and human trial we glimpse the joy of tomorrow through the pain of today".

Pax et Bonum!

Fr. Eliseo ‘Jun’ Mercado, OMI

May 2015

Cotabato City

5th Sunday of Easter (B)

A Short Reflection for the 5^th Sunday of Easter (B)

Readings: Acts 9: 26-31; 1 john 3: 18-24; John 15: 1-8

Selected Passage: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you” (John 15: 7)

Reflection: The challenge is to remain steadfast in the faith both in good times as well as in bad times.  We have Jesus’ guarantee that our prayers will be heard. Fear NOT and Believe!

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