Month: January 2008

‘WHERE DO I FIND THE WORDS?’ (Lk 4:14-22):  10 January 2008 (Thursday)

Reading:  www.nccbuscc.org/nab/011008.shtml

In the comic book, Preacher, Jesse Custer is a down-and-out alcoholic minister in the small town of Annville, Texas.  Traumatized by his religious fanatic mother, Jesse goes through a crisis in faith as he struggles with his own demons.

In one of his services, his sermon is interrupted by a being called Genesis, an angel/demon that has escaped from its prison and that decides to merge with him, causing a big fire that destroys his church and kills all his parishioners.  Jesse is the sole survivor, and he emerges from the ruins as some kind of superhero, Preacher, with a voice that has the power to command the obedience of anyone who hears him.

“WOULD YOU WALK ON OUR SEA?” (Mk 6:45-52):  09 January 2008 (Black Nazerene of Quiapo, Wednesday)

Reading: www.nccbuscc.org/nab/010908.shtml

The Quiapo Church in Manila is home to the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, the life-sized, dark-skinned statue brought to the country from Mexico over 400 years ago.  Today, the 9th of January, is the Feast of the Black Nazarene, as the image is more popularly known.  The statue will be placed on a carriage and pulled through the streets of Quiapo by a rough exclusively-male procession.  

“HOW MANY LOAVES DO I HAVE?” (Mk 6:34-44):  08 January 2008 (Tuesday)

Reading:  www.nccbuscc.org/nab/010808.shtml

“An Inconvenient Truth,” Al Gore’s award-winning documentary on climate change, ranks high in my list of  scariest movies of all time.  In ways both lucid and graphic, the documentary shows us the magnitude of the problem, a problem caused by all the abuses committed against the planet.  Watching the film, some of us may actually feel helpless and resigned to our fate, whatever that will be.

“WHERE IS THE KINGDOM?” (Mt 4:12-17, 23-25):  07 January 2008 (Monday)

Reading:  www.nccbuscc.org/nab/010708.shtml

The Black Eyed Peas’ music video for their hit “Where Is the Love?” begins with an intriguing close-up of a red question mark.  As the music rises, the camera zooms out to reveal that it’s a piece of crumpled poster clutched by someone running.  Soon we see the mysterious question mark being posted all over the city–on street signs, on walls, on moving vehicles, on banners, even on people’s arms, as more and more people of different age and color repeatedly sing the chorus in increasing intensity:  “Where is the love?” 

“WHO COMES BEARING GIFTS?” (Mt 2:1-12):  06 January 2008 (Epiphany of the Lord, Sunday)

Reading:  www.nccbuscc.org/nab/010608.shtml

We know the saying, “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.” It’s a reference to the story of the Trojan War.   For ten years, the Greeks waged war against Troy, but for many reasons couldn’t win it. Then Odysseus devised a clever plan:  They built a giant hollow wooden horse outside the walls of Troy, and pretended to leave it as a peace offering.  Against the advice of their seers, the Trojans accepted the gift and held a night of revelry to celebrate the end of the ten-year siege.  Unknown to them, the  wooden horse was filled with hundreds of Greek soldiers, who in the dark of night climbed out of their hiding place when the entire city was in a drunken stupor.  They opened the gates of the city to let the other Greeks in.  Needless to say, the entire city of Troy was destroyed.  Hence, the warning about Greeks and deadly gifts.