Kaisa at Nagkakaisa sa Diyos na Isa

Click: (Readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity)

Iisa lang ang Diyos, ngunit may Tatlong Persona. Marahil kakaiba ito sa pandinig o sa lohika ng mga 'di Katoliko. Paano nga naman nangyaring ang tatlo ay isa lang? Bilang mga Katoliko, naniniwala tayo sa doktrina ng Holy Trinity o Santisima Trinidad. Inihayag sa atin ng iisang Diyos ang katotohanang ito: Siya ay Ama, Anak at Espiritu Santo. Sumasampalataya tayo dito dahil ito ay mula sa Diyos, kahit pa hindi natin ito ganap na maunawaan.

Sa kasaysayan ng ating kaligtasan ay unti-unting inihayag ng Diyos ang Kanyang sarili bilang Trinity. Sa simula pa nga lamang ay mayroon nang pahiwatig ng katotohanang ito: "Likhain natin ang tao... (Gen 1:26, akin ang pagdiriin)". Kumikilos ang Diyos all throughout salvation history as Trinity. Nilikha tayo ng Diyos Ama. Niligtas tayo ni Jesus, ang Diyos Anak. Pinababanal at ginagabayan naman tayo ng Diyos Espiritu Santo.

Ang Tatlong Persona ng Holy Trinity ay isang komunidad ng pag-ibig. God is love. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit love each other. Nais ng isang Diyos na maging bahagi rin tayo ng Kanyang divine life of love. Sa Ebanghelyo ngayon, narinig nating sinabi ng Diyos Anak na gagabayan ng Diyos Espiritu Santo ang mga alagad Niya at ihahayag sa ating mga Kristiyano ang katotohanang mula sa Diyos Ama. Diyos nga ang lumikha, nagligtas at patuloy na gumagabay sa atin. At ang patutunguhan natin ay walang iba kundi ang Diyos din. Ang makapiling ang Diyos Ama, Anak at Espiritu Santo ang layunin ng bawat Kristiyano at siya rin namang kaganapan ng salvation history.

Ang Santisima Trinidad din ang imahe ng layunin ng Diyos para sa mga tao, lalo't higit para sa mga Kristiyano - ang maging isa. Pagkakaisa ang isa sa mga panalangin ni Jesus para sa atin bago Siya pinako sa krus. Itinatag Niya ang Simbahang Katoliko bilang sakramento o tanda ng Kanyang kaligtasan. Bilang pamayanan ng mga nananampalataya sa Diyos, dapat nating pahalagahan ang ating pagkakaisa, ang ating pakikitungo sa ating kapwa, kahit hindi pa Kristiyano. Dapat din tayong maging isa sa pananalig, pananalangin at pagsasabuhay ng ating pananampalataya. Nagagawa natin ito sa pamamagitan ng ating tapat na pagtalima sa mga turo ng Simbahan in matters of faith and morals, at sa ating pakikiisa sa pagsamba sa Diyos, lalo na sa Banal na Misa.

Sa ating pagkakaisa bilang Simbahan, sama-sama tayong naglalakbay at ginagabayan ng Diyos patungo sa Kanya: pinagkakaisa upang maging kaisa rin ng Banal na Santatlo.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen. 

Conclave na! Ano'ng dapat nating gawin?

Magsisimula na ang Conclave. Ano nga bang pwede at dapat nating gawin?

Payo sa atin ni Blessed Pope John Paul II, in his Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis:

During the vacancy of the Apostolic See, and above all during the time of the election of the Successor of Peter, the Church is united in a very special way with her Pastors and particularly with the Cardinal electors of the Supreme Pontiff, and she asks God to grant her a new Pope as a gift of his goodness and providence. Indeed, following the example of the first Christian community spoken of in the Acts of the Apostles (cf. 1:14), the universal Church, spiritually united with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, should persevere with one heart in prayer; thus the election of the new Pope will not be something unconnected with the People of God and concerning the College of electors alone, but will be in a certain sense an act of the whole Church. I therefore lay down that in all cities and other places, at least the more important ones, as soon as news is received of the vacancy of the Apostolic See and, in particular, of the death of the Pope, and following the celebration of his solemn funeral rites, humble and persevering prayers are to be offered to the Lord (cf. Mt 21:22; Mk 11:24), that he may enlighten the electors and make them so likeminded in their task that a speedy, harmonious and fruitful election may take place, as the salvation of souls and the good of the whole People of God demand.

Universi Dominici Gregis 84 

We can do this individually by praying that the Lord may inspire the Cardinal electors. Marami sigurong gagawa nito by keeping awake and praying habang nanood ng live coverage ng Conclave. (Tip lang: As much as possible, choose to watch on EWTN or on other Catholic media coverages) As a liturgical assembly, we can do this by celebrating the Votive Mass for the Election of a Pope, offered at the direction or with the permission of the diocesan bishop.

Praying that God may provide for His flock a pope who, in His judgment, is best for the Petrine ministry is really the best thing we can do. As members of the Church Universal, this is our duty and this should be our prayer.

Ito dapat ang panalangin natin para sa buong Simbahan. 'Di ba sabi nga nila, dapat kapag nagdarasal tayo, we should always have a Your-will-be-done attitude? Ganun din dito sa pagdarasal natin for the next pope.We should not pray that this or that cardinal become elected. We should pray that God's will be done.

We should not...

...like or create pages like this:

and support or create things like these:

Honestly, these posters and videos are insulting to the whole solemnity and holiness of the Conclave! The Conclave is done in the spirit of intense prayer because the Cardinal electors must discern carefully the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Tapos may lalabas na mga ganito?

Ang sabi nga ng mga critics ng mga ito, tila mas marunong pa ata o pinangungunahan ng mga gumawa nito ang Espiritu Santo na siyang dapat pinakikinggan at tinatawag.

There is nothing wrong with having opinions, tama naman. Pero sa mga propagandang tulad nito, tila binababoy naman natin ang Sacred Tradition ng Simbahan dahil ibinababa natin ang Conclave sa level ng political campaigns. Imagine that? True, the Church is both human and divine kaya't "hindi daw maiiwasan" ang politika. But isn't it obvious from the way the Conclave is done that the Church wants to make the election of the pope as divine as possible?

Sabi nga ni Blessed Pope John Paul II, "In the same way, I wish to confirm the provisions made by my Predecessors for the purpose of excluding any external interference in the election of the Supreme Pontiff. . .

I intend this prohibition to include all possible forms of interference, opposition and suggestion whereby secular authorities of whatever order and degree, or any individual or group, might attempt to exercise influence on the election of the Pope." (Universi Dominici Gregis 80)

See? Opinyon na kung opinyon, pero kailangan pa ba ng posters o video? Para kanino yung mga yun, for the Cardinal electors to see? And where does this come from? Is this from a genuine concern for the entire Church or from a false sense of national pride? Oo, Pilipinong Katoliko tayo, pero hindi ba't "universal" ang ibig sabihin ng Katoliko? So dapat ang concern natin ay para sa buong Simbahang Katoliko, hindi yung para magkaroon ng first Filipino pope! If God wills one of these cardinals to be pope, why do we need propaganda and campaigning?

These days, we are invited to prayer. We are asked to join the College of Cardinals in invoking the Holy Spirit for such an important undertaking of the Church. The Conclave, as we can see, is one of the cleanest election processes; it is definitely the most prayerful election process. As Catholic lay persons, let's get into the spirit of it. Let us just pray!

Veni Creator Spiritus!